Christian Atkinson, Country Director at Swiss recruitment consultancy Robert Walters, provides valuable insights into the importance of stay interviews. His expertise shows how these structured interviews not only retain talent, but also align employees' wishes with the company's goals and thus promote the company's success.   

The importance of stay interviews

Stay interviews differ from traditional exit interviews as they focus on current employees. Christian emphasizes their importance, noting, "Regular stay interviews provide insight into employee satisfaction and areas for improvement. This proactive approach helps to address issues early and improve overall employee retention."

Conduct effective retention interviews with employees   

"When we talk about conducting effective stay interviews, we actually mean a strategic approach to better understand our employees. These interviews are conducted on a regular basis, usually as part of the half-yearly and annual appraisals, and serve to get to the heart of our employees."   

• Job satisfaction: This is crucial because employees share what they find fulfilling and challenging about their tasks. These findings help to tailor the tasks to the strengths and preferences of the employees.   
• Professional development: This is about employees' career aspirations and the necessary support from the company. The alignment of goals and development programs promotes growth and loyalty.   
• Work environment: Insights into the company culture, team dynamics and general atmosphere help to improve engagement and satisfaction and ensure that everyone feels comfortable and motivated at work.   
• Feedback: Encouraging input on company policies and processes reveals blind spots and areas for improvement.   

"By addressing these areas in stay interviews, you are not just asking your employees questions. You are actively creating a workplace where they like to stay and feel comfortable," explains Christian. 

Turning insights into action    

The real value of stay interviews lies in the actionable insights they provide. After conducting these interviews, companies should systematically analyze the feedback. By committing to listening to employees and responding to their feedback, they cultivate a culture of trust and collaboration.   

Effects on employee retention   

By proactively addressing concerns and responding to employee feedback, companies can significantly increase employee satisfaction and reduce turnover. Christian: "When employees feel valued and heard, they are more willing to commit to their tasks and the success of the company. This proactive approach not only retains talent, but also improves overall morale and productivity."   

Anchoring stay interviews in the corporate culture   

Incorporating lead discussions is not just about regular appraisals. It's about fostering an environment of continuous dialog and improvement. "This approach not only supports individual career development, but also fosters cohesive team dynamics and drives the organization towards sustained excellence," concludes Christian.  

Source: www.robertwalters.ch

The founder of the modern hospice movement, Cicely Saunders, once said: "It is not a question of giving life more days, but of giving days more life." This statement has a lot to do with the daily work in the palliative care setting at the Hochweid retirement home. "You don't get an audit for palliative care overnight. It's a process that is built up over many years and becomes a mindset for all employees across all levels. Only then do you take the step towards certification," explains Managing Director Sara Tomaschett.

Foundation Board President Prof. Dr. med. Michele Genoni adds: "We are proud to be one of the few retirement centers in Switzerland to receive this certification. It was very impressive for me to see what is being done, how the focus is on people and where the difficulties are. It goes so far that at the end, all the employees stand in mourning when someone leaves the home for good." Christian Grothe, Head of Nursing at the Hochweid retirement home, says: "The certification process and the months of preparation were hugely beneficial for us. We were able to introduce and use recognized instruments, expand our competent interprofessional network and improve our quality processes." 

Audit team is enthusiastic

The Swiss Association for Quality in Palliative Care has put the Hochweid retirement center in Kilchberg through its paces and awarded it certification. The audit team was delighted: "You can feel that the culture, the appreciation and the support of the people is lived. That is exactly what palliative care is all about. Putting people at the center is lived by the whole team. Everyone is part of the process and supports each other. The interprofessional approach is practiced at the Hochweid. You can feel the culture of open doors. What is striking and rare is that the Board of Trustees is also fully behind it. This frees up financial and human resources. The staffing plan at Hochweid exceeds the cantonal requirements. This also allows discussions to take place after the work schedule - overtime is compensated on a daily basis, which is greatly appreciated by the employees."

What is palliative care?

"We want to ensure that residents and their relatives have a quality of life adapted to their situation until death and beyond, as well as providing appropriate support for their loved ones. This includes medical, alternative and nursing interventions as well as psychological, physical, social and spiritual support," explains Christian Grothe. Palliative care is more than just end-of-life care, the focus is on life. This is also an important aspect of the palliative care concept. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as "an approach to improving the quality of life of sick people and their families who are confronted with problems associated with a life-threatening illness: by preventing and alleviating suffering, by early recognition, unimpeachable assessment and treatment of pain and other distressing physical, psychosocial and spiritual complaints." Sara Tomaschett clarifies: "We want to enable residents to live in the environment of their choice, according to their normality and their heart's desires."

No more fear

The Swiss Society for Palliative Medicine, Care and Support states that the possibilities of palliative care should be considered proactively and at an early stage, i.e. in addition to curative and rehabilitative measures. However, the focus of palliative care begins at the point at which the cure of an illness is no longer possible and is no longer a primary goal. In this last phase of life, the focus is on quality of life and support for those affected and their loved ones. Well-adjusted treatment is used to ensure that the last months of life can be experienced largely pain-free. Patients should no longer have to fear unbearable pain. 

Source: www.alterszentrum-hochweid.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/alterszentrum-hochweid-erhaelt-label-fuer-palliative-care/

1e plans, which allow insured persons to choose their individual strategy from a limited number of investment strategies, led a shadowy existence for a long time. This changed in 2017 when key issues were regulated and, in particular, capital protection on withdrawal was dropped. Following these adjustments, 1e plans became much more widespread and are being offered by more and more companies together with the basic fund as part of an attractive pension solution. 

Capital protection no longer applies

In principle, the employer decides whether and for which insured persons 1e plans are offered. All insured persons who have a sufficiently high income are then automatically insured in the 1e plan. The employer can provide up to a maximum of 10 selectable investment strategies. One of these must be low-risk due to the elimination of capital protection. Ultimately, this means that insured persons receive exactly the funds they have saved in their individual retirement accounts after all investment years when they leave the company.

If a 1e plan is integrated into the pension solution, insured persons benefit in full from the opportunities on the capital markets, but also bear the investment risk for this part of the retirement provision themselves. This also applies to the retirement assets transferred from a basic fund to the 1e Foundation. Investment returns are credited in full to the capital. This means that no redistribution effects, such as retirement losses or reductions in the technical interest rate, have to be co-financed in the pension capital of the pensions.

The previous capital protection on the transferred retirement assets is completely eliminated. In the very unlikely extreme case, it would even be conceivable that the insured persons would have lost a large part of these retirement assets at the time of leaving the 1e Foundation due to investment losses. If the funds have already been included in the pension plan or an early withdrawal for home ownership is planned, it is better for the insured person to transfer no retirement assets or at least a correspondingly reduced amount from the basic fund to the 1e Foundation.

Risk-averse policyholders

For younger policyholders in particular, the 1e plan offers an opportunity to benefit from higher returns in the longer term. However, according to WTW market experience, on average one in five policyholders has invested in the low-risk strategy. This means that considerable potential returns remain untapped. The "life cycle" investment (more investment risk in younger years if compatible with life planning, reduction of investment risk as retirement approaches), which is made possible by a 1e plan, appears to be rarely implemented in practice.

Whatever the reason for the decision, insured persons usually have to accept a lower return or interest rate in the low-risk strategy than they would have received in their basic fund. Increased communication with policyholders, as well as the use of information services by policyholders, can highlight the advantages of the "life cycle" investment.

Attention when changing pension fund

If insured persons change or leave their employer, it should be noted that a termination benefit is due when they leave the 1e Foundation. The value of the pension assets at the time of leaving must be transferred to the pension fund of any new employer or to a vested benefits institution, depending on the insured person's future career. In practice, termination benefits are generally paid out in the form of cash. This means that, as a rule, all securities are liquidated upon departure. A transfer of securities is difficult to implement, but is not legally prohibited.

For insured persons who are invested in a higher-risk investment strategy, this may mean that they are forced to sell investments at an unfavourable time and thus incur large losses. The 1e Foundation can make provision in its regulations for insured persons to remain in the Foundation as external members for a limited period. The retirement assets then remain invested unchanged. However, this only applies as long as there is no new insurance with the pension fund of a new employer. Nevertheless, it is recommended that, depending on the market environment, insured persons examine this option and thus postpone the sale of their investments.

Change of strategy before retirement

As retirement approaches, higher-risk strategies should be abandoned in favor of the low-risk strategy. Low-risk strategies generate low or even negative returns until retirement. In order to benefit from a higher-risk strategy in the end, correspondingly higher returns must be achieved in the period before the change of strategy. On retirement, the 1e foundations provide for a capital payout. Insured persons therefore bear the longevity risk on the retirement capital themselves or hedge it in the form of a retirement pension. This is generally expensive and is associated with very low conversion rates. It makes sense to coordinate retirement provision when retiring from the basic fund with that from the 1e Foundation. The combination of pension withdrawals from the basic fund and lump-sum benefits from the 1e plan can make perfect economic sense.

This must be observed

Entry into 1e plan

• Detailed review/information on whether the transfer of retirement assets makes sense

Accumulation of retirement capital

• Observe the strategy of the "life cycle" system
• Use the information offered in this regard

Change of pension fund

• Consider remaining in the existing 1e foundation for a limited period of time

Retirement

• Timely switch to a low-risk strategy
• Reconciliation pension plan 1e foundation with basic fund

Author:

Stephan Wildner is Managing Director at WTW Switzerland and Fiona Stocker is a pension fund expert at SKPE.

The consulting firm WTW offers data-supported, evidence-based solutions in the areas of employees, risk and capital that make companies more resilient, motivate employees and optimize performance.

In this context, Zendesk Ventures announces new investments in PolyAI, a company developing advanced voice assistants, and unitQ, an AI-powered customer feedback platform. The fund helps emerging companies develop their potential by providing venture capital, CX and AI expertise, and strategic partnership options for growth and innovation.   

"Every organization is on the path to becoming AI-enabled. We're excited to partner with companies that are driving this new era," says Ben Barclay, SVP Strategy, Corporate Development & Transformation at Zendesk. "Our goal goes far beyond our own product development: we support a start-up ecosystem whose visions align with ours. Customer service and the internal helpdesk for employees are changing rapidly due to advances in AI. Investing in these companies means not only supporting their growth, but also investing in our customers' ability to provide exceptional interactions." 

Zendesk Ventures' portfolio already includes the conversational intelligence platform Observe.AI and Zuper, a provider of field service management software. The two announced new additions to the portfolio focus on AI-based CX and operational efficiency: 

• PolyAI, a voice channel-focused solution, enables Zendesk customers to make complex interactions for order tracking and delivery updates as natural as a human conversation. Customers from various industries have been able to increase their sales and reduce call volumes and the time required for human agents to process requests.
• unitQ, an AI-based customer feedback platform, enables companies to capture and analyze customer interactions and feedback from over 60 different sources in real time to efficiently identify the root causes of user issues while improving Net Promoter Score.  

"The market is demanding better, more personalized customer experiences. This investment in the combined future of Zendesk and PolyAI, along with our overlap in the call center space, creates a powerful symbiosis," said Michael Chen, VP of Alliances at PolyAI. "Zendesk Ventures strengthens our existing partnership and enables us to accelerate the development of product innovation and improve customer engagement by leveraging our AI technology for voice channels to continue to deliver authentic and high-quality voice interactions. Together, we look forward to paving the way for the next generation of CX." 

"The partnership with Zendesk means that we are joining forces with a leading company, which opens the doors to top-class talent and industry networks," says Christian Wiklund, co-founder and CEO of unitQ. "Through this merger, we have gained a wealth of knowledge that will benefit our entire portfolio. We have received more than just funding - we are now part of a community and receive individual mentoring to drive the growth of our company." 

Source: www.zendesk.de

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/venture-capital-fonds-zur-foerderung-von-ki-startups/

The apprenticeship trend

After completing compulsory schooling, most young people opt for basic vocational training. Matura and technical secondary schools are the second most common choice. 

Apprenticeships filled

According to the job vacancy barometer, 66% of the 75,724 apprenticeships on offer for summer 2024 have already been filled, which represents an increase on the previous year (2023: 63%). 
Around 180,000 online applications have been sent via yousty.ch since August 2023.

Apprenticeship vacancies

The following overview shows the professions with the most vacancies for apprenticeships starting in summer 2024:

Occupations with the most vacancies for apprenticeships starting in 2024 on yousty.ch (as of June 20, 2024)
*GvE = Designing shopping experiences.

Facts about retail specialist EFZ

• At the end of May, 16.8% fewer apprenticeships were filled than a year ago.
• In total, 14.1% fewer apprenticeships were advertised this season than in the previous year.

Facts about Cook EFZ

• At the end of May, 13% more apprenticeships were filled than a year ago.
• In total, 2.1% fewer apprenticeships were advertised this season than in the previous year.

Facts about EFZ electrician

• This profession traditionally fills apprenticeship positions in the spring, but this season recorded a high number of placements in the period from November to February.
• At the end of May, around the same number of apprenticeships had been filled as in the previous year.
• In total, 0.8% fewer apprenticeships were advertised this season than in the previous year.

Source: www.yousty.ch

The speakers come from the fields of science, research, defense, administration, business and media. After this year's success with over 2,300 visitors, packed lecture halls and over 90 exhibitors, the next round is already underway.

The new motto says it all: Eye of the Cyber - create tomorrow

With the motto "Eye of the Cyber - create tomorrow", SCSD 2025 is focusing intensively on the urgency of actively and courageously shaping the digital future. That's why SCSD 2025 will take an in-depth look at the challenges posed by cyberspace and the potential of new technologies. The program will highlight the latest findings from the fields of technology, research and geopolitics in cyberspace.

Scientific advisory board guarantees the highest quality

The newly established SCSD Scientific Advisory Board consists of renowned domain experts and works as an interdisciplinary think tank. All members of the advisory board have a proven international reputation and an extensive network.

The scientific advisory board consists of:

• Prof. Dr. Touradj Ebrahmimi: Director Multimedia Signal Processing Group, EPFL
• Dr. Marc Stoecklin: Head of Security Research, IBM Europe
• Elisa Torres: Founder & CEO Girls in Quantum
• Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli: Head of Global and Emerging Risks, GCSP
• Martin von Muralt: Delegate of the Swiss Security Association, SVS
• Damir Bogdan - CEO "QuantumBasel"
• David Marti - Head of Artificial Intelligence Program "Pour Demain"

"In February 2025, Bern will once again become Switzerland's cyber metropolis. National and international luminaries will shed light on the opportunities and challenges in cyberspace as well as new technologies and their impact on society," says Doris Fiala, President of the SCSD and former FDP National Councillor.

Source: www.scsd.ch

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/scsd-neues-motto-und-wissenschaftlicher-beirat/

219 delegates took part in the 133rd GastroSuisse delegates' meeting at "Les Patinoires du Littoral" in Neuchâtel. Casimir Platzer, the retiring President of GastroSuisse, led the packed program for the last time. The main topic in the ice rink of the Neuchâtel ice hockey club was the general elections. Platzer led the association for ten years. "I am grateful for what we have achieved and that we have made our association one of the most important in the country," said the Bernese Oberlander, looking back on his time in office.

Esther Friedli and Gilles Meystre, members of the GastroSuisse Board, paid tribute to his work: "Casimir Platzer has put his heart and soul into our industry and made our association politically effective in particular. "During his time in office, Platzer strengthened and institutionalized the Parliamentary Group for the Hospitality Industry and initiated top-level meetings with all political parties. He has consistently fought for favorable political and economic conditions in the hospitality industry. The delegates appointed Casimir Platzer as Honorary President.

Two candidates were vying for the office of President: the current Vice President Massimo Suter from Ticino and Beat Imhof from Zurich. Imhof won the race after the first round of voting. "I am very pleased and will do everything I can to meet the high demands," said the newly elected GastroSuisse President. Beat Imhof is a trained chef and completed his Master's degree in General Management at the EMBA University in Lucerne. The 52-year-old was Managing Director of dine&shine Event Catering, SV Schweiz AG from 2011 to 2015 and Head of Catering and Deputy Managing Director of Samsung Hall from 2015 to 2018. He has been CEO of the Casino Theater in Winterthur since 2018. Imhof has two children and has been President of GastroWinterthur since 2023. Until 2023, he was a lecturer in event management at the FHGR and ZHAW. He is also an HFP examination expert at Hotel & Gastro formation in Weggis.

Muriel Hauser and Moritz Rogger, two long-standing members of the Board of Directors, stepped down. Both were appointed honorary members. The delegates elected Gilles Meystre, also a long-standing member of the Board of Directors, as Vice President. Maurus Ebneter was confirmed as Treasurer. Seven candidates vied for the other six seats on the Board. Daniela Segmüller, David Maye and Samuel Vörös were newly elected to the Board. The new GastroSuisse Board is therefore made up as follows:

• Beat Imhof, Winterthur; Chairman (new)
• Gilles Meystre, Pully; Vice Chairman (previously member of the Board of Directors)
• Maurus Ebneter, Basel; Trésorier (previously)
• Bruno Lustenberger, Aarburg; Member of the Board of Directors (to date)
• André Roduit, Saillon; Member of the Board of Directors (to date)
• Esther Friedli, Ebnat-Kappel; Member of the Board of Directors (to date)
• David Maye, Neuchâtel; Member of the Board of Directors (new)
• Samuel Vörös, Lucerne; Member of the Board of Directors (new)
• Daniela Segmüller, Zurich; Member of the Board of Directors (new)

Source: www.gastrosuisse.ch

The most important findings from Switzerland

For marketing managers in this country, improving the use of tools and technologies is a priority. CMOs are often under pressure to maintain or even exceed marketing performance with fewer resources. Therefore, they may see optimizing their current technology stack as a promising solution.

However, they see the greatest challenge in standardizing the sources in which customer data is stored. Data and artificial intelligence can help marketing managers to reach customers in new ways and launch more efficient campaigns. However, their potential is far from exhausted. Even those who are already performing well still see room for improvement: 

• Only 39% of respondents in Switzerland are satisfied with their current options for customer data management and the corresponding customer experience. 
• 68% have access to real-time data to run campaigns. But 47% need the help of their IT department.

AI is being used widely: Marketers want to use AI successfully in their business based on the right data, but at the same time worry about security and customer trust while implementation gains driveway. 

• 83% of marketing experts in Switzerland are already experimenting with AI or have fully integrated it into their workflows. On a global average, only 32% have fully integrated AI into marketing and a further 43% are testing the technology.
• The three most popular AI use cases in Switzerland are: 
  • Programmatic advertising and media buying
  • Automation of data integration
  • Improvement of customer segmentation and target group modeling

"We are in a new era of AI. Marketers will be most successful when they leverage the rapid advances in technology to better connect with customers and prospects. A solid data foundation will be critical to the AI success of marketing teams as they work to merge and unify customer data for real-time activation," comments Vanessa Gentile, Head of Marketing Salesforce Switzerland, on the findings.

Synthesis of further and global results and trends

Worldwide, marketers use a median of 9 tactical measures to collect customer data and better understand their target group. The majority of these come from customer service activities. Innovative marketers are more likely to seek a connected view of their customers and a full-funnel approach to data. Fully integrated data is more prevalent among companies that are practicing high-performance marketing. This suggests that investing in the right tools is paying off and unifying data can give marketers an advantage. 

Source: www.salesforce.com

The procedure is divided into three steps:

Step 1: Analyzing the database

To ensure that the first step is not the most difficult, simus systems starts by analyzing a sample of the existing data in a preliminary project. This can be in databases, ERP and PDM systems. The data is sorted and enriched by the powerful simus classmate software according to predefined rules and stored in a results database. The initial results are used to determine the objectives and costs of master data management.

Step 2: Rule-based optimization loops

In the second step, the entire database is systematically condensed, enriched and structured using integrated, customizable sets of rules. Simus classmate compares company data with standard classes of standard and purchased parts and, if required, suggests classes for the company-specific product range. The rule-based assignment of the data records produces correct results very quickly.

These results are further refined in workshops with the specialist departments concerned. Using the classmate Finder search engine, the project participants can filter and view the data in order to identify any errors, duplicates or inaccuracies. The basic rules are then customized until an optimization loop delivers all the desired results.

Thanks to automation, large quantities of material masters are quickly and easily transformed in line with ERP and imported via interfaces. With this methodology and the best-practice rules, users and service providers save up to 80 percent of the usual effort.

Step 3: Ensure sustainable data quality

In the third step, the data quality achieved is secured. Authorized employees can find all desired data quickly and reliably with the classmate Finder. This reduces the search effort and protects against duplicates. It also sets up a binding material master creation process. Flexibly definable workflows automate the rule-compliant creation of material masters across departmental boundaries. Efficiency gains result from a high reuse rate of components, the standardization of purchased parts and lower administration and warehousing costs.

Source: www.symus-systems.com

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/in-3-schritten-zu-perfekten-material-stammdaten/

Energy management is a key focus of the sustainability strategy. The decision to connect to district heating in Winterthur (Switzerland) and the use of photovoltaics in Singen (Germany) are key measures to reduce the ecological footprint. Another focus is on developing more sustainable packaging solutions. For example, Pawi is working with ETH Zurich to develop soy water-based films for paper see-through bags. "Our aim is to make a significant contribution to environmental protection by using renewable energies and efficient technologies," explains Edoardo Finotti, Co-CEO Operations at Pawi Packaging Schweiz AG.

Pawi has also made great progress in the area of social sustainability by introducing the sociocratic organizational structure at the production site in Singen. This structure aims to promote a positive corporate culture and strengthen employee participation and responsibility. "The introduction of sociocracy enables us to create a working environment in which every voice is heard and every employee can actively participate in decision-making," says Ralf Kautzmann, Managing Director of Pawi Packaging Deutschland GmbH.

Long-term goals and commitment

PAWI reaffirms its long-term commitment to the environment and society. In addition to the goal of contributing to CO₂-Science Based Targets (SBTi) will be introduced in the medium term to help the city of Winterthur achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. Other measures include a planned roof renovation including photovoltaic installation at the production site in Winterthur and the integration of electric trucks into the vehicle fleet.

Source: www.pawi.com

The Berlinger Group, internationally renowned for its anti-doping products and technologically advanced temperature monitoring systems, is realigning itself. Berlinger & Co. AG (temperature monitoring division) will be formally sold to the American Sensitech Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation) in the third quarter of 2024. Berlinger Special AG (anti-doping products), which has been a market leader for several decades, will remain in family ownership. Both divisions will continue to be based at the current production site in Ganterschwil, Canton St. Gallen.

Strategic realignment of the temperature monitoring division (Berlinger & Co. AG)

In September 2023, the Board of Directors of Berlinger & Co. AG decided to strategically reposition the temperature monitoring division. Berlinger & Co. AG has developed one of the world's most advanced platforms for cold chain monitoring of vaccines, pharmaceutical products and clinical trials over the past three years. The platform, known under the brand name "Smart Systems", and the associated temperature monitoring devices are among the most innovative products in the relevant applications.

This global industry requires a worldwide presence and correspondingly flexible solutions in the respective markets. With the sale of the temperature monitoring business to the international market leader Sensitech Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation) from the USA, the Berlinger-Schwyter owner family aims to ensure sustainable growth for its own developments and position its services and products worldwide.

Takeover of Berlinger & Co. AG planned for the third quarter of 2024

The negotiations for the takeover of Berlinger & Co. AG were successfully concluded in June 2024. The formal takeover of the Cold Chain Monitoring business unit (Berlinger & Co. AG, with its subsidiaries Antaris Solutions BV and Berlinger USA LLC) is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2024. Sensitech Inc., based in Beverly, Massachusetts (USA), is acquiring Berlinger & Co. AG, (Cold Chain Monitoring) together with its approximately 85 employees.

Anti-doping business unit remains in the ownership of the Berlinger-Schwyter family

The Berlinger Special AG business unit's anti-doping products, which have been leading for decades, will remain in the ownership of the Berlinger-Schwyter family. Berlinger Special AG produces anti-doping control containers for human and animal applications under the brand name "BEREG Kits". These are used at almost all major sporting events and preparatory training sessions worldwide. For around ten years now, animals have also increasingly been tested for doping at major events and training sessions. Berlinger Special AG is also a leader in this globally growing segment.

Sustainable business planning

With this important strategic step, the Boards of Directors of the Berlinger companies (Berlinger & Co. AG and Berlinger Special AG) are ensuring that both companies can continue to develop successfully and profitably in different business areas. With its two business units, the Swiss Berlinger Group already operates more than 90 percent in the international market environment. Access to international markets is of crucial importance for the sustainable development of all services provided by the Berlinger Group.

The sale of the temperature monitoring company Berlinger & Co. AG to U.S.-based Sensitech Inc. was deemed by the Board of Directors to be an ideal and future-proof option for the company's own innovations. Sensitech Inc. is a world leader in the field of temperature monitoring systems. The integration of the systems and services developed in Switzerland and the Netherlands into an internationally active group (Carrier Global Corporation) enables continuous further development and a global presence in the respective markets.

The formal takeover of Berlinger & Co. AG (temperature monitoring systems) is expected in the third quarter of 2024. The completion of the transaction will be communicated publicly. The takeover price has been tacitly agreed.

Source: www.berlinger.com

The study highlights the importance of digital technologies for achieving the Swiss climate target and shows that digitalization represents a significant lever for closing the "climate gap" by 2030.

2030 climate target: Switzerland must drastically reduce its CO2 emissions

In accordance with the Paris Agreement, Switzerland has committed to reducing its annual emissions by 50 percent by 2030 compared to 1990. This corresponds to a reduction from approx. 55 to approx. 28 million tons of CO2eq. Emissions are already declining, but one challenge is becoming clear: Switzerland must reduce more CO2eq in the next six years than it has in the last 34 years - and close an annual climate gap of around 16 million tons of CO2eq. A Herculean task for which all the stops must be pulled out.

Digital technologies offer considerable savings potential

The study examines how digital technologies in the buildings, transport, industry, agriculture and energy sectors can contribute to reducing CO2eq emissions. To this end, specific digital use cases were examined, such as intelligent building management systems, real-time route optimization in freight transport or automated processes in industry. For this purpose, two digitalization speeds - standard digitalization and ambitious digitalization - were compared, which differ in the speed at which the use cases are adopted.

The use of all examined use cases could save between 1.2 and 3.2 million tons of CO2eq annually by 2030, which corresponds to around 7 to 20 percent of the existing climate gap or one to two times the current emissions of the canton of Thurgau. The speed of digitalization is decisive for the size of the leverage: ambitious digitalization could more than double the savings compared to standard digitalization. So if the current trend is not only continued, but the market penetration of digital technologies is accelerated, their full potential for climate protection can be exploited.

Business and politics have a responsibility

The results of the study clearly show that Swiss companies and private individuals are making an important contribution to climate protection through the use of digital technologies. It also shows that the savings potential between standard digitalization and ambitious digitalization is far apart. In order to realize the full savings potential, politicians in particular are called upon to create the necessary framework conditions and increased digitalization for Switzerland as a location for innovation.

Source: www.digitalswitzerland.com