Partnerships and cooperations

For Basel, strategic city partnerships are an integral part of external relations and promoting the area, as well as being important in developing an international network. Basel maintains good relations with a number of European cities as well as strategic partnerships with Massachusetts, Miami Beach, Seoul, Shanghai and Abidjan/Yopougon.

  • Europe

    Basel is the gateway to Europe and, from a perspective of other European countries, the gateway to Switzerland. Thus good relationships between Switzerland and the remainder of Europe are of prime importance for Basel as a location. More about Europe

  • Massachusetts

    The twinning between the Canton of Basel-Stadt and the US State of Massachusetts was already established on 20 June 2002, with the signing of a Sister-State Agreement. It focuses on research and science, business and culture. More about the partnership with Massachusetts

  • Miami Beach

    Basel has been working closely together with Miami Beach since 2002 because of the Art Basel Miami Beach fair. Basel and Miami Beach signed a partnership agreement on 28 November 2011, which focuses on the interests of both sides: Culture, tourism, economic development and education. More about the partnership with Miami Beach

  • Seoul

    A twinning agreement was also formalised with Seoul in 2022. One focus of this twinning arrangement is on the area of innovation, both in economic and scientific terms as well as in terms of social and urban development. More about the partnership with Seoul

  • Die fünf Meter lange und knapp zehn Tonnen schwere Skulptur "ZHOU" (Barke) des chinesischen Künstlers SHEN Lieyi im St. Johannspark.

    Shanghai

    Basel and Shanghai have been twinned since 2007. The positioning of Basel as a research and industrial centre for the life sciences has been the main theme of the twinning. But in addition to the shared interests there also remains the question of differing value systems. These are also discussed within the framework of the partnership. More about the partnership with Shanghai

  • Abidjan / Yopougon

    In 2021, the canton of Basel-Stadt and the Ivory Coast’s metropolis of Abidjan/Yopougon with a population several million laid the formal foundation stone for a twinning for the purpose of social commitment. The focal point of the partnership is the provision of support for education, health and culture. More about the partnership with Abidjan/ Yopougon

  • International networks

    Basel plays an active part in international networks in many different ways. More about International networks

up