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. Read article

Fribourg is home to not one, but two big hitters in the fast-moving medical diagnostics sector: Bio-Rad, in Cressier, and Medion Grifols Diagnostics (MGD), in Düdingen. Since they were founded in 1957 and 1977 respectively, both firms have built a stellar reputation thanks to their expertise and capacity to innovate. Read article

A staggering 60 million people worldwide take an antihistamine that is manufactured entirely in the canton of Fribourg. Since the UCB opened its production facility in the town of Bulle back in 1996, the site has become a pivotal part of the Belgian biopharmaceutical group's strategic growth plans. Read article

Since its founding in 2006, Medistri has risen to become the Swiss leader in its field. But the Fribourg-based company is not resting on its laurels: growth and diversification are still the order of the day at Medistri. After doubling its plant capacity in 2020, Medistri has recently added a sixth production line. Read article

Two of the key figures in the Swiss life sciences industry hail from Fribourg. The first is René Jenny, who is the current President of GRIP-Pharma and former President of the European Healthcare Distribution Association (GIRP) in Brussels. The second is Beat Vonlanthen, who served as President of Swiss Medtech until May 2024. In this joint interview, the men share their thoughts on the challenges, opportunities and hopes that are driving this strategic sector, both regionally and nationally. Read article