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Basel Area Brochure

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Basel Area Brochure Basel economic area Optimal conditions for business success Dear Reader The Basel economic area is home to Europe’s largest life sci- ences cluster. Successful pharmaceutical, biotech and agrochem- ical companies provide for the highest hourly productivity in the industry worldwide. Global companies such as Roche, Novartis and Syngenta, as well as many up-and-coming companies, for example Actelion, have their headquarters here. But Basel’s success is not only based on the life sciences. Studies by UBS and Credit Suisse show that the region today is optimally diversified in growth industries. These include the watch industry, medical engineering and logistics. The greatest strength of the Basel economic area lies in its geo- graphic concentration of skills in universities and companies. Moti- vated and highly qualified people working in research, develop- ment and applications are providing for the strongest economic growth in Switzerland. People feel at home in the Basel area. The population, around 30 percent of whom are foreigners, enjoys a cultural diversity and quality of life that are without parallel. Entrepreneurs appreciate the political stability, the legal certainty and an infrastructure that offers them a predictably ideal environment. Basel is one of the best business regions in the world. We would be happy to provide you with support in your efforts to settle in this first-class location. Dr. Franz Saladin CEO BaselArea 1 Open to the world. Basel is one of the world’s economic hotbeds. Companies based here benefit from a location that combines cosmopolitan living and an international environment with excellent operating conditions and a high quality of life. 2 Gateway to Europe. The EuroAirport Basel-Mul- house-Freiburg lies just a few kilometers from the city center and links the region with more than 70 European destinations. Just one hour away is Zurich airport, which offers flights all over the world. 3 Center of the pharmaceutical industry. Basel has the world’s highest density of successful life sciences companies. The dynamic growth of the life sciences cluster benefits not only the pharmaceutical, biotech and medtech companies, but also all other sectors in the region, such as nanotechnology and microtechnology. 4 International and multilingual workforce. The Basel region is attractive to working profes- sionals from around the globe. Basel’s major corporations employ experts from some 90 dif- ferent countries. Apart from German, English and French, many people in Basel speak other languages. 5 You can feel the joie de vivre. The wide range of high-level cultural activities, attractive events, an intact environment and a high level of security make the region a popular place to work and live. 6 A region with foresight. Thanks to its mild weather and wide open tracts of unspoilt countryside, the Basel region offers plenty of scope for outdoor leisure and recreation activities such as biking, hiking, jogging, horseback or simply strolling. 7 Connected to the world. Basel is the most important junction in Switzerland for connections by road, rail, water and air. Thanks to its central position, a high degree of logistics know-how and excellent infrastructure, the Basel area is the ideal location for numerous companies in terms of trade with Europe. 8 Short distances. High-speed trains link Basel with Paris, Frankfurt and Milan, among other cities, in around three hours. Thanks to the very well esta- blished rail network, other Swiss cities such as Zurich, Berne and Lausanne can be reached within a short time, often in less than one hour. 9 Trading center. Basel has long been an important central European trading center and hub for international business. As the third-largest city in Switzerland, it is also a major trade fair venue. 10 Playing host to the world. BASELWORLD – the leading trade show event for the watch and jewel- ry industry worldwide – takes place in Basel every year, showcasing a remarkable range of luxury items. Art Basel in turn is regarded as the world’s most important contemporary art fair and takes place in Basel in the early summer every year. 11 In a class of his own. Basel’s favorite son, Roger Federer, has dominated men’s tennis in recent years. His pursuit for perfection and winning mentality are characteristics he shares with his home region. 12 Experiencing emotions. As a multifunctional sta- dium, the modern St. Jakob-Park offers space for major events attracting over 40,000 visitors. Apart from the matches of FC Basel, which has competed several times in the Champions League, international football matches are also played here regularly. 13 Window to the world. Open-mindedness and tolerance are a Basel tradition. With France and Germany on the doorstep, the population of the region is used to dealing with different cultures. 14 International meeting point. Basel combines the advantages of France and Germany with those of Switzerland, including hospitality, outstand- ing cuisine, a unique landscape and savoir-vivre. 15 Working conditions An environment conducive to business Switzerland’s liberal legislation ensures a labor market that Stable conditions functions well. The excellent standards of training and highly Switzerland has also enjoyed many decades of political stabil- motivated employees, as well as relatively low social costs ity. All the major political parties are represented in the govern- compared to the rest of Europe, make for high productivity. ment. This not only promotes balanced decision-making but also ensures a high degree of legal certainty. Employers and unions work together in partnership to resolve labor disputes at the negotiating table. Strikes are therefore The long-established partnership between business and practically unknown. govern ment within the Basel region is an expression of this stability. Authorities in Basel understand the needs of busi- Although employees in Switzerland work long hours ness and are an efficient and reliable point of contact for (42.3 hours per week on average), the level of work satisfac- companies in the area. To mention but one example, con- tion is very high – with 91% of employees indicating that they struction permit applications in Basel are normally processed are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their working conditions. within a few weeks. It is therefore not surprising that absenteeism is very low: sta- tistics on labor volume show that Swiss workers are absent for only 3.6% of work time. In other countries, a figure of 10% is not unusual. 16 World leader in competitiveness In points, Global Competitiveness Report 2009–2010 5.60 5.55 5.50 5.45 5.40 First-class education 5.35 5.30 5.25 The Basel area has a large number of highly 5.20 qualified employees, partly thanks to its out- 5.15 standing educational facilities: 5.10 5.05 5.00 • Switzerland has an excellent public school system and most Swiss pupils attend the den USA free public schools. Since the international Japan Finland Swe Canada Denmark Germany Singapore community in the Basel area is growing, the Switzerland Netherlands capacity of the international schools is con- Source: Global Competitiveness Index 2009 – 2010, WEF, www.weforum.org stantly being expanded: at present, several schools offer internationally recognized curricula. Nominal per capita GDP • As many as 5 of the 100 best universities in In euros, current prices and exchange rates, year 2008 the world are located in Basel and its sur- 0 20 000 40 000 60 000 80 000 100 000 120 000 rounding area. According to the Shanghai Basel city Index, these include not only the University Basel region of Basel, but also the Federal Institute of Geneva Technology (ETH) Zurich, the University of Zurich Zurich, the University of Freiburg im Breis- Hamburg gau (D) and the University of Strasbourg (F). Munich Other universities in St. Gallen, Lausanne Stockholm and Geneva enjoy a worldwide reputation Paris Greater London in various fields such as business or diplo- Lake Geneva Basin macy. Switzerland California • Vocational training is not only possible at Vienna the post-secondary level – but after com- Germany pletion of normal schooling the training Western Europe may also take place in a company as part of an apprenticeship. These young people Source: BAK Basel Economics opt for the direct path to their profession. The strength of this training consists in the close links between on-the-job experience and classroom teaching. 17 Infrastructure and taxes A platform for success There are many reasons why more and more companies are Newcomers are welcome moving their headquarters to the Basel area. For example, the Attractive tax rates help to underpin economic growth in the large number of highly qualified people, free access to the Basel region. Recent years have seen tax rates drop, with the European market, the outstanding quality of life and, not least, expectation of further tax cuts in the future. the flawlessly functioning infrastructure, which is greatly appre- ciated by both private individuals and business people alike. Swiss value-added tax stands at 7.6% (rising to 8% in 2011); by far the lowest in Europe. But such statements tell only part of the story. Infrastructure investment within the Basel region is continual and is helping The effective overall tax burden for corporate profits in the to clear the way ahead for developments of the future. Cur- Basel area ranges between 14.2% and 23.4%. The tax on rent projects to improve Basel’s transportation links include capital in the Basel region ranges between 0.275% and the expansion of freight capacity at EuroAirport Basel-Mul- 0.525% (in 2010). house-Freiburg, the modernization of basel’s Rheine docks, enhancement to the freeway network and the ongoing expan- Particularly interesting opportunities are available for holding sion of the European high-speed rail network.
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