Leadership change at scienceindustries: Annette Luther takes over

Zurich, 23.05.2025. The 143rd General Assembly of the Swiss business association scienceindustries marked a special occasion: After seven successful years as president, Matthias Leuenberger handed over the role to Annette Luther, who was elected at the General Assembly. The event at Takeda Pharma AG in Zurich focused on innovation, sustainability and strengthening Switzerland as a busi-ness and research location.

«It takes courage, smart rules and collaboration to actively shape the future», said outgoing president Matthias Leuenberger in his speech. «With Annette Luther, leadership passes to someone who deeply understands the importance of strong framework conditions for innovation, sustainability, and compet-itiveness.»

Under Leuenberger’s leadership, scienceindustries was able to consolidate its position as one of the leading Swiss business associations. Leuenberger was Country President of Novartis Switzerland. His successor, Annette Luther, comes from Roche, where she headed the Corporate Office, served as CEO of Roche Diagnostics International AG and is now responsible for the company’s external affairs in Switzerland.

In addition, Andreas Bohrer, General Counsel and Company Secretary at Lonza, was appointed as the new Vice President of scienceindustries by the Board at its meeting on 22 May. He, too, stands for con-tinuity, expertise, and the ability to provide crucial impetus at the intersection of business, law, and sus-tainability.

Federal Councillor Albert Rösti as guest speaker

A highlight of the General Assembly was the keynote address by Federal Councillor Albert Rösti. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of a competitive research and business environment and the role of the industry in sustainable development. «Without the pharmaceutical, chemical and life scienc-es sectors, Switzerland would not be the country we know today.», Rösti said.

The subsequent Q&A with the audience made it clear: innovation, openness and strong international relationships remain key to Switzerland’s future.

Innovation and sustainability as a location advantage

scienceindustries advocates for smart regulation and openness to technology to strengthen Switzer-land as a hub for research and production. Topics such as Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS), innovation-friendly chemical regulation and a differentiated approach to PFAS are central pillars of this strategy.

The association also highlights the importance of new technologies such as genome editing and other new breeding techniques to enable solutions for global challenges in health, food and climate protec-tion.

Strong track record, clear future priorities

During his term (2018–2025), Matthias Leuenberger contributed to key achievements:
•    Strengthening ongoing dialogue with the Federal Council, members of Parliament, and the ad-ministration
•    Strengthening relations with the EU and securing important market access (e.g. MRA agree-ment)
•    Securing innovation and protecting intellectual property
•    Establishing a comprehensive sustainability strategy  
•    Deepening work on future topics: sustainability, innovation, digitalization
•    Enhancing international networks and advocacy

Annette Luther, who has served as vice president of scienceindustries since 2021, takes over in a chal-lenging environment marked by geopolitical tensions, increasing regulatory pressure and global com-petition for talent and technology. This leadership transition ensures continuity. Luther aims to continue the successful path of scienceindustries: advocating for open markets, attractive framework condi-tions and sustainable development.

«The coming years will be demanding – but they also offer great opportunities for sustainable growth in Switzerland’s innovative pharmaceutical, chemical and life sciences sectors», said Luther.

Economic policy priorities

With 52% of Swiss exports, the chemical-pharmaceutical industry remains the backbone of the Swiss economy.

scienceindustries continues to advocate for securing market access through free trade agreements, keeping the domestic and labor markets attractive, and promoting innovation and sustainable devel-opment through regulation open to technology. A future-oriented, science-based chemical policy also remains a central concern. In addition, scienceindustries is committed to strengthening Switzerland’s role in the international context.

New members on the Board of Directors

The following individuals were newly elected to the Board:
•    Pascal Bürgin, Bayer
•    Lutz Hegemann, Novartis
•    Alexander Salzmann, Sandoz

scienceindustries looks forward to working with the new board members.

Further information:
Stephan Mumenthaler, Director
Phone 044 368 17 20, stephan.mumenthaler@scienceindustries.ch