Nutraceutical, a portmanteau of nutrition and pharmaceutical, refers to extracts of foods claimed to have a medicinal effect on human health. The nutraceutical is usually contained in a medicinal format like capsule, tablet or powder in a prescribed dose. Nutraceuticals and functional foods are assuming a middle ground between food and drug due to growing body of evidence that supports their role in maintaining health and contributing to treatment of diseases. Functional foods are defined as being consumed as part of a usual diet but are demonstrated to have physiological benefits or reduce the risk of chronic diseases beyond basic nutritional functions. The term 'nutraceutical' was coined from 'nutrition and pharmaceutical' in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, MD, founder and chairman of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, Cranford, New Jersey.
Switzerland, a small but well known country located at the heart of Europe, is known to have an excellent capacity for innovation and a very sophisticated business culture. For the fourth year in a row, Switzerland has been ranked by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as the world’s most competitive country. The WEF report highlights the following Swiss strengths: Flexible labour market, Economic stability, Transparent public institutions that generate trust from investors and many others.
Covered by France, Germany, Austria and Italy, an area of 41284 square kilometres with population density 175 per square kilometre belongs to Switzerland with the capital Berne. Switzerland is politically known for its neutrality in World wars and establishment of League of Nations in Geneva in 1920. Although the people of this country voted against United Nations (UN) membership in 1986 and it joined UN in 2002, even as a peace loving country it is popular for its armed neutrality. The Europe is perhaps the most ideal eco-continent on the planet earth with almost 40 per cent land under uniform dense forest cover. The Swiss people are devoted to forestation and the Valais has emerged as a source of innovation via alpine plants.
Although Switzerland remains outside the European Union, the Swiss Confederation shares common ground with the 27 member states. And as a result of the free trade agreements (FTA) with the European Union, imports and exports of industrial products are effectively exempt from customs and quota restrictions.
The Greater Geneva Berne area (GGBa) comprises six states in the heart of Europe is the economic development agency of Western Switzerland. The region represents almost half of Switzerland’s territory and shares borders with France, Italy. The GGBa offers a comprehensive range of services at no charge to foreign-based companies looking to establish a business in Western Switzerland, whether the requirement is for a head-quarter location, research or production facility, sales and marketing office, logistics centre or any other type of commercial activity. Thomas Bohn, deputy director of the Greater Geneva Berne area describes the region this way - “It is a unique place to live and do business. Switzerland is a very international and multilingual environment and with its central location, most companies are literally and hour and a half from their major European markets.”
The Greater Geneva Berne area has several networks of expertise or “clusters” which are catalysts in the fields of micro and nanotechnology, life sciences, information and communication technology (ICT) and cleantech. The GGBa’s outstanding performance and future potential in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology is acknowledged by Science magazine, which described the Lake Geneva area as the leading cluster for life sciences research in continental Europe. Many international players such as Lonza, Alcon, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Glaxo-SmithKline, Glenmark and CSL Behring have laid firm roots in the GGBa. The GGBa also has key players from the food processing industry with for example Nestlé, PepsiCo and General Mills. And in the cosmetics sector, with L’Oréal, Givaudan and Swiss Alpine Herbs.
With over 2,000 kinds of nutraceuticals and sales increasing at an annual rate of 17 per cent, the European nutraceutical market is large and growing fast. With its central location and its general business assets, the Greater Geneva Berne area is an ideal base to cover this important European market. Moreover, in addition to all the general business assets of Switzerland, there is an array of GGBa-specific assets specific to this sector. For instance, Vitafoods Europe, the unrivalled business platform for the nutraceutical, dietary supplements and functional food industries, takes place in Geneva every year. Another GGBa-specific asset is BioAlps, the Life Science cluster of Western Switzerland. It comprises an active and fertile fabric of research institutions, start-ups companies and large multinationals. BioAlps acts as an ambassador to help increase the value of the activities of the cluster. Other infrastructures like Swiss Food Research, the association for the promotion or research and innovation in the food and food-related sector; or Agroscope, a government initiative for the sustainability of the economic activity in the agricultural, nutritional and environmental sectors, are great assets of the nutraceutical industry in the GGBa.
PhytoArk is a technology site specialising in the commercial development and pilot production of natural ingredients, particularly alpine plants that was created in 2004 in the state of Valais. PhytoArk provides support to start-ups and companies working to develop plant extracts and other natural ingredients used in cosmetics, pharmaceutical and health-nutrition products. The Foundation acts as a tool for the economic development of the canton of Valais and is dedicated to the valorization of natural ingredients and alpine plants.
PhytoArk’s focus on innovation and development of natural ingredients combined with the Greater Geneva Berne area’s nutraceutical and business assets, represent a great opportunity for Indian companies.
PhytoArk has set an example of commercial exploitation of alpine plants and shown how forestry and industry go together. Its entire contribution to forestry and industry is visualized as development of nutritional, nutraceutical and natural products from alpine plants which effectively drives business and establishes cost effective human resource intensive industrial network. It is an example for many Asian countries like India where deforestation is going on. Its hidden message is, “There is no need of deforestation for industrialization.” The Greater Geneva Berne area has contributed to promotion of opportunities in Switzerland/Europe in the nutraceutical sector.
(Author is a consultant of food industry based in Bikaner, Rajasthan)