Basel City
Roche (#6) and Novartis (#8) global pharma headquarters with 30,000 life sciences workers—Basel's 800+ companies raised CHF 2.5B in 2024, transforming from corporate cluster to ecosystem.
Basel-City (Basel-Stadt) concentrates Europe's pharmaceutical might—Roche (#6 global pharma by market cap) and Novartis (#8) both headquartered here. Over 30,000 life sciences workers across 800+ companies create ecosystem that competitors cannot easily replicate. Swiss biotechs raised CHF 2.5 billion in 2024 (+22%), with Basel capturing major share.
The transformation from "corporate cluster" to "ecosystem" distinguishes Basel from mere company-town status. Incubators, university research, patent specialists, and venture capital create supporting infrastructure that sustains innovation beyond any single company's presence.
Roche scored perfect 100 points in Future Readiness Indicator 2024; both giants pursue acquisitions (Roche's $1.5B Poseida buy, Novartis's $1.1B Kate acquisition) to strengthen pipelines. The Roche Innovation Center Basel houses 1,800 employees in oncology, neuroscience, infectious diseases, rare diseases, and ophthalmology research.
BioTechX Europe 2024 brought 3,500 executives and 400 speakers to Basel—demonstration that the city remains Europe's pharma hub despite Boston's emergence as global competitor. Whether Basel can sustain leadership as biotech globalizes will determine the canton's trajectory.