CONTRACT & TOLL MANUFACTURING
These capabilities are not optional— they are essential in a world where agility and accountability define success.
Arxada’ s vision
Arxada believes the CDMO model is being fundamentally redefined. It is not about capacity alone; it is about capability, creativity and collaboration. With facilities in Visp, Switzerland, and Kouřim, Czechia, that can scale from grams to tonnes, we support diverse industries, from energy storage and personal care to nutrition and pharmaceuticals.
What we believe sets us apart is our integrated chemical and biotechnological network, enabling seamless transitions from development to commercialisation. This integration fosters cocreation, where ideas are transformed into impactful solutions through shared expertise and aligned objectives.
Sustainability is no longer a choice but a strategic imperative. The speciality chemicals sector faces mounting pressure to reduce environmental impact and CDMOs play a pivotal role in achieving these goals. Arxada seeks to addresss these challenges through backward integration, leveraging biogenic feedstocks, renewable energy and circular chemistry principles.
Our cradle-to-gate emissions management model sets a benchmark for reducing carbon footprints and supporting netzero ambitions. By embedding sustainability into process design, raw material sourcing and energy use, we aim to help partners meet regulatory requirements and consumer expectations— while creating long-term value.
In an era of increasing regulatory complexity, quality is more than compliance; it is the foundation of trust. For this reason, Arxada’ s quality management system spans ISO, FSSC, EFfCI and other global standards, ensuring excellence
Kouřim is Arxada’ s CDMO site for microbial fermentation
across food, feed, cosmetics and medical applications.
Certifications alone are not enough, however. The industry must prioritise transparency and partnership, fostering open communication and shared responsibility. Customers should be collaborators, so that together we can build solutions that are technically sound and strategically aligned.
The future
Looking ahead, CDMOs will evolve into innovation ecosystems, where cross-disciplinary teams tackle the industry’ s biggest challenges, from decarbonisation to digitalisation. We envision CDMOs that:
• Integrate AI and automation to accelerate development and optimise processes
• Embed sustainability into every molecule and method, driving circularity and resourceefficiency
• Foster open innovation, creating platforms for collaboration across academia, start-ups, and industry leaders
• Serve as talent incubators, nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers
This future is already taking shape. It demands a new mindset, one that views CDMOs not as external resources, but as extensions of internal innovation strategy
To the leaders, scientists, and visionaries of the speciality chemicals world: the time to act is now. Let us move beyond transactional relationships and embrace transformational partnerships. Let us build a future where CDMOs are not just part of the supply chain, but integral to the value chain. Because the future of speciality chemicals will not be built alone. It will be built together. ●
J j
Dr Tanja Schaffer
GLOBAL HEAD BL CDMO
ARXADA AG tanja. schaffer @ arxada. com www. arxada. com
JAN / FEB 2026 SPECCHEMONLINE. COM
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