ILMAC LAUSANNE: On the road to success

In October 2018, Lausanne will once again become the meeting point for the chemistry and life sciences industry: Ilmac Lausanne is returning after its successful launch last year – with proven concepts and new features.

The French-speaking region of Switzerland, one of the major chemical-pharmaceutical clusters in Switzerland, will once again have the urgently needed platform for industry exchange with Ilmac Lausanne 2018. On October 3 and 4, 2018, exhibitors will present themselves in the exhibition hall of Expo Beaulieu Lausanne, building on the success of last year's event. In 2017, Ilmac Lausanne was relaunched with 140 exhibitors and 1,400 specialists, receiving an extremely positive response. This number could be surpassed in 2018, as more than 100 companies had already registered by February 20, 2018. The industry event in the Romandy region complements Ilmac in Basel (September 24–27, 2019), which takes place every three years, perfectly.

Life Sciences in the Espace Lémanique

The chemical-pharmaceutical industry has been represented in Switzerland for over 150 years. Today, it consists of companies of various sizes, distributed regionally across Switzerland. A concentration exists in clusters, with Basel, Espace Lémanique, Zurich-Zug-Lucerne generating over 75% of the gross value added of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry. The Espace Lémanique has developed into a leading life sciences location, employing over 16,000 people, which accounts for about a quarter of all industry employees. In the Romandy cluster, research and production in agrochemicals, biotechnology, medical technology, and pharmaceuticals take place. Currently, a quarter of exports are generated by the life sciences industry there, doubling the figure since 2000. Additionally, around 50% of Swiss start-up companies founded in the last five years in biotech/pharma and medtech/diagnostics are located in the Espace Lémanique cluster.

The platform for Western Switzerland

"It shows that Romandy is an innovative region with a high need for exchange," says trade fair director Michael Bonenberger. Ilmac Lausanne offers the region the ideal platform for knowledge exchange and the presentation of high-quality products and services. It covers the entire chemical and life sciences industry, from research and development to products for the fields of pharma, biotechnology, food, cosmetics, agriculture, environment, and plastics industry. In addition to the exhibition, the Ilmac Lausanne forum will again promote knowledge transfer through lectures. The networking zone also facilitates the exchange of ideas and knowledge. This year's forum focus will be on Process Analytical Technology (PAT), an important approach to optimizing, analyzing, and controlling manufacturing processes in the chemical industry.

Expanded concept

The existing trade fair concept, comprising exhibition, forum, and networking zone, will be further expanded this year. "We will maintain the successful concept from last year, but the trade fair team aims to develop the platform further," says Michael Bonenberger, revealing: "For the first time, we will offer a start-up area that allows young companies to present themselves to a broad audience." This recognizes the high number of start-up formations in Western Switzerland and across Switzerland.