1897     Foundation of Lonza AG Electricity Works in Gampel, Valais (Switzerland), on the banks of river Lonza. The electricity was used to manufacture calcium carbide and acetylene.
1909 Lonza moves to Visp and manufactures synthetic fertilizers out of nitrogen, ammonia and calcium carbide.
1920 Production of nitric acid, ketene, and diketene starts.
1956 Start of Production of Niacin, a vitamin of the B-group.
1965 Change of the raw material base from carbide to naphtha and further development of backwards integration: intermediates and additives for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyestuffs, colours, adhesives, etc.
1969 Lonza expands to the USA and starts its business with chemical specialties.
1974 Merger with Alusuisse and development into an internationally operating enterprise.
1980 Lonza starts its biotechnological business.
1982 Start of exclusive manufacturing of substances for pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies.
1992 Lonza acquires a biotechnological production facility (fermentation) in the Czech Republic.
1996 In Guangzhou, China, a joint venture is signed to build up a niacinamide plant primarily to satisfy the regional market needs.
1996 Lonza acquires Celltech Biologics (GB and USA) and expands into the business with mammalian cell cultures and monoclonal antibodies.
1999 Lonza is de-merged from the Alusuisse-Lonza Group and listed as an independent company at the Swiss stock exchange.
2004 Lonza starts-up three 20’000-liter mammalian cell culture fermentation reactors in Portsmouth, NH (USA), the biggest single investment in its history.
2005 Lonza announces a significant investment program in the expansion of its peptides manufacturing capacities in its production site in Visp, Switzerland.
2006 Lonza carries out a series of strategic transactions aimed at transforming the company into one of the world’s leading suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients, biopharmaceuticals and research products to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life-science industries.
  Acquisition of Bioproducts manufacturing division of UCB (Braine-L’Alleud, Belgium) positions Lonza as a leading global provider of peptides to the biopharmaceutical market.
  The fourth 20’000-liter bioreactor in Portsmouth, NH (USA) came on stream.
  IPO of Polynt S.p.A., Lonza’s Polymer Intermediates business. Lonza retains a minority stake in Polynt.
  Lonza announces the acquisition of the complementary Bioproducts and Biopharma businesses from Cambrex to further enhance Lonza’s capability to service the needs of the highgrowth life sciences R&D and pharmaceutical development industries. The acquisition also expands Lonza’s geographical footprint, particularly in the USA.
  Agreement with Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies, to acquire mid-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing operation in Porriño, Spain, providing significant manufacturing capacity two years earlier than planned. In addition, Lonza will build and start up a large-scale mammalian biopharmaceutical facility in Singapore which Genentech will have an exclusive option to buy upon US FDA licensure. In parallel, Lonza will build its own planned large-scale (4 x 20’000-liter) biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Singapore.
2007 Lonza announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Research Bioproducts business and the Microbial Biopharmaceutical business of the US company Cambrex, published in October 2006.
  Lonza announced the acquisition of the assets of S.A.M. Electron Technologies based in Shawinigan (Canada). The acquisition of these assets is concurrent with an exclusive worldwide license for a cerium mediator electrochemical technology (CeTECH™) from Hydro-Québec and lease agreement with the City of Shawinigan. CeTECH™ is an electrochemical cerium based oxidation technology which can be used to produce a variety of high value added compounds. It has been demonstrated on a commercial scale for the production of vitamin K-3.
  Lonza finalizes the divestiture of its purified isophthalic acid plant in Singapore.
2008 Lonza finalizes the selling of the majority of its shares in Polynt S.p.A.
  Lonza completes the acquisition of amaxa. The acquisition of amaxa is in line with Lonza’s strategy of growing its life-science platform. amaxa is a premium supplier to the cell discovery market with leading edge, proprietary technologies in well-defined market niches of transfection systems. The deal further strengthens Lonza’s position as a worldwide leader in cell discovery by integrating this unique, proprietary technology into its portfolio and by continuing to develop the company’s activities.
2009 Teva and Lonza announced their agreement to establish a joint venture to develop, manufacture and market a portfolio of biosimilars.
  Lonza strengthens its protein design technology offering for biopharmaceutical development by acquiring Algonomics NV (Gent, Belgium).
  Lonza expands its cell-biology platform by acquiring Simbiosys Biowares’ preclinical cell and molecular biology group.
2010 Lonza expands its capacities for Carnipure™ and Carniking™ by investing in a new manufacturing facility for L-carnitine products in Nansha.
  Lonza invests in new plant for vitamin B3 (nicotinates) in Nansha.
  Lonza Group Ltd acquires MODA Technology Partners ("MODA"), a software company that provides paperless quality control solutions. The acquisition will strengthen the Rapid Testing Solutions platform of Lonza’s Bioscience division by adding a complementary product offering for quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) organizations in the life-science industry.
  Lonza acquires viral vaccine and vector manufacturer Vivante GMP Solutions. The acquisition advances Lonza’s strategy to broaden its biologics custom service offering for the growing viral vaccine and gene therapy markets.
  Lonza signs agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to secure capacity and expertise in biological manufacturing to support ongoing development of GSK’s biopharmaceuticals portfolio. Thereby Lonza will supply manufacturing capacity for five early stage monoclonal antibodies.
  Lonza acquires biotech service provider Algonomics, a contract research organization providing integrated immunogenicity prediction services to support companies in the development of biotherapeutics.
2011 Lonza invests £16 million to further develop the flexibility and capability of its Slough, UK biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility to respond to a broader range of customer projects and strengthen its global network of biologics development and manufacturing. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2012.
  Lonza plans to invest CHF 24 million to expand cytotoxic manufacturing capabilities in Visp, Switzerland to serve growing oncology API market. Cytotoxic APIs are commonly used in oncology therapeutics, which represent one of the fastest growing segments of the pharma and biotech industry.
  Lonza expands its viral-based therapeutics business with the construction of a new, state-of-the-art cGMP clean room located adjacent to its existing Houston, Texas operations.
  Lonza is investing CHF 10 million to expand its biopharmaceutical development services platform in Singapore to meet increasing demand for biopharma development services from preclinical to commercial.
  Lonza invests CHF 5.8 million in a formulation plant for Meta™ metaldehyde. This will enable Lonza to supply its own formulations, allowing the company in the future to serve the market not only with metaldehyde as an active substance, but also with ready-made slug pellets. It is expected to become operational in the second half of 2012.
  Lonza celebrates 40 years as leading producer of vitamin B3. Since 1971, Lonza has supplied more than half the world’s demand for vitamin B3 in the human and animal health nutrition industries.
  Lonza Group Ltd and global regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Limited enter into a strategic alliance for clinical and long-term commercial production of Mesoblast’s off-the-shelf (allogeneic) adult stem cell products.
  Lonza acquires Arch Chemicals, Inc., a global biocides company providing innovative solutions to destroy or to selectively inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms, to create the world’s leading Microbial Control business. The combined businesses will be able to develop innovative microbial control formulations based on a broad portfolio of registered and approved active ingredients. Jeanne Thoma is appointed to Chief Operating Officer for Lonza’s Microbial Control sector (LMC) which will be created following the acquisition.
  Lonza Group Ltd (SIX stock code: LONN VX; SGX-ST stock code: O6Z) makes its trading debut on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (“SGX-ST”) on 21 October 2011 and consequently is the first SIX Swiss-listed company to dual list in Singapore.
  Lonza to expand early phase manufacturing capacity at its site in Nansha, China, to serve small molecules market.
 2012 Lonza builds “Factory of Tomorrow” with investments in continuous flow and microreactor technology. The manufacturing concept offers increased flexibility and capacity for production that uses continuous flow and microreactor technologies and will be established at its Visp, Switzerland site.
  Lonza announces successful completion of new GMP suite for growing Viral Vaccine and Gene Therapy business. The flexibly designed clean room supports viral-based GMP manufacturing projects of up to 2,000 liter working volumes using state-of-the-art disposable manufacturing technologies.
  Lonza signs definitive agreement for the sale of Brandenburg, KY (USA) Performance Urethanes and Organics business to Monument Chemical.
  Lonza and Sartorius Stedim Biotech enter collaboration, supply and distribution agreement in the field of cell culture media, in which Sartorius Stedim Biotech assumes global sales and marketing of media and buffer solutions for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Lonza will continue to manufacture all media products.
2013 Lonza to invest CHF 14 million to expand Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) manufacturing capacity in Visp, Switzerland to meet growing customer demand.