The investment and innovation promotion agency Basel Area Business & Innovation can look back with satisfaction on yet another successful year. The organization, which works on behalf of the cantons of Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Jura, assisted a total of 34 companies in establishing a business presence in the region across 2023, in addition to supporting the foundation of 86 new businesses, as Basel Area Business & Innovation writes in a press release. “The past year has again shown that the Basel Area is an attractive destination for companies and startups”, comments CEO Christof Klöpper. “We are making good progress each year in our efforts to position the region as a unique location for future-oriented industries on both a national and international level”, he adds.

High share of life sciences companies

Of the 34 companies hailing from 17 different countries that established a presence in the Basel Area in 2023, a total of 20 come from Europe, eight from the Americas and six from Asia. Overall, 26 companies, or in other words more than three quarters, are active in the life sciences industry. “This shows that the Basel Area is the leading location in Switzerland for companies in the life sciences sector”, explains Domenico Scala, President of Basel Area Business & Innovation, who adds: “These companies find a highly networked ecosystem here that jointly develops innovative solutions”.

In terms of the 86 new company foundations, the consulting sector tops the rankings with 35 startups. The life sciences industry is represented with 15 newly formed companies, while a further ten start-ups are active in the construction sector. Together, both the businesses newly based in the Basel Area and the start-ups intend to create around 700 jobs across the region over the next three to five years.