Switzerland

Switzerland, a federal state with 26 cantons, is a small, densely populated country of approximately 8 million inhabitants. Switzerland houses some of the largest global pharmaceutical companies, representing approximately 8 percent of the world’s pharmaceutical market. Roche and Novartis rank among the top 10 global industry leaders, contributing to overall revenue of CHF$149 billion. Pharmaceuticals are Switzerland’s leading export industry at 32 percent due to the fact that exportation of 90 percent of its manufactured pharmaceuticals and industry employment accounts for 0.8 percent of the economy as a whole. Switzerland is at the forefront in biotechnology since it utilizes collaborative relationships with universities and research institutes. A national referendum on banning transgenic research affecting pharmaceutical development was defeated in 1998. Some research and development efforts ...