The first chemical industry in the country came up in the 19th century. They were involved in the manufacture of textile dyes. The country later concentrated on products with high-end value, including vaccines, medication, and serums. The pharmaceutical industry in the country has grown steadily since 2000. Around 90% of the country’s chemical sector is involved in the production of specialty chemicals. 
Today the Swiss chemical industry has sales organizations in almost every country. The production sites are limited to optimize economics. Switzerland’s chemical companies also have an extensive international network of research centers. 
Switzerland’s chemical sector contributes 45% to the country’s exports. The chemical sector, therefore, is the country’s largest export industry. The Swiss chemical companies account for around 5% of the world’s exports of chemical and petrochemical products.
The country mainly exports pharmaceutical products, machinery, equipment, textiles, etc. Switzerland is the eighth largest export nation for these products. The country witnessed a large trade surplus of USD 84.84 billion in the year 2018, with USD 105.04 billion exports and USD 20.2 billion imports. Intermediate or basic chemicals, fuel, and vegetable oil account for around one-quarter of Switzerland’s total imports. Switzerland imported nearly 28% of these products from Germany in the year 2017. The other import markets are France, Italy, China, and The United States. The rest of the world accounts for 40% of Switzerland’s total imports.
Chemical clusters in Switzerland
The country’s chemical sector is dominated by some major product groups including pharmaceuticals, crop protection agents, fine chemicals, specialty chemicals, flavors, and fragrances. The diagnostics segment of the chemical sector is mainly located within central Switzerland, in Zug and Lucerne. Central and North-Western Switzerland dominates the production of pharmaceuticals. The western part of the country specializes in the production of flavors and fragrances. Basel and Wallis majorly manufacture crop protection agents. The companies in these regions produce fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. They also manufacture their active ingredients that are used for agricultural purposes. 
Chemical companies in the country
IMPAG is one of the leading chemical companies in Switzerland. IMPAG Switzerland was established in 1919. The company offers employment to more than 120 people. The company manufactures basic chemicals for all segments of the chemical industry. The commodity chemicals produced find applications in water treatment, incineration plants, water chemistry, cleaning product industry, etc. IMPAG manufactures several base materials like formaldehyde, urea solution, formaldehyde, and sodium silicates. They are also involved in the production of bases including ammonia, caustic potash, caustic soda, solid sodium hydroxide, etc. Solvents, mineral raw materials, and oleochemical base materials are also some of the chemicals produced by IMPAG Switzerland. 
The significance of research and development
In the dynamic global chemical market , there is a high demand for product quality. Cost reduction and strategies of increased efficiency are mandatory for a successful chemical market. A creative atmosphere, innovation, science, and technical knowledge are essential for strong chemical industry. The country must invest in research and development to build the manufacturing industry. Around USD 7.27 billion was invested for research and development in 2018. The R&D expenses are realized both domestically and internationally. Over the past few years, Swiss companies’ research and development expenses in their research centers abroad have been twice the amount spent on their home soil. 
The major ingredients for the innovation process are the technological and scientific know-how. The highly skilled Swiss workforce has proven to be an asset to the country. The chemical industry in the country is the most important employer of research staff. The chemical sector employs nearly 30% of the total research personnel in the Swiss industry.  The Swiss chemical industry has a prominent future, especially in the pharmaceutical segment of the industry. The pharmaceutical companies focus majorly on research-intensive high-end specialties. The country focuses on the development of innovative clusters for large, medium, and small-sized firms.