In 2010, the Swiss specialty chemicals group Clariant decided to transform its 37-hectare company premises in Muttenz into a chemical park. Besides the existing buildings, which can be converted, around 16 hectares of open space are available to interested companies.
Under the brand name Infrapark Baselland, the chemical park started its operation in 2011. Situated at the heart of Europe at the point where Switzerland, Germany and France meet, Infrapark Baselland is part of the business hub of Basel. The Basel region attracts staff from all over the world.
At the start, in addition to Clariant, with its Business Units headquarters, business services and production of additives and additional chemical specialties, other companies such as Bayer CropScience and Aprentas, the training association of the Basel chemical and pharmaceutical industry, were already operating at the premises of Infrapark.
To date 15 companies are based at Infrapark. These companies are active in the field of the production and development of specialty chemicals, green chemicals, industrial, pharmaceutical and medical gas products, and also chemical logistics, lab automation and other services that support the manufacturing companies at the site and are not part of Infrapark's services.
Hence, the site, operating as a chemical park since the beginning of 2011, shows impressive growth. In 2013 tenants invested more than CHF 100 million in various projects to expand their production capacities. To support this expansion, Infrapark spent more than CHF 10 million each year in infrastructure such as wastewater pretreatment, energy and utility supplies. In the past three years the turnover with third-party customers grew by more than 40%, and 200 additional jobs were created.
A big milestone in the young history of the chemical park was passed when Infrapark Baselland was established in January. The services and infrastructure related to the chemical park were completely transferred to this new legal entity with the aim to continue improving the already highly valued expertise and skills of this business. Infrapark Baselland is owned (100%) by Clariant.
What are the success factors of Infrapark Baselland?
Speed: According to our customers, one of the decisive factors to settle their enterprise at Infrapark is the speed with which they can realize their business, be it the permit to start with the construction work of a production building or the permit to start manufacturing chemical products. Compared with other European locations the authorities show a pragmatic approach in dealing with special requests and are very familiar with the processes in the chemical industry. In addition, thanks to the well-established connections of the Environment Health and Safety department at Infrapark, the early informal exchange of information enables companies to achieve target-oriented solutions.
Simplicity: Clear and simple processes and structures allow newcomers to quickly adapt to local conditions. The support provided by the specialists at Infrapark also leads to unobstructed solutions even to complex problems.
Stability: Despite the recent votes of the Swiss population, stability can be considered a constant in Switzerland. The country's longstanding political and macroeconomic stability and well-established legal framework are major plus points. Other attractive factors include the liberal stance of most Swiss on economic and social matters, including labor, and their discreet and respectful attitude to private property and money. In summary, Infrapark Baselland offers all the well-known advantages of other chemical parks in Europe, but on top of that also provides a very pro-business environment. In addition, hardly any other region in the world demonstrates a comparable concentration of industrial companies and research institutions in the chemical and life sciences industries like Basel. The chemical and life sciences industries are at home here - and at Infrapark Baselland.
