Study on the competitiveness of chemical-pharmaceutical industry

The Swiss chemical-pharmaceutical industry is one of the most competitive in the world and is among the top three locations in the Global Industry Competitiveness Index (GICI) for the fifth year in a row. In 2024, Switzerland is in second place behind the USA and ahead of Ireland. This year's thematic focus is on environmental sustainability, where our industries occupy the first podium position.

Since 2020, the Global Industrial Competitiveness Index (GICI) has been measuring the international competitiveness of the chemical-pharmaceutical industry. The GICI is conducted by BAK Economics on behalf of scienceindustries, the trade association Chemie Pharma Life Sciences. Competitiveness is measured along the dimensions of ‘performance’, ‘market position and efficiency’, ‘innovation and technology leadership’ and ‘location quality’.

Switzerland's balanced strengths profile

For years, Switzerland has had a very balanced strengths profile. In all four dimensions, the Swiss chemical-pharmaceutical industry is on the podium. Compared to last year, it improved by one place, which is due on the one hand to its own strengths and on the other hand to Ireland's poorer performance. None of the other 39 countries considered in the GICI 2024 can boast of being as strong in each of the four pillars at the same time.

The USA climbs to first place in the 2024 ranking of the most competitive countries, particularly due to its market position and excellent innovation performance. Ireland shows weaknesses in growth momentum in 2024 and slips from first to third place. New to the top 10 are Belgium, Germany and France.

Sustainability and competitiveness go hand in hand

This year, the GICI focuses on environmental sustainability, which was measured using three indicators: greenhouse gas emissions per value added, energy use per value added and investment in environmental protection technologies. The Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical industry achieves top marks here, demonstrating that economic success and sustainable responsibility go hand in hand. While measures to protect the environment and biodiversity and to achieve the net-zero target by 2050 may be a cost factor in the short term, they can lead to competitive advantages and greater resilience in the long term. They offer companies significant opportunities to respond to global challenges and the needs of society and markets.