Spanish pharma group plans new production and research site in Neuchâtel

A former pharmaceutical factory in Couvet is set to become a 15,000-square-metre production and research site. Barcelona-based STE Pharmaceuticals plans to convert the Analytecon property, with the new facility targeted for 2032. The project would give the Catalan group a base in Neuchâtel for manufacturing and research and development.

STE Pharmaceuticals operates in more than 60 countries and focuses on nasal sprays, cough syrups and natural food supplements. Its Swiss subsidiary, STE Swiss Pharma, says the expansion is intended to create skilled jobs. Director Stefano Ponta told local broadcaster RTN that the site would use modern equipment.

The proposal places Couvet, in the Val-de-Travers, in the company’s European plans and adds another international business to the canton’s pharmaceutical sector. Neuchâtel’s employment service has welcomed the prospect, describing the arrival as a potential contributor to economic diversity in the region and across the canton.

The redevelopment would combine manufacturing with research and development on a single site. STE Pharmaceuticals has applied for planning permission to convert the former Analytecon factory, including demolition work. The public consultation period runs until November 9, 2026.

The planned facility would cover 15,000 square metres and is intended to be equipped with what Ponta described as “state-of-the-art technology”. The company is aiming to complete the project by 2032. That combination of production and R&D would give the site two roles within the group’s operations, rather than making it solely a manufacturing location.

The application now enters a local planning process that includes public consultation. For Couvet, the proposal centres on reusing a former pharmaceutical property for a new industrial project. The plans also connect the site’s existing pharmaceutical history with STE Pharmaceuticals’ stated intention to establish production and research operations there.

STE Swiss Pharma says skilled employment is a central aim of the expansion. Ponta told RTN that creating skilled jobs was the purpose of expanding the site. He said it was too early to put a number on the roles the project could generate.

The planned operation would bring together production and research and development, functions that form the basis of the proposed facility. Ponta also said the site would be fitted with advanced technology. The company’s focus on nasal sprays, cough syrups and natural food supplements gives an indication of the product areas associated with the group.

Neuchâtel’s cantonal employment service has welcomed the project. Matthieu Aubert, who heads the department, said attracting international companies could diversify the local economy in Val-de-Travers as well as the wider canton. His remarks place the planned jobs in a broader regional context: the canton sees the arrival as an opportunity to widen its economic base while developing an established pharmaceutical presence.

Couvet already hosts three other pharmaceutical companies, giving STE Pharmaceuticals an existing local industry to join. Aubert said the village had “a real economic dynamism” and described the prospect of a pharmaceutical cluster as having significant potential to attract a skilled workforce.

The canton’s employment service sees the planned investment as relevant beyond the village itself. Aubert said successfully attracting international players could help diversify the economic fabric of both Val-de-Travers and Neuchâtel. STE Pharmaceuticals’ footprint across more than 60 countries would add an international operator to the local mix.

The company’s planned production and research site is targeted for 2032, subject to the planning process now under way. If completed, it would add a further pharmaceutical operation to Couvet and strengthen the concentration of companies already based there. The proposal therefore links a single factory conversion with the canton’s stated interest in attracting employers and building on the region’s existing pharmaceutical activity.