Biotechnology, pharma and chemistry are essential and promising economic sectors for the Valais. Companies active in these fields are subject to strong international competition. This is why the professional skills and training of local employees, as well as the use of new innovative technologies, are crucial for their development.

The BioArk Visp was built with the idea of bringing together education, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship under one roof. Since the start of the 2016 school year, the vocational school for laboratory technicians in chemistry and biology, industry players, innovative start-ups as well as a technology platform for Fill-and-Finish (drug packaging) have been brought together on the premises in Visp.

Two years after its opening, the first BioArk building had already reached its capacity limits. A second building was therefore built in cooperation with the municipality of Visp, the canton and the company Lonza. In addition to the existing target groups, BioArk Visp II should also be of interest to international companies that wish to have a team in Valais.

In this second building, innovative solutions will be implemented in the areas of education and digitalization, in cooperation with industry. This is intended to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of business and to strengthen the region's competitiveness in the long term.

BioArk Visp is part of The Ark Foundation's technology park, which includes several sites in the fields of information and communication sciences, life sciences, energy and the environment. Along with BioArk Monthey, the Visp site is a perfect fit with the system that The Ark has been developing since 2004 to promote innovation in the Valais.