GREATER GENEVA BERNE area: Newsletter # 3 – December 2011

Switzerland again ranked #1 overall in the World Economic Forum’s 2011-2012 Global Competitiveness Report.

Dear Readers,

This time, we leave the floor to the authors of this report:

• “[Switzerland’s] most notable strengths are related to innovation, technological readiness and labor market efficiency.”
• “Switzerland’s scientific research institutions are among the world’s best.”
• “The strong collaboration between its academic and business sectors, combined with high company spending on R&D, ensures that much of this research is translated into marketable products and processes that are reinforced by strong intellectual property protection.”
• “Productivity is further enhanced by a business sector and a population that are proactive at adapting latest technologies, as well as by labor markets that balance employee protection with the interests of employers.”
• “Moreover, public institutions in Switzerland are among the most effective and transparent in the world.”
• “Competitiveness is also buttressed by excellent infrastructure, well-functioning goods markets, and highly developed financial markets, which benefit from a sounder banking sector than seen in last year’s assessment.”
• “Finally, Switzerland’s macroeconomic environment is among the most stable in the world at a time when many neighboring economies continue to struggle in this area.”

While the above comments are rejoicing, we know that we should not become complacent; we continue to strive to deserve your trust, and we are honored to be – or become – your host country.

Best regards

Philippe D. Monnier
Executive Director of the Greater Geneva Berne area

More information:
www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GCR_Report_2011-12.pdf

Switzerland tops INSEAD’s 2011 Global Innovation Index

According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) published by INSEAD, a leading international business school, Switzerland tops the list of industrialized countries in terms of capacity for innovation, gaining three spots from its position in last year’s ranking. Sweden and Singapore were ranked second and third, respectively, followed by Hong Kong (4th); Finland (5th); Denmark (6th); USA (7th); Canada (8th); the Netherlands (9th) and the UK (10th).

More information:
www.globalinnovationindex.org/gii/

100 million Swiss francs to encourage innovation

The CTI Invest platform, a leading source of funding for high-tech Swiss start-ups, has gained 100 million additional francs for its 2011 budget. No fewer than 343 projects were supported by the CTI in 2010, via 100 million Swiss francs in public funding and 135 million Swiss francs in private investment.

In its role as the Federal Innovation Promotion Agency, the CTI encourages R&D projects. Its platforms and networks also serve to strengthen regional knowledge and technology transfer.

More information:
http://www.cti-invest.ch

Corruption: Swiss companies toe the line

Swiss companies don’t bribe public officials when doing business abroad. This is the conclusion of the latest “Bribe Payers Index” issued by Transparency International. Switzerland and the Netherlands shared the best marks, with a grade of 8.8 points out of 10. Belgium took third place (8.7 points), followed by Germany and Japan (8.6 points). The U.S. was tenth (8.1 points).

More information:
www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2011/2011_11_02_bpi2011

BERNE

SkyWork Airlines: getting passengers to Switzerland in record time

SkyWork Airlines has won a competition between four British and Swiss airline companies. The objective: for a person to travel from London to the top of the Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Oberland in the shortest time possible. Each airline company transported a London passenger to Switzerland, going through different airports. The traveler then took the train to reach the Jungfraujoch. Philip Worley, a passenger on board a Skywork Airlines flight from London City to Bern-Belp, was the fastest, with a total travel time of 5 hours and 3 minutes.

SkyWork Airlines offers flights from the Berne-Belp Airport to 35 destinations within Europe and North Africa, serving approximately 180,000 passengers per year.

More information:
www.flyskywork.com/1-1-Booking.html
and
http://www.flughafenbern.ch/?setLang=2

FRIBOURG

New “zero-carbon” technology park gets the go-ahead

The municipal and cantonal governments of Fribourg have presented plans for the construction of Switzerland’s first “zero-carbon” technology and innovation park. It will be constructed on the 53'000 sqm site of the former Cardinal brewery owned by the Carlsberg Group, which has been acquired by the Canton and the Municipality of Fribourg.

The Danish brewer will fully vacate the site by the end of June 2012. The cantonal parliament views the plans to create a technology park in downtown Fribourg, in the immediate vicinity to the University campus and Fribourg Central Train Station, as an extraordinary opportunity and unanimously approved the necessary guarantee credit.

More information:
www.promfr.ch

VAUD

A major car manufacturer chooses EPFL

The PSA Peugeot Citroën group is setting up shop in EPFL’s Innovation Square. The French automobile manufacturer will establish a center for innovation on the Lausanne-based campus, where it can benefit from proximity with the scientific community at EPFL. The School already does research with the automobile industry, such as projects on composite materials, new fuels and electric batteries. Since its inauguration in August 2010, Innovation Square has already attracted eleven multinationals, including Logitech, Nokia, Constellium and Nestlé.

More information:
http://actu.epfl.ch/news/a-major-car-manufacturer-comes-to-epfl/

NEUCHATEL

A world-class center of excellence in microtechnology begins to take shape in Neuchâtel

The Canton of Neuchâtel has begun construction on a new EPFL building. Estimated at 80 million Swiss francs, it will house not only EPFL’s Institute for Microtechnology (IMT) but also the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), and represents the first step towards creating one of Europe’s largest centers of excellence in microtechnology.

More information:
www.ethrat.ch/en/node/2050

GENEVA

Newell Rubbermaid moves luxury brands to Geneva

The U.S. group Newell Rubbermaid, which markets products such as office supplies, will centralize key decision-makers from all over Europe in its new Geneva headquarters. “Our strategy is to create a powerful and well-integrated team pursuing one direction for the different markets of the EMEA,” says Eduardo Senf, President of Newell Rubbermaid International. “This co-localization and collaboration will reinforce the efficiency and effectiveness of our decision-making process and shorten our time to market.”

Made up of 15 different nationalities, Newell Rubbermaid’s new Geneva headquarters reflects the diversity of the canton’s labor market. “We have already found 40% of our staff at all levels in the local market, and a few posts still need to be filled, including a number of top management positions,” he adds.

VALAIS

Valais will soon have its first English-speaking international school: Régent Crans-Montana College

On August 23, 2011, the municipality of Lens (Crans-Montana) together with the Canton of Valais presented its plan to start building the canton’s first English-speaking international school. It will be a co-ed school designed for more than 200 students aged 6 to 17. Without a doubt, the Régent Crans-Montana College will reinforce the Canton of Valais' attractiveness to international companies.