Astra Zeneca pharmaceutical company moves into its new premises

The Swiss subsidiary of the British-Swedish Astra Zeneca company moved into its new premises in the Quadrolith development in Baar last Friday.

The company, whose headquarters are in Cambridge (UK), is actually leasing these offices covering 2,800 square metres on three floors of the building from the Alfred Müller AG property company, having previously occupied premises in the city of Zug.

As Andrea Mugan, the British managing director of the Swiss subsidiary company, explained, one reason why they decided to move from their former premises was because they were gradually getting too small. While the bio-pharmaceutical company currently employs a staff of 142 in Zug, even more highly qualified specialist staff are expected to join them.

As to why the company decided to remain in the canton, Mugan mentioned a number of advantages, including the fact that the whole area is becoming a flourishing centre for international pharmaceutical, bio-technology companies as well as those involved in diagnostics and other innovative fields; hence it was not a difficult decision.

As for the new offices themselves, the furniture is stylish, there is much use of wood providing a warm atmosphere, and, most importantly, plenty of open space with large lounge areas, some of which could easily be transformed into working areas, depending on how many new employees come.

Then, there are conference rooms with big screens and smart reservation systems, meaning that as soon as an employee enters, it is immediately reserved for half an hour. Rooms which have been booked but are no longer needed for a meeting are immediately indicated as empty, thanks to sensors.

The heart of the building, so to speak, is the wooden staircase which has cushioned seating alongside it to be used as an area of assembly when all employees need to be informed about something, as well as impromptu meetings and such like. It is with this whole layout that the staff can really choose where they want to work, depending on their needs.

Worldwide, the company employs a staff of 50,000, who specialise in the areas of research, development, manufacturing and marketing of prescription medicine.