The symposium "Developing resilient organizations for holistic security" on 7 May 2025 will bring together experts and specialists to discuss best practices, challenges and new developments.

How can organizations sustainably strengthen their resilience through advanced risk management, innovative technologies and targeted preventive measures? On May 7, nine renowned experts will provide insights into the measures required for true resilience and how resilience can only be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach. A deep understanding of risks and dependencies is just as important as close cooperation between the relevant areas of the company. From individual building blocks and current requirements to organizational resilience is the motto.

Participants receive practical impulses for building resilience in a targeted manner and integrating it sustainably into everyday corporate life.

Further information and the complete conference program

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/fachtagung-vom-07-05-2025-zum-thema-unternehmenssicherheit-und-resiliente-organisationen/

SMEs are the backbone of the Swiss economy, but smaller companies in particular often find it difficult to obtain bank loans. Many shy away from the bureaucratic effort involved or are not considered a priority target group by traditional banks. Instead, they often resort to expensive or cumbersome alternatives.

This is exactly where Kamuno comes in: The platform was developed specifically for SMEs to facilitate access to credit and open up the market for smaller financing. Loans of up to CHF 250,000, which previously often involved long verification processes, are now available quickly, digitally and efficiently.

Flexibility and transparency - the decisive advantage for SMEs

What makes Kamuno unique is not only the speed of the credit check, but also the flexibility of use. Companies immediately receive an initial assessment of whether they are creditworthy and find out their potential credit limit straight away.

Instead of taking out a fixed loan amount all at once, SMEs can obtain flexible loans from Kamuno within this framework - exactly as much as they need at any given time. This means

• The first disbursement amounts to at least 50 % of the approved credit line.
• The company can then call up further funds at any time - exactly as much as it needs.
• Costs are only incurred for the amount actually used - not for the entire credit line.

This offers maximum financial flexibility: for example, a company can obtain a credit line of CHF 100,000, but initially only use CHF 50,000 for an investment. Later, if further funds are required, it can flexibly access the remaining 50,000 francs - without having to reapply and without incurring unnecessary costs.

This dynamic financing solution gives SMEs more control over their liquidity and unnecessary capital costs.

Who is driving the project forward?

Kamuno was founded as a subsidiary of Urner Kantonalbank (UKB), which has supported the project from the outset as the majority shareholder. The company operates independently, but remains strategically linked to UKB. The Chairman of the Board of Directors is Christoph Bugnon, CEO of UKB.

The management team consists of Régis Lehmann (CEO), Attila Janecsko, Samantha Pitchford and Roger Twerenbold - all with many years of experience in the lending business. The 16 employees now have an average of 15 years of financial expertise.

Kamuno relies on strategic partnerships for technological innovations. Swisscom Sign enables secure digital contract signing for SMEs. In addition, the DAI Group uses its banking expertise to provide a powerful data management solution that makes financing processes more efficient.

Long-term vision: Where does Kamuno want to go?

Kamuno is more than just a lending platform - it is the first step towards a digital future for SME financing. The strategy envisages a gradual expansion of the platform in order to offer additional financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises in the long term. In doing so, Kamuno is targeting growth in the small business segment, which has often been neglected by traditional banks to date. At the same time, processes are being continuously automated in order to make financing even faster and more efficient. The platform is deliberately starting with a controlled introduction in order to adapt the system optimally to the needs of SMEs.

More information

Many first aiders are concerned about legal issues. There are fears that they could do something wrong and be prosecuted for it. But there are also doubts about what is allowed and what is not. And sometimes various myths come into play.

The fifth First Aider Symposium on November 8, 2025 at the KKL Luzern is dedicated to such legal aspects of first aid and aims to provide safety and orientation in these matters.

At the scene of the accident: what the police and public prosecutor's office want

Michael Muther is head of the Security Police South and will open this year's First Aider Symposium. He wants to explain to the participants how the police proceed at the scene of an accident and how they can provide the best possible support. "I know how important the work of first responders is," he says. "In my presentation, I will talk about how we think as police and how we can optimize cooperation with first responders."

He will also address what could be important for the taking of evidence, how conflicts between the preservation of evidence and first aid can be resolved and what first aiders should know when dealing with the police and public prosecutor's office at the scene of an accident.

Media: what journalists want

Also often at the scene of an accident: journalists. They also like to trample into a danger zone, stand in the way and provoke statements from first responders that they would be better off not making. So how do you deal with these darn media professionals?

Kay Schubert, a media trainer and long-standing journalist, addresses this issue. "Many first responders are annoyed by journalists on site who want to do a story," he says. "How do you react correctly if you are filmed without being asked or a journalist asks sensitive questions? In my presentation, I teach the most important, practical do's and don'ts when dealing with media professionals."

Medication: what the Therapeutic Products Act wants

Should we or shouldn't we? Dispensing medication is a sensitive issue. It is also handled slightly differently from canton to canton, and the issue of medication vignettes can cause additional confusion. There are also companies that use competence regulations to obtain one or other range of medicines from the company medical department. But how legal is this actually?

One person who knows is Rudolf Hauri. The cantonal doctor of the canton of Zug and former president of the Association of Cantonal Doctors wants to provide information in his presentation: "I will show the participants what they can do, what they are allowed to do and what they should do," he says.

First aid behind bars

Anyone who provides first aid is therefore unlikely to end up behind bars. And if they do, then at most as a first aider - because even in a prison you have to be prepared for emergencies. What is special about this, what scenarios are there, how does a prison organize its 'in-house paramedics' and what happens if the rescuer is called out?

ngsdienst has to be called to prison - and wants to get out again?

Marcel Ruf, Director of Lenzburg Prison, addresses this in his concluding speech. "We have walls, fences and closed doors," he says, "but we also have to be able to provide first aid within a reasonable time and bring emergency services into the prison."

New in the Luzernersaal - and with Donat Hofer as presenter

The First Aider Symposium 2025 once again promises a wealth of exciting content and appeals to all first aiders, whether beginners, advanced or professionals, whether Samaritans, company paramedics, safety officers, private individuals or blue light organizations. As usual, one hour is scheduled for each presentation, providing plenty of time for questions and discussions - and all presentations will be simultaneously translated into French.

The surroundings will be less familiar. Although the First Aiders Symposium will remain at the KKL Luzern, it is moving to the larger Luzernersaal after four successful sessions in the auditorium. And the participants will be accompanied through the day by a new head: Donat Hofer is moderating the First Aiders Symposium 2025. He is well known to many television viewers for his exciting and empathetic appearances on "Reporter" or "rec." and has also been on the radio for a while on "Focus" - and now on November 8, 2025 at the First Aiders Symposium. "We are delighted that we were able to inspire and win Donat for this task," says Stefan Kühnis, President of the Swiss Association for Occupational Paramedics (SVBS).

Training points and supporting program and added value

The joint event of the SVBS and IVF Hartmann took place for the first time in 2021 and quickly developed into a success story. The organizers also attach particular importance to the supporting program and other added values:

For example:

• After each presentation, there will be plenty of room and time to ask questions of the speakers.
• The breaks offer opportunities for discussions and networking, and around 25 exhibitors will also be presenting their products, courses and other services.
• All presentations will be simultaneously translated from German into French.
• 3.5 hours are credited towards the IVR certificate and 2 SGAS training points are awarded.

Registration options (registration deadline: 30.09.2025) and more information

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/ersthelfer-mit-einem-bein-schon-im-gefaengnis/

Amnis offers an international banking platform that supports SMEs to receive and send payments globally - with lower transaction costs and the automation of accounting processes and team expenses. By optimizing cross-border payments in this way, Amnis' multi-currency solution offers companies a decisive competitive advantage. In the last twelve months, Amnis payment volumes have more than doubled, driven by strong demand for the debit card and new expense processing capabilities.

The current financing round strengthens Amnis' market position in existing countries and drives expansion into new markets. At the same time, it enables the connection of further accounting and ERP systems for even more efficient financial processes.

A new chapter in Amnis' growth story

In addition to Swisscom Ventures, existing investors also participated in the financing round, including co-investor Lansdowne Investment Company Ltd. As part of this round, Amnis also secured CHF 2 million in debt capital from Lendity, a Swiss growth capital investor. This strategic addition diversifies Amnis' financing and provides additional flexibility for further growth.

"We deliberately opted for an investor structure that supports our long-term strategy," says Michael Wüst, co-founder and CEO of Amnis. "With Swisscom Ventures, we have a strong partner at our side who shares our vision and will accompany us on our next growth step."

Looking to the future, the focus is on growth and profitability. "The collaboration with Swisscom Ventures is the next logical step in this direction," continues Wüst.

Amnis welcomes new member of the Board of Directors

As part of its strategic development, Amnis is also announcing changes to its Board of Directors. Peter Gerlach has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors. He brings extensive experience to lead the company into the next phase of growth.

In addition, Semih Kaçan, Investment Director at Swisscom Ventures, will join the Board of Directors of Amnis. His expertise will further strengthen the fintech's strategic focus. At the same time, the two co-founders Robert Bloch and Philippe Christen are stepping down from the Board of Directors, but will continue to work for Amnis in their current roles as COO and CFO respectively.

Strategic outlook and expansion

More than 3,000 companies in over 35 countries already work with Amnis. In addition to high growth rates in existing markets, the company plans to enter other European countries and expand its services, including e-commerce solutions and additional third-party system integrations.

"We are excited to support Amnis in its next phase," says Rafael Karamanian, founder of Lendity. "With strong growth, a loyal customer base and a world-class team, Amnis is ideally positioned to expand its reach and drive further innovation."

Semih Kaçan comments: "Amnis has built a strong foundation in the SME fintech space and addresses a real market need with its multi-currency solution and scalable proprietary infrastructure. We see significant growth potential and look forward to supporting the team in scaling its embedded finance ecosystem in Europe."

Source: www.amistreasury.com

Almost 60 % of the companies surveyed reported a decline in orders. Only 18 % of the companies reported an increase in turnover. The majority of companies do not see the situation improving any time soon. Over 500 companies took part in the quarterly survey - a very pleasingly high number.

The ongoing margin problem remains a particular burden: 51 % of companies report stagnating or negative margins. Production costs remain high, while sales prices are often unable to rise to the same extent. Another key problem is the severely limited willingness to invest: 27 % of companies state that financial restrictions are preventing investments (in November 2024, the figure was 25 %).

Investments remain difficult

The uncertainty in the markets is also reflected in the willingness to invest. The situation is particularly critical for smaller companies, which are finding it difficult to mobilize their own funds and secure a solid financing base due to the erosion of margins. Only 26 % of companies are planning to increase their production capacities in the coming year, which is having a negative impact on the long-term development of the sector.

Outlook: No rapid recovery in sight

Despite a slight stabilization of the business climate, only a few companies expect a rapid improvement. Only 14 % of companies expect the situation to improve significantly in the next three months. The high level of uncertainty in the global economy, coupled with the structural challenges facing the sector, point to continued difficult developments.

Swissmechanic is calling on politicians and business organizations to improve the framework conditions for the MEM industries and to support SMEs in order to secure their competitiveness and strengthen their investment power - for example by simplifying regulations.

More information

Ulrich Schäffeler will take up his new position at MGBahn on August 1, 2025, succeeding Peter Luginbühl, who left the Group at his own request in January 2025.

Ulrich Schäffeler, who grew up in Allgäu (Germany) and lives in Bremgarten near Bern, is very familiar with the rail system and the interplay between infrastructure, rolling stock and operations as well as market and customer requirements thanks to his many years of extensive industry experience and his career. He is currently employed by BLS, where he was until recently Head of Market Management and most recently Head of the Passenger Mobility Division on an interim basis.

The Board of Directors and the management of MGBahn and BVZ are delighted with the recruitment of this experienced industry expert. "We are gaining an empathetic leader and a railroad expert who has an excellent network in the industry and is highly valued for his authoritative manner," says CEO Egon Gsponer.

The civil engineering graduate holds a doctorate from ETH Zurich. He is currently completing an EMBA in General Management at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). He also holds an MAS in Leadership & Management from the Institute of Applied Psychology at the ZHAW. He is married and has two sons.

Source: www.bvzholding.ch

Interim managers with experience in the introduction of artificial intelligence into day-to-day operations are currently being sought with conspicuous frequency, primarily to bridge vacancies at upper and middle management level, the HR specialist has found. Most inquiries come from the mechanical and plant engineering, metal and electrical products and pharmaceutical sectors, he says. Only in the automotive sector, where interim managers are traditionally in high demand, is there currently a "lull due to the ongoing economic weakness in the automotive market."

Make the work area of the vacancy "AI-ready"

In almost all industries, interim managers are increasingly being sought in a "dual function": to bridge vacancies and as "AI transformers". Dr. Harald Schönfeld knows: "Interim managers are specifically brought into companies to make the respective work area of the vacancy AI-ready."

AI expertise is now a co-criterion for many vacancies. The management expert explains: "When a manager leaves the company, companies increasingly don't simply want to fill the vacant position one-to-one, but instead advertise a significantly different job profile. And the most common change currently relates to AI."

Classic interim benefits still in demand

According to Dr. Harald Schönfeld, the "classic advantages" of interim managers are still in demand: short-term availability, distinctive expertise, rapid induction, reduction of vacancy costs, high leadership and social skills as well as maximum flexibility. "But a sound understanding of AI is now also a prerequisite in many cases," says the HR manager from numerous conversations. This applies largely regardless of the size of the company, the industry or the position for which a temporary manager is being sought.

"No career without AI"

Dr. Harald Schönfeld explains: "Companies are using the natural staff turnover in management to prepare their management levels for the changes associated with artificial intelligence." Interim managers are taking on a key role in this transition phase "to transfer management positions from the old world to the new AI era."

Incidentally, this also means that managers in both interim and permanent positions would be well advised to equip themselves with sound expertise in artificial intelligence for their professional future. "No career without AI," is how Dr. Harald Schönfeld sums up the current situation on the personnel market for managers. The management expert has been anticipating this development for some time: He is co-editor and co-author of the book "Künstliche Intelligenz für Entscheider: Was Sie als Vorstand, Geschäftsführer, Aufsichtsrat oder Beirat über Künstliche Intelligenz wissen sollten" (ISBN 978-3-98674-078-8), which was published in mid-2023. He co-authored the book with one of the "forefathers" of artificial intelligence, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Thrun, who founded the world's first AI chair at Stanford University.

Source: www.butterflymanager.com

As of March 1, 2025, Matthias von Arx will take over the management of the new "Solutions" division and become a member of the Global Leadership Team of the Swiss software company Adnovum. By bundling its solutions in the new "Solutions" division, the company is strengthening its proven range of cybersecurity and IAM services for large and medium-sized companies. The aim is to further expand the solution portfolio and integrate the latest cloud and AI offerings.

Matthias von Arx has more than 20 years of experience as Managing Director, Chief Commercial Officer and Sales Leader in ICT and cybersecurity companies. From his previous positions, he brings extensive experience in driving sustainable and profitable growth in a complex market environment. He is also experienced in strategy development, repositioning and the development of new business areas as well as in the management and development of sales and marketing teams.

Thomas Zangerl on the new member of the Leadership Team: "We are delighted that we have been able to recruit Matthias von Arx for this key role. With his experience and strategic foresight, he will make a significant contribution to further expanding our range of IAM and cyber security services. The focus will be on automated security solutions for cloud environments and the development of customized cybersecurity services for SMEs. Another focus is on the use of generative AI in customer service."

Matthias von Arx is looking forward to the new challenge: "I am impressed by Adnovum's distinctly people-centric corporate culture and its strong positioning in the digitalization market. Together with the solutions teams, I would like to expand existing offerings, particularly in Adnovum's core areas of cybersecurity and IAM. I also see great potential in offering customers decisive added value with innovative cloud and AI solutions."

Source: www.adnovum.com/de

The IVF Hartmann Group's sales and earnings situation developed well in the 2024 financial year, both structurally and under the influence of various special effects. Sales increased by 7.3 % to CHF 158.8 million compared to the previous year. The IVF Hartmann Group grew faster than the market in almost all key product and customer segments.

In addition to the increase in sales, the further improvement in the internal cost structure, various optimizations in the areas of production and materials purchasing, the more advantageous product and channel mix and positive exchange rate effects also contributed to the increase in earnings. Overall, the operating result before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by 37.2 % to CHF 23.1 million. The EBIT margin rose by 3.1 percentage points to 14.5 %. Consolidated profit increased by CHF 5.2 million to CHF 20.3 million.

Development of the segments

As in previous years, there were differences in the sales and earnings performance of the segments. The advantage of a broad range of products and services with the resulting balancing effects is also evident once again.

In the segment "Wound care" The IVF Hartmann Group recorded an increase in sales of CHF 3.8 million to CHF 44.0 million. The increase was primarily due to the Tactical Emergency Medicine product group, which made larger deliveries abroad. EBIT increased by CHF 2.1 million to CHF 10.3 million as a result of the higher sales revenue.

Sales of CHF 33.9 million in the segment "Incontinence management" increased by CHF 1.8 million compared to the previous year. The Hartmann Easy procurement platform, which was expanded in 2023 to include a billing service for Migel products, continues to be a key driver of this growth. EBIT increased by CHF 0.3 million to CHF 2.8 million based on the product mix and higher sales revenue.

Sales in the segment "Infection management" rose by CHF 4.7 million to CHF 58.9 million compared to the previous year, partly as a result of the slight recovery in the disinfection market and increased demand for products from the risk prevention range. EBIT rose by CHF 3.8 million to CHF 8.3 million due to the product mix, lower procurement costs in some cases and higher sales.

Sales in the segment "Other Group activities" increased slightly compared to the previous year, by CHF 0.5 million to CHF 22.0 million. EBIT remained constant compared to the previous year at CHF 1.6 million.

Cash flows, balance sheet structure and dividend

In addition to a positive cash flow from operating activities, there were cash inflows from payments received, including as a result of the repayment of the loan to related parties (Paul Hartmann AG) of CHF 23.5 million. Cash outflows resulted from payments for investments in financial assets, property, plant and equipment and intangible assets as well as due to the dividend paid out. Overall, cash and cash equivalents increased from CHF 87.9 million as at December 31, 2023 to CHF 94.9 million as at December 31, 2024. Some of the cash and cash equivalents are invested as fixed-term deposits (with maturities of less than three months) with banks. As in the previous year, there were no financial liabilities as at December 31, 2024. The equity ratio rose from 80.1 % in the previous year to 80.4 %.

The IVF Hartmann Group has a strong balance sheet structure, which helps and will continue to help the Group to exploit opportunities in a volatile market environment and to evaluate investments in growth and innovation from a position of strength. The cash management considerations made as part of the strategy have prompted the Board of Directors to propose a special dividend to the Annual General Meeting. The Board of Directors is proposing a dividend of CHF 6.20 for the 2024 financial year to the Annual General Meeting (comprising an ordinary dividend of CHF 3.20 per registered share and a special dividend of CHF 3.00 per registered share); this corresponds to a total distribution to shareholders of CHF 14.88 million (previous year: CHF 19.68 million).

Outlook

Continued volatility is expected on the procurement and, in particular, the sales markets in 2025. The company is focusing on stability for its customers in an environment of uncertainty and cost pressure. Growth is expected through new product launches and expanded distribution in the end customer business, particularly in the DermaPlast segment. The expansion of Tactical Emergency Medicine will be continued, but fluctuations in sales and possible losses compared to the strong previous year are expected here due to the market structure.

At the beginning of the year, the pricing system with the main supplier Hartmann Group will be adjusted in order to optimize OECD conformity and tax compliance for international transfer prices. Overall, sales in 2025 - adjusted for the more volatile Tactical Emergency Medicine business - are expected to be on a par with the previous year. EBIT is likely to be below the record year 2024, but above the level of 2023.

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Due to the enormous demand for AI, partners expect a significant change in their sales mix. Looking ahead to 2025, 36% of European respondents and 31% of Swiss channel partners assume that AI-related solutions will already account for between 26% and 50% of their turnover. This share will increase in the long term. 29 percent of partners in Europe believe that the demand for AI-based solutions will increase to 76 to 100 percent in the next four to five years. Swiss partners are more cautious on this point, however. Only a fifth (20 %) of companies in this country share this view.

"The potential of AI for transforming business processes is immense. This opens up new sales opportunities for the entire Swiss channel," says Niema Nazemi, Channel Leader Cisco Switzerland. "In order to leverage this potential, the deployment skills of our partners must be further strengthened. Cisco is doing everything it can to support Swiss partners in the introduction, implementation and use of AI so that Switzerland can take the next big step in AI."

Required AI skills for IT system houses and channel partners

The results of the Cisco study show that partners have strong confidence in their knowledge and understanding of the various aspects of AI technologies. The study looks at specific solution areas and skills in the fields of IT infrastructure, data management, governance and AI expertise that will be required on the market in the future:

• Development of a scalable and adaptable AI-capable infrastructure;
• Ensuring sufficient GPU resources for ongoing projects;
• Evaluation and compliance of data center latency and throughput;
• Understanding of data sets, data sovereignty and data protection laws in and across different regions or countries.

An important finding of the study is that the partners are not already optimally positioned in all of these areas. European partners see the biggest barriers as a lack of experience in using new technologies (55 %), a lack of knowledge about systems and processes (60 %) and too few available technologies (51 %).

However, in order to overcome these challenges, partners are already investing heavily in employee training in AI skills. 70 percent of partners in Europe conduct internal training courses or use external providers for AI training.

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The Dataglobal Group, visionary developer of the Data City approach for the digital workplace, is further expanding its strategic partnership with Swiss company Boss Info. Boss Info is a leading provider of industry solutions, consulting, ICT solutions and services for SMEs in Switzerland. The new agreement now sets the framework for the next three years and includes well-known platforms such as Dataglobal CS, windream ECM/BPM and the Vysoft solutions for resource management.

Long-standing cooperation in the DMS environment is now being significantly expanded

Every day, more than 1,500 customers rely on the expertise of Boss Info's more than 300 specialists in the digitalization of business processes. Numerous customers such as SR Technics, Bring! and Rehasys have been using Boss Info's DMS solutions based on Dataglobal CS for many years. Thanks to the expanded partnership, Boss Info now also has access to the Windream product line for ECM and BPM, which perfectly complements and continues the existing solutions. The recently released version 9 of Windream enables more efficiency in an intelligent and flexible working environment through innovative AI support in the DMS and a modern user experience with the Dynamic Workspace.

"The integration with the Dataglobal Group's Windream portfolio opens up many new possibilities for our DMS customers in the area of ECM and BPM, such as AI-based work with documents in dialog. They benefit from the Dataglobal Group's holistic approach to the digital workplace and can digitize business processes even faster and better," explains Claudio Stammler, Head of Team DMS at Boss Info.

Desk sharing, room management, fleet management and more with Microsoft 365

A new addition to the Boss Info portfolio are the Vysoft solutions for resource management, which, as native cloud solutions for Microsoft SharePoint, help to use rooms, office space and other resources more efficiently. They complement the digital workplace with digital room signage and desk booking right through to the physical office world. The solutions have already been widely introduced in Switzerland and are being used successfully by the city of Zurich, the Hirslanden clinics, Apleona Switzerland and the Schaffhausen police force, for example.

"With the innovative Vysoft solutions for resource management and the Windream ECM/BPM platform, the Dataglobal Group has built up an exciting portfolio for the digital workspace," says Simon Boss, CEO & VRP at Boss Info.

Switzerland most important foreign market for Dataglobal Group

Switzerland was already an important market outside Germany for the individual companies of the Dataglobal Group, with many, often long-standing customer relationships and well-established local partners. With the integration into the Dataglobal Group, Swiss customers and partners now benefit from even more services, expertise and capacities as well as an innovative product world for the digital workplace.

"Boss Info and Dataglobal have been very successful together for many years with modern DMS solutions and we are very pleased to be expanding this collaboration even further. We have the utmost confidence in the expertise and performance of Boss Info as a large and important partner in Switzerland," says Nicolas Schwarzpaul, CEO of the Dataglobal Group. "We look forward to growing together in the Swiss market."

Source: www.bossinfo.ch

In 2024, Swiss SMEs carried out significantly fewer transactions than in the previous year. Between January and December, there were a total of 179 transactions (2023: 196 transactions), which corresponds to a decrease of 8.7%. These are the findings of the latest study on the M&A activities of Swiss SMEs by the auditing and consulting firm Deloitte. The main negative driver was domestic transactions - i.e. those activities in which Swiss SMEs acquire another company within Switzerland. These fell by almost a third to 48 transactions (-28.4% vs. 2023). This is the lowest level in six years.

All sectors were affected by the sharp decline in purely domestic transactions. The main reason for this is the prioritization of growth outside Switzerland through acquisitions. Swiss SMEs want to gain increased access to new markets and more cost-effective resources. In addition, the challenges for financing transactions have increased due to greater concentration in the Swiss banking sector. The tense economic situation in Germany is also likely to have dampened Swiss SMEs' appetite for acquisitions.

There was a trend reversal in 2024 for transactions in which Swiss SMEs acted as buyers from foreign companies (outbound). This figure has risen steadily since 2020, peaking at 69 transactions in 2023 and then stagnating at 68 transactions last year. With 82% of all transactions in 2024, Swiss SMEs mainly invested in European companies. What is exciting here is the trend away from the large, geographically closest trading partners Germany and France towards investments in more distant and smaller, but faster-growing markets that tend to have lower costs, such as Poland and Spain.

Takeovers in the IT sector are losing weight

There was a marginal increase in inbound transactions, i.e. transactions in which Swiss SMEs became the target of mergers by foreign companies. In 2024, 63 inbound transactions were carried out (vs. 60 in 2023). The majority of all M&A activities (85%) are attributable to companies from German-speaking Switzerland.

European investors are particularly interested in Swiss SMEs: they are responsible for almost three quarters (73%) of all acquisitions. The most important European investors come from Germany, France and the UK; in 2024, more transactions were carried out in all of these countries compared to the previous year. The largest non-European investors are based in the USA. In Switzerland, industrial companies were the main target of foreign takeovers (20%). Meanwhile, the proportion of takeovers of IT and software companies fell sharply (2024: 14% vs. 2023: 20%).

A cautiously positive outlook

After a poor transaction year in 2023, the global M&A market recovered slightly in 2024 (USA +2.8%, Europe +12%), as the year-on-year figures from financial market news agency Mergermarket show. Switzerland thus clearly lagged behind international developments. "Stricter regulations in the USA, the UK and other countries have also slowed down transactions with Swiss participation - particularly in innovative sectors and strategic goods. This has resulted in a considerable backlog, which is likely to clear somewhat in 2025 with the completion of many postponed deals," explains Kristina Faddoul, Head of Strategy, Risk & Transactions Advisory at Deloitte Switzerland.

The current economic situation should encourage more transactions. According to figures from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), economic growth in Switzerland is expected to accelerate moderately to 1.6% in the current year. Falling key interest rates are also likely to further stimulate the M&A market and create a more attractive financing environment. The strength of the Swiss franc and the resilience of the Swiss economy compared to neighboring countries underpin this positive outlook.

Uncertainty and geopolitical uncertainties

Kristina Faddoul comments: "In January of the current year, there was already increased activity in mergers and acquisitions in Switzerland. This makes us fundamentally optimistic for 2025 and we expect M&A activity among Swiss SMEs to increase again, bringing more momentum to the market. If we look beyond our borders, however, we see that numerous economic and geopolitical factors are causing uncertainty and instability in the international environment. The situation is very volatile, which is also reflected in the global transaction figures for January, which fell by 49% compared to the previous year. It is therefore difficult to make a meaningful forecast for 2025."

Source: www.deloitte.com