Mini-interview with Magali Bischof, Secretary General of the BioAlps Association.

What is the BioAlps Association’s mission?

The BioAlps Association is a life sciences cluster established in 2003. It brings together the six cantons of western Switzerland and a dense ecosystem of research institutes, universities, start-ups, SMEs and multinationals. Our mission is to promote the ‘Swiss Health Valley’ as a world-class life sciences center and create synergies between research and industry. Our work focuses primarily on providing information, offering professional networking opportunities and organizing events on specific life science subjects.

Can you talk about your flagship event, the BioAlps Networking Day, which Fribourg will host on November 21?

Every year, around 300 representatives from academia, business, politics, public administration and the media gather to present and explore the latest life science trends. With its focus on sustainability in nutrition and health, the 2024 program taps into the canton of Fribourg’s strengths and areas of expertise and will feature sessions on topics like sustainable biotechnology and green chemistry.

Who are the leading lights in Fribourg’s life sciences sector?

Fribourg is a prime location for the biopharmaceutical industry. Major players like CordenPharma, CSL Vifor and UCB Farchim, a model of sustainable governance, are already based here. But there are also other companies like the plastics injection specialist Mecaplast, as well as the BioNanomaterials Group of the Adolphe Merkle Institute, the Food & Nutrition Cluster, and the Marly Innovation Center, a technology campus for industry and research.