UCB Farchim Marks 30 years of Biopharma Excellence in Bulle
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On 16 September, UCB Farchim celebrated 30 years in Bulle with a ceremony on site. The event was the highlight of a Jubilee year that looks back on three decades of growth and ahead to the site’s next chapter.
From a 1996 start to one of UCB’s key sites
UCB, the Belgian biopharmaceutical group, set up in the canton of Fribourg in 1996. Bulle has since become one of the group’s main manufacturing sites. Nearly CHF 800 million has been invested there in state-of-the-art buildings and equipment. The site makes medicines for allergies, epilepsy and autoimmune diseases for patients around the world.
What makes Bulle unusual is its dual expertise in biological and chemical manufacturing, spread across three technology platforms:
- pharmaceutical production
- chemical synthesis
- biotechnology
The site now employs more than 800 people.
Still investing
The anniversary is more than a look back. In October 2025, UCB Farchim announced over CHF 100 million in additional investment in Bulle. The money is going into:
- a new production unit for a chemical compound
- expanded laboratory activities
- a new industrial cooling facility designed to improve energy efficiency and cut the site’s carbon footprint
“This Jubilee year is not only about the road we have travelled,” says site director Fabrice Véricel. “It also highlights the momentum the Bulle site has today, with new investments, development projects and a constant drive to combine performance, responsibility and long-term vision.”
A people-first employer
The site’s success rests on its teams, their deep process know-how and the way skills are passed on between disciplines. In 2020, Bulle became the first pharmaceutical company in Switzerland to earn the Equal Salary certification, which was renewed in 2023. In 2025, UCB Farchim was named one of Switzerland’s ten most attractive employers in the PME & Handelszeitung survey, and came first in the pharma and chemicals category. Sustainability has long been part of the site’s DNA. It began its first initiatives in 2008 and has taken part in the Swiss Triple Impact programme since 2021.
A cornerstone of Fribourg’s life sciences ecosystem
“UCB Farchim and its biotech site in Bulle are a flagship of life sciences in the canton of Fribourg,” says Jerry Krattiger, Director of the Fribourg Economic Promotion Agency. “UCB also embodies the operational excellence of a sector whose productivity is 3.2 times the cantonal average, according to BAK Economics.”
Happy 30th anniversary to everyone at UCB Farchim, and here’s to the next 30 years in Bulle!
➡️ Source: Press Release | 📸 © UCB, Stemutz Photo