Where science drives business
A great deal of basic research is carried out at the University of Basel – also working together with industry. With the «Friedrich Mischer Institute for Biomedical Research», for example, which was founded by two local pharmaceutical companies, Basel has a world-renowned top research institute for basic research into biomedical sciences.
The Universities of Applied Science, by contrast, concentrate on practical applications. The University of Applied Sciences North-western Switzerland (FHNW) pursues and pragmatic research objectives focused on application in many diverse fields.
The Swiss economy is more than ever dependent upon such approaches. For this reason, the “Basel Incubator”, an initiative of the University of Basel, the FHNW, the Canton of Basel-Stadt and the EVA, the life sciences startup agency, supports spin-offs from the University of Basel, the University of Applied Sciences North-western Switzerland and other start-up companies with low-cost infrastructure and well-proven coaching
This environment offers the global pharmaceutical companies Novartis and Roche, the agrochemical company Syngenta, and the chemical companies Lonza and Clariant an ideal operating environment where they can thrive and grow. All these companies have clearly committed themselves to the Basel location. The cooperation between business, government and universities functions very well. The “Campus of Knowledge” that has arisen on the grounds of the pharmaceutical company Novartis is an excellent point in case.
