MSD opens new Swiss headquarters
Lucerne/Rahway - MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme has opened its new Swiss headquarters in Lucerne. The pharmaceutical firm has invested 60 million Swiss francs in the site, where 750 employees will be stationed. Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, member of the Swiss government, and Reto Wyss, member of the cantonal government of Lucerne, both took part in the opening ceremony.
On May 22, MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme opened its new Swiss headquarters “One Roof” in the Lucerne district of Rösslimatt, as detailed in a statement. The biopharmaceutical company, headquartered in Rahway in the US State of New Jersey, is consolidating operations previously spread across three locations in Lucerne and Kriens in the canton of Lucerne. Overall, it is expected that around 750 employees will work at the new headquarters.
The new site is designed to promote cross-functional collaboration and the development of innovative solutions for patients, while flexible ways of working are to be supported too. With One Roof, MSD is seeking to strengthen its role as an employer and key player in the fields of research and innovation.
In her address, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, member of the Federal Council, which is the Swiss federal government, highlighted the importance of the new headquarters for Switzerland as a business location: “The country is among the most innovative locations globally, not least due to its strong pharmaceutical industry. At the same time, the industry benefits from the advantages of our country. Excellence, reliability, and determination – these are Swiss values, and they are values that also shape MSD.”
Reto Wyss, member of the Lucerne cantonal government, sees things similarly: “MSD creates high-quality jobs, brings international connectivity to our region, and makes a significant contribution to the economic strength of our canton.”
According to Marc Gailhardou, the new headquarters also serve to strengthen the strategic importance of Switzerland as an “important hub within MSD’s international network”. MSD’s President Intercontinental Region goes on to state: “Bringing our activities together under one roof enables us to further drive innovation, collaboration, and efficiency globally, and to bring scientific advances to patients more quickly.”
For Franz Escherich, Chairman of the Board of the MSD Group in Switzerland, One Roof is a “reflection of our long-term commitment to Switzerland”. In addition to the investments in the city of Lucerne, MSD has committed another 20 million Swiss francs to its manufacturing site in Schachen in the canton of Lucerne and its location in The Circle at Zurich Airport over the past 18 months.
