Switzerland partner country for BioAsia 2020, to seek closer ties with India's life science industries

Switzerland will be the partner country for BioAsia 2020 scheduled to be held here between February 17-19.

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries and Commerce and Information Technology, Government of Telangana announced here on Tuesday that Switzerland will serve as the country partner for the 17th edition of BioAsia.

She noted that Switzerland has an outstanding reputation globally as an extremely specialised production location for innovative life science products.

"This has become possible with an incredible focus on science-backed by country's strong academics in applied sciences and financially sound and research-based pharmaceutical compes," she added.

Telangana is a state committed to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, and the focus of BioAsia has been centred around innovation over the years.

"Hence, we are truly delighted to welcome Switzerland onboard as the Country partner this 17th edition of BioAsia. Both Telangana and Switzerland have inherent strengths in life sciences and bringing them together will drive significant developments in the life sciences industry globally," Ranjan said.

Switzerland has a thriving ecosystem that's hugely powered by innovation in academia and startups. This, coupled with the ease of doing business and policies to attract and retain talent, make Switzerland the breeding ground for cutting-edge technologies and solutions.

Swiss health tech with over 1,400 compes and 58,500 professionals had generated 15.8 billion Swiss Franc (CHF) revenue in 2018.

In addition, Swiss MedTech industry contributes 2.3 per cent of the country's GDP. The Swiss Biotech industry alone is home to 312 compes, generating revenue of CHF 4 billion whilst investing over CHF 1.5 billion in research and development every year.

Silvana Renggli-Frey, Deputy Consul General - Consulate General of Switzerland, said,

"Switzerland recognises India as a strategic partner in health tech.

"Hyderabad, being one of the prominent hubs in life sciences and health-tech has been an attractive ecosystem for us to engage with. As a country partner at BioAsia, we're bringing a holistic representation of the Swiss health tech ecosystem spanning from corporates to startups to academia to investors. We're eager to collaborate with the key players in India and pursue new solutions today, for tomorrow," she added.

With the theme ''Today For Tomorrow,'' BioAsia 2020 is scheduled to be held from February 17 to 19.

( With inputs from ANI )