1. Mr. Philippe Schlaepfer, you are the Managing Director of EXCHIMIA in Basel. Would you briefly explain who EXCHIMIA is?
We are a newly established specialty chemicals company based in Basel and operating internationally. Our three founders have many years of experience in developing, producing and selling specialty chemicals, based on our time spent working with Ciba Geigy and Ciba Spezialitätenchemie. The primary focus of our business activities is on high-value and complex chemical products for additives for the plastics and paint industry and chemical products for the electronics industry – particularly for semi-conductor technologies.

2. What does your concept entail, and what are your goals?
Our business model rests on three pillars: (1) identifying market potential and marketing suitable products, based on our international client network built up over a number of years; (2) developing processes in our laboratories in Rosental Mitte for products that address the market potential identified; and (3) contract manufacturing (OEM production) of these products for long-term strategic partners, primarily in India. Our goal is to build up a global specialty chemicals corporation and to develop – and consequently market – new high-value chemical products in close collaboration with international core clients.

3. Why did you choose Rosental Mitte as your company location?
The most important consideration when selecting our sites was the availability of laboratories that met our needs. We started our development work at the end of 2021 with just one laboratory unit. In the fourth quarter of this year, we are going to be expanding our activities by a further two laboratory units. Another very important aspect is being able to work well with the team from Immobilien Basel-Stadt. They have shown great flexibility and understanding in terms of the challenges facing us as a start-up and always endeavour to find an optimal solution for all sides. I would also like to add a more nostalgic point: we all spent a number of years working on the Rosental site while in our former positions at Ciba Geigy and Ciba Spezialitätenchemie and we have always felt very content here, so it’s like we have gone back to our roots.

4. How is the interaction with the other companies?
We get on extremely well with companies that are on our floor in WRO 1055. There are even some companies on the site where we have met former colleagues from our days at Ciba and we’ve been able to maintain lively exchanges of ideas and experiences.