The latest Swiss Biotech Day – an unmissable event in the national and international biotech industry calendar – was held in Basel on 4 and 5 May. Valais was represented by a delegation made up of economic, academic and institutional actors. Following the event, around 30 life sciences specialists from the Walloon region of Belgium visited Valais to find out more about its ecosystem and key players.
Every year, Swiss Biotech Day transforms Basel into a life sciences centre. The 2026 event was no exception, with…:
- … over 3,500 participants from all over the world;
- … 130 exhibitors, including a “Valais Cluster” stand combining BioArk and HES-SO Valais-Wallis;
- and 25 international delegations who came to canvass, collaborate and be inspired.
Against this vibrant international backdrop, a delegation from Economic Promotion Valais, made up of representatives from SETI, BioArk and HES-SO Valais-Wallis, travelled to Basel with a clear aim: to position Valais as a destination of choice for life sciences actors and build closer links with the national and international biotech ecosystem.
A dedicated stand at the heart of the event
Valais had its own stand in the centre of the exhibition space. This served as a meeting point for welcoming visitors from all over the world who were curious to discover what the Alpine region could offer the biotech sector.
Numerous fascinating, practical discussions were held with researchers, investors, business leaders and institutional representatives. The stand was a starting point for initial conversations, many of which are destined to become long-term collaborations.
In addition, pre-arranged one-to-one meetings provided an opportunity for more in-depth discussions with target partners, such as businesses looking to set up premises, specialist investment funds, foreign clusters seeking to connect with similar organisations, and large pharmaceutical companies operating in the region.
Bilateral meetings of this kind have become a trademark of Swiss Biotech Day and have proved a particularly effective way of building collaborative relationships.
The Walloon region in Valais: when contacts turn into visits
Among the 25 international delegations present in Basel was a group of life sciences specialists from the Walloon region. Following the event in Basel, Economic Promotion Valais welcomed the delegation on a two-day visit to the Energypolis Campus in Sion. On the agenda were visits and presentations by economic and academic actors, as well as representatives of the canton’s innovation ecosystem, themed discussions and informal conversations between professionals in the sector. The meeting was an opportunity to bring the Walloon region and Valais together to discuss a shared issue: how to transform scientific and technical skills into practical industrial capabilities. It also helped strengthen existing relationships and reveal new areas of complementarity between academic, industrial and institutional actors.
The canton’s presence at Swiss Biotech Day and welcoming the delegation were part of a strategy of positioning Valais on the international stage as a preferred location and place of innovation for the life sciences. With the BioArk technology centres in Monthey and Viège exemplifying outstanding infrastructure, HES-SO Valais-Wallis as an academic partner, a broad cohort of innovative business and active support from institutions in the canton, Valais is home to a coherent and attractive ecosystem.
