With the new incentive system, Suva has the option of covering reintegration costs of up to CHF 20,000.

The current economic situation and advancing digitalization are making it increasingly difficult to return injured workers to the labor market - especially if they are not trained at all or are poorly trained. To support companies that provide suitable jobs for these people, Suva is now launching the "Incentives for company reintegration" program.

The focus is on people who, after an accident, can no longer pursue their original occupation or can only do so again with great commitment from their employer. Another criterion is that there is no entitlement to an occupational measure from the disability insurance (IV) - either because the people concerned have no entitlement to retraining without training or because the IV does not become active for some other reason. However, the program is implemented in close cooperation between Suva and IV.

20,000 francs contingency fee

In the future, significantly more insured persons and companies will benefit from the optimized incentive system. To this end, Suva is expanding its services. In the future, the offer will also be available to companies that reintegrate their own injured employees. Until now, the incentive system applied to companies that created a job for an injured employee. Because: "We prefer to give our insured a perspective instead of a pension," says Peter Diermann, Head of Insurance Benefits at Suva.

With the new incentive system, Suva has the option of covering reintegration costs of up to CHF 20,000. "This includes, for example, workplace adjustments, costs for familiarization with a new job or training courses with a view to reassignment or new employment," says Diermann. In addition, a success fee of 20,000 francs can be paid out if the measure is successfully completed, he adds. These costs do not result in a premium burden for the companies. Suva's goal is to achieve financial savings through these measures.

The "Incentives for Occupational Reintegration" program replaces the pilot project "Occupational Reintegration Initiative," with which Suva has reintegrated 180 insured persons and saved CHF 30 million in pension payments over the past five years.

http://www.suva.ch

"Innovation must start within one's own organization, early and consistently. This is one of the most important conclusions from the current Frost & Sullivan survey.

The digitization of products, services and solutions is leading to disruption, collapse and radical change in some industries and business ecosystems. The rapid pace of technology change in particular is shattering traditional product-based business models and forcing a more agile and service-based approach. How do organizations and businesses respond to this ongoing uncertainty? Which concepts are justified and lead to long-term and sustainable growth?

International CEO Survey

More than 300 CEOs and business leaders in the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe and the Middle East participated in the latest Frost & Sullivan Annual Survey, titled "CEOs' Perspectives on Growth, Innovation and Leadership."

• Companies that refuse to embrace disruption or fail to adapt to innovation, new business models or the needs of their customers are increasingly marginalized. Companies face challenges from both external and internal factors, as the following findings show:
• Fifty-three percent of the CEOs surveyed cited an intensifying competitive environment as the greatest external threat to their company's growth. However, most organizations are unable to deploy skilled competitive analysis or business strategy teams to adequately address this challenge.
• Digitization is seen as the preeminent catalyst for growth, innovation and leadership over the next five years. But nearly 34 percent of CEOs say the pace of technology change presented is a real and immediate challenge.
• Together with strategic partnerships, technology strategies are seen as central to growth within the next three years. However, half of the CEOs surveyed indicate that they will not be able to successfully implement either technology and IP strategies or strategic partnerships.
• The transition from products to services, personalization and customization, and the concept of "Value for Many" (as opposed to "Value for Money") are identified as the three most significant disruptive business models. Again, 50 percent of CEOs said they were unable to integrate these new business models into their companies.

What is innovation?

"Digitalization, including smart data analytics, convergence, networking and connectivity, respectively, and digital customers are forcing business leaders and CEOs to develop innovative tools and strategies to meet the dynamic demands of stakeholders," explains Frost & Sullivan's Global Head for Content Transformation, Sandeep Kar.

"However, implementation must start within their own organization, and it must start early and consistently. That is one of the most important conclusions from this survey."

More details about the CEOs' Perspectives on Growth, Innovation and Leadership survey can be found at this Link
http://www.frost.com

1) Feedback culture
The feedback culture has a significant influence on the atmosphere and thus also on the willingness to perform within the company. If a company cultivates bottom-up feedback, this says a lot about the internal climate. Because only employees who do not have to fear any disadvantages for their openness give honest feedback upwards. The success wave of open and respectful interaction and a results-oriented leadership culture in which employees feel valued will not only make internal circles through higher productivity and willingness to change, as well as low churn rates. It will also be reflected in how employees rate their company in public and whether they recommend it to interested applicants from their circle of acquaintances and friends.

2) Flexibility
A major ripple effect, also externally, is created when trust-based working hours, home office and work-life balance are not just empty buzzwords, but are put into practice through concrete offers. This also includes the ability to reconcile professional and private interests. Matrix42, for example, joined the Hessian Charter on Care and Work in 2015. Employees who do valuable work not only in the company but also as family caregivers can obtain all the necessary information about the options offered from an internal trusted person and also use this person for moderation with their supervisor to determine an individual solution.

3) Dealing with applicants
Companies that comment on bad reviews on online platforms such as kununu in an appreciative and objective manner show that they take all feedback seriously. Every application should also be taken seriously and answered. Last but not least, a rapid recruiting process is advantageous if a company wants to earn the respect of applicants. Matrix42 received more than 1000 applications in 2015. 89 new employees were hired. It took an average of four weeks to hire them.

4) The individual wave
Every employee has different expectations of his or her company. What many have in common is that they want to work in an environment in which they can develop, in which it is possible to work together across teams, departments and countries. Others attach importance to the latest technical equipment, and still others to measures in the area of health and further training. The more heterogeneous the employees, the more diverse the company's offerings must be. The more individually the wishes of the employees can be catered to, the further the waves of success of the company will spread.

Companies that see HR work as a perpetual wave motion have a flexible approach to continuous development and improvement, and will quickly notice the benefits of reverse flow. After all, waves do not transport energy and information in only one direction.

*Matrix42 ranks 22nd in the "Best Employers in ICT 2016" category at Great Place to Work. In addition, the company is a member of the United Nations Global Compact and as such is committed to the initiative's ten business ethics principles and to promoting human rights, labor rights, environmental protection and anti-corruption.

http://www.matrix42.com

How does the shortage of skilled workers manifest itself in Austria?

Jürgen Rainalter: In general, the number of apprentices in Austria is decreasing, i.e. the very valuable dual basic training is declining as interest on the part of young people is falling. This makes it all the more important for companies to invest in employee training. There have never been any "fully trained" experts with Getzner materials know-how on the labor market, which is why the internal training effort has always been very high.

What regional differences are there, for example in relation to the situation in Vorarlberg and other border regions?

One point is well known: Bürs as the seat of the HQ is rather unknown as a place and for non-sportsmen at first glance rather not as attractive as a big city (Vienna, Munich, Innsbruck). Here, the larger cities in the east of Austria have a certain advantage. Therefore, marketing and publicizing of possible recreational and lifestyle opportunities are necessary. The advantages of a location in Vorarlberg: Vorarlbergers tend to be not very mobile, but very business loyal. Mountains, Lake Constance, safety represent the greatest incentive for foreign professionals.

What is your company doing specifically to attract skilled workers?

We focus on apprentice training in 4 apprenticeships (chemical laboratory technology, metal technology, IT, commercial) with a rotation system in related areas for the broadest possible employability after completion of the apprenticeship with the aim of taking on all apprentices. Furthermore, there is a trainee program with a focus on marketing, sales, product management or currently process engineering with a 12-18 month rotation program throughout the company. Overall, we offer extensive, excellent internal development opportunities (horizontal, vertical), in which comprehensive know-how and a good network are built up. There are qualification programs especially in production from machine operators to group leaders/shift leaders with internal training (labor law, quality, safety, etc.) and external training (leadership skills).

Recruiting is done in regional media, national job portals, or applicants bring new applicants (study/work colleagues). Social media and word of mouth (long-term stability of company growth, good interaction with MA, many perks, development opportunities horizontal/vertical, high training budget, etc) are important factors. Furthermore, we have very good contacts to relevant technical universities (Munich, Innsbruck, Graz) incl. lecture activities. We want to make Getzner Werkstoffe known as a potential employer and address students as future employees. In this context, we also focus on being present at regional job fairs (FH Dornbirn) or open days (HTL) or apprentice fairs.

We are very committed to retaining qualified employees, which is why we have a very low fluctuation rate, i.e. know-how remains in the company. Both horizontal and vertical career opportunities are offered. Uncomplicated, individual, temporary solutions such as home office, reduced working hours, etc. when required (care situations, building a house, studying, etc.) are further elements for attractive working conditions.

And last but not least, knowledge management: A structured collection and transfer of expertise is important, as is the establishment of a Getzner Academy for internal as well as external training.

Where do you see a need for the education system to catch up in order to better meet the demand for skilled workers?

The basic qualifications of school leavers are becoming weaker (reading/writing, mathematics, science subjects), which sometimes prevents them from being employed or makes their further education more difficult. Practical training, by linking the school system with industry would be purposeful.

31st international Europe Forum Lucerne

Topic: Tension between labor market & immigration. Strategies for business and politics

November 14, 2016 | KKL Lucerne

Business symposium 13.00 to 17.30

CHF 550.00 - incl. snack and networking aperitif

public event 18.45 to 20.30

Admission free, registration required

Information and registration: www.europaforum.ch

"It's your life - feel free to control it yourself," says Michael Veit, security expert.

Social networks are changing the way people interact with each other. Scientists from Canada, for example, found that the stress hormone cortisol increases in young people with more than 300 Facebook friends. This, the researchers warn, can lead to depression later in life.

Contacts in online networks apparently have the same influence on our well-being as real ones. However, while hardly anyone in real life interacts with 300 people day in, day out, this number of friends is commonplace in social networks. That means stress above all. On the one hand. Properly "treated," however, many contacts can also have a positive effect on well-being.

Michael Veit, security expert at Sophos, lists five measures to protect against online stress:

 1. be nice, practice respect

According to the Canadian study, sharing intensively and positively with Facebook friends lowers cortisol levels again. According to the study, people who give their friends more likes and leave them nice comments are less stressed.

Unsocial behavior is quite widespread in social networks. Facebook users, for example, often stand out with reprimands, unobjective criticism, or inappropriate arrogance or know-it-all attitude. The same applies here as in all other areas of life - everyone has an influence on and helps determine how people treat each other.

Set a friendly and constructive example and do something for your own mental health and that of your online friends. Give likes, praise, and communicate in a factual and appreciative manner.

 2. block the flood of ads

Online and offline, ads can entertain, inform - or, in many cases, disturb. They flash, light up, and run incessantly, distracting users from their actual work or leisure activities. If the ads contain malware, there is another undesirable aspect.

Ad blockers offer a practical remedy. The small programs are available free of charge for every browser. They are easy to install, turn off the advertising noise and spread wonderful silence - at least from unwanted ads.

 3. use password manager

Forgotten a password again? Where was that piece of paper again? The daily struggle with passwords is exhausting and, on top of that, a source of errors that can easily give criminals access to personal data.

Using the same sophisticated password for all pages is a convenient but also dangerous approach - after all, you don't leave your car key outside so that you don't have to search for it. Password managers like Lastpass, 1Password or KeePass suggest secure passwords and remember them independently. They function like a virtual butler who accompanies you around the clock and opens all doors.

 4. log out

Put each activity in the right place and according to your own priorities. If you feel like chatting, reading emails, or catching up with friends, log in. If you don't want any of that, log out with confidence.

Don't let yourself be taken over by incoming emails, push messages from apps, icons, pop-ups, and whatever else is flashing and buzzing. It's your life - take control of it yourself.

The fear of missing out (also known as FOMO) is often unfounded. Being offline for a while may make life a little less convenient, but a little deceleration certainly doesn't lead to social media sideline.

 5. cherish and maintain doubts

Sure. The lives of other online people are all dazzling, spectacular and super great. Better than your own life. Right?

The truth is: posts whose creators portray themselves in a shining light and belittle others are not only impudent and often lies - they can also cause real harm to more sensitive souls. Behavioral researchers at the University of Utah have already studied the (false) conclusions we draw from the posts of our (largely unknown) Facebook friends.

According to the study, people who use Facebook and the like are all too ready to believe that others are happier and have a better life. In reality, however, they usually only have the better tricks up their sleeves. So, for once, don't believe everything you read and see.

For more on FOMO fears triggered by social media applications, see this Link

Nearly half of respondents do not know the meaning or value of the data - whether it should be deleted or kept.

The survey shows that around 74 percent of German IT decision-makers and more than half of employees who engage in data hoarding consider themselves to be downright data messiahs, which means that companies that are also active in Switzerland still fare relatively well. Some foreign companies are subject to a veritable data collection frenzy.

The Veritas Datahoarder Report surveyed 10,000 IT executives and office workers from 13 countries. The bottom line: data hoarding is a global phenomenon that sometimes causes common sense to fail. 72.5 percent of global respondents admitted to also storing data that could harm themselves or their company. Some examples of this:

• Applications to other companies
• Unencrypted trade secrets
• Awkward correspondence with colleagues.

However, German companies are said to be much more cautious here. Nevertheless, at 64.5 percent, more than half admit to having stored such data. The number of unreported cases is probably higher.

Corporate culture promotes hoarding  

But the development into a data messie is only partly self-inflicted. Often, this behavior is encouraged by the corporate culture. 76 percent of German IT executives consider their company as a whole to be a data messie. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of and delete data with sense and reason. 68 percent of office workers surveyed in this country have already tried to sort and delete files, but failed due to the sheer volume.

Almost half of the respondents also do not know the meaning or value of the data and do not know whether it should be deleted or kept.

When data collection becomes dangerous

One problem is the large number of private files on corporate servers. Nearly all of the data messies surveyed - 94 percent of employees and 97 percent of decision makers - store personal data such as old photos, music or funny videos on company systems. "It gets worse: Employees are offloading everything from private music and photos to vacation videos onto the same server. If the data is mismanaged or not managed at all by IT, there can be serious consequences for brand integrity, hefty fines and regulatory investigations," says Stefan Henke, Managing Director DACH Region at Veritas Technologies.

Companies should respond by May 2018 at the latest. This is when the transitional phase of the new European General Data Protection Regulation ends. Anyone who violates this regulation, unknowingly or deliberately, faces heavy penalties. The penalties can amount to up to four percent of global gross sales or 20 million euros.

Detailed information about the Data Genomics Project at Veritas can be found at this Link

http://www.veritas.com

One of the Bird Observatory Sempach study conducted on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy concludes that about 20 birds die per wind turbine per year.

It is remarkable that in Peuchapatte, on the one hand, neither dead birds of endangered species nor dead birds of prey were found. This is despite the fact that it is often feared that wind turbines pose a particular danger to birds of prey.

Moreover, the number of birds that came to harm is much lower than it was feared when the turbines were built: The ornithological station Sempach assumed 0 to 1700 possible dead birds in its study, which was made before the construction of the wind farm. Skeptics and opponents of wind energy usually like to use the value of 1700 dead birds, which, as it now turns out, is far from reality.

"These results take bird protection and wind energy further," Reto Rigassi, managing director of Suisse Eole, the association for the promotion of wind energy, is pleased to say. "It shows exemplarily and very clearly that the fears in bird protection often have little to do with reality and lead to wrong conclusions."

Birds detect obstacle
The figure of 1700 birds killed per year is a purely theoretical figure: it assumes that birds, especially when migrating, simply fly straight into the blades of the wind turbine. "The 20 strike victims recorded per turbine show that the vast majority of birds are very aware of wind turbines and fly around them," Reto Rigassi elaborates. The birds are therefore capable of learning and normally recognize the turbine as an obstacle, which is also shown by the studies of the Calandawind turbine in the Rhine Valley and studies from Germany.

Using money for bird protection as efficiently as possible
The large difference between the theoretical values of the very costly pre-construction study and the effective results of the study during operation shows that theoretical forecasts are often very inaccurate, if not impossible, despite considerable effort.

"The project developers are spending a lot of money that is of little use to birdlife. This could be used much more effectively if, instead of very comprehensive theoretical studies, the real effects in operation were investigated in a well-founded manner. Based on these results, targeted measures could then be taken, if necessary. This is what is known as adaptive management," explains wind expert Rigassi. In particularly sensitive areas, more detailed studies of bird life are still appropriate in advance of wind farm construction.

Wind energy also helps birds
Suisse Eole is aware that numerous bird species are already threatened and that additional negative impacts should therefore be avoided as far as possible. However, the greatest threat to birds is climate change: 75 % of all bird species are threatened by climate change. Wind energy provides valuable winter electricity that optimally complements solar and hydro power, so that fossil heating systems can be replaced by heat pumps and gasoline and diesel vehicles by electric vehicles.

13 million dead birds due to traffic, cats and glass panes 
Every year, an estimated 10 million birds die in Switzerland because they hit glass facades and window panes. Domestic cats kill about 2 million birds and road traffic kills about 1 million birds per year. The study of the ornithological station Sempach, made during the operation of the wind farm Peuchapatte, shows that 20 birds die annually per wind turbine, which is the same number that a domestic cat preys on average annually. Extrapolated to an expansion of wind energy in accordance with the goals of the federal government's Energy Strategy 2050, a maximum of 20,000 dead birds could be expected annually.

About the study
The study took place between the end of February and mid-November 2015 at the Le Peuchapatte site at 1,100 meters above sea level in the municipality of Muriaux (JU). Three wind turbines of the type Enercon E-82 with a total height (incl. rotor) of about 150 meters have been located there since 2010. On a total of 85 days, the surroundings of the turbines were systematically searched for flapping victims within a radius of 100 meters (or 50 meters on 15 days in the summer months).

For the evaluation, the search efficiency, the daily retention rate of bird victims, and the probability of a collided bird falling on the surveyed area were considered. Calculations to determine absolute collision rates were conservative. At the same time, the intensity of bird migration was quantitatively recorded continuously (24 hours per day) for 265 days (26.2.-17.11.2015) using a BirdScanMT1 radar.

A median value of 20.7 impact victims per WT per year was determined. Collision victims were mainly small birds migrating at night, including goldcrests and thrushes, but also swifts and mallards. Bone fractures were visible in the X-rays of a large proportion of the impact victims examined in more detail.

The collision events were mainly detected during the migration season in spring and autumn. However, they did not always occur only at high migratory intensity in the altitudinal range of the plants. This shows that the correlation between migration intensity and the number of victims within the migration period is more complex than previously assumed. A large additional role is probably played by the different visibility conditions due to weather conditions. Further investigations would have to start here.

Source: Suisse Eole and SFOE

Since 2012, the Hays Global Skills Index has determined a score between 0 and 10 for each country to measure the tensions it faces in its skills market. The score is calculated by analyzing seven criteria relating to different aspects of labor market dynamics, covering areas such as educational attainment, labor market flexibility and wage pressures for skilled workers. A score above 5.0 indicates a tight labor market. An index of 4.3 was calculated for Switzerland in 2016.

In Europe, the skills gap between the requirements profiles of companies and the performance profiles of skilled workers has widened by 14 percent in the last five years. In order to find and retain suitable employees, employers are forced to increase salaries. Company growth and productivity are increasingly threatened by this. These are the conclusions of the Hays Global Skills Index 2016, which was compiled and published for the fifth time by the international staffing services provider Hays PLC in collaboration with Oxford Economics. The report, entitled "The Global Skills Landscape - a complex puzzle," is based on an analysis of the labor markets in 33 economic nations.

Swiss labor market with uncertain future

According to the latest report, the situation on the Swiss labor market has eased slightly compared with last year. The authors expect weak GDP growth and rising unemployment figures by the end of 2016. The pressure exerted on the labor market by the low employment rate and growing long-term unemployment in particular will be offset by a slight easing of the shortage of skilled workers and falling general wage pressure. "Although the unemployment rate was forecast to rise in the second half of 2016, we expect a gradual improvement in the Swiss labor market in 2017 due to the economic recovery," says Marc Lutz, managing director of Hays Switzerland. "However, the labor markets of the individual industries will develop differently - in line with the risk factors to which they are currently exposed. These are primarily the implementation of the mass immigration initiative in Switzerland, which is still being worked out, and the uncertainty in Europe, which will lead to further upward pressure on the Swiss franc."

Automation creates qualified jobs

The report also shows that automation and robotics offer the potential to compensate for the shortage of qualified specialists and influence the labor market. For example, these technologies are increasingly taking over non-routine tasks such as writing legal documents or making diagnoses. As a result, robots are replacing skills that are lacking worldwide.

The entire "Hays Global Skills Index 2016" and the data for Switzerland are available online at: http://www.hays-index.com

Source: www.hays.ch

A study by Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC), published on behalf of ERP solution provider godesys, has found: Nearly one in four companies do not believe their system will be able to meet the demands of the coming years. But what should companies and organizations look out for? The following describes the ERP of the future:

1. consistently digitize business processes

If companies want to optimize workflows, they must first learn to think in terms of processes. Since many ERP solutions are purely functional, they do not sufficiently support this process concept. It is essential to rely on an integrated process approach together with powerful workflow technology. In this way, IT systems can be adapted independently and quickly to changing business requirements - an important prerequisite in times that constantly demand new and fast decisions. Within an agile ERP, all processes can ideally be represented uniformly and transparently in the process architecture. In addition, it should be possible to store central reference processes as a set of rules. In this way, the ERP can be used as an internal control system for operational compliance or quality management. To achieve these goals, it is advisable to pay attention to service-oriented architecture (SOA) in the ERP, since it makes it easier to implement desired functions.

2. focus on business strategy, content and communication

High performance requires ERP systems that uniformly integrate three central "Cs": Content, Communication and Commerce. Companies must increasingly pay attention to target group-specific content, well-integrated communication between departments and players, and a focus on corporate strategy. It is essential to find solutions that move the company forward as a whole. The software must be easy and self-explanatory to use, without any additional development effort. A practical example: First, the user creates the workflow. For example, he wants the delivery bill to be printed only after it has been approved by management. The ERP user can link the respective processes. The system recognizes - without any major programming effort - when the delivery note may be printed.

3. transparency and joint processing possibilities

Companies that want a sustainably powerful and future-oriented ERP should also make sure that all users always have an overview of which processes currently need to be handled in the system. The seamless exchange of information is essential. It is helpful, for example, if the solution tells the user what needs to be done. Take delivery note authorization, for example: If the employee has specified that the delivery bill may not be printed until the supervisor has authorized it, the system sends this to-do to the relevant contact person in real time. Such a notification function helps to improve workflows and avoid errors.

4. evaluate data and use it throughout the company

In addition, the ERP of the future should offer options for validating data as it is entered and visualizing it afterwards. The software should support companies in standardizing data, bringing it together cleanly and making it usable across all departments. Only in this way can the potential inherent in the data be used efficiently. Keyword Business Intelligence (BI): Many companies shy away from analysis and BI because they are afraid of great effort and enormous costs. However, there are now ERP solutions that offer BI functionalities. With the help of their software, users can, for example, clearly evaluate which customers have declining average sales, which customers have increasing order frequencies or declining invoice values. Reasons for cancellations or items that cannot be delivered can also be evaluated. The consistent analysis of data in the ERP shows trends and related opportunities for companies.

5. real-time information

Due to the digital transformation, the variety and complexity of data is continuously increasing. Companies must therefore increasingly be able to automate and exchange information in real time. Software that allows companies to control the processing of processes and mass data independently of the user offers a major plus in efficiency in this context. It should also be possible to delegate processes easily so that standard processes are carried out automatically and users can concentrate on their core tasks. It also makes sense to support automated invoice processing.

Godelef Kühl, founder and CEO of godesys AG, sums up: "The separation between IT and business is becoming increasingly blurred. The ERP of the future supports company leaders in modeling processes and linking them with business components. Users of godesys ERP can map process changes in workflows, a central prerequisite for being able to act quickly and flexibly."

Source and further information: www.godesys.de

The "move" mobility demonstrator on the Empa site in Dübendorf, which is supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), Coop and various other industrial partners, has been in operation since November 2015; in addition to an electric filling station, it also offers filling pumps with natural gas/biogas (CNG for "compressed natural gas") and with a mixture of natural gas/biogas and hydrogen (HCNG).

Up to now, pure hydrogen has been available with a filling pressure of 350 bar. This pressure is primarily suitable for refueling commercial vehicles, which have large tanks. With the newly installed 700 bar hydrogen dispenser, Empa is responding to the needs of fuel cell passenger vehicles: compact tanks, the longest possible range and rapid refueling. Hydrogen-powered passenger cars can be refueled within 2 to 3 minutes and have a range of up to 600 km with a full tank. This makes fuel cell vehicles competitive with conventional gasoline or diesel vehicles in terms of refueling convenience at a stroke.

To enable rapid refueling, the compressed hydrogen is precooled to -40°C. This is necessary so that the temperature in the tank does not rise too much due to the compression heat generated during refueling. Via an intelligent infrared interface, the vehicle "communicates" with the nozzle during the refueling process and provides information on temperature and fill level, for example. Empa's new hydrogen filling station is closely linked to the first completely public hydrogen filling station in Hunzenschwil, which Coop Mineraloel AG will open in collaboration with "H2 Energy AG" at the beginning of November.

The key to success: being able to store renewable energies

Hydrogen is quite essential for the integration of renewable energy, which does not always occur when it is needed. It must therefore be possible to store it temporarily. Today, small-scale battery storage is available for this purpose at the lowest level of the electricity grid, and large-scale pumped-storage power plants are available at the highest level of the grid. Increasingly, however, there is a need for technologies that lie in between in terms of capacity and performance and are connected at an intermediate grid level. These include "power-to-gas" plants. These can convert renewable electricity into fuel, such as hydrogen or methane, whenever it cannot be used economically in the electricity market, thus replacing gasoline and diesel.

This makes sense especially for "frequent drivers": Around 20% of the vehicles in Switzerland have annual mileages of more than 20,000 km and together account for almost half of all kilometers driven. Converting such vehicles from fossil to renewable energy therefore requires high ranges, which purely electrically powered vehicles with batteries cannot offer, at least in the near future. Hydrogen vehicles, on the other hand, are also suitable for long-distance journeys. Empa is investigating various uses of hydrogen at the now expanded filling station: directly for work machines, commercial vehicles and passenger cars with fuel cells, and as an admixture to natural gas/biogas for gas vehicles.

Text: Empa

A historic moment for climate protection: The Paris Climate Agreement will definitely enter into force on November 5, 2016.

This, after the EU and ten countries ratified the agreement on October 5. This means that the defined threshold of 55 countries emitting a total of 55% of emissions has now been exceeded; 30 days later, the agreement will officially enter into force. However, it will not become binding until 2020.

The newly added countries are Germany, Austria, Canada, France, Hungary, Bolivia, Malta, Nepal, Portugal and Slovakia. In total, there are now 74 countries, including the two biggest climate sinners, the USA and China.

As a result, countries are now committed to halting the rise in global temperatures.

Switzerland: ratification in summer 2017 at the earliest

The Swiss Federal Council has approved the agreement and signed it on April 22, 2016. It is now up to parliament to ratify it - but this is not expected to be until the 2017 summer session.

As a result, Switzerland will likely not be able to participate in the implementation negotiations that will take place at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Marrakech this November.

In connection with the Swiss labor market, people often talk about a shortage of skilled workers. What are the characteristics of this in your industry?

Hans C. Werner: As the leading ICT company in Switzerland, Swisscom operates in an extremely dynamic industry. This dynamism also has a particular impact on the job profiles and job descriptions in our company, in the sense that the requirements are also in a permanent state of flux. The shortage of skilled workers is accordingly accentuated where new profiles are created in a very short time and these have to be procured on the still scarce labor market.

Digital transformation will become increasingly important. Will the industry be able to meet the demand for labor at all in the future - and if so, how?

The digital transformation is characterized by a fast pace. We are responding to the constantly changing workforce requirements on two levels. On the one hand, it is important to us that our employees grow with the digital transformation through ongoing skill-based training and development and maintain their labor market skills. On the other hand, we are very committed to vocational training in order to promote our own talent. For example, Swisscom is a frontrunner when it comes to ICT training. We train around 870 apprentices, including around 450 ICT apprentices. Swisscom thus trains a good proportion of its IT specialists itself and makes its contribution to the next generation in the ICT industry.

What strategy is Swisscom pursuing to find the right people?

In addition to the professional requirements, it is particularly important to us that people feel comfortable in our culture and can contribute accordingly. We therefore also take care to position our culture and values openly and transparently in the labor market and give this aspect just as much importance in recruitment as the professional requirements. After all, we are only successful in the market with employees who fully identify with our corporate culture.

Does the regulation of immigration to Switzerland (before or after the implementation of the immigration initiative) pose particular problems for your industry or your company, and how do you cope with them?

Restricting immigration would significantly limit access to the entire ICT labor market. Even though we are focused on the Swiss market, the ICT industry is highly international and success is accordingly dependent on access to the entire labor market.

That is why Swisscom is already heavily involved in vocational training and invests in the further development of its employees through a wide range of on and off-the-job development opportunities, the establishment of succession and talent programs, and internal training on specialist, leadership and project management topics. By offering attractive working conditions, such as flexible working models, we also create various positive incentives to attract and retain qualified employees. The fact that Swisscom is already very successful in this area is demonstrated by a very good internal staffing rate of well over 60 percent in recent years.

What would be the impact of losing the free movement of persons with the EU?

As already mentioned, the loss of the free movement of persons would restrict the competitiveness of the entire labor market, the ICT sector and thus also Swisscom.

What impact will BREXIT have on your company?

It is still too early to foresee the impact.

31st international Europe Forum Lucerne

Topic: Tension between labor market & immigration. Strategies for business and politics

November 14, 2016 | KKL Lucerne

Business symposium 13.00 to 17.30

CHF 550.00 - incl. snack and networking aperitif

public event 18.45 to 20.30

Admission free, registration required

Information and registration: www.europaforum.ch