Beyond care: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

For IBSA, social responsibility also means translating the values of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) into tangible actions that generate a positive impact both inside and outside the company. Confirming this approach, in November 2025 IBSA published its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy document, in which it reaffirms the principles that guide its work and its desire to put the Person at the centre of every strategy.

The document underscores the importance of:

• capitalising on the wealth of experience, backgrounds and perspectives in order to foster innovation, particularly in the development of therapeutic solutions;
• contributing to the creation of a global environment in which every individual feels respected, valued and given the chance to shine;
• being involved in equity and inclusion policies, integrating these principles into all aspects of the business, from governance to everyday life, in order to build a healthier and fairer society.

INTERNAL DE&I POLICY

The new policy represents a natural and strategic evolution that builds on the path of transparency already mapped out by the Sustainability Reports. By publishing data about its workforce since 2015, IBSA has laid the groundwork for a culture of accountability that today translates into a concrete commitment against every form of discrimination, going beyond the confines of mere regulatory compliance.

The approach has been integrated throughout the entire professional life cycle and across all corporate HR processes, including

• ethical recruiting: introduction of objective criteria designed to recognise the value of individual talent and potential, eliminating cognitive biases;
• career review and annual salary review processes that are based on transparent criteria and clearly communicated to collaborators;
• continuous training: major investments in the IBSA Academy, which offers training focused on soft skills to all employees, as well as helping to create relationships and opportunities to exchange experiences between people belonging to different group functions. 

Moreover, in Switzerland, the collaborators – and managers in particular – are sensitised to the issues of discrimination and harassment. Further initiatives will be implemented in the coming years in line with the development of European legislation on gender pay transparency.

SCIENCE AND ART, FINALLY TOGETHER

In the DE&I area, IBSA’s commitment also translates into a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy that chooses sport and culture as universal languages in order to transcend boundaries and generate value and well-being, resulting in numerous partnerships and projects.

• Inclusive sport:
  • Sailing: IBSA’s Sailing into the Future. Together project has focused on a sport – sailing – turning it into a vehicle for raising awareness about issues such as inclusion and social integration. In this area, IBSA has formed partnerships with sailing organisations that promote initiatives for people with disabilities in Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain and the United States. Since 2023, the project has also expanded into Czechia, with an inclusive rowing initiative for people with visual impairments.
  • Football: IBSA has entered into a partnership with I Camaleonti, an association that operates in the canton of Ticino (Switzerland) to promote inclusion and equity through sport. The association brings together over 20 players with various disabilities, offering them the opportunity to play football and take part in other activities.
  • Local events: IBSA supports Lo sport che unisce (Sport that unites), a day-long event organised by Inclusione Anticap Ticino (Switzerland) in which people can take part in a series of inclusive recreational and sporting activities. 
• Sport and gender parity: 
  • IBSA France has developed a partnership with the women's basketball team Sharks Antibes, helping to recognise women in sport, encourage talent and inspire future generations.
  • In Switzerland, IBSA supports the Ambrì women's hockey team, promoting women's sport and its growth in the canton of Ticino and throughout Switzerland.
• Sport in remote settings: 
  • IBSA France is developing a training centre for players on the Tonga national rugby team. This sport is an economic driver for the local area, meaning that the centre would both help players and support the country's economy.

CULTURE AND ACCESSIBILITY

Through the IBSA Foundation for scientific research and various corporate CSR activities, IBSA is committed to the well-being of the community and future generations. As part of its commitment to “accessible culture,” the company supports various training, educational, recreational and creative activities. They include:

• In Switzerland, IBSA partially funds – through the Fondazione Informatica per la promozione della persona disabile (FIPPD) (Informatics Foundation for the Promotion of People with Disabilities) – a scholarship for one person at Lugano Arte e Cultura (LAC), dedicated to welcoming people with disabilities and developing accessibility within the LAC cultural mediation sector.
• IBSA supports the Design for All approach, in which design is the focus for building a future in which inclusion is not a privilege but an inalienable right for everyone. 

• In Brazil, IBSA supports the Casa dos Curumins association, which promotes artistic and educational programmes in disadvantaged areas of São Paulo. Through Atelier Pipilu and Banda dos Curumins, the association gives young people the chance to cultivate their creative talents. 
• In the field of cinema, IBSA supports the Film Festival Diritti Umani Lugano (Lugano Human Rights Film Festival): for one week in October, art and culture become tools for dialogue and inclusion.
• In Italy, IBSA Italy supports the Festival della Fotografia Etica di Lodi (Festival of Ethical Photography in Lodi), an event that uses images to address social issues and raise public awareness about ethically relevant topics.
• So far as concerns gender equality, IBSA Italy supports Fondazione Onda, whose “Disegni di genere” (Gender Drawings) project invites people to create artworks depicting scenes of gender discrimination, with the aim of stimulating reflection and debate.

A COMMITMENT WRITTEN IN THE FUTURE

The recent publication of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy marks a milestone for IBSA. More than a simple declaration of intent, this formal framework reinforces the company's culture and identity, encompassing all initiatives undertaken to date and those planned for the future. 

By promoting these values, IBSA creates a virtuous circle that starts from within and radiates outwards, actively contributing to the growth and cohesion of the community.