immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Standortqualität

  • ICT and life sciences dominate company settlements

    ICT and life sciences dominate company settlements

    The Conference of Cantonal Directors of Economic Affairs (VDK) reports that the promotion of Switzerland as a business location by the federal government, the regions and the cantons can look back on another positive year. Once a year, the VDK compiles statistics on the number of new foreign companies settling in Switzerland. According to the VDK’s current survey, a total of 265 foreign companies settled in Switzerland in 2022. They have already created a total of 1199 new jobs in the first year of operation. Over the course of three years, this figure is expected to rise to over 3100 jobs.

    “Even though, with 265 companies, 17 fewer companies were settled compared to the previous year, the development of settlements has remained relatively stable over the last 10 years,” writes the VDK. And as in previous years, most of the new settlements in 2022 are active in the ICT and life sciences sectors. Regionally, around half come from the USA, Germany or France.

    The focus on future technologies set out in the national location promotion strategy 2020-2023 is to be maintained in the years 2024 to 2027, the VDK explains further in the press release. Such companies also contribute “with their innovative know-how in their network to strengthening regional and local value creation as well as the SME landscape”. In addition, the VDK points to the cooperation of the Confederation and the cantons with the official Swiss organisation for export promotion and location promotion, Switzerland Global Enterprise, and its representations abroad managed as Swiss Business Hubs.

  • GZA draws a positive conclusion for 2022

    GZA draws a positive conclusion for 2022

    The number of new companies from abroad settling in the Zurich economic region has stabilised at a high level in 2022, according to GZA. Together with its location promotion partners, the location marketing organisation supported 108 companies in establishing new branches in the nine associated cantons, the city of Zurich and the Winterthur region, according to the 2022 annual report presented on 30 March. In the previous year, there had been 129 companies, in 2020 only 89, and in 2019 a total of 109.

    The 108 companies newly established last year created 516 jobs, 19 per cent fewer than in the previous year. This downward trend reflects the use of new technologies, the increasing automation of production processes and the cross-border division of labour among international companies, according to the media release accompanying the annual report. However, the companies that have settled in the region are planning to create a further 1292 jobs in the next five years.

    The front-runner among the new settlements in 2022 was the life sciences with 22 companies, followed by 20 companies from fintech and blockchain, 16 from information technologies and 12 from artificial intelligence and computer vision.

    The majority of the newly established companies come from the USA (33), Germany (14) and Italy (9). According to GZA, their internationality increases the networking of the business location and contributes to its resilience. “We want to attract attractive companies to the Zurich economic region that can create something new for a sustainable future here and throughout Switzerland,” says Balz Hösly, Chairman of the Board of Directors, as quoted in the media release.

    The focus of the 2022 Annual Report is the circular economy. GZA AG is a founding member of the recently launched Workshop for the Circular Economy CE123, an initiative from the business community that aims to pave the way for circularity, especially for SMEs. “Alongside digitalisation, the circular economy is becoming a big business prospect,” says Managing Director Sonja Wollkopf. It will “lead to more innovation and prosperity”.

  • Beny Ruhstaller steps down as President of the SVSM – Remo Daguati becomes his successor

    Beny Ruhstaller steps down as President of the SVSM – Remo Daguati becomes his successor

    Beny Ruhstaller had been planning his resignation for a long time: “It was important to me not to leave at the drop of a hat, but to prepare my succession well,” explained the outgoing president at the SVSM’s general assembly, which took place in the atmospheric garden room of Villa Boveri in Baden. Ruhstaller shaped the umbrella organisation of Swiss location and business development agencies as president for eight years, and he had already been a member of the board since 2013. But he had his first contact with the SVSM much earlier, as he recalled in his review at the general assembly: “I was able to accept the first SVSM award for innovative projects in location management in 2007: for my mandate as managing director of the Glattpark area marketing.” As luck would have it, he also resigned from this very mandate these days after 21 years as managing director.

    Linking real estate and locations
    Beny Ruhstaller is not a classic location promoter. Rather, he has represented the viewpoint of the real estate industry in the association by sitting on the board of the SVSM and, from 2015, as president. It has always been his concern to bring the real estate industry and location promotion closer together. He has succeeded in this in various ways, for example in the area of membership structure or within the framework of a cooperation with the magazine “immo!nvest”. Furthermore, under Ruhstaller’s presidency, a guided visit day to Expo Real, Europe’s largest trade fair for real estate and locations in Munich, took place several times and at the beginning of this year the SVSM participated for the first time in Immo23, the Swiss trade fair for real estate investments. Ruhstaller also always placed a lot of emphasis on the “Swiss” in the association’s name, for example with a balanced regional representation on the board or events at changing locations. The professionalisation of the sector in the sense of a well-founded education and training offer was another concern of Ruhstaller’s: he was not only active himself as a speaker in various courses, but also active in the development of new offers. During the Corona pandemic, he also succeeded in developing new event formats together with a committed board team and making the association fit for the future.

    Remo Daguati elected new President
    The General Assembly in Baden unanimously elected Remo Daguati, a member of the SVSM Board since 2021 and Vice-President since 2022, as the new President of the SVSM. Remo Daguati is the owner of LOC AG in Zurich and looks after location promotion organisations and site developments throughout the DACH region. Before becoming self-employed, he was in charge of national location promotion (Invest in Switzerland) as a member of the management board of Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) until the beginning of 2016. Stefan Otziger, SVSM board member since 2018 and managing director of the Thun economic region, was elected as vice president. During the general assembly, the outgoing president Ruhstaller was also able to introduce a new sponsor: Mettler2Invest, an owner-managed, independent real estate development company, supports the SVSM in addition to the previous sponsors Sunrise and EKZ. Without the valuable support of its sponsors, the SVSM would not be able to maintain its current range of services – so a big thank you at this point.

    Input presentations on site development and vacancy management
    Following the general meeting, the participants were treated to two practical input presentations on the topics of site development and vacancy management as part of the hybrid specialist event “SVSM Dialogue on Site Management”: Verena Rohrer, Head of Aargau Services Location Promotion, addressed the question of whether large-scale settlements such as that of the pharmaceutical supplier Bachem on the Sisslerfeld are a consequence of cantonal site development – and came to an “indirect yes” as an answer. Majid Parente, managing director and founder of collektiv AG, showed other ways of dealing with vacant commercial properties in city centres: by including and understanding the location and the property, carrying out an in-depth analysis and pursuing a participatory approach.

  • Basel Area location promotion posts record number of company start-ups

    Basel Area location promotion posts record number of company start-ups

    Basel Area Business & Innovation supported a total of 96 start-ups in 2022. This represents a new record, the location promotion agency of the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Jura informs in a statement. Compared to the previous year, 20 more start-ups were supported by Basel Area Business & Innovation.

    The number of companies newly established in the Basel Area cantons in 2022 remained stable at 35 compared to 2021. “The Basel Area economic region has had another highly satisfactory year,” Christof Klöpper, CEO of Basel Area Business & Innovation, is quoted as saying in the statement. “Both in terms of newly established companies and company start-ups, we achieved excellent figures in 2022.”

    Of the total of 96 newly founded companies, 21 are active in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. This is followed by services with 18, construction with eleven and ICT with ten start-ups. Many of the start-ups were able to benefit from the location promotion’s venture monitoring programme. In the press release, Basel Area Business & Innovation singles out the cleantech company Kuori. Since its founding in spring 2022, it has already raised around 2.3 million euros in investor funding.

    Of the total of 35 settlements, 24 were in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. In terms of regions of origin, Europe leads the way with 14 companies. This is followed by Asia with seven and the USA with six newly established companies in Switzerland. A total of eight companies from other cantons moved to the Basel Area last year.

  • Confederation introduces new guide for location promotion

    Confederation introduces new guide for location promotion

    The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research(EAER) has launched a new advisory platform for companies and other forms of organisation. According to a press release, the platform, which will be available from 16 February, is intended to support users in their search for business locations and funding. In doing so, the advisory tool currently being introduced expands the existing portals on the website of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs(SECO).

    The multilingual location promotion guide that has now been announced brings together various promotion projects and is intended to be easily accessible via the internet for interested parties and applicants. The current range comprises 16 promotion instruments with around 50 different offers. The primary target groups are entrepreneurs, authorities at all federal levels and individuals. According to the EAER, the new guide should make Switzerland even more attractive and transparent as a business location. It can be accessed at promotion.guide.

  • Bundesrat steckt Ziele zur Standortförderung ab

    Bundesrat steckt Ziele zur Standortförderung ab

    Der Bundesrat entwickelt die strategischen Grundlagen zur Standortförderung des Bundes weiter. Mit seiner Botschaft für die Jahre 2024 bis 2027 verfolgt er laut einer Medienmitteilung fünf Ziele: Rahmenbedingungen für KMU verbessern, Regionen stärken, zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung beitragen, Chancen der Digitalisierung nutzen sowie die Attraktivität des Wirtschafts- und Tourismusstandorts stärken. Diese sind auch Bestandteile der Neuen Regionalpolitik, die 2024 in ihre dritte achtjährige Periode startet. Für die mandatierten Organisationen wurden 23 konkrete Aktivitäten formuliert.

    Im Vergleich zur Periode 2020 bis 2023 wird die Bedeutung der nachhaltigen Entwicklung und der Digitalisierung aufgewertet. Ausserdem soll sich die Standortförderung noch stärker an den Bedürfnissen der Hauptzielgruppen, den KMU und den Regionen, ausrichten. So liegt der Schwerpunkt bei der KMU-Politik im Ausbau von EasyGov.swiss, dem Online-Schalter für Unternehmen zur elektronischen Abwicklung von Bewilligungs-, Antrags- und Meldeverfahren an einem einzigen Ort.

    Den Fokus in der Tourismuspolitik setzt die Botschaft bei der digitalen Transformation der Branche und der Weiterentwicklung der Tourismusförderung. Zudem will der Bundesrat die Exportorientierung weiterentwickeln. So sollen sich etwa Promotionsauftritte im Ausland an Generalunternehmer mit grossen Infrastrukturprojekten richten.

    Für die Instrumente der Standortförderung beantragt der Bundesrat dem Parlament Finanzmittel in Höhe von 428,83 Millionen Franken, rund 40 Millionen mehr als in der ablaufenden Periode. Dagegen soll der Zahlungsrahmen für die Äufnung des Fonds für Regionalentwicklung in den Jahren 2024 bis 2031 gegenüber der Vorperiode um 12,7 Millionen Franken auf 217,3 Millionen Franken reduziert werden.

  • EY attests GZA efficient location marketing

    EY attests GZA efficient location marketing

    The consulting company EY certifies that the GZA and its partners in the member cantons make a positive contribution to the qualitative and sustainable development of the Zurich economic area. This is the conclusion of the third analysis by EY on the activities of the GZA in the years 2018 to 2021.

    According to this analysis and a corresponding media release by GZA, 445 companies from abroad were settled in the Greater Zurich Area during the period mentioned as a result of GZA's location marketing. You created new jobs in 2014. Looking at the entire period analyzed so far since 2009, 9426 new jobs were created directly. According to EY estimates, there were several tens of thousands of jobs indirectly due to so-called multiplier effects.

    EY describes the settlement result as "very sustainable": The survival rate of the directly acquired companies is well above the average of all companies founded in Switzerland.

    From 2018 to 2021, the new settlements brought tax income of CHF 57 million to the Greater Zurich Area. For the period 2009 to 2021, EY calculated tax income of around CHF 647 million, which is offset by total costs of CHF 89 million. This means that every franc invested in location marketing generates around 7.3 francs in additional tax income.

    GZA's proactive and cross-cantonal location marketing has a "positive impact on the development of our common greater Zurich economic area," comments Carmen Walker Späh, President of the GZA Foundation and Zurich Economics Director. That is "very gratifying" because the international competition for the best companies and talents has been fierce for years.

  • Alexander Carisch becomes the new head of the Dietikon location promotion

    Alexander Carisch becomes the new head of the Dietikon location promotion

    Alexander Carisch will be the new head of the Dietikon location promotion as of December 1st. According to a media release , Carisch convinced the city council at the September 5 meeting. His innovative spirit, his professional competence and his integrative communication were decisive.

    As a former head of urban development and location marketing in the city of Baden and also as head of the location development department in the Canton of Schwyz Economic Office, Carisch has the right experience for the position, according to the statement from the city of Dietikon . Through his previous activities, the newly appointed head of Dietiker Location Promotion is also connected to the Limmattal.

    The head of the Dietikon location promotion, Adrian Ebenberger, is retiring after four and a half years in office for reasons of age at the end of 2022.

    The Dietikon location promotion submits semi-annual interim reports on activities in the areas of location promotion, economic development and city marketing. The most recently published report from June covering the period from November 2021 to April 2022 highlights the progress made in the Cleantech Hub Dietikon project, which started last autumn 2021, and in the Smart City Dietikon project as particular highlights of this work. Demand for commercial space remains high. There are regularly more rental requests than offers. The number of start-ups and liquidations is said to be relatively constant.

  • Location Promotion Zurich Oberland publishes magazine

    Location Promotion Zurich Oberland publishes magazine

    The Zürioberland Promotional Agency ( SZO ) will publish a magazine twice a year from October 2022. The initial edition consists of 5000 copies. The high-quality magazine aims to offer portraits, background reports and handouts on the living and economic region of the Zurich Oberland.

    "The magazine strengthens the voice of the region and focuses in particular on the qualities of the Zurich Oberland," Giacinto In-Albon, Head of Business at SZO, is quoted as saying in a press release. According to the publisher SZO, its topics should offer “a counterpoint to the fast-moving and predominantly digital information of today”. The magazine is produced and printed in Wetzikon. A partner in Gossau is responsible for marketing. It is financed through the sale of advertisements. Members receive preferential prices.

    The magazine is distributed in the Zurich Oberland region, Winterthur, Lake Zurich, Obersee and in the city of Zurich. It is sent in a targeted manner. It will also be available in high-traffic locations such as hotels, restaurants, shops and medical practices. In addition, every newcomer receives a copy.

  • Basel Area reaches new milestone with settlement of LifeMine

    Basel Area reaches new milestone with settlement of LifeMine

    Basel Area Business & Innovation , the agency for location promotion and innovation promotion, has reached a new milestone. With LifeMine Therapeutics , the 200th company has now been supported in settling in the Basel area. The biotechnology company has its headquarters in Cambridge in the US state of Massachusetts and is now establishing its European headquarters in the Basel Area, which consists of the three cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Jura.

    “Having LifeMine Therapeutics as our 200th customer is very exciting for our team and the region,” said Christof Klöpper, CEO of Basel Area Business & Innovation. “The fact that LifeMine Therapeutics comes from the Boston Area – one of the world’s largest life sciences centers – underscores the opportunities that the Basel Area offers international biotech companies.”

    LifeMine develops drugs based on genetically encoded small molecules and will now also drive this work from Basel. “We are very pleased to be able to expand our activities to Basel and settle in a region full of innovative companies,” says co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) WeiQing Zhou. “Basel Area Business & Innovation gave us fantastic support and made the process as smooth as we could have wished for.”

    Of the 200 companies supported by Basel Area since 2016, 164 are not from Switzerland. A total of 122 work in the life sciences. In the meantime, however, more and more companies from the production and process technology sectors are deciding to settle in the Basel area.

  • Switzerland attracts more foreign companies

    Switzerland attracts more foreign companies

    The location promotion of the Confederation, regions and cantons can look back on another positive year, explains the Conference of Cantonal Economics Directors ( VDK ) in a statement . Once a year, it compiles statistics on the number of new foreign companies settling in Switzerland. According to the latest VDK survey, a total of 282 foreign companies settled in Switzerland in 2021. This exceeded the previous year's figure by 62 settlements.

    The jobs created by the settled companies in the first year of operation increased year-on-year by 20 percent to 1396 jobs. With 3566 jobs forecast for the third year of operation, the high level of 2020 could be maintained, writes the VDK.

    Most of the companies that came to Switzerland in the year under review are active in the life sciences and ICT sectors. In terms of origin, around half of the new settlements come from the USA, Germany and France.

    The focus on future technologies set in the current strategy 2020-2023 of the national location promotion has proven itself so far, the VDK explains further in the communication. She also emphasizes the "successful cooperation" between the official Swiss organization for export promotion and location promotion, Switzerland Global Enterprise , and its representations abroad, which are run as Swiss Business Hubs, with the regions and cantons. According to the VDK, this cooperation is organized in such a way "that the Swiss location can be optimally marketed abroad as 'Team Switzerland'".

  • Settlements reach pre-corona level

    Settlements reach pre-corona level

    Company settlements are increasing again after the Corona dip. The Greater Zurich Area AG (GZA), as the location marketing organization for nine cantons, was able to settle a total of 125 companies in 2021, an increase of 36 companies compared to the first Corona year 2020. According to a statement by the GZA, 42 companies came from the USA (+20 ), 19 from Germany (+4), ten from Italy (+5) and five each from China (-6), Great Britain and Singapore.

    Overall, the companies created 582 jobs in the economic area, an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous year. In the next five years there should be a total of 1843 jobs.

    The ICT sectors are most strongly represented with 42 companies, followed by the life sciences with 25 companies and the machine industry with 18 and financial services with 13 companies. The life sciences companies created 235 jobs, followed by the ICT companies with 154 jobs.

    However, the importance of the companies for the location goes beyond the number of new jobs. “We specifically address those companies that achieve high added value and strengthen the existing ecosystem,” said GZA Managing Director Sonja Wollkopf Walt at a digital media conference.

    One of the newly settled companies is Benchling . The American provider of cloud solutions for life sciences wants to create up to 150 jobs in the Circle at Zurich Airport. The Chinese pharmaceutical company Hengrui already has its European headquarters in Basel and is now setting up a research and development site in Zurich.

    The German RegTech company targens will sell its software for compliance solutions to banks in Switzerland and Liechtenstein from Schwanden GL. Ruedi Becker, the Swiss head of the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg subsidiary, was able to convince his superiors of the advantages of Glarus together with the GZA.

    That pleases the Glarner location promoter Christian Zehnder. So far, Glarus has been strong in manufacturing and food production. “We want to get away from our traditional image,” he said. “When companies settle here, however, we depend on the strong partner GZA, who markets the location internationally.”

    Sonja Wollkopf Walt sees it similarly: the settlement of targens strengthens the ecosystem as a whole and sends the signal that the economic area extends beyond Zurich and Zug. “In the Greater Zurich Area there is the ideal location for every company.”

    The Greater Zurich Area includes the cantons of Glarus, Graubünden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Ticino, Uri, Zug and Zurich.

  • ZKB facilitates investments in the Zurich airport region

    ZKB facilitates investments in the Zurich airport region

    The Zürcher Kantonalbank now issues the tracker certificate FRZ Flughafenregion Zürich. This means that those willing to invest can simultaneously rely on 22 different companies that have a connection to the Zurich airport region. The financial product is now traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange .

    As the location developer FRZ Flughafenregion Zürich announced in a press release , the composition of the block of shares was determined by ZKB. They selected Swiss companies with a market capitalization of more than CHF 500 million that are based in the canton of Zurich and benefit from the airport. In addition, they must bear the ZKB rating “Market weight” or “Overweight” before admission.

    “The tracker certificate emphasizes the economic importance of the region,” says Peter Arnold, Head of Communications & Business Development at the FRZ Zurich Airport Region. FRZ is probably one of the first organizations in the world to promote locations to take such an initiative. The share package is an important element in ongoing location marketing.

    According to FRZ, the design of the financial product is based on the assumption that airport regions will grow at an above-average rate. Accordingly, the companies operating in this region should have above-average potential.

  • Bachenbülach joins Zurich airport region

    Bachenbülach joins Zurich airport region

    The municipality of Bachenbülach has decided to join the business and location development Zurich Airport Region ( FRZ ). This increases the number of participating cities and municipalities to 14, according to a press release . Most recently, Volketswil joined the FRZ network.

    According to the press release, the municipal council considers membership of the FRZ to be “beneficial for the municipality, the population of Bachenbülach and the entire economic region around Zurich Airport”. The community has “grown a lot” in recent years, to 4221 inhabitants.

    In addition to the cities and municipalities and their total of 185,000 inhabitants, around 750 companies belong to the FRZ network. They have around 250,000 jobs. The FRZ is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.

  • SVSM invites to dialogue about site management on March 31st

    SVSM invites to dialogue about site management on March 31st

    The Swiss Association for Location Management ( SVSM ) invites you to a specialist conference on Thursday, March 31, as part of the SVSM Dialog event series. According to the media release , the event from 3.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. will take place on site in the Villa Boveri in Baden or virtually via the Veertly platform. At the spring event of the SVSM there are practical presentations from Upper Valais, the city of Baden and the Wil region. Case studies would be used to show practical solutions and strategies and then discuss current challenges. Those who are connected virtually can join the discussion via the interactive platform. The event is free for members of the SVSM, non-members pay a fee of 50 francs.

    In addition to the dialogue event, the ordinary general assembly of the SVSM also takes place in the Villa Boveri. Non-members participating in the dialogue are also welcome, according to the association’s statement.

    Regarding the program, it is said that the head of location promotion for the city of Baden, Thomas Lütolf, will present the regional economic vision of the Baden Nord city district. Anne Rombach-Jung, Managing Director REGIO WIL, talks about the future of WILWEST. Esther Schlumpf, project manager at the Upper Valais regional and economic center, will address the question of whether governance can be a success factor for regional development.

  • IKEA expands in Chur and Valais

    IKEA expands in Chur and Valais

    IKEA is opening new locations in Switzerland after ten years. There will be a planning studio for customers in Chur and a furniture store of the usual size in Riddes. According to the press release , the 565 square meter planning studio with various model rooms is to open in autumn in the Steinbock shopping center in Chur. It should become a kind of mini-IKEA, it is said. The focus is on the consulting and planning service for visitors and business customers.

    At the same time, Spreitbach-based IKEA Schweiz AG will soon be submitting the building permit for its tenth store in the Valais municipality of Riddes. After the announcement of a so-called plan and order point in Bern, the expansion of the two locations is the next step in IKEA Switzerland’s expansion strategy. The most modern and greenest IKEA furniture store in Switzerland is to be built in Riddes. The opening is planned for autumn 2023. The shop will offer a wide range of sustainable products and services on around 23,000 square meters with lots of green space.

    “It’s now ten years since we opened the last IKEA store in Switzerland in Rothenburg and thus opened up Central Switzerland. With the planning studio in Chur and the store in Riddes, we are opening up two new markets in Switzerland outside of the cities,” Jessica Anderen, CEO and strategy manager at IKEA Switzerland, is quoted as saying. Today, IKEA has nine furniture stores in all parts of the country and a distribution center in Itingen BL, which handles most of the online sales.

    According to the press release, the IKEA planning studio is the first format of its kind in Switzerland. Comparable service points are only available in London, Berlin and Oslo. “We are both pleased and proud that IKEA is now offering its new service format based on selected world cities here in Chur of all places,” Frederick Widl, Head of Real Estate at AXA , is quoted as saying as the landlord.

  • Limmattal communities are committed to "room for more"

    Limmattal communities are committed to "room for more"

    The new motto “Space leads more” of the Limmatstadt AG location promotion will be adopted by several municipalities in the Limmattal and, according to the media release, will be used as a logo in the communication. Limmatstadt AG operates location promotion in the Limmattal across cantons.

    For example, since Thursday the Schlieren website has read: “Schlieren. part of the Limmat city. Room for more.” According to the statement, the large brackets around the statement symbolize the sense of unity in the region and the understanding that the Limmat Valley towns and communities have more power with a common self-image. In this way, the municipalities, together with the Zurich Planning Group Limmattal ( ZPL ), show their commitment to the region. According to the announcement, the appearance was created as a joint effort in workshops with the municipalities and the Baden agency Kommpakt .

    According to the press release, the Limmatstadt municipalities of Bergdietikon, Dietikon, Geroldswil, Schlieren, Turgi, Uitikon, Unterengstringen, Urdorf and Weiningen as well as the ZPL maintain service agreements with the Limmatstadt location promotion. Since it was founded in 2014, Limmatstadt AG has been committed to regional awareness, a common living and economic area, increased networking, sustainable development and joint positioning. At the General Assembly in August 2021 in the JED in Schlieren, the new motto “Room for more.” was approved.

  • Stefan Metzger takes over at digitalswitzerland

    Stefan Metzger takes over at digitalswitzerland

    According to a media release , Stefan Metzger will take over the management of digitalswitzerland from January 2022. The previous managing director, Nicolas Bürer, is stepping down at his own request. Bürer led the initiative for around five years. Last year he was also responsible for the operational merger with the ICTswitzerland association.

    “I would like to thank Nicolas for his commitment to digitalswitzerland,” said President Sascha Zahnd. Bürer has “successfully further developed the initiative and transformed the once regional vision for Zurich into a nationwide and now even global movement,” he adds. According to Marc Walder, digitalswitzerland founder and Ringier CEO, digitalswitzerland has grown to become “the most relevant location initiative in Switzerland” under the leadership of Bürer.

    With Metzger, digitalswitzerland is gaining “a proven expert in the field of digital transformation” with global experience, according to Walder. The press release describes Metzger as a digital expert. For 13 years he served the Swiss business of the global IT consulting firm Cognizant as Country Managing Director. Metzger has been committed to digitalswitzerland for a year and was also a member of the Executive Committee.

    Diana Engetschwiler, head of the Swiss Digital Day launched five years ago, will also become the deputy managing director of digitalswitzerland from the beginning of 2022. She succeeds Sébastien Kulling, who is moving to the digitalswitzerland foundation as managing director.

    The aim of digitalswitzerland is to position Switzerland as the world’s leading, digital innovation location. The initiative currently has 240 organizations among its partners.

  • GZA receives strategy award from "Financial Times"

    GZA receives strategy award from "Financial Times"

    As part of the fDi Strategy Awards 2021 , Greater Zurich Area AG ( GZA ) receives the specialist award for advanced manufacturing. The strategy prizes are awarded to global location promotions that have particularly distinguished themselves in certain areas in the current year. fDi intelligence is the department for foreign direct investment (fdi) of the London business newspaper ” Financial Times” .

    For this year’s edition, four jurors from the fDi team reviewed 34 locations and agencies that stood out in various fDi Intelligence rankings in 2021. The main prizes were awarded in the four main categories Global Cities of the Future, African Tech Ecosystems, American Cities of the Future and Tech Cities of the Future.

    Best investment promotion agency (IPA) was the New York City Economic Development Corporation. It also received the award for the highest degree of sustainability. Berlin Partner for Business and Technology received the award for the best aftercare services.

    In addition, the jury awarded prizes for outstanding achievements in specific sectors. She noted that the greater Zurich area, as Switzerland’s financial metropolis, has a strong concentration of companies using the most modern manufacturing processes. As stated in the judgment in favor of the GZA, this “in combination with the clusters for robotics and intelligent systems in the city” indicates “that the location will be an attractive center for high-tech manufacturing”.

  • Innovationspark Dübendorf is one step further

    Innovationspark Dübendorf is one step further

    The airport area in Dübendorf is to develop into a lively urban quarter in the coming years. A center for innovation, research and jobs is to be created. The aviation infrastructure is to be secured as a strategic reserve.

    The Zurich Government Council has now submitted a synthesis report to the Cantonal Council, as stated in a communication . This was drawn up by the federal government, the canton, the local authorities and other parties involved. It forms the basis for the further development of the area. It is now to be advised first by a special commission set up by the Cantonal Council.

    The government council intends to submit three proposals to the cantonal council by spring 2022. These deal with the creation of planning rights, a revision of the structure plan and a planning loan.

  • "Where there are rails, there is a city"

    "Where there are rails, there is a city"

    The November issue of the “ Baden aktuell ” magazine makes the city on the Limmat the topic of the month. In an interview, the managing director of the Limmatstadt AG location promotion company, Jasmina Ritz, explains the vision of the Limmatstadt. This is more than just a synonym for Baden and Zurich, she is quoted as saying.

    According to Ritz, the term Limmatstadt stands for the entire region along the Limmat. Seen in this way, the Limmat Valley is not located on the edge of two cities, but in their center and forms a whole. Ritz: “This change of perspective is central. The Limmatstadt with its around 20 cities and municipalities has what many other regions do not have: space for more. "

    The fact that the Limmat Valley is now becoming the Limmat City is a logical consequence of developments over the past 20 years. One associates the idea of a classic agglomeration with the Limmattal. So industrial location, specialist stores, traffic axis. Jasmina Ritz believes that the reality is different today. With its contrasts and diversity, the region forms a spatial unit, embedded in the Limmatraum and the hills. With the Limmattalbahn, the region is also receiving an urban mode of transport. Ritz: "The Limmattalbahn turns the agglo into an attractive urban region."

    The merging of the region is also interesting for Baden. The managing director of location promotion refers to the practice: “The communities in the region are all in the same boat, so it is worth joining forces. It has little weight when the city of Baden knocks in Bern. But if an entire region presents, the pressure increases, ”she is quoted as saying.

    Regarding the canton border between Zurich and Aargau, which runs in the middle of the city on the Limmat, she says: "Political borders no longer correspond to the realities of life." The fragmentation of the region prevents greater thinking and action. However, an overall view of the competition between the regions is necessary. This becomes clear in challenges such as traffic solutions. The Limmattalbahn will open in 2022. It creates connections between places, people and workplaces beyond the canton's borders. This train is much more than a means of transport. Ritz: "Where there are rails, there is a city."

  • Regional 2025 celebrates halftime

    Regional 2025 celebrates halftime

    The Regionale 2025 celebrated its fifth anniversary with a celebration on the banks of the Limmat in Neuenhof AG. According to the announcement, the Regionale 2025 association was founded in 2015 and is supported by 16 Limmattal municipalities and cities as well as the cantons of Aargau and Zurich. It is intended to strengthen the identity of the Limmat Valley. To this end, 29 different projects are to be implemented by 2025.

    More than 100 invited guests took part in the celebration with an aperitif and a musical performance from the water. The focus of the celebration on September 9, the fifth anniversary of the association's start-up, was the exchange of all those involved across borders. For the previous president Brigitta Johner it was a farewell. She resigns from office after six years. "For a livable and lovable Limmat valley" was the motto of the FDP politician, it says in the message. The former canton councilor was bid farewell with speeches of thanks by Roland Kuster, Wettinger mayor and former vice-president of the Regionale 2025, the managing director Peter Wolf, the mayor of the host community, Martin Uebelhart, as well as two digital greetings from the two cantons. They came from government councilors Markus Dieth (Aargau) and Martin Neukom (Zurich).

    Halfway through, the next five years were also looked at. First there will be an interim show from May to October 2022. The projects nominated for the final project show will be presented there. Further projects will then be completed by 2025. The conclusion of the work of the Regionale 2025 culminates in a large project show at which all projects and processes in the region are presented to the public.

  • Hofer municipal management expands board of directors

    Hofer municipal management expands board of directors

    Hofer Kommunalmanagement AG in Riniken presents three new board members. According to a press release , Otto Müller, mayor of Dietikon until 2018, the former CVP National Councilor Melchior Ehrler and the Limmattal network manager Jürg Hässig are new members of the board of directors. Bruno Hofer, founder of the agency for location promotion, which has also been active in the Limmattal since 2007, becomes Chairman of the Board of Directors.

    Hofer is setting a new focus in location development advice, according to the press release. For this purpose, the newly developed method for community management, the systemic community management SysKom, which is now under trademark protection, is being marketed throughout Switzerland. A market analysis has shown that the need for location promotion in Swiss municipalities exists and is growing, Hofer is quoted as saying: "The competition between locations virtually forces us to carry out impact-oriented location promotion."

    The methodological approach created by Hofer and his employees in Riniken is described in the media release as a handy method that is intended to help cities, municipalities and regions to experience an upgrade for their location in a simple process, which can also be reflected in rankings. According to Hofer municipal management, the method comprises eight steps from determining the location to spatial planning and location communication. According to the announcement, the end point is location marketing.

  • Verena Rohrer will head Aargau Services

    Verena Rohrer will head Aargau Services

    The Aargau government council has appointed Verena Rohrer as the new head of the cantonal location promotion agency Aargau Services . She is the successor to Annelise Alig Anderhalden, who accepted a new challenge in the spring. Rohrer will take up her new position on January 1, 2022.

    According to a statement from the government council, Rohrer is very well anchored in the canton of Aargau. From 2011 to 2017 she was in charge of the regional Brugg Regio location promotion. In addition, the 40-year-old also has several years of experience in the private sector. For example, she is a member of the executive board of the wholesaler Bio Partner Switzerland based in Seon AG. Rohrer has been Head of Central Services at Caritas Aargau since 2019.

    “Due to her knowledge of location promotion, her networking in the canton and her professional experience, Verena Rohrer has the best prerequisites to decisively further develop the location promotion of the canton of Aargau together with the experienced employees of Aargau Services,” said government councilor Dieter Egli (SP), head of the department Economics and Home Affairs, quoted in the communication.

    The Aargau Services location promotion contributes to the continuous improvement of the business environment in Aargau. It also supports foreign companies wishing to settle in the canton. As part of the implementation of the new cantonal development model, Aargau Services will, according to its own information, also take on important tasks. The development model envisages further strengthening the business location and linking living and working in the canton more closely.

  • Zurich is Switzerland's first green city

    Zurich is Switzerland's first green city

    The city of Zurich accepted the Green City Switzerland award in gold on Thursday evening. As city councilor Richard Wolff said on this occasion, according to a press release , this seal is “both recognition and incentive. We are on the right track and know where we need to improve further ”.

    In 2019, the city council commissioned the Green City Zurich service department of the civil engineering and waste disposal department to have the city of Zurich certified with the Green City Switzerland label. It is awarded by the Association of Swiss Urban Gardeners and Horticultural Offices according to uniform criteria. Not only core processes such as planning and construction, care and maintenance, but also management and support processes are assessed. Zurich received 451 out of a possible 500 points.

    “This is an excellent result and a role model,” says Markus Weibel from the Label Commission. It shows that it “sets high standards and is made for both urban communities and the largest city in Switzerland”.

    The team of experts particularly praised the “very good, long-term planning basis”, in which sustainable topics and biodiversity are given high priority. The binding basis for the near-natural maintenance and management of urban green and open spaces was also praised. In addition, the green spaces would be integrated to reduce heat.

  • Model city Baden completes the first project phase

    Model city Baden completes the first project phase

    The results of the first working phase of the model city project were noted and discussed by the representatives of the 13 participating municipalities. According to a media release from the city of Baden , the municipalities' figures and data compiled in four working groups were analyzed and assessed. The further procedure in the 2nd project phase was also decided.

    The 13 municipalities of the model city include Baden, Birmenstorf, Ehrendingen, Ennetbaden, Fislisbach, Gibstorf, Mägenwil, Mellingen, Neuenhof, Oberrohrdorf, Obersiggenthal, Turgi and Wettingen.

    In the discussion on authorities, administration and organization, considerable differences between the municipalities were found, according to the press release. In the area of finance, it was determined, among other things, that the tax income per inhabitant in the model city in 2019 was 14 percent above the Aargau average. It is also assumed that the debt in the model city communities will increase significantly on average in the financial planning period up to 2025 due to high investments.

    In the case of health, society and social affairs, simple and immediate reorganization or reorganization are hardly possible due to the complexity. But cooperation is feasible. The analysis of settlement development, spatial planning and mobility showed that the consolidation of the municipalities would not contribute to a cost reduction overall. Increased efficiency is also possible today.

    For the second phase of the project, it was decided to continue working on three topics from phase 1. In cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), a “talent pool” is to be developed which enables learners to continue to be employed in one of the 13 model communities after completing their apprenticeship. The other projects are regionalization of tax offices and the development of a joint solution for refugee care. In the second phase, there will be a joint IT infrastructure, model planning for a sub-area of land use planning, and coordination of the development prognoses for the number of pupils as well as school space planning and school buildings.

  • The federal government wants to strengthen Switzerland as a location for start-ups

    The federal government wants to strengthen Switzerland as a location for start-ups

    In the opinion of the Federal Council, Switzerland as a start-up location is generally well positioned. In some areas, however, there is still room for improvement. The Federal Departments of Economic Affairs, Education and Research and of Justice and Police are now to examine measures on behalf of the Federal Council with which the location could be further strengthened.

    According to a communication , the Federal Council sees potential for improvement in the areas of technology transfer, internationalization, access to skilled workers and financing. He also emphasizes that “numerous states have launched extensive programs to support start-ups in recent years”. He therefore also wants to have the advantages and disadvantages of a Swiss innovation fund examined comprehensively. In particular, it should be made clear to what extent such a fund could expand the risk capital market in Switzerland and thus improve the growth opportunities of innovative companies.

  • Lucerne location defies the pandemic

    Lucerne location defies the pandemic

    The canton of Lucerne was also able to attract new companies in the 2020 pandemic. According to a report by the Lucerne Economic Development Agency, a total of 19 companies have settled in the canton. Eight settlements came from abroad. The five immigrants from Great Britain stand out in particular. The other three foreign companies came from Germany, Poland and Slovakia. Overall, they want to create 329 jobs in the canton in the next three to five years, it is said.

    Even founders were not intimidated by the pandemic. If the whole of Switzerland is taken into account, the number of start-ups even rose to a record level in 2020. In the canton of Lucerne, too, the number of start-ups increased by 11.1 percent compared to the previous year, as the report shows. The Lucerne Economic Development Agency supports you in the initial phase, for example with start-up courses.

    Ivan Buck, Director of the Lucerne Economic Development Agency, speaks of an overall “challenging, but nevertheless successful” year. He is also pleased with the results of a satisfaction survey. This was carried out at over 200 companies as well as cantons and municipalities. Compared to the last survey three years ago, satisfaction could be increased at all levels. "A new record of 175 network partners rounds off this wonderful result," said Buck.

  • Central Switzerland remains an attractive company location

    Central Switzerland remains an attractive company location

    The cantons of central Switzerland also attracted many new companies during the pandemic, according to an article in the “Luzerner Zeitung”. Uri has helped 16 companies set up in the canton. As Stefan Büeler, Head of the Office for Economics and Public Transport at the canton of Uri, explains in the article, he sees the canton on track to be able to achieve a similar number again in 2021. The canton benefits from major projects such as the Altdorf cantonal railway station, the cantonal hospital, the construction of the second Gotthard tube and the tourist development in Andermatt.

    Meanwhile, the canton of Schwyz recorded a record number of start-ups last year. Urs Durrer, head of the office for economy of the canton Schwyz, attributes this in the article to successful settlements. The establishment of the American software company Palantir was a great success. Overall, there are currently more settlement projects to be managed than before the pandemic, said Durrer.

    The canton of Lucerne settled 19 companies last year. The canton of Zug sees itself back at pre-crisis level when it comes to settling in. The canton of Nidwalden did not experience any slump during the pandemic.

    During the pandemic, numerous settlement projects could be prepared, which are now being implemented, as several business promoters emphasize in the article. For example, many international companies had their settlement projects that they had to postpone due to the pandemic implemented in the first half of 2021, says Reto Sidler, media spokesman for the Greater Zurich Area . The location marketing organization and its member cantons – Schwyz, Zug, Uri and six other cantons – were able to relocate 55 companies from abroad last year.

  • Canton of Zurich gets its own top-level domain

    Canton of Zurich gets its own top-level domain

    The canton of Zurich has secured the administration of the top-level domain .zuerich. The Internet extension will be available to companies and organizations based in the canton from August 30, the cantonal office for economy and labor ( AWA ) informs in a message . With .zuerich, “the canton wants to position the largest economic area in Switzerland clearly and unmistakably in the digital space and in international competition between locations,” explains the AWA.

    About .zuerich, companies could “benefit from the excellent reputation of the Zurich brand”, according to thewebsite set up by the canton for the new top-level domain. According to her, the canton of Zurich provides “the greatest economic output and added value in Switzerland”. A .zuerich Internet extension thus strengthens one’s own brand and at the same time indicates that it is anchored in the economic area.

    As the registry operator, the canton is responsible for the quality and security of the top-level domain. Sales and support are the responsibility of a number of accredited domain providers. A list of providers and all other information required for registration is provided on the website set up by the canton.