While 79% consider saving to be important, only 47% have actually been able to put money aside in the past six months. Savings are particularly high in German-speaking Switzerland (50 percent), and significantly lower in French-speaking Switzerland (41 percent) and Ticino (31 percent). The most important reason is to protect against unforeseen expenses (71%). Younger people under the age of 30 are more likely to save for home ownership.

Pension provision: savings account remains favorite

When it comes to pension solutions, the classic savings account still dominates (71%). More than half also have a 3a account, but only 31% use a securities solution. The 15 to 22-year-olds in particular show an affinity for modern forms of investment: 39% use share or ETF savings plans.

Financial knowledge with gaps

Despite a keen interest in financial topics, 60 percent rate their knowledge as mediocre at best. 69% criticize the inadequate teaching of financial literacy at school. Three quarters of respondents would like to see financial and pension topics more firmly anchored in the classroom.

Uncertainty about the future

Today, 57% feel financially comfortable, but when looking ahead, this figure drops to 44%. The main concerns are the stability of the pension system (24%) and possible pension gaps (20%). Skepticism is particularly pronounced in the 30 to 44 age group.

Early retirement remains wishful thinking

More than one in two people under 65 dream of early retirement - but only 11% take concrete steps. Looking back, 37% of over-65s say they want to approach their pension planning differently.

Advice remains central

Despite growing digital offerings, personal interaction remains crucial: 53% have already used traditional advice from a bank or insurance company. However, younger people in particular are increasingly open to digital formats.

The study shows a clear discrepancy between financial wishes and actual implementation. "These concerns can be significantly reduced through proactive financial planning, as offered by Baloise with its insurbanking model," says Clemens Markstein, CEO of Baloise Switzerland. Early provision and financial education are seen as crucial to narrowing the gap between aspirations and reality.

"Spheriq stands for a networked and secure digital space in which good ideas find the right partners and have an impact," summarizes Florence Schnydrig Moser, President of the Board of Directors. The new name combines two guiding principles: Sphere for the diversity of social impact areas in which philanthropy works, and IQ for data and technology expertise. Philanthropy Services AG, the operator of StiftungSchweiz, will also operate as Spheriq AG in future.

In addition to the digitalization initiative with SwissFoundations, proFonds members now also benefit from the advantages of the platform as part of an association partnership. This will anchor Spheriq even more firmly in the charitable ecosystem.

Switzerland as a global hotspot for philanthropy

Switzerland is one of the world's leading countries in terms of foundation density and civil society involvement - from associations to international NGOs. With 15 foundations per 10,000 inhabitants, six times more than in the USA, over 140 billion francs in foundation assets and more than 20,000 charitable associations, Switzerland shapes international philanthropy.

In this environment, StiftungSchweiz has established itself as the largest philanthropy platform in recent years. The relaunch under the name Spheriq will specifically strengthen its role as a digital infrastructure for the charitable sector. Spheriq is thus creating the basis for a new quality of digital collaboration in the sector.

Promote and fundraise more effectively

"Simply more effective" - this motto sums up Spheriq's sharpened mission: clever digital tools that reduce complexity and increase impact, be it for funding, fundraising, networking or donations. With the relaunch, an additional level of support has been added: the actor directory now shows how well organizations fit together with the "Fit" and "Hope" ratings - and how realistic a successful partnership is.

Spheriq is thus aimed at funding organizations as well as associations, experts and donors and connects all target groups - beyond traditional foundation philanthropy - to the digital age. With tools for communication, research, grant processing, application and board management as well as data-based insights, Spheriq offers the essential instruments and foundations for effective digital philanthropy.

Broad network and strong partners

These tools are being further developed together with professional associations and scientific partners and as part of the joint digitalization initiative with SwissFoundations: proFonds, the umbrella organization of charitable foundations in Switzerland, is now also making its member services available digitally via Spheriq. Spheriq is also strengthening its presence in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino and further expanding its cooperation with regional, national and international umbrella organizations.

From everyday applications such as Google searches and health trackers to the invisible benefits in drug research or pension planning: AI is already firmly anchored in our everyday lives. The majority of Swiss respondents are convinced that they understand how AI works (67 %), but only 38 % state that they use AI-supported services or applications on a daily basis. 12 % even say they never use them, revealing a clear knowledge gap in public understanding of this emerging technology.

AI as the most rapidly accepted new technology

The survey, which includes insights from 6,000 respondents from Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK, found that a surprising 77 % of people in this region have no concerns about the increasing importance of artificial intelligence in society. In Switzerland, the figure is as high as 82 %. In fact, two thirds of local people already have confidence in AI. Compared to the initial trust levels of previous innovations such as the internet or the cell phone, this suggests that AI will be the most rapidly accepted new technology in modern history.

Bruce Owen, EMEA President, Equinix states: "AI is already in your pocket, on your wrist and in your inbox, but this data shows that most people are not aware of it. If we want to realize the true potential of AI, we need to better understand how we are already using it. Innovation starts with education."

Improve understanding

Historically, every major innovation has been fraught with uncertainty and misunderstanding, from the advent of the internet to the cell phones we now take with us everywhere. Yet all these technologies have become an essential part of how we live and work. They have triggered tremendous innovation and impact in important areas of society such as communications, healthcare, entertainment and more.

With consumer confidence in AI already exceeding and bucking historical trends, the data points to an opportunity for a new era of innovation. To realize this potential, it is now essential to improve our understanding of what AI is, how it works and what it is already doing for us.

Has the age of intelligence dawned?

Other important results of the survey show:

• Over half of respondents in EMEA (56 %) are convinced that they understand how AI works. In Switzerland, this proportion is even higher: 67 % of respondents have confidence in this technology.
• Confidence varies greatly between age groups: 72 % (CH: 73 %) of under 35-year-olds are confident, compared to only 41 % of over 55-year-olds. In Switzerland, this age difference is less pronounced: 57 % of over 55s say they have confidence in technology.
• There is a clear difference between the genders: 62 % of men say they have confidence in AI, compared to only 50 % of women. The figures for Switzerland show greater confidence: 71 % of men said they had confidence, compared to 63 % of female respondents.
• 4 out of 5 (77 %) users in the EMEA region have no concerns or fears about the growing role of AI in society. The Swiss are even more positive about the technology: 82 % say they have no fears or concerns.
• Only a third (33 %) of users in the EMEA region state that they use AI-supported services or applications on a daily basis. In Switzerland, this figure is 38 %, with a quarter (25 %) in both Switzerland and the EMEA region stating that they deliberately use AI several times a week.

The "age of intelligence" has dawned, says Equinix. AI plays a key role in this. But AI does not exist in isolation. Distributed AI is already redefining entire industries, accelerating discovery and opening up endless possibilities. However, innovation can only flourish if the public is better informed so that the technology is accessible, accepted and can be used efficiently on a large scale. "AI platforms can now develop drug molecules that reach the clinical trial phase in less than 18 months rather than several years," explains Bruce Owen. "They enable smart thermostats to learn daily routines and the carbon intensity of the grid to save energy and costs, and they can even improve food quality by optimizing production processes and reducing waste."

Data centers as a basis

With over 120 data centers in the EMEA region, Equinix provides the foundation for AI and the benefits it can bring to society. A secure, networked, low-latency infrastructure enables AI to reach its full potential. To further drive progress, Equinix recently launched a global AI Proving Ground, providing a dynamic environment for organizations to collaborate with leading AI technology partners, test joint solutions, reduce risk and accelerate time to market. "Without the infrastructure that connects all of this, these advances would not be possible. At Equinix, we connect people around the world, but connection alone is not enough. Trust without true understanding risks slowing adoption and limiting AI's potential to transform healthcare, business and society. Now is the time for governments and industry to prioritize AI education alongside infrastructure development so that innovation is embraced with clarity, not confusion," concludes Bruce Owen.

Source: Equinix

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/vertrauen-in-ki-in-der-schweiz-hoch-aber-oeffentlichkeit-erkennt-taeglichen-einsatz-nicht/

There is this moment that nobody plans. It doesn't come with a bang, but with a hush. Campaigns are running, touchpoints have been used, the budget has been released - and yet there is no response. Not just in the click rate. But deeper. Where something should actually be happening.

Many brands experience this without naming it as such. Instead, they optimize, rebrand and reposition. As if the loss of resonance were a technical fault, not a relationship crisis.

But that's exactly what it is: a silent relationship crisis. Brands that once created a sense of belonging now often seem like transmitters without a counterpart. You hear them, but you no longer feel them. The consumer is not necessarily unsatisfied - he is inwardly absent.

And this "inner absence" is not a short-term reaction, but a slow process. It arises where communication becomes a tool. Where campaigns no longer arise from a want, but from a need. Where language loses its function because it no longer leaves a trace.

How it gets this far

In a world that communicates incessantly, falling silent is difficult to notice. It is not a failure of volume, but of touch. When language is only directed at target groups, not people. When personalization becomes a mathematical trick instead of a gesture of genuine interest.

Brands do not lose people through mistakes. They lose them through indifference - often unintentionally, but systematically. It is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of closeness.

The tools are sophisticated, the teams are committed - but the relationship level remains untouched. Perhaps because it is not even mentioned in the briefings. Or - because there is no KPI for "coherence".

What happens next

The loss of resonance rarely remains without consequences. Brands are still bought, but no longer meant. They mutate into a function, an option in the drop-down menu. Interchangeable. And at some point irrelevant.

Then the usual reaction patterns kick in: more analysis, more tests, more data. You ask yourself: What's missing? But you rarely ask: Who have we lost?

And this creates a dangerous standstill behind the hustle and bustle.

What is needed now

Brands don't need a new claim. They need a different ear. Not better targeting, but a different attitude. It's not about attention, but about responsiveness. Not about the next viral moment - but about quietly reconnecting with what used to be: a relationship.

You can do this with Consumer Listening call it. Or simply call it listening. The decisive factor is not the method, but the space: a space in which consumers are not questioned, but listened to.

And this space doesn't start with tools. It starts with the honest question: Who are we - from the perspective of our customers and consumers?

By the way ...
Some brands do not die from a loss of significance, but from a lack of relationships.

Today, many organizations rely on SaaS applications such as Microsoft 365, Salesforce and Google Workspace. However, moving processes and data to the cloud has created a dangerous gap in the reliability of data retention, as the default retention capabilities of third-party providers often do not meet compliance requirements or data protection objectives. This puts organizations at significant risk as they wrongly assume that their SaaS providers are fully compliant with their retention obligations.

Why data retention policies are important in SaaS environments

Effective data retention policies can help. They regulate the entire lifecycle of business-critical information and define clear guidelines for retention - including time frames, storage methods and deletion protocols. These guidelines form a governance framework that helps companies to protect themselves against compliance breaches or unexpected data loss. And it's not that easy, because the complexity of SaaS platforms has fundamentally changed the data management landscape and brought with it new challenges in handling data. For example, when sensitive information resides in vendor-controlled cloud environments rather than on-premises, traditional approaches to data governance fall short. The fact that SaaS data often resides in multiple locations, sometimes with limited visibility and control, creates significant difficulties in maintaining consistent, compliant retention practices.

This challenge is particularly great for companies in highly regulated industries with strict compliance requirements. For example, healthcare providers dealing with HIPAA requirements, financial institutions adhering to FINRA (in Switzerland: FINMA) regulations, and global organizations subject to GDPR face specific compliance requirements that are often not adequately met by standard SaaS vendor engagement settings. These regulations typically require longer retention periods, more granular controls and more robust audit capabilities than are common with most SaaS applications, creating a critical gap that requires immediate attention.

Know, understand and implement provider-specific challenges

Microsoft 365

Despite the robust feature set, it's important to realize that Microsoft 365 data retention is limited. The platform has retention restrictions specifically for Exchange Online and SharePoint data, so it may not meet all organizations' compliance requirements.

Salesforce

Salesforce environments come with their own unique set of challenges. Organizations that rely solely on native Salesforce capabilities often face significant compliance gaps resulting from the platform's limited backup options, which are essentially restricted to a basic "recycle bin" function that does not match true retention management capabilities.

Google Workspace

In Google Workspace environments, special retention restrictions apply to Gmail communications, Drive documents and spreadsheet data. This has a particular impact on distributed work scenarios where business-critical information is constantly being created and shared with remote teams. While Google offers retention capabilities through Google Vault, these are not identical to privacy compliance and eDiscovery purposes.

A comprehensive data retention strategy is needed for SaaS applications

These examples show: IT professionals need systematic guidance and purpose-built tools to identify and assess retention gaps in SaaS environments. This assessment should thoroughly examine the native retention capabilities of each SaaS platform in light of the organization's specific regulatory obligations and established data governance policies.

Reliable retention is an important element of data management that has two levels of meaning: One refers to retention, which is the period of time that backup data is stored in a dedicated backup solution. The other refers to how long a platform such as Microsoft 365 or other primary SaaS tools retain deleted data before deleting it. The connection between these two definitions is often overlooked and emphasizes the urgent need for a comprehensive backup solution, such as Arcserve SaaS Backup. This solution helps close that gap by securely managing retention from a backup perspective. It ensures that deleted data is protected well beyond the limits of a SaaS provider's retention policy, providing both security and a powerful safety net for an organization. Arcserve SaaS Backup is a comprehensive cloud-native cloud-to-cloud backup solution and can be deployed in SaaS application clouds such as Microsoft Office 365, Entra IDMicrosoft Dynamics 365, Salesforce, Google Workspace and Zendesk.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/saas-drittloesungen-compliance-herausforderungen-bewaeltigen/

Three favorites can be chosen in the public voting. The jury, chaired by former Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, then decides who will be awarded the Prix Courage is awarded.

These courageous people have been nominated:

• Two craftsmen became rescuers

  On November 26, 2024, two workmen are running late. This minor delay becomes a stroke of luck for many victims of a serious traffic accident. When Kevin Kieffer and Redon Cacaj as we turn a steep bend in Koblenz AG, we see a picture of horror: a completely destroyed car, a driver covered in blood. A little further away: an overturned bus, trapped passengers, including children. The duo act immediately and rescue countless injured people from the crashed Postbus and the wrecked vehicle.

• He uncovered abuses at the animal hospital

  Dogs and cats lying in their own excrement, mold and multi-resistant germs: The abuses at Zurich's animal hospital have been documented by the keeper Jorge Pereira documented with hundreds of cell phone pictures and made available to the observer. He had to pay dearly for this. He lost his job after his whistleblowing.

• She founded a secret school for girls in Afghanistan

  Mahbube Ibrahimi fled to Switzerland alone, attended high school here and founded an online school for girls in Afghanistan almost two years ago. The 20-year-old is giving more than 270 schoolgirls in her home country hope of an education.

• She risked her job for patient safety

  Two years ago, a newspaper advertisement made waves in the Upper Engadine: In an open letter Ladina Christoffel about her dismissal and subsequent resignation as head physician of the women's clinic at the Oberengadin hospital. Together with the Pro Medico Plus interest group, she named problems that were being kept under wraps internally: Staff shortages, overwork, compromised patient safety. Later, the Graubünden labor inspectorate documented over 3,000 violations of labor law.

• She fought against male rope teams

  Danica Zurbriggen, a university lecturer from Zermatt, learns on her way home of the unanimous election of an ex-CVP National Councillor as President of the Valais Chamber of Tourism. The man, who had been convicted of sexual harassment and stalking, thus takes on a leading position, even though a woman who had reported him works for an organization that belongs to the Chamber of Tourism. Angry that the convicted man is indirectly becoming his victim's boss, Zurbriggen first expressed her displeasure on Instagram and later in a letter to the editor. Her letter and the online discussion reached thousands of people, triggering a national debate - and culminating in the resignation of the former National Councillor.

• He broke a spiral of violence

  Kurt Erni experienced extreme violence and neglect in his childhood at the hands of his sadistic mother, who abused him physically and psychologically, while his father left the family at an early age. Despite these traumas, Erni vowed not to become like his mother and built a successful career as a chef, police officer and later as a head of department, consciously choosing not to have children of his own. However, the repressed experiences led to a breakdown, which was later diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, Erni deals with his past publicly, including through a book, in order to break the taboo of female violence and encourage other victims.

Dominique Strebel, Editor-in-Chief of the Beobachter"All the nominees have shown great courage, overcoming obstacles and accepting disadvantages to make our society a little more just, fairer and better. This deserves the admiration of us all and inspires us to also courageously stand up for higher values - especially at a time when individual interests are all too often in the foreground."

The public vote The competition will run until October 5, 2025, after which the three nominations that have received the most votes will be presented to the jury headed by former Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. This committee will decide who will receive the Prix Courage 2025. The award will be presented to the winner at a ceremony in the Papiersaal in Zurich on November 13.

"The new World Robotics statistics show the second-best result for annual installations in 2024 since the surveys began - just 2 % below the peak of two years ago," says Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics. "The transition of many industries into the digital and automated age is characterized by a huge increase in demand. The global operational stock of industrial robots amounted to 4,664,000 units in 2024 - an increase of 9 % compared to the previous year."

Asia as a growth driver

China is the world's largest robot market in 2024 with a global share of 54 % of all units. At 295,000 units, the Chinese industry commissioned the highest number of robots ever installed in one year. For the first time, Chinese manufacturers sold more robots in their own country than foreign suppliers. The market share rose to 57 %, significantly exceeding the rate of previous years, which was 28 % 10 years ago. China's operational stock of industrial robots exceeded 2 million units in 2024 - also a global record. Suppliers of robotics in China are succeeding in opening up new markets for automation. This creates the basis for further demand. By 2028, the Chinese manufacturing industry has the potential for average annual growth of 10 %.

Japan is the second largest market for industrial robots worldwide with 44,500 installed units in 2024 and has thus maintained its position despite a slight decline of 4 %. The operating portfolio increased by 3 % to 450,500 units. Demand for factory robots will grow slightly by low single-digit rates in 2025 and by mid-single-digit rates on average over the next few years.

South Korea installed a total of 30,600 units in 2024 - a decline of 3 %. Since 2019, annual rates have been moving sideways at around 31,000 units. South Korea is the fourth-largest robot market in the world after the United States, Japan and China.

India is growing with a record number of 9,100 newly installed industrial robots in 2024 and an increase of 7 %. The automotive industry is the strongest customer sector with a market share of 45 %. In terms of annual installations, India is now in sixth place worldwide, just one place behind Germany.

Declining industrial robot market in Europe

In Europe Although the number of industrial robots installed fell by 8 % to 85,000 units, this was still the second-best result ever recorded. The European Union accounted for a total of 80 % of all robot installations (67,800 units). Demand in Europe is benefiting in particular from the nearshoring trend. The average annual growth rate from 2019 to 2024 was plus 3 %.

Germany is the largest robot market in Europe and the fifth largest worldwide. After a record year in 2023, the number of installations fell by 5 % to 27,000 units in 2024, the second-best result since records began. The market share of the total annual volume in Europe is therefore 32 %. The number of installations in Italythe second-largest European market, fell by 16 % to 8,800 units. Spain is in third place (5,100 units) thanks to strong demand from the automotive industry, overtaking its French neighbors. France (4,900 units) fell to fourth place with a decline of 24 %.

In the UK, the number of installations fell by 35 % to 2,500 units in 2024. The record of 3,800 industrial robots in 2023 marked a one-off peak, which was due to the "super-deduction" tax credit program that expired in the first quarter of 2023. The installation figures have otherwise moved sideways over the last ten years with cyclical effects. Robot installations in the UK ranked 19th worldwide in 2024.

America: decline of 10 percent

The number of robot installations in America exceeded 50,000 units for the fourth year in a row: A total of 50,100 units were installed in 2024. This corresponds to a decrease of 10 % compared to 2023.

The USA are the largest market for industrial robots in the region with a share of 68%. Overall, a decline of 9 % to 34,200 units was recorded for installations in 2024. As there are only a few US manufacturers, the country imports the majority of its robot units from Japan and Europe. However, there are numerous domestic system integrators in the US that implement robot-assisted automation solutions.

In Mexico the total number of installations reached 5,600 units. This corresponds to a decrease of 4 % compared to the previous year. The automotive industry remained the most important customer for industrial robots in Mexico in 2024 with a share of 63 %.

In Canada robot installations fell by 12 % to 3,800 units. Demand in the country is largely dependent on the investment cycles of the automotive industry. The automotive industry accounted for 47 % in Canada in 2024.

Outlook: Growth with an expiration date

The OECD and IMF expect global growth of between 2.9 % and 3.0 % in 2025 and between 2.9 % and 3.1 % in 2026. However, geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and trade disruptions are having a negative impact on the global economy.

The robotics industry is not immune to global macroeconomic conditions. However, there are no signs that the long-term growth trend will come to an end in the foreseeable future. While trends vary considerably from region to region, the overall global trend remains positive. Worldwide, the number of robot installations is expected to increase by 6 % to 575,000 units in 2025. According to forecasts, the 700,000 unit mark will be exceeded by 2028.

Source: International Federation of Robotics

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/zahl-der-industrieroboter-weltweit-in-zehn-jahren-verdoppelt/

Autonomous robots are no longer a dream of the future in Zurich. What sounds like science fiction is becoming visible in everyday life: in Oerlikon and Regensdorf, robotic helpers deliver food and parcels to your doorstep. In the podcast "AI and Society - Paths into the New World" by the Swiss Text Academy, Marko Bjelonic, co-founder of Rivr.ai and ETH graduate, talks about the opportunities, hurdles and visions of this technology.

Bjelonic explains how his team has already implemented specific projects with partners such as SwissPost and JustEat. Pilot trials also encounter regulatory issues, but in close coordination with the authorities, hurdles can often be overcome more quickly than in other countries.

Switzerland is therefore becoming an ideal testing ground for robotics in everyday life. The investment by Jeff Bezos marked a special milestone. With the trust of the Amazon founder, Rivr.ai not only gained capital, but also international attention. "We are part of the first wave of robots on the streets," says Bjelonic. "It's not just about technology, but about the benefits for society."

The question of jobs is also central to this. Robotics is not a job killer, emphasizes Bjelonic, but a stimulus for new occupational fields such as robot management. Delivery work is relieved by intelligent systems, while new opportunities are created at the same time.

Rivr.ai's vision for the future extends far beyond Zurich. The plan is for multimodal robots that can move in different environments, right up to international scaling. The start-up from ETH Zurich not only wants to change the logistics industry, but also help shape the global discourse on the social integration of robotics.

The video podcast "AI and Society - Paths into the New World" is produced by the Text Academy Foundation. Two episodes are released monthly, on Spotify ( https://open.spotify.com/show/4mSsEJuaShBuanBfBjoAeM?si=01b4363426db4d28) , Youtube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4InE9vz-QptAjyy0QXyk6lWFKXreWEh2&feature=shared and other podcast platforms.

Marko Bjelonic was also a guest at a Swiss Export symposium, about which we reported here have

What is the role of empathy in an increasingly AI-influenced economy? Is there a growing disconnect between what customers expect from empathy and what they experience from companies? A new global study by Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) addresses these key questions.

The report, which was developed in collaboration with the renowned empathy academic Professor Jamil Zaki, Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory, is based on a global YouGov survey of over 11,500 consumers in eleven countries. The results of the study make it clear: empathy is king. Consumers prefer authentic exchanges and highly value companies that show understanding and care, especially in difficult moments.

Competitive advantage through empathy

Three in five respondents (60 percent) said they only use offers from companies that genuinely care about them and their needs, while almost three quarters (73 percent) of respondents said they would avoid companies that show a lack of empathy for their situation or circumstances. 43 percent of consumers surveyed have left a brand in the past due to a lack of empathy, and a further 61 percent would be willing to pay even more for a brand that genuinely cares about them.

In addition, the survey finds that the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) are recognized, but there is a lack of authentic emotional exchange - 71 percent of respondents believe that AI cannot make real human connections, and 92 percent value direct emotion-driven human interaction over 24/7 availability.

Empathy expectations of financial service providers often remain unfulfilled

The report provides a cross-industry view and shows that empathy is expected most of all in financial services - 88 percent of consumers consider it important (second only to healthcare providers), but only 63 percent agree that the industry is truly empathetic.

"In today's world, empathy is crucial for creating customer experiences. The positive experiences of our customers determine long-term growth. Companies therefore need to create genuine human connections as a basis for trust and loyalty. By acting empathetically, companies can gain a competitive advantage and build lasting customer relationships," emphasizes Daniela Cerna-Wirths, Head of Strategy, Customer and Sustainability at Zurich Group Germany. "At Zurich, we want to understand our customers even better so that we can go the extra mile for them. We are convinced that empathy is a skill that can be learned and helps us to maintain stable and appreciative customer relationships."

"Empathy is the common thread that runs through all my scientific work. Many years of research show time and again that it promotes trust, collaboration and long-term success. This report highlights how empathy comes into play in business and why it matters - and makes a compelling case for integrating it into every customer experience," said Dr. Jamil Zaki, Director of the Standford Social Neuroscience Laboratory.

Firmly anchoring empathy in the corporate strategy

Understanding empathy as a learnable skill and integrating it into processes can help to build stable customer relationships. The report's key recommendations include:

• Strategic integration: Make empathy a central part of the corporate strategy and consider it crucial for long-term success - not just a nice gesture.
• Empathy training and skills developmentInvesting in customized training tailored to both the market and the business function so that frontline employees can truly understand and respond to customer needs.
• Commitment and measurability by managers: Ensure that managers exemplify empathetic behavior and record its impact as an important performance indicator.
• Technology and human connection: Combining technological efficiency with authentic human interaction - using AI to support, but not completely replacing personal encounters in key customer moments.
• Cultural anchoring: Integrating empathy into everyday working life and the corporate culture so that it becomes the basis for all business activities.

Practical test: Zurich's global empathy training increases customer satisfaction

Although 45 percent of consumers believe that empathy cannot be trained, Zurich's award-winning Global Empathy Training Program proves otherwise. Developed together with the Be Human Partnership, 26 percent of Zurich employees worldwide have already completed almost 46,000 hours of training in the UK, Switzerland, North America, Malaysia and Australia since the program was launched in 2023 - and the program continues to grow. In Germany, around half of the approximately 4,600 employees have already completed the training - the highest participation rate of any Zurich country worldwide.

Thanks to the training and other measures, measurable improvements can be seen: Customer loyalty and retention is increasing and the Transactional Net Promoter Score (TNPS) has risen by 7 points (worldwide) between January 2024 and June 2025. Empathy and helpfulness in customer contact are also perceived in Germany: Since 2023, the NPS (Net Promoter Score) regarding these two factors has improved to 79 points.

Around 170 guests attended the awards ceremony on September 25 at the SIX Convention Point in Zurich - an event that annually honors the best reports from the most important Swiss companies.

The rating focuses on the quality of the annual reports of all companies listed in the SPI, supplemented by the 50 companies with the highest turnover, 15 insurance companies with the highest premium volume and 25 banks with the highest balance sheet total. The jury assessed a total of 214 reports this year. Migros came out on top in the Design category, ahead of Avolta and ZKB. UBS won in the Value Reporting category, with Clariant and SGS completing the podium. Swiss Post won the special prize for outstanding text quality. Swica received a Special Mention for Design, Bucher for Value Reporting.

The annual report rating recognizes strikingly innovative and creative reports. The neutral evaluation is made possible by organizational partner Linkgroup and the support of Antalis, Apostroph Group, EQS, PwC and SIX. All detailed results and PDFs of the reports are available online at www.gbrating.ch can be viewed here. Jury president Hans-Peter Nehmer was impressed by the variety and quality of the work submitted and presented the awards in person.

Unsecured printers continue to pose an often underestimated cyber threat to Swiss SMEs, according to the results of a survey conducted by Sharp. According to the survey, 44 percent of 1001 employees surveyed in small and medium-sized Swiss companies (SMEs) stated that no printer-specific IT security measures are implemented in their company. In a world where cyber attacks have become almost commonplace, this negligence in relation to printers represents a serious security risk.

Lack of understanding leads to inadequate protection

The problem here is not so much the devices themselves, which can be solidly secured against external attacks with just a few basic technical settings. Rather, there is often a lack of basic understanding: most office workers are still not sufficiently aware of the fact that a printer is equipped with its own hard disk and numerous network interfaces and can actually be hacked. According to the survey, just 15 percent of respondents even associate their office printers with the topic of cyber security.

The topic also remains largely absent from IT security training: Only 19 percent of employees stated that they had been made aware of potential cyber risks from unprotected printers during training.

It is therefore hardly surprising that many employees hardly think about the office printer in their day-to-day work, let alone their own use of it: 33% of those surveyed, for example, print out files that they send by email from their home office on company printers in the office, where they are left unattended in the output tray for long periods of time. 27 percent use private USB sticks for this purpose without being aware of the associated security risks, and only 21 percent recognize that unattended printouts in the output tray of a printer could pose a data protection risk at all.

Raise awareness and take technical precautions

"Printers are hardly perceived as a security risk in everyday working life and are therefore often inadequately protected, which cyber criminals exploit. Yet printer security is not rocket science: companies should make the necessary security configurations, keep their scanner and printer software up to date and carry out regular back-ups - this already provides solid basic protection," says François Müller, COO of Sharp Electronics Switzerland.

"Companies should also introduce uniform security standards for hybrid teams and make their employees more aware of MFP-related security issues," François Müller continues. "This starts, for example, with ensuring that confidential printouts and copies are not left unattended in the MFP's output tray or disposed of unsecured. In addition to a lack of technical precautions, it is often the supposed trivialities that significantly increase the risk of data loss or misuse by unauthorized persons. Expert advice can provide additional support in designing a holistic security strategy and minimizing the risk of data loss."

Source: Sharp

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/buerodrucker-die-unterschaetzte-cyberbedrohung/

The application areas of artificial intelligence have also found favor in Swiss companies. As the current AI Swiss Report shows that almost 30 percent of the 1,338 managers surveyed stated that they expect an increase in the use of AI. Technologies are primarily used for translations, writing letters, emails or advertising copy. Another quarter of companies use AI specifically to optimize work processes and data analysis. Patrick Sommer, Managing Director of the digital consultancy CNT Management Consulting, knows the benefits of this. "The use of AI has long since become a must-have in many companies' day-to-day operations - be it when creating reports or in consulting. Instead of creating documents manually, AI can use previously analyzed business processes to generate automatic check scenarios."

Swiss companies struggle with AI: only 13% focus on clear goals and integration

A study by the Swiss AI Report (2025) has taken a closer look at how Swiss companies deal with AI. "Only 13 percent of Swiss companies are working with clearly defined AI goals. There is often a lack of long-term implementation and integration into existing technological systems," says Sommer. For the CNT manager, the advantages of structured AI deployment in organizations are crystal clear. "Looking at, analysing and optimizing a wide range of company processes used to take an enormous amount of time, and separate workshops were often organized for this purpose. This cost personnel, time and resources. Today, AI provides us with an objective picture of various problems in just a few hours." According to Sommer, AI-supported process mining is particularly helpful for efficient company processes: "With this method, companies can use digital recordings of activities to recognize how business processes actually work in reality. This enables companies to understand, analyze and improve internal structures more quickly. With AI integration in the customer's SAP system, intelligent assistants (SAP Joule) can immediately provide information on when an order was created, approved or delivered. From this, the AI visualizes the actual process flow - not as it should be, but as it really is."

AI in practice: How companies are making processes smarter and more efficient

When using AI in day-to-day business, the know-how for responsible AI use is often lacking. The integration is not only quick, but also convincing once the technical background is understood, as the consulting expert reports. In a consulting context, he uses SAP Joule to generate code modules. "We give the AI instructions in natural language on what a function should do, for example: 'Create a report that shows all open customer orders over 10,000 francs'," explains the manager. While the recording, processing and evaluation of figures required a lot of time and effort before the AI integration, the AI now writes most of the ABAP code itself, Sommer confirms. And he adds: "Day-to-day work is increasingly shifting from manual configuration to analysis, control and strategic embedding of AI-controlled tools. Customers expect not only technical expertise, but also sound advice on how AI applications can be used efficiently and in accordance with the strict Swiss standards for data protection and transparency in their own company."

Fear of tech replacement: do consultants have to fear for their jobs?

A much-discussed question is how the increasing use of AI will affect the professional future of consultants. Sommer's opinion on this is clear: artificial intelligence is changing the consulting landscape, but is not replacing human expertise, rather complementing it. "AI can process data faster, recognize trends and provide suggestions that consultants can then interpret," says Sommer. While automated routine activities such as test scripts, presentations or code generation are increasingly being taken over by AI, the consultant remains indispensable for context, empathy and supporting change processes. "Consulting means much more than just facts and figures: It's about change management and taking people along in change processes - and AI can't do that," he cautions. AI is "like a navigation system: it shows you the fastest route, but it's still up to the person to decide whether to avoid the traffic jam or make a stopover," Sommer concludes.

Source: CNT Management Consulting

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/ueber-80-prozent-der-schweizer-firmen-nutzen-ki-ohne-plan/