Roche chairman is now an 'Honorary Citizen of Shanghai'

Shanghai has announced Severin Schwan, chairman of Swiss biotechnology giant Roche Group and the International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai (IBLAC), as one of this year's two recipients of the "Honorary Citizen of Shanghai" title.

Schwan has been a member of IBLAC for 16 consecutive years since 2009, serving as chairman since 2024. In this role, he has actively led the council to bring international insights to support Shanghai's economic and social development, as well as China's biopharmaceutical industry, strengthening Shanghai's ambition to evolve from an innovation center into a hub of global influence and leadership.

Over the years, Schwan has long been committed to China and Shanghai's development. Roche has taken the lead in building and upgrading the end-to-end value chain across research, development, manufacturing, commercialization, and partnering in China.

In line with this commitment, Schwan has driven the development of the China Innovation Center of Roche and Roche Acceleration in Shanghai. Recently, Roche announced a 2.04 billion yuan investment to build a new state-of-the-art biologic manufacturing site in Shanghai, further strengthening Roche's entire pharmaceutical value chain in China by enhancing its supply chain and local manufacturing presence.

Established in 1997, the "Honorary Citizen of Shanghai" title is the highest accolade for expatriates who have made extraordinary contributions to the city. Since then, 51 expats have received the honorary citizenship.

Its previous recipients included IBLAC's founding chairman, American insurance pioneer Maurice R. Greenberg, its consultant Eoghan McMillan, and L'Oréal Group chairman Jean-Paul Agon, placing Schwan in a prestigious cohort of global leaders who have helped shape Shanghai's development.

To recognize the contributions made by expatriates in Shanghai, the city has set up the annual Magnolia Awards, named after the city flower.

In January 1989, 18 foreigners working in Shanghai were given bronze medals with the city flower, the magnolia, on one side and a view of the Bund on the other. It was the start of the city's honors recognizing the contributions of expats.

The original honors were called the Shanghai Gratitude Award but were later renamed the Magnolia Silver Award. The city added the gold award and honorary citizenship in 1992 and 1997, respectively. So far, 1,907 awards and honorary titles have been given out.

The Magnolia Awards acknowledge the efforts of expats in various fields, including business, education, culture, sports, health, science and technology. Winners include industrial leaders and market pioneers, who have promoted Shanghai's economic development and its international trade and exchanges; scholars who have tackled challenges and made breakthroughs to accelerate Shanghai's efforts in building itself into a global hub of scientific and technological innovation; and philanthropists who are selflessly dedicated to public welfare.

Over the years, the Magnolia Awards have played an active role in encouraging foreigners to become more involved in the economic and social development of Shanghai and its international exchanges.