Boosting biomedical research and technology
Biomedical industry and research make a key contribution to the competitiveness of Switzerland as a location for business and research, but also for the Swiss healthcare system, as a source of innovation, knowledge and new treatments.
The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment with the master plan ‘Federal measures for the promotion of biomedical research and technology 2022–2026’, which was approved by the Federal Council on 22 June 2022, in order to give biomedical research and technology in Switzerland a lasting boost in the next years.
A lasting boost through targeted, coordinated measures
As part of efforts to further strengthen Switzerland’s economic position in the biomedical sector, the Federal Council approved in 2013 the first master plan ‘Federal measures for the promotion of biomedical research and technology’. This involved the implementation of 23 sector-specific measures from 2013 to 2020 designed to maintain and develop an optimum framework for biomedical research and technology, while enabling people in Switzerland to physically benefit from the achievements of biomedicine and give them affordable access to existing and new biomedical products.
The master plan impacts the entire biomedical value chain: from research and development all the way to the availability of these products for the patients, through clinical research, market authorizations, pricing and reimbursement by social security for biomedical products.
The 2022–2026 master plan is adopted by the Federal Council
Following the interim appraisal conducted in 2018, and owing to the importance of biomedical research and the industry to the Swiss economy, but also to the health system, the Federal Council decided to renew the master plan, while retaining the initial objectives. It commissioned the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) to draw up a new master plan with a particular focus on clinical research, innovative therapies and digitalisation. The new master plan comprises 16 measures, split into two main parts in line with the two principal objectives: one covers research and the other the healthcare system. Some existing measures are being continued and updated, such as those concerning security of supply of therapeutic products as these efforts must be pursued. The new measures focus in particular on the priority areas defined by the Federal Council. These include, for example, better exploiting clinical research synergies through the creation of a national coordination platform, facilitating the use of health data for research, creating a legal framework to encourage innovation and competitiveness in the pharma industry in the area of innovative therapy drugs, and strengthening e-medication. The master plan falls under the objectives of the 2019–23 legislative period and contributes to implementation of the Federal Council’s strategy Health2030.
The design and implementation of the master plan are under the responsibility of the FOPH, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products. The Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) will work on implementing the 2022–2026 master plan in collaboration with the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) and the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP). An interim status report is planned in 2024.
Roundtable discussions will be held with representatives from stakeholder groups in 2024 and 2026 to promote information sharing. They will give the federal government the opportunity to discuss the state of implementation of the master plan with stakeholders from the science and research community, industry, health insurance, patients, and service providers. These sessions will allow stakeholders to tackle the challenges of health and biomedical research policy and to work together to outline solutions.
