Last year, the Basel Area proved to be a location with a promising future. Basel Area Business & Innovation, the investment and innovation promotion agency, has supported the settlement of 30 companies in the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Jura. The agency’s 2019 annual report further reveals that it also supported the founding of 62 startups.

Despite the fact that, in comparison with the prior year, the number of companies settling in the area decreased by three and the number of startups by ten, the healthtech sector has defied this development to record growth. Seven out of the newly settled companies and six of those newly established are active in this area and develop health technologies, for example for personalized medicine and digitization within the industry.

The media release states that Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area, which is operated by Basel Area Business & Innovation, enjoyed a “highly successful” year in 2019. As such, the number of companies located there increased from 13 to 32. Further successful developments include the start of construction on the new GRID Campus of Collaboration building at the main site in Allschwil BL, the inauguration of the Jura site in Courroux and the first steps toward the new site on the Novartis Campus in Basel.

Christof Klöpper, CEO of Basel Area Business & Innovation, is quoted in the press release, saying: “In order to position the Basel Area as an attractive location for the settlement of foreign companies and the founding of local startups, as well as to hold our ground in an environment where competition between locations is increasing, a strong positioning is extremely important.” For this reason, a change of name from BaselArea.swiss to Basel Area Business & Innovation was resolved. This is accompanied by a new online presence, the new slogan “More to discover” and a new logo. This logo may also be used by institutions and organizations “so that they can raise the awareness of the economic region at home and abroad and invite companies and talents to discover the potential of the Basel Area.”