It all began almost by chance in 1999, when Licenziati, after the Massagno fire, purchased several buildings in the Pian Scairolo area of Canton Ticino. No one could have imagined that this episode would lay the foundations for an entire industrial district. But Licenziati already had a grander vision: in 2001, he expressed his intention to develop a project on the only undeveloped plot in the area, with a clear and ambitious goal – to unite all IBSA activities under one roof, anticipating the modern concept of all-round sustainability, integrating social, environmental and economic vision.
For him, nothing is wasted; everything is transformed: every refurbished building becomes part of a system that prioritises beauty, efficiency, and liveability. This thinking guided the entire development of what would become IBSA’s new home.
Not even the pandemic could halt this vision. With determination, in 2022, cosmos was born – the largest pharmaceutical facility ever built by IBSA. Multi-storey and multi-product, the site doubles the volume of an existing building and marks a leap forward in technological and architectural terms.
The renovation aimed for much more than mere expansion: the goal was a modern, sustainable industrial plant with high architectural quality, production lines managed by advanced systems, and materials chosen for their sustainability. Green spaces, a recurring and dominant feature, complete the facility’s identity.
Today, cosmos houses state-of-the-art departments dedicated to the production of:
- pre-filled syringes (PFS);
- single-dose strips for thyroid hormones;
- oral solids (hard capsules, tablets and intermediates for syrups).
But cosmos is just one piece of a larger plan. The idea is to centralise all IBSA sites, previously scattered between Lamone, Cadempino, Manno and Collina d’Oro, to support the company’s exceptional growth. Confirming this vision, in 2024, the cantonal authorities and the municipalities of Lugano and Collina d’Oro officially approved the PQ4 Garaveggia Neighbourhood Plan, marking the birth of the CorPharma district.
The result of years of commitment to harmonious integration into the territory, CorPharma now houses:
- the IBSA Group Headquarters;
- the cosmos facilities;
- genesis, a recently expanded building with 112 new workstations;
- other buildings supporting corporate activities.
Another Licenziati innovation is the underground tunnel between the Headquarters warehouse and cosmos: 210 metres lenght, beneath one of the busiest roads in Canton Ticino. Inaugurated in June 2024, it enables the automated transport of 350 pallets per day, reducing road traffic, environmental impact, and improving logistical efficiency.
Building this infrastructure required two years of work, intense multidisciplinary effort, and advanced technical solutions. An engineering feat that symbolises a new, safer, and more sustainable approach to logistics.
And there’s more: from 2026, cosmos will also host the production department for gonadotropins used in Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR), transferring all activities currently carried out in Lamone to this hub.