In ten years, Live Lab has developed from a small team into an established agency with almost 30 employees. Now it is taking the next strategic step with its expansion into the Middle East. "Dubai, Riyadh, Doha - these are places where an incredible amount is currently happening," explains co-founder Maximilian Souchay. "There is hardly a more exciting region for live communication at the moment, and we want to be right in the middle of it and help shape these developments."

The economic upturn in the Middle East is visibly characterized by tourism, events and investments in the corresponding infrastructure. The region is increasingly positioning itself as a global hotspot for business, sport and culture. Major international events are attracting audiences from all over the world and creating a growing demand for innovative live communication.

Right time

A key success factor for the expansion that had been sought for years was the right local management. In Ties Hendriks, a former Zurich resident and event expert who has been working in Dubai for years, Live Lab has found the ideal location manager.

"The region is one of the most exciting markets for events and brand experiences," says Hendriks. "The Middle East is a global hub for creativity and innovation - and I'm looking forward to establishing Live Lab here and setting new standards together with local and international partners."

International orientation with a clear goal

With the expansion, the agency now has the opportunity to provide customers in the region with even more targeted support and to further expand its own position on the international market. One example of this is Expo 2025 in Osaka, where Live Lab has a team on site all year round to support various projects.

Ethical innovation is becoming increasingly important. Ethical innovation describes the ability of companies to integrate values and principles into their business models and at the same time further develop their competitiveness. It is not just about complying with legal requirements, but actively making a positive contribution to society. This is what Werner von Allmen, CEO of the Swiss Excellence Forum, writes in the introduction to the conference brochure. Ethical behavior can not only be understood as a moral duty, but also brings other tangible benefits, von Allmen continues. Companies that are aware of their responsibility and actively assume it also enjoy a higher level of trust and loyalty among customers, employees and investors, which leads to a competitive advantage in the long term.

Renowned speakers - and visionaries

This year's program of the Future Leadership Forum on 7 May 2025 is also to be understood in this sense. Thomas Schori, founder and CEO of Tide Ocean SA, will present his company's innovative 3-pillar ethics program. Philosopher and publicist Isolde Charim will speak via online link about the paradoxes of today's economy. Philipp von Michaelis, CEO Global Clearance Solutions AG, and his companies are committed to security and the restoration of habitats worldwide - including through the removal of landmines. In his presentation, he will introduce these activities and then talk about moral compasses and sustainable leadership in the subsequent panel discussion together with Mirjam Brach, Managing Director of Schweizer Paraplegiker Forschung AG and Prof. Dr. Michael Hengarter, President of the ETH Board.

Swiss Ethics Award 2025: The nominees

The Swiss Ethics Award will also be presented as part of the Future Leadership Forum. A jury has nominated five outstanding projects for the Swiss Ethics Award 2025 that stand out for their ethical responsibility and innovative strength:

• 1001 Organic - The Honest Flavor. The company stands for first-class spices directly from Zanzibar and for ethical trade with local spice farmers.
• E. Schellenberg Textildruck AG: Innovative technologies for sustainable textile production
• Lonza Group AG: Responsible procurement
• Max Felchlin AG: Healthcare at the origin of cocoa
• mymyio GmbH: CircularOffice - Revolution through circular economy

The Swiss Ethics Award recognizes ethical projects in business. All of these projects are examples of how companies assume responsibility in a special way and are committed to sustainable and value-oriented corporate management.

Further information and registration for the event: https://www.swiss-excellence-forum.ch/de/events/swiss-ethics-award-2025

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/wo-visionaere-die-zukunft-gestalten/

Sieber&Partners is expanding its management team with Gabriela Eymann. She brings more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry and specializes in digital transformation, change management and the public sector. She has been a Transformation Consultant and Head of Project Consulting at Sieber&Partners since 2018.

"The promotion of Gabriela Eymann is an important step for our company. She not only brings with her extensive knowledge, but also strong skills in leading people and organizations through change processes," says Luigi Caracciolo, CEO of Sieber&Partners.

With this personnel decision, the company is underlining its position as a consultancy for digital transformation and innovative strategies.

It feels like there are almost more award shows in the Swiss marketing and advertising industry than there are mountains in Switzerland. From podcasts, cookie box design, "advertiser of the year" and shopping apps to influencers, just about everything is now being recognized. But which is the best award?

To do this m&k and is launching "The Best Swiss Awards", an award show that aims to give the awards per se a stage. "An award for awards was long overdue," says Karin Estermann, co-owner of the creative agency Inhalt und Form and co-initiator of TBSA. "Finally, the awards themselves are getting the recognition they deserve."

Participation is now open. We are looking for the best entries in the categories "Best Award Show", "Best Diverse Award Show", "Best Award Design", "Best New Award Show Category", "Best Award Show Party", "Best Award Show Acceptance Speech", "Award Show Evergreen", "Best Jury Freakout", "Best Vetterli Economy", "Best Award Show Gossip" and the supreme discipline "Best Casefilm". We are also looking for critical thought leaders for the interdisciplinary expert jury.

"The Best Swiss Awards" recognizes relevant, innovative award concepts and the most creative entries. The aim is to highlight the importance of awards for the Swiss marketing and advertising industry and to give the sponsors a platform. The jury selects the best projects based on eleven categories, ignoring the fact that this is, of course, a harmless April Fool's joke.

The SLK is the self-regulatory body of the communications industry and monitors compliance with the rules for fair commercial communication.

With 221 complaints procedures in 2024, the SLK has reached a new high. A record of 124 proceedings had already been recorded in 2023, but the 200 mark has now been exceeded for the first time. A major factor in this increase was a controversial billboard advertisement by a brothel operator, against which around 100 complaints were received - 70 of them in a single day. The accusation was sexism. The complaints will be dealt with in the first half of 2025.

If this wave of submissions is deducted, the number of complaints procedures remains at the 2023 level. In the long term, the average is around 100 cases per year. The leisure, tourism, hotel and catering sector accounted for the most complaints in 2024 (12.3 %), followed by food and beverages and services and administration (10.9 % each). There was an increase in the areas of trade, industry and services, while mail order, food and home & garden declined.

In the media sector, a third of complaints (33.3 %) related to online advertising, followed by direct marketing (22.6 %) and out-of-home advertising (12.5 %). Social media and product labels were also the subject of proceedings. In terms of content, most complaints concerned misleading advertising, which accounted for 39.6 % of all cases. This also included complaints about greenwashing, i.e. questionable environmental promises. Sexism was the subject of 12.3 % of cases, while aggressive sales methods (21.6%) were on the decline.

More than half of the appeals submitted (52.8 %) were upheld, 34.7 % were rejected and the Boards were unable to hear 12.5 % of the cases. All appeals were rejected. The SLK emphasizes that appeals are often filed with the aim of forcing a reconsideration, which is not the purpose of the procedure.

In addition, public and media interest in the work of the SLK is increasing. In 2024, over 50 media inquiries were received from all parts of the country. Questions about influencer marketing and the transparent labeling of commercial partnerships were particularly frequent. The use of artificial intelligence in advertising and greenwashing were also recurring topics. The SRF format "10 to 10", for example, was dedicated to the question of how AI is used and declared in advertising.

Individual exemplary decisions of the SLK are in the activity report to read.

New AI, cloud and IT solutions are constantly coming onto the market. However, companies need to plan carefully how they want to use these innovations. Unisys recently announced the Top IT Insights that will determine the future of new technologies. These insights illustrate the short-term potential of new technologies and show how managers can use them for long-term growth.

1. natural language is playing an increasingly important role in the interaction between AI and humans

The focus is shifting from training people to use AI to teaching AI to understand people. This is a significant change that will enable companies to use conversational approaches when interacting with AI tools. There will also be more voice and gesture-based interfaces that make AI more intuitive and accessible across devices.

2. small language models and edge computing are the next stage of development

Contrary to the motto "bigger is better", smaller specialized AI models in business applications are often more efficient than large ones. To ensure the right AI-powered models are used, organizations should identify when fast, local AI processing is required and when edge computing solutions are needed to protect sensitive data. Edge deployment, for example, can reduce the organization's costs while improving security and latency. These solutions provide more accurate outcomes for organizations to meet their unique requirements.

3. the hybrid cloud is on the rise

The cloud-first era is changing as rising costs are causing companies to re-evaluate the benefits of on-premises solutions. The focus is on the comparison between cloud costs and business value. Decisions need to be made as to which workloads should be operated locally and which in the cloud. Clear criteria for future migration decisions are becoming more important, while strategic infrastructure management and in-depth expertise are becoming increasingly important in the face of rising cloud costs.

4 Post-quantum cryptography: from theory to practice

Data stolen today could be decrypted by quantum computers tomorrow, which is why quantum-safe encryption is necessary. It is important to start implementing post-quantum cryptography standards, identify systems that need quantum-safe encryption, and create timelines for cryptography updates.

5. young professionals are the role model for an AI-supported workforce

Younger employees are "digital natives" and are often more comfortable with new technologies such as AI. It is important to continue hiring entry-level employees to attract digital talent, develop AI training programs and create mentoring opportunities that encourage the adoption and use of this technology. Success comes from combining new perspectives with proven expertise. Young talent is critical to continued growth.

6 The sweet spot for hybrid work is three days

The ideal office schedule is neither fully mobile nor fully present, but includes three days of presence. Hybrid work schedules should be structured around these three office days, designing spaces for collaboration and increasing virtual integration tools. A balance between face-to-face interaction and flexible remote working is crucial to optimize productivity and employee retention. Office spaces should be redesigned to maximize collaboration on in-person days.

7 Energy-efficient AI becomes a competitive advantage

Digitalization, rapid advances in AI technology and slow improvements in energy efficiency have significantly increased the demand for data centers, which has a significant impact on global energy markets. The demand for data centers in Europe will continue to increase. According to a recent Study the demand for data centers in Europe will increase to around 35 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, compared to 10 GW today. To meet this new IT demand, investments of more than 250 to 300 billion US dollars will be needed in data center infrastructure to meet this demand. However, the increasing energy consumption of AI could become a significant burden if efficiency is not improved. It is important to measure the energy consumption of AI, research efficient model architectures and consider sustainability when making decisions about AI deployment. With rising IT costs and energy requirements, efficiency is critical.

8 Global standards will shape the future of AI compliance

Companies need to localize AI operations to meet regional data requirements, bucking the trend towards cloud globalization. AI governance frameworks need to be implemented, regional data sovereignty requirements considered and clear employee guidelines for AI usage established. Robust compliance strategies are required due to varying global regulations. A flexible, region-specific approach to AI governance and data management is required.

Conclusion: clear technological vision required

These eight insights show that technological developments require both short-term action and long-term strategies. Companies are facing a crucial phase in which AI is becoming increasingly intuitive, IT architectures are becoming more complex and working models are evolving. These changes bring both opportunities and challenges.

The right balance between innovation and stability is important. If companies act too hesitantly, they risk being left behind. However, if they act too quickly and without careful planning, they risk their future viability. A clear technological vision and the ability to respond flexibly to change are crucial to future success in the dynamic business world.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/technologie-im-wandel-it-insights-fuer-2025/

With around 130,000 members, the Association of German Engineers (VDI e.V.) forms a multidisciplinary network that helps to shape and influence pioneering developments. As an important German technical regulator, the association pools expertise and makes an important contribution to ensuring progress and prosperity. The association, which is also known internationally, is active throughout Germany, at regional and local level, in state associations and district associations. The foundation is formed by around 10,000 volunteer experts who contribute their knowledge and experience - including in regularly published guidelines.

One such guideline, VDI 3405 Sheet 5.1, has now also been published on the topic of "additive manufacturing" (e.g. 3D printing). The guideline is aimed at all stakeholders in additive manufacturing - from suppliers of additive manufacturing systems to design engineers and manufacturing service providers to lawyers who deal with the specific challenges of a digitalized manufacturing chain. It includes basic information on the sequence of process chains, quality management, as well as contractual and liability law specifics.

The guideline is also based on an explanatory presentation of the process chain and the associated data formats and types. This basic information and the detailed specialist knowledge promote cooperation between lawyers and technicians in equal measure: Lawyers gain the necessary technical understanding to assess the legal relevance of individual production steps, while technicians, planners, designers and service providers are enabled to gain an overview of the legal scope of their projects and to draft legally compliant contracts. Overall, the guideline is essential to meet the challenges of additive manufacturing.

The directive VDI 3405 Sheet 5.1 "Additive manufacturing processes - Legal aspects of the process chain" was published in March 2025 by the VDI Society for Production and Logistics (GPL) and is available for €153.50 from DIN Media available.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/rechtliche-aspekte-fuer-additive-fertigung/

The Annual industry meeting "Sport Tourism Forum" moves to the Google Cloud and sets an example for transformation. Around 40 experts will discuss how AI is revolutionizing travel planning, how digital platforms are redefining outdoor sports and whether hiking can be a sustainable alternative to traditional winter tourism all year round.

AI and digital platforms as drivers

Whether booking platforms, interactive tools or technical assistants - data-based solutions are increasingly shaping destination management. The TTA-VConnector, a tool for the intelligent networking of travel planning, will show how tourism regions can use these developments. Komoot and Decathlon will also be presenting strategies for reaching outdoor communities digitally. Practical examples will illustrate how data-driven innovations are shaping sports tourism.

Year-round hiking as an alternative to ski tourism?

Winter hiking, urban hiking and specialized hiking villages are establishing themselves as alternatives to skiing. Representatives of the Swiss Hiking Trails, the Austrian Hiking Villages and the German Hiking Association discuss what infrastructure is needed and how destinations are responding to this trend.

Generation Z: travelers with new priorities

Generation Z travels differently to previous generations. Shorter but more frequent trips, a growing focus on individuality and a willingness to spend more on winter experiences characterize their behaviour. Alexander Dyskin from Simon-Kucher explains how destinations should respond to this.

New formats: From e-ski to gamification

The increasing demand for yoga retreats, fitness festivals and classic sports camps reflects the changing needs of travelers. What formats can tourist regions use to create added value? E-skiing, for example, promises a new form of mobility in the mountains, while digital reward systems such as the Alpenbrevet Extended strengthen guest loyalty. The forum will show which concepts have already been successfully implemented.

Cybercrime is a growing risk in Switzerland. The latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO): 59,034 crimes involving digital crimes were registered in 2024, more than doubling since 2020. Cybercrime accounts for over 90 %, including hacking, fraud on classified ad platforms and phishing - risks to which online platforms are inherently exposed.

The SMG Swiss Marketplace Group is responding to this development and considers itself responsible. That is why it invests millions every year in state-of-the-art security technologies, prevention work and user education.

SMG with integrated security architecture on several levels

SMG relies on a security strategy that combines technology, prevention and cooperation with authorities and specialist alliances. These include:

• Digital identity & login: Introduction of passwordless login and adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA) on several platforms. Ricardo is one of the pioneers in Europe with "Smart Push MFA".
• Risk-based security approach: Decisions are based on rule-based, increasingly AI-supported assessments for context-related security, depending on the action and user behavior.
• Cross-platform collaboration: Insights and security solutions are used across platforms to provide maximum protection across the entire network.
• Verification by means of Know-Your-Customer (KYC): Semi-automated identity verification; now fully autonomous on the General Marketplaces.
• Close collaboration with law enforcement authorities: Including an automated portal that considerably speeds up the exchange with authorities.
• Commitment to standards: Memberships of digitalswitzerland and the FIDO Alliance underline the commitment to digital security at national and international level.

Phishing and prevention: raising awareness is key

Phishing remains a popular gateway for fraudsters - often via deceptively genuine websites, for example for fake parcel services or payment portals. According to the FSO, the number of such attacks rose by 56.2 % in 2024. The "antiphishing.ch" platform even recorded over 975,000 suspicious activity reportsThis enabled 20,872 phishing websites to be identified (+108 % compared to the previous year). In around two thirds of cases, Swiss brand names, including Ricardo, were misused.

SMG has its own process for the rapid removal of fraudulent websites. Nevertheless, it is not technically possible to completely prevent phishing attacks. SMG therefore relies on targeted user education - with campaigns, platform information, FAQs, social media, newsletters and blog posts. In addition, SMG is conducting national awareness campaigns together with Swiss Crime Prevention (SCP) to draw attention to the risks of classified ad fraud.

SMG also promotes security awareness among its employees: An open security culture is established with the annual "Cybersecurity Month", ongoing internal training and a bug bounty program that also rewards external tips.

Maximum security when buying second-hand

Since 2024, the Ricardo platform has offered an additional, optional security function with "MoneyGuard". This makes private online transactions even more secure and trustworthy, which promotes sustainable trade in second-hand products. MoneyGuard protects buyers and sellers alike: Payments are made before shipping, but are only released once receipt and quality of the goods have been confirmed - protecting against forms of fraud such as non-delivery, non-payment or wildly differing product descriptions. Thanks to all security measures, including MoneyGuard, the fraud rate on Ricardo was reduced to less than 0.3 % of all transactions in 2024.

Digital security remains the focus of SMG

The threat situation in the digital space will remain dynamic in the future. The actual number of cyber fraud cases is also likely to be far higher than the figures reported by the FSO. For SMG, digital security is therefore an ongoing task with the highest priority. Protection mechanisms will continue to be developed on an ongoing basis, rolled out across platforms and invested in raising awareness among users and employees.

Source: Swiss Marketplace Group

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/smg-investiert-gezielt-in-digitale-sicherheit/

French-speaking Switzerland is experiencing strong economic growth. As a strategically important region for the healthcare sector, finance and research, it is home to important national and international hubs. The new Furrerhugi site on Rue du Bourg is located in the immediate vicinity of the political institutions of the canton of Vaud. In this way, the agency aims to further expand its role as a bridge-builder between the linguistic regions and bring the perspectives of French-speaking Switzerland into the national discourse in a targeted manner.

Newsletter in French

The Furrerhugi newsletter is now also published in French with content from French-speaking Switzerland. Every month, "Influence" analyzes political, economic and social issues, provides in-depth background reports and stimulates public debate.

"We have been supporting companies from French-speaking Switzerland in their expansion into German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino for years. Now we are strengthening our presence in French-speaking Switzerland in order to better connect the economic players with each other - across language borders," explains Chrystel Domenjoz, Furrerhugi's partner for French-speaking Switzerland and former producer of the RTS program "Forum".

"As a national agency, we are convinced of the importance of local roots," adds CEO Andreas Hugi. "Our employees are at home in all language regions. Our team in French-speaking Switzerland combines expert knowledge with a first-class network in the cantons of French-speaking Switzerland. This benefits both our customers in French-speaking Switzerland and those from other language regions who want to develop further in French-speaking Switzerland."

"The Pilot Suisse team impressed us from the very first meeting with their many years of detailed expertise in the Swiss market and their feel for the essentials," says Nicolas Bill, Head of Marketing at Obi Switzerland, explaining the decision. "We deliberately chose Pilot Suisse for the Swiss market because we not only found an agency with excellent market knowledge, but also a partner that thinks beyond national borders. The Pilot agency group already successfully supports Obi Germany, which allows us to create valuable synergies and further develop our brand strategy in Switzerland in an even more targeted manner."

Ahmad Hoteit, Managing Partner of Pilot Suisse, is delighted: "Especially as a young media agency, we are delighted to have such a well-known client as Obi - especially because it is a very exciting task to quickly make such a challenger brand visible in the local market environment."

"It's great to see that the USPs with which we launched in Switzerland last year are being accepted and appreciated by clients and are working as a decision criterion for our agency," adds Ben Moser, Managing Partner of Pilot Suisse.

The conference was entirely dedicated to the rapid development of AI in marketing. As it was already very well received, the organizer decided to expand the event from two to four stages. Among others, Sabine Lehmann from Google Deepmind, Claudio Mirti from Microsoft, Dr. Imanol Schlag from the ETH AI Center and Ivana Lachner from Adobe took to the stage.

In keynotes, masterclasses and panels, the 32 experts shared their knowledge on topics such as generative AI, the automation of marketing processes and the legal challenges involved in using AI. Particular attention was paid to the practical use of tools for producing texts, images and videos as well as for optimizing marketing strategies.

"We want to prepare marketing managers in Switzerland for the challenges of the AI future and ensure that they have the right tools and knowledge to be successful in an AI-driven world," says Tanja Herrmann, founder and managing director of the "AI in Marketing Conference". Participants were shown how important it is to get to grips with the technology at an early stage in order to remain competitive and develop future-oriented marketing strategies.

The next edition will take place on April 23, 2026.

Source and further information: https://www.ai-in-marketing.ch/