Bachem invests 750 million in Fricktal
The Sisslerfeld between Stein and Sisseln in the canton of Aargau is to become a life science cluster. Now the pharmaceutical company Bachem has announced that it will build a production facility there.
Bachem, a manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients based in Bubendorf (BL), has announced substantial investments. The company plans to build a production facility in Sisslerfeld for CHF 750 million. To this end, Bachem has agreed with DSM to acquire an undeveloped site in stages. The purchase of the first plot has been completed, with the others to follow over the coming years, Bachem says. The company did not disclose the purchase price.
Bachem intends to expand production capacity and create up to 3,000 new jobs on the overall site, which has an area of 155,000 square meters. In the first step, a good 750 million CHF will be invested by 2023 and 500 new jobs are to be created.
Bachem sees location advantages in northwestern Switzerland
DSM is also located on the Sisslerfeld. "With Bachem, we have found a new neighbor who, like us, is planning for the long term and is interested in the development of the Sisslerfeld into an attractive biosciences cluster," Eros Carletti, President of DSM Switzerland, was quoted as saying in the Bachem press release.
According to the pharmaceutical company, the choice of location was made in a multi-stage selection process. Northwestern Switzerland was chosen early on because of the skilled workforce, the network of suppliers and the high density of pharmaceutical and chemical companies, among other factors. "The specific property in Sisslerfeld was ultimately selected primarily because of a further increase in space requirements," says Bachem.
The canton would like to see further settlements
With this decision, Bachem is giving a boost to the canton of Aargau's plans to develop the 200-hectare Sisslerfeld into a life science cluster. For some years now, the canton has been trying to buy industrial land in the vicinity of existing biochemical and life science companies, bring it to construction maturity and then sell it on. Around 85 hectares are still undeveloped.
A study by the economic research institute BAK Economics shows that the development of the site from 2040 onwards could generate an additional CHF 2.7 to 5.3 billion in value added annually for the canton. The industrial cluster could employ between 10,000 and 15,000 people, compared with 4,000 at present. Cantonal government councilor Dieter Egli, head of the Department of Economic Affairs and the Interior, therefore sees the influx of Bachem as confirmation of the area's great potential. "At the same time, it makes clear how important it is to quickly bring the properties in the Sisslerfeld to market and construction maturity in order to attract further value-added companies to settle in the lower Fricktal," he adds. (ah)
