Economic region Basel Area shows stable high numbers of startups and new companies settling here
Basel, 19.03.2024
Like in previous years, also in 2023 many foreign companies and new startups chose the economic region of the Basel Area as their business location. Of the 34 companies that settled in the Basel Area, 26 operate in the life sciences, amounting to around three-quarters of the new companies settling here. With 86 startups, Basel Area Business & Innovation recorded its second-highest annual total.
The success of Basel Area Business & Innovation has stabilized at a high level. Operating on behalf of the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Jura, the investment and innovation promotion agency had a good 2023, with notable numbers of companies settling here and new startups founded in the region. Last year, 34 companies and 86 startups were supported in setting up business in the Basel Area. While both these figures are slightly lower than last year, they significantly exceed the average of the past eight years.
Over the years, more and more foreign life sciences companies have opted for the Basel Area. In 2023, as many as 26 companies, or more than three-quarters of those that settled here, operate in the life sciences sector. “This shows that the Basel Area is the leading Swiss location for companies in this sector. They find a well-networked ecosystem here that develops innovative solutions together,” says Domenico Scala, President of Basel Area Business & Innovation. Of the 86 new startups, 35 are in the consulting sector, 15 in the life sciences and 10 in construction. The companies newly settled here and the startups plan to create around 700 jobs in total over the next three to five years.
Newly settled companies from 17 countries
The entire value chain of the life sciences sector is represented in the Basel Area. Aside from more than 700 life sciences companies, over 1000 research groups and a unique talent pool with 32,500 highly qualified people, the Basel Area also stands out with its high quality of life and its international flair. Companies from 17 countries settled in the Basel Area in 2023, 20 from Europe, 8 from America and 6 from Asia. The companies from the US that opened branches in the Basel Area include the innovative biotech firms Regeneron, Neurocrine Biosciences and Treeline Biosciences.
Christof Klöpper, CEO of Basel Area Business & Innovation: “Last year showed once again that the Basel Area is an attractive destination for companies and startups. Every year we continue to make considerable headway in our efforts to make the region known both nationally and internationally as a unique location for forward-looking industries.”
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About Basel Area Business & Innovation
Basel Area Business & Innovation is the investment and innovation promotion agency dedicated to helping companies, institutions and startups find business success in the Basel Area. The organization targets and attracts companies to settle, supports founders of innovative ventures, and drives high growth initiatives in order to establish the region as the Swiss business and innovation hub of the future. The non-profit agency focuses on growing the area’s cutting-edge industries life sciences, healthcare and production technologies and manages the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area, which houses the organization’s accelerator programs. The agency serves the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Jura.
