Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Roche has opened a new pharmaceutical research and development center at its global headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. The company invested 1.2 billion Swiss francs in the center, comprising four buildings. It brings together researchers from different disciplines. Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin attended the inauguration.
33 laboratories
The new “Pharma Research and Early Development Center” consists of two high-rise laboratory buildings, one 114 meters and the other 72 meters high, alongside an office building and a convention center with heights of 26 meters and 18 meters. The four new buildings are dwarfed by the neighboring two existing office towers in the center of Basel, the two tallest building in Switzerland at 205 and 178 meters.
The state-of-the-art buildings have been deliberately designed to foster collaboration and an end-to-end mindset, aiming to deliver the most transformative medicines to patients faster. In total, the center contains 33 combined laboratories and office floors with 150 labs and workplaces for around 1,800 researchers.
Switzerland’s most innovative research and development center underscores Roche’s long-term investment in scientific advancement to meet patient needs. Equipped with cutting-edge technologies, the new center brings together teams of scientists and researchers to accelerate scientific discoveries for patients.
Sharing knowledge
Thomas Schinecker, CEO of the Roche Group: “The new center will play an integral role in collaborating with our research centers across the globe, aiming to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of our R&D, and to deliver the greatest impact for patients.”
Hans Clevers, Head of Pharma Research and Early Development: “By investing in the new center we are continuing to push scientific frontiers to translate innovation into medicines. The new center will enable greater interaction and knowledge sharing across disciplines, for example, chemists, biologists, and data scientists.”
Huge investment
Since 2009, Roche has invested 4.6 billion francs into the upgrade of its Basel headquarters site. The new R&D center marks the biggest single investment. However, the pharmaceutical giant is currently investing a further 1.2 billion francs across the Basel site. This totals an investment of 5.8 billion francs to develop the site from 2009 to 2030.
Founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.
Text: Roche (Editing by SCCIJ)
