While Novartis is cutting hundreds of jobs, Lonza is increasing its workforce in the immediate vicinity. That raises hopes.
Feb 13, 2026, 9:57 p.mFeb 13, 2026, 9:57 p.m
Pascal Michel / ch media
Novartis, Lonza, DSM, BASF, Syngenta: Well-known companies have set up shop on Sisslerfeld in Aargau’s Fricktal. And there will be more. The biotech company Bachem wants to build a factory on a greenfield site for 750 million francs. The contract manufacturer Lonza is also expanding and investing 500 million francs.
The pharmaceutical company Novartis is moving part of its production from Stein AG abroad. image: keystone
While the life sciences sector is booming, one plant is currently in a hangover mood: Novartis. The Basel-based pharmaceutical giant has announced that it will stop producing tablets and capsules as well as packaging sterile medicines in Stein AG. The cut will take place at the end of 2027 and will affect 550 permanent employees. That’s a third of the workforce. There are also 150 temporary employees. The company justified the layoffs by saying that tablets and capsules could no longer be produced cost-effectively in the high-wage country of Switzerland.
Hundreds of new jobs are being created
But there is hope for the affected employees, as can be heard from various sources on campus. We are talking about an “ideal solution”. Lonza is building a new bottling and refining plant for medicines just a stone’s throw away from the Novartis factory. At full capacity, this is expected to create around 400 new jobs, particularly in the areas of production, processes and quality control. There is also a specialized production line for antibody products. This should generate another 115 jobs. Both systems will begin operations next year.
At Lonza, the expansion will create production jobs similar to those that Novartis is now moving abroad. Lonza’s goal is to produce medicines from scratch on the site, from the active ingredient to filling and packaging on a large scale. Lonza already operates a production facility for sterile, clinical medicines on the site.
When contacted by CH Media, a Lonza spokeswoman said they were “actively recruiting for various positions to support our ongoing activities and future growth.” That doesn’t sound like a coordinated recruitment of Novartis employees who will soon lose their jobs. Nevertheless, Lonza’s message is clear: applications from the immediate neighborhood are welcome. “Our recruitment process is open to all qualified candidates,” says a spokeswoman. Lonza currently employs 340 people in Stein.
Lonza, based in Basel, is one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers for the pharmaceutical industry. The company takes over the production of medicines for its customers. This allows them to concentrate on their research. These are often small biotech companies, but corporations also rely on the help of contract manufacturers. Lonza gained a certain level of public awareness due to the Covid pandemic. Lonza manufactured the vaccine in Visp VS on behalf of Moderna. This order was canceled in 2023, but Lonza is now back on the road to success. For last year, the company reported sales of 6.5 billion francs (+19%) and a profit before taxes of 1.2 billion francs (+36%).
Negotiations with unions are ongoing
When asked, Novartis said it was working with employee representatives to find solutions for those affected. This included support from job centers, the possibility of early retirement and a social plan. The consultation process is still ongoing. The personnel committees made suggestions to Novartis management. This, we hear, also includes Lonza taking over the employees. The two companies are in contact with each other, says a person involved. Novartis must now respond to the HR committees’ suggestions.
At Novartis there is no talk of continuing production, as the Unia union recently demanded. She explained that Novartis must take responsibility for upskilling and retraining employees so that it can continue to work with the existing workforce.
It is questionable whether the group will agree to this. Because he already has other alternatives in mind in his global production network. Existing plants in Italy or Slovenia are considered options for relocating positions from Aargau. After all, a new opportunity may open up for some Novartis employees at Lonza, just a few meters from their current place of work.