4th Sustainability Report: IBSA continues on its path towards an increasingly more responsible future

Society, environment, economy: these are the main guidelines underlying IBSA’s analysis on its own activities, as presented in the company’s 4^th Sustainability Report. An outcome that, not surprisingly, comes at the end of a year characterised by so much commitment and several initiatives undertaken precisely in the name of a sustainability that the company aims to achieve in an ever more complete and extensive way.

Since 2021 (when the previous Report was published), IBSA’s responsibility path has become more intense, touching various aspects of business and corporate life, starting from the Swiss Headquarters and reaching also its subsidiaries and production sites.

Compared to the previous one, for example, the 4^th Report presents a more in-depth environmental analysis which, in addition to the offices in Switzerland, Italy and China, also included the new French subsidiary IBSA Pharma SAS. Furthermore, the new Report witnesses the completion of the transition that began in 2021 with the renovation of cosmos, the largest production plant of the IBSA Group, located in the CorPharma sustainable district, in the Pian Scairolo sector (Switzerland).

Social responsibility

People – intended as patients, collaborators and their families, the community – are at the centre of every activity carried out by IBSA. An attention that starts from within the company, towards those who work there every day and contribute to its development: our collaborators. In the face of the growth of the business – and following the thrust generated by the new acquisitions and the expansion of the workforce in Switzerland, Italy and China – in 2021 the company population increased overall by 19%, reaching 1,968 collaborators in 15 subsidiaries.

Inclusiveness, interaction, dialogue are some of the values ​​that IBSA promotes within the organisation, where particular attention is given to the topic of gender equality, in terms of both equal pay and career opportunities: last year, the company had a female workforce equal to 50.5% of the total, and 43% of the top positions – such as the roles of department head and top manager – are occupied by women.

Furthermore, through the IBSA Foundation for scientific research, the company concretely promotes culture, education and training.

Attention to the environment

Results show how IBSA is concretely pursuing the goal to reduce its environmental footprint and to operate according to a more efficient use of resources, at various levels and involving its subsidiaries. In particular, the 4^th Report highlights an optimisation of resources over time:

• - 24.4% in the use of fossil fuel in the Swiss subsidiary compared to 2018
• - 3% in water consumption in the Italian subsidiary compared to 2020
• - 22% in production of waste in the Chinese subsidiary compared to 2020
• - 7% in electricity consumption in the French subsidiary compared to 2019

In addition to this, over the last year IBSA has undertaken to implement an important project with a totally green approach which, also thanks to the collaboration with the local authorities of the Ticino area, was inaugurated last October. This is the new production hub cosmos, a building designed entirely according to sustainability criteria, ranging from the selection of sustainable materials to the use of clean energy, to satisfy the increase in production, through the installation of photovoltaic panels. Furthermore, the new structure fits in a urban context which, following the same sustainability rationale, will be subject to major modernisation in the near future.

Generazione di valore

The third domain analysed in the Report is the economic one. IBSA also measures its sustainability through its ability to create value for the community: this occurs not only by providing quality and cutting-edge medicines and products for people’s health, but above all by generating profits in an ethical way, reinvesting and sharing this wealth with the community and producing welfare for the economy of the countries where the company operates.

The sustainability report shows a 10% growth in IBSA turnover in 2021, equal to CHF 770 million; 57% of this turnover was registered in Europe, while the fastest growing therapeutic areas were endocrinology (28% of turnover), reproductive medicine (17%) and osteoarticular (15%). Considerable progress has been made also with respect to the supply chain; in particular, the Swiss subsidiary has significantly increased the volume of purchases of goods and services from local suppliers, with a +55% compared to 2019.

To find out more about the 4^th Sustainability Report, please visit www.ibsagroup.com/sustainability.