• New Board and management with clear strategy for benefit of members
• Vibrant life sciences community in Lausanne set for major expansion
• World-class academia and industry focused on oncology, immunology, personalized medicine and nutritional health
• Ludwig Cancer Research to join Biopôle
Lausanne, Switzerland, 11 July 2016 – Biopôle SA, a leading life sciences park located in the Swiss Canton of Vaud, today announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors responsible for its strategic management and future development. The new Board is another key step in the re-positioning of Biopôle in Switzerland and internationally, following the appointment in October 2015 of new CEO Nasri Nahas. Biopôle has a clear strategy to be one of the best life sciences locations in Europe where industry and academia benefit from a vibrant community of exceptional talents, stimulating collaborations, added value services and an unrivalled quality of life.
Konstantinos Efthymiopoulos, the new Chairman, commented: “It is an honor to be appointed to this role. Switzerland enjoys an outstanding reputation in life sciences, and I am convinced that Biopôle will thrive as a world-class base from which both industry and academia can further enrich this region’s credentials. I look forward to working with all our stakeholders both in Switzerland and internationally.”
Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, Biopôle currently hosts more than 40 industry members and multiple academic research groups from the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), who are primarily focused on oncology, immunology, personalized medicine and nutritional health. Today over 1,100 professionals from over 30 nations enjoy a range of world-class facilities across ~80,000 m2 of landscape, which will include another 36,000 m2 of offices and laboratories in the period 2016-2020.
The world-leading Ludwig Cancer Research (Ludwig) will move into a new dedicated building at Biopôle in the next couple of years. This follows an announcement in June 2015 that Ludwig has chosen Lausanne as one of its main international sites and intends to invest more than CHF100 million to develop immunotherapy in Lausanne over the next ten years, under a framework agreement with the Canton of Vaud covering a 30-year timescale.
Lionel Eperon, Vice-Chairman, and prior interim Chairman, said: “We have rebuilt the executive team under the leadership of CEO Nasri Nahas over the past year, and are clearly seeing the fruits of our efforts. The new Board brings together the right blend of business, science, Swiss and international experience to take Biopôle to the next level. I am pleased to provide the continuity of our relations with the Swiss public authorities.”
Nasri Nahas, Chief Executive Officer, stated: “I am delighted that the new Board is now in place to guide the strategic management of the organization and enhance our visibility in key markets. Our role at Biopôle is to provide a vibrant life science community where ideas cross boundaries, generations and disciplines in a naturally collaborative spirit. Being Swiss we instinctively deliver a world-leading level of quality in all we offer.”
The Canton of Vaud’s government (Conseil d’Etat) has expressed its support for the ongoing developments at Biopôle and considers it as a strategic priority (read the press release here: http://www.vd.ch/actualite/communiques/). Biopôle plays a key role in strengthening the regional “Health Valley” and will also be an important partner of the national Swiss Innovation Park. The Board appointments are effective as of 01 September 2016.
New members appointed to the Board are:
• Konstantinos Efthymiopoulos, Chairman and responsible for business relations.
• Nouria Hernandez, Director of the Integrative Genomics Centre of the Faculty of Biology and Medicine, and future Rector of the University of Lausanne. Ms. Hernandez will also be in charge of ensuring relationships and collaborations with UNIL and CHUV.
• Nicolas Cottier, attorney, responsible for monitoring legal issues and contract law.
They join the existing Board members:
• Lionel Eperon, Vice Chairman, in charge of continuity and relationships with political authorities. Mr. Eperon also served as Biopôle’s interim Chairman.
• Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand, town councilor in charge of economy, representing the city of Lausanne.
• Maurice Mischler, Mayor of Epalinges city.
Biographies of the Board members can be found here: http://www.biopole.ch/organisation/board-of-directors/
About Biopôle www.biopole.ch
Started in 2004 by the public authorities of the Canton of Vaud, Biopôle is a life sciences community bringing together industry and academia. Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, it offers a world-class combination of infrastructure, added value services, living space and community engagement where partners can thrive and bring science to life. Biopôle’s partners can benefit from best-in-class expertise for activities such as purchasing, finance, legal, business development, communications, marketing, and executive coaching. While Biopôle is open to all therapeutic areas, the main focus is on developing innovative solutions in the fields of oncology, immunology, personalized medicine and nutritional health.
About Canton of Vaud www.vd.ch
The Canton of Vaud is the fourth largest of the 26 states constituting the Swiss Confederation. It is home to more than 37,000 companies, and since 2000 approximately 100 multinational companies have established their European or EMEA headquarters in the Canton. Geneva airport provides easy access to multiple destinations for both work and leisure activities.
With more than 250 companies active in the life sciences, the Lausanne area employs 16,000 people in the sector, about one quarter of the total number of life sciences workers in Switzerland. 25 percent of the region’s exports are from this dynamic sector and 50 percent of all Swiss start-ups in life sciences are created in the region, some them as spin-offs from major academic institutions, like the EPFL or the University of Lausanne. In 2015 CHF 173 million (USD ~176 million) was raised by start-ups in the region, with four of the top five funding rounds being in the life sciences.
