Swiss Biotech Industry Shows Strong Growth Despite Mixed Conference Sentiment

While the Swiss Biotech Day (May 4th/5th in Basel) traditionally begins for media representatives with the Swiss Biotech Association and the auditors from EY presenting the figures for the past year, these figures are not presented to conference attendees until the second day.

Consequently, many discussions at the conference, which was packed with a record-breaking 3,500 participants, take place on the first day without any factual basis and therefore sometimes present a divergent picture. The industry association presents a picture of overall satisfaction and stable conditions in Switzerland, while some conversations at the exhibition booths reveal uncertainty and difficult times.

According to the figures in the EY report for Switzerland, the signs are more positive than negative for the Swiss biotech sector

The Swiss biotech industry continued its growth momentum in 2025, even reaching new record highs. As the industry report, presented at the Swiss Biotech Day in Basel in early May, reveals, total revenue of companies classified as biotech (which explicitly excludes companies like Roche and Novartis) rose to CHF 7.5 billion, up from CHF 7.2 billion the previous year.

This growth was driven by an increasing number of market-ready products and the continued high demand for specialized CDMO services.

Financing works even in difficult times

The financing situation also remained stable: Capital inflows increased slightly by 2.1 percent to CHF 2.6 billion. A striking feature is the shift towards privately financed companies. These raised CHF 1.15 billion, more capital than ever before – an increase of 38%! Their share of the total financing volume thus rose to 45%. Among the largest rounds were Windward Bio with CHF 186 million and GlycoEra with CHF 104 million.

From a Swiss perspective, it fits perfectly into this picture that the Basel-based company Windward Bio has once again announced that it has raised a nine-figure sum – namely US$165 million – adding to the US$200 million Series A funding round just 12 months ago. Here, active ingredients from China make it possible for a Swiss company to be equipped with this substantial capital. Some are already talking about a new biotech model, but perhaps a great deal also depends on the individuals involved within the Basel ecosystem.

In contrast, the environment remained challenging in the listed segment. Nevertheless, BioVersys achieved the largest European IPO of the year in early 2025 – and the only one in Switzerland. At the same time, partnerships and licensing deals continue to gain importance as sources of financing, said Frederik Schmachtenberg of EY.

Market shifts

The number of product approvals declined slightly in the US, Europe, and Switzerland, while other markets such as China and Canada saw increases. Investments in research and development fell moderately to CHF 2.5 billion, but remained at a high level. At the same time, employment reached a new record high with more than 21,000 full-time positions. A comparison with industry leader Roche is relevant here: Roche reports approximately 18,000 employees in Switzerland alone.

Perhaps it’s a sign of the growing collaboration between established players (such as Roche or Novartis) and the innovation ecosystem primarily represented and served by the industry association that the CEOs of these companies now occasionally make appearances at the Swiss Biotech Day.

Novartis graced the event with their presence some time ago; this time, Thomas Schinecker, Roche CEO, presented his perspective on the global situation and Switzerland’s position within it in a brief dialogue with Patrick Amstutz, head of the Swiss Biotech Association and CEO of Molecular Partners, in a packed lecture hall.

Roche is there, but also in a special role

He said that Switzerland could no longer afford to seek a niche as a “small country.” It was essential to remain relevant in global markets, to address the relevant markets appropriately, and of course, the USA remained paramount, followed by Europe, then China, and the rest of the world. And since a small country couldn’t dictate the rules, it had to adapt to the rules of these other markets.

He illustrated, with compelling figures, that the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors played a vital role in Switzerland’s innovation landscape, its national budget, and local value creation, not least through their high employment figures (which, after all, represent taxpayers). “In recent years, only the pharmaceutical industry has increased its workforce; all other sectors in Switzerland have either remained stable at best or have declined,” Schinecker stated.

Whether more active political intervention in the economic sector is needed is highly controversial in Switzerland. It is absolutely unheard of there for the state to come to the aid of struggling companies (the few instances of this are considered by the Swiss to be nothing short of scandalous). Likewise, the federal government has so far managed well by not favoring any particular economic sector, treating all equally.

While political bodies are now considering whether a state strategy for the pharmaceutical industry might be necessary in these uncertain times, the Swiss do not expect any concrete help from such a strategy in written form and view further political action on this matter with a mixture of pity and derision.

Politics? No, thank you.

Pharmaceuticals have always been strong enough on their own; this is ingrained in the Swiss DNA. Innovations can also be acquired externally if this strengthens their own position. Why should they leave a future leading technology platform or a promising active ingredient to just any competitor?

This mindset also pervades the conference days; the focus is on business, new opportunities, and new offerings. Politics is a peripheral topic, if it comes up at all. Overall, the industry report also confirms Switzerland’s robust position in the international biotech competition: supported by a broad investor base, strong international networks, and a growing share of privately financed innovations.

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(Featured image by Claudio Schwarz via Unsplash)

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