World-class infrastructure

Centrally located in the heart of Europe, the Basel Area is Switzerland’s most accessible location. Multiple daily direct flights and high-speed train connections from Basel to all major European destinations move people and goods easily. The major Swiss cities Zurich, Berne and Lucerne can be reached within a one-hour drive. Short distances within Switzerland are important for those companies that establish a sales office for the Swiss market.

Most accessible region

The Basel Area is also Switzerland’s main logistics hub, serving as a gateway. Altogether, 20 million tons of economic goods are handled or transported in Basel and its surroundings every year. This corresponds to about 30% of Switzerland’s external trade.

Many internationally active companies offering logistics services and supply chain solutions are located in Basel Area. With its strong life sciences cluster, you’ll find service providers who know how to handle and transport life sciences goods and offer GMP-approved warehouses. For example, EuroAirport’s GMP freight hall.

The Basel Area is located at a major crossroad between northern and southern Europe – this convenient location attracts many international companies to Basel, where they set up business entities to serve the European and Swiss markets. Being close to Germany and France gives companies the option to have their headquarters in Basel, which is favorably taxed, and store their goods in Germany or France (within the EU).

Regional and international connections

Zurich International Airport can be reached within a one-hour drive or train ride, and the EuroAirport (Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg) serves the region with 100 destinations to major European economic centers as well as to key world hub airports several times a day.

Efficient air cargo service

Basel Area’s airport, EuroAirport, is home to over 120 companies. Among them are FedEx, TNT, DHL, Air France Cargo, UPS, and Swiss Post. The airport offers a GMP-certified freight hall and a temperature-controlled cargo terminal certified by IATA as a Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) in pharmaceutical logistics. This certificate reinforces the airport’s position as a reliable partner for the rapid, consistent and efficient storage and transportation of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products worldwide.

Sea access

Thanks to the Basel Rhine ports, companies have direct access to the sea and can ship their products to and from Basel fast and with global reach. Containers can reach Rotterdam within three days and be shipped from there all over the world. The Basel Area is a crucial hub for logistics in Switzerland, handling a huge amount of foreign trade flows in terms of weight and value. About 30% of Switzerland’s handling volume and value can be attributed to this region. 

Rail transport

A train leaves from the Basel Area nearly every half-hour to all major Swiss cities like Zurich (including the Zurich International Airport), Bern, Lausanne and Geneva, as well as economic centers on the river Rhine (i.e. Freiburg, Karlsruhe and Strasbourg). And Europe’s leading metropolitan and capital cities such as Frankfurt, Paris and Milano can be reached easily and conveniently in a few hours on a high-speed train.

Logistics

International companies manage their global supply chain effectively from the Basel Area with easy access to the European market. That is why more than 800 logistics companies – among them market leaders such as DHL, DSV Panalpina, Gondrand – call the Basel region home. Here, they provide sophisticated solutions for complex challenges, such as in supply chain management, that are routinely in demand by companies in the life sciences and the chemicals industry.