Roche expands its Kaiseraugst site and opens new IT innovation centre

• Investments in the site total about one billion Swiss francs

Roche is opening this week its global IT innovation centre in Kaiseraugst. By grouping together all IT functions under one roof, Roche seeks to promote exchange and collaboration among employees and stimulate innovation. This underscores the importance Roche attaches to IT in the development of new medicines and diagnostics. Employees are moving into three new buildings offering attractive workspaces and state-of-the-art IT infrastructure. 

Altogether, Roche is investing about one billion Swiss francs in the site's strategic expansion. In addition to the global IT innovation centre, the site also accommodates a specialised production building for the rapid market launch of new medicines. This supplements the existing production and logistics facilities at the Kaiseraugst site. Investments also include a prestigious reception building, an auditorium with adjoining visitor centre, various staff amenities, and enhancements to the general site and vehicle parking infrastructure. 

“The number of employees at Kaiseraugst has more than doubled since the year 2000. The siting of the global IT innovation centre and the new production building clearly underlines our commitment to Kaiseraugst and the region as a location,” says Jürg Erismann, Head of the Basel/Kaiseraugst site. “Together with Basel, Kaiseraugst forms a central innovation cluster for the company.”

In designing the site, Roche has given sustainability a high priority. All buildings comply with the latest energy standards. The façade of the new car park building incorporates one of Switzerland's biggest solar energy systems. The facility was recently awarded the Swiss Solar Prize.

About Roche

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. 
Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Roche has been recognised as the Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry nine years in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2016 employed more than 94,000 people worldwide. In 2016, Roche invested CHF 9.9 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 50.6 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com

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