Alcon, the world’s leading eye care specialist, manufactures and sells a wide range of ophthalmic products, including contact lenses.

The city of Fribourg is home to Alcon, the world’s largest eye care company. Talent from no fewer than 38 countries are employed at Alcon’s offices next to the main train station. According to Dimitris Brilis, General Manager of the ophthalmic giant’s trading hub in Fribourg, from September 2024 the 200-strong team will enjoy an even better workplace experience thanks to the complete remodeling and renovation of the Fribourg site.

‘See brilliantly, live brilliantly’, the slogan of a recent Alcon campaign, succinctly captures the mission of the global eye care behemoth which employs 25,000 people across its sites in 50 countries. The Swiss-American company, which was founded in Texas in 1945, manufactures products that are sold in over 140 countries and used by more than 260 million patients. In addition to being the world’s leading eye surgery provider, Alcon is one of the biggest players in the contact lens market. In 2023, it posted a net profit of 974 million US dollars and net sales of 9.37 billion dollars.

Innovation and cutting-edge technologies

“Innovation and cutting-edge technologies are the bedrock of Alcon’s success and expertise, “They are our lifeblood, our driving force,” Brilis adds. During the 2023 financial year, the company invested roughly 828 million US dollars in research and development, and currently has over 100 projects in the pipeline. According to the man who oversees the group’s international growth and exports, the pace of innovation at Alcon will not be slowing down anytime soon, “Millions of people around the world still need solutions to treat cataracts, myopia, astigmatism and glaucoma. This is what motivates us to keep doing what we are doing.”

The General Manager also points out that the Fribourg site is integral to the group’s growth strategy. As Alcon’s global trading hub, it is at the heart of interactions “between all our factories and our international business operations”. Key to the company’s continued success is ready access to a talent pool of well-qualified workers. Fribourg offers this thanks to its close proximity to higher education providers and its central location both within Switzerland and the ‘Health Valley’ in the west of the country. The General Director also singles out the cantonal authorities for praise, “They have never wavered in their support for us.”