125 Years Roche

The significance of Roche's 125th anniversary cannot be underestimated. In these times of ongoing change and uncertainty, continuity in a corporate philosophy provides stability, trust and confidence. It also creates a space for researchers to discover new and unknown things, develop therapies to combat diseases, and translate this continuity into sustainable improvements in patients' quality of life. The history of Roche is without parallel. And its continuing existence is about much more than a long-term corporate philosophy. The company's employees and the much-praised working culture they enjoy have also played a key role. At Roche people simply feel at home. It is precisely this stability that the employees can sense: it is bound up with the company's integrity. But it also engenders our commitment to staying in step with the times. When the business environment becomes difficult, owing for example to constant pressure on medicine prices, or when research work on the development of a new medicine does not, for once, meet with success, then this can be a cause for concern. Digitalisation is another area that is being driven forward, and rightly so. Our future will be much more digital than many of us would think possible today. This also means that the company has to invest a lot to stay ahead, because our sense of pride in working at Roche for the benefit of patients should endure in the future. And for that to remain so, changes are sometimes necessary. This is something we have been experiencing more often for some time now. In fact, Roche underwent some dramatic changes in the past as well. Such changes are part of a long-term culture, and will accompany us in the future too. Progress evolves, and so does the way in which new medicines are discovered, developed and produced. It is in this spirit that I wish Roche all the very best for its anniversary.

Written by Gernot Scharf, AVR Vice President