Roche investing 790 million Swiss francs in Basel

Roche has laid the foundation stone for Building 51, as detailed in a statement. This new facility is a Synthetic Molecules Factory (SMF), where Roche will develop synthetic molecules at its Basel site. While Building 51 is being newly constructed for this purpose, Building 50 is also being modernized. Roche is investing a sum of 790 million Swiss francs in the SMF, with the new facilities expected to be operational by 2030. Around 200 highly skilled employees will work across the two buildings.

“Synthetic molecules are a key part of our portfolio and will continue to grow in importance. With the new facility, we are creating the right environment to produce increasingly complex molecules using state-of-the-art technologies and digital solutions”, as Thomas Schinecker, CEO of the Roche Group, explains in the statement. With the SMF, the company is aiming to combine modern production technologies with digital infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“The construction of our Synthetic Molecules Facility is a key milestone for our site, and will enable us to bring research, development and production even closer together, make our work faster and more flexible”, comments Jürg Erismann, Site Head of Roche Basel/Kaiseraugst, who adds: “At the same time, Buildings 50 and 51 will further strengthen Basel’s role as a key, high-performing site within our global production network.”                   

At present, Roche’s ongoing investments in construction projects at the Basel/Kaiseraugst location total 1.4 billion Swiss francs. These investments are said to underline “Roche’s long-term commitment to Switzerland as a business and research location”.