Medtech and robotics

Where engineering expertise meets cutting-edge science

The long standing history of innovation shows that to produce new products and services, there often needs to be a critical mass of relevant skills and knowledge in close geographic proximity. Like in the Basel Area’s history of dye making leading to chemical manufacturing that also led to the development of the strong life sciences industry, the strong know-how in watchmaking led to a unique cluster of micro-technology companies producing world-class medtech products in Basel Area too – a testament to the value of clusters. Switzerland is one of the most important locations for the global medical technology industry with the highest density of medical device companies per capita in Europe. An established part of the Basel region’s strong life sciences cluster, the medtech industry benefits from a forward looking region which provides the ideal breeding ground for future medtech innovations.

The high standards and requirements of the home market are strong sales arguments for export. Any company that successfully launches a product on the Swiss market has solid potential to establish it globally. This is why many leading medtech companies, like Straumann, Camlog, Medartis and Cochlear, choose Switzerland, and the Basel Area, as a strategic starting point to conquer the global market. The local market is very interesting – health care providers here are willing to buy state-of-the-art products and are also accustomed to paying the going price.

Robotics booting up

Robotics also plays an important role in Basel Area. The University of Basel is engaged in extensive research into the use of robots and lasers in medicine and surgery, including the flagship project MIRACLE. The University’s Focal Area Medical Lasers & Robotics merges robotics and laser technology in a novel platform for minimal invasive semi-autonomous robotic laser surgery.