Between the US government shutdown, crippling international tariffs, debilitating funding cuts to critical research, and the general policy whiplash in Washington DC, it’s little wonder many US-based life sciences companies are opting to expand in a more stable environment. Basel Area Business & Innovation says the Basel area in Switzerland is poised to welcome them.
Often considered a world leading life sciences supercluster, the Basel region is already the global headquarters for some of the world’s top pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Given its strategic location in the center of Europe with direct access to the biggest European markets, close proximity to several top-tier universities, one of the fastest drug registration processes in the world, and a government committed to funding innovation, it’s little wonder the region is attracting notable names.
Immunologist and California transplant, Dr Stephen Wilson, who spent 24 years at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, is one of them. He recently left the US to lead the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering (BIIE). Headquartered at the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area, BIIE is a life sciences research institute focused on developing immune-based diagnostics and therapeutics for children. Dr Wilson is concerned that American innovation will suffer long-term impacts if funding cuts to research and a dismissive mindset towards science continue.