Switzerland partners with BioAsia2020, seeks closer ties with Indian lifesciences industry

Switzerland has partnered with life sciences convention BioAsia, as the country partner for the 17th edition of BioAsia2020.

Speaking on the occasion, Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce and Information Technology, Govt of Telangana, said, “Switzerland has an outstanding reputation globally as an extremely specialised production location for innovative lifescience products. This has become possible with an incredible focus on science backed by country’s strong academics in applied sciences and financially sound and research-based pharmaceutical companies. Telangana is a state committed to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, and the focus of BioAsia has been centered around innovation over the years. Hence, we are truly delighted to welcome Switzerland onboard as the country partner in this 17th edition of BioAsia. Both Telangana and Switzerland have inherent strengths in life sciences and bringing them together will drive significant developments in the life sciences industry globally.”

Adding to it, Silvana Renggli-Frey, Deputy Consul General – Consulate General of Switzerland, said, “Switzerland recognises India as a strategic partner in healthtech. Hyderabad being one of the prominent hubs in life sciences and healthtech, has been an attractive ecosystem for us to engage with. As a country partner at BioAsia, we’re bringing a holistic representation of the Swiss healthtech ecosystem spanning from corporates to startups to academia to investors. We’re eager to collaborate with the key players in India and pursue new solutions today, for tomorrow.”

E V Narasimha Reddy, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC), said, “There are several Swiss-based companies like Novartis, Lonza, Ferring, to name a few, which have large operations in Telangana. This showcases the close relationship the state has cultivated with Switzerland. Through platforms like BioAsia, we are working towards attracting more Swiss organisations to Telangana.

“The event will attract participation of leaders from over 50 countries. Its’ been a tradition to invite a partner country and we are truly delighted to welcome Switzerland as the country partner for the first time which only goes to show the rapid growth in scale and magnitude of the event. We have had the pleasure of hosting Norway, the UK, South Korea, Spain, Thailand and South Africa, among others, as country partners in the past years,” added Shakthi Nagappan, Director (Life Sciences and Pharma), Govt of Telangana and CEO – BioAsia.

More than a 1/3rd of Swiss exports come from the pharmaceutical industry making it a significant contributor to the overall economy of Switzerland. The country has placed itself as one of the most important stock exchanges for lifescience companies in Europe. There is an increasing interest from innovation centers, startups and universities to engage with India. For start-ups, the aim of Swiss organisations is to engage with drug development and product design services to achieve faster, safer drugs and devices in niche markets. Cantonal representatives of Switzerland are interested in leveraging BioAsia for investment opportunities in Switzerland. Indian companies can invest into Swiss cantons to avail the manufacturing facilities and specialised technologies that is a win-win for India and Switzerland alike.