Under the motto "Together at the Start", the two managing directors Beat Sengstag, WIKA System AG and Thierry Walt, Ambit AG and their management teams are ushering in a new era and becoming the 'Digital Business Enabler' for innovative medium-sized businesses that want to drive digitalization in their companies. The two entrepreneurs are inspired by the fastest Swiss woman, Mujinga Kambundji.

The goal of the Ambit Group is to take a leading position in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 market with the new joint venture. With the merger, Ambit Group sees itself in a position to offer customers the optimal solution in the areas of CRM and ERP. "Thanks to our expertise and specialists, we can offer holistic end-to-end process solutions from a single source," said Beat Sengstag and Thierry Walt, "Ambit Group acts as an enabler for digital business transformations and aims to secure competitive advantages and long-term success for its customers."

Unique selling proposition thanks to expertise

Ambit Group employs 75 people at 7 locations in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Singapore. According to the company, these are passionate Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Dynamics AX and Microsoft CRM) experts and have won the trust of national and international companies from a wide range of industries such as trade, machinery, process, finance, construction and services. Acting locally and implementing internationally is what Ambit Group calls its unique selling proposition, which its teams have been able to acquire over decades thanks to many international projects. In addition, the employees have already supported numerous multinational groups of companies in their holistic global orientation.

The Ambit Group stands for a company that implements the optimal and appropriate solution for mapping business processes for its customers to give them an edge over the competition, according to the company's statement. Combined, the companies successfully implemented over 300 projects. The Ambit Group wants to continue this success with a focus on a holistic business approach, whose consulting approach increasingly starts at the strategic level and supports the digital transformation into the operational business, and create the basis for a sustainable and strategic business relationship within the framework of a coordinated support structure, it continues.

More information: WIKA Systems, Ambit

Renowned Swiss companies such as Google, SAP, Postfinance, IAB Switzerland or KMU Swiss, more than 40 top experts, inspiring keynotes and practice-relevant learning workshops will shape the event, according to the organizers. "The Digital Summit for SMEs is an important milestone on the road to digital transformation. That's why we are actively involved as a partner for this congress with learning workshops!" said Nicolas Bürer from the event's sponsoring organization, digitalswitzerland. In over 30 learning workshops, CEOs and decision-makers from SMEs will learn how to successfully exploit the opportunities offered by digitization. Other highlights will include two special events for SMEs from mountain regions as well as startups and company founders.

Answers to the question: Start digitization - yes, but how?

Today, you hardly need to explain what digitization means. Almost everyone uses online stores, social media, Google Ads or simply the smartphone. Rather, the crucial question is, how do you do it right? How do you build successful web stores and use social media profitably for your company? What does one start with in the first place? "Our goal is to meet entrepreneurs where they are and to answer the question of "how" with concrete solutions and practical tools," says Thomas Bergmann, Digital Head & Project Manager Digital Summit for SMEs.

What awaits the participants?

Participants can expect concrete answers and solutions, tools and checklists to take home. These will be presented and prepared in a practical manner by top experts in digital business such as Prof. Martina Dalla Vecchia and Dr. Marc Peter, FHNW, Roger Baur, IAB Switzerland, Rolf Schumann, SAP, Jörg Eugster, Netbusiness, Benedikt Bitzi, Google or Beat Bühlmann, Evernote and many more. The accompanying SME Digital EXPO enables direct personal exchange with the experts. The Digital Summit for SMEs thus offers the necessary orientation, assistance and know-how in just two days, in a form that has not been possible in Switzerland so far, the organizers are convinced.

What are the topics?

All relevant aspects for successful digitization will be addressed. The focus is on:

• Digital transformation: New strategies, processes and business areas must be defined. Digitalization is one of the key factors for maintaining competitiveness.
• Digital Leadership: The working world of tomorrow needs new leadership structures! Employees and communication are changing fundamentally. Strong hierarchies and rigid leadership styles are considered outdated.
• Digital marketing: How do you find your customers in the future? How is the market changing? The digital transformation affects customers' information behavior and purchase decision processes!

The target group is primarily entrepreneurs of medium-sized companies, innovative managing directors and cadre employees (C-level), small entrepreneurs, start-ups, solopreneurs, company founders and SMEs from mountain regions.

"Digital Summit on Tour„

Even after the congress premiere at the end of August, participants will continue to be supported on their way with information and tools. Ewa Ming's ideas even go one step further: "For the first time, a knowledge congress will go on tour. With the 'Digital Summit on Tour', we will be on site in many Swiss cities and thus close to our customers. In this way, we are providing a sustained transfer of knowledge in the digitization of companies in Switzerland. In addition, thematic workshops and inspiring think tanks will be organized at the MfO Mehrwertfabrik Oerlikon. Speakers, partners, participants and sponsors will be involved 365 days and network".

More information and registration: Early bird tickets are now available at: http://www.digital-summit-kmu.ch/tickets/. Important: All registered participants automatically receive discounts for the subsequent events of the "Digital Summit on Tour.

The goal of the non-profit initiative NüGlarus is to promote innovation in the canton. "Many SMEs are too small to drive real innovation forward on their own," says Roberto Balmer, president of the initiative. It's about observing technologies, developing new business models (pricing models, products processes, customer segments) and then implementing them, he says. NüGlarus now wants to enable local companies to take advantage of economies of scale that they do not have on their own and to exchange experiences. Problems are jointly evaluated and quickly and inexpensively solved via proven partners such as Glaronia Informatik AG or the Digitallab of the University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil HSR (e.g. in the "virtual reality" area). The co-innovation platform is openly defined and will be constructed around the innovation potential of Glarus companies in the coming months. The basis for this is the St. Gallen Business Model.

A lot of work for the platform

In order to better assess the innovation potentials and the innovation problems that most concern entrepreneurs in the canton, a live survey was also conducted at the Entrepreneur Lunch. This survey revealed the following Top10 potentials for innovation (by number of mentions):

1. Technology monitoring (for 51%)
2. Personalization of products using Big Data (49%)
3. Internet of Things (44%)
4. Online Shop (41%)
5. Social media marketing (41%)
6. New forms of cooperation for the SME innovation process (39%)
7. Cloud and Online Collaboration (39%)
8. Privacy (39%)
9. Website / App (39%)
10. Telecom Connections (37%)

The result now forms a clear mandate for focus in the selection of topics and partners to the co-leader of the NüGlarus co-innovation platform, Thomas Schiesser.

Data highway to pave the way

One of these urgent problems has already been addressed with the new data highway implemented by Technische Betriebe im Glarnerland and HIAG DATA. The fastest and cheapest data highway in the Alps has now been successfully in operation for over a month at the anchor customer, the Glarner Kantonalbank, as its CIO and Vice President of NüGlarus, Ralf Luchsinger described in detail and enthusiastically at the event. Marti Zopfi, CEO of Technische Betriebe Glarus, presented all the new products and prices for the municipality of Glarus at the event, which are to be realized in the area of corporate connections and Internet on this basis in the coming months.

Kick-off on September 6

All other topics and innovation potential will be taken up at a kick-off meeting of the NüGlarus innovation group on September 6, led by Thomas Schiesser. Step by step and with external partners, NüGlarus then wants to ensure that any company that gets involved there will quickly and inexpensively come up with a solution that has the potential to change the market. The first Glarus startup incubator, Linklabs, is also scheduled to launch in the fall to support NüGlarus and, above all, the Glarus startup world.

Speaking on behalf of the local SMEs, Thomas Marti, CEO of Marti Engineering, welcomed the data highway and called on those present to take advantage of the momentum of NüGlarus now, to join in and be bold. On September 6, he said, large and medium-sized established Glarus companies were particularly in demand. In an increasingly dynamic economy, it is often they who, with their actions today, will decide the success or failure of a region in 10 years' time and who can most easily raise the means and opportunities today to dare more together.

Public administration too little customer-oriented

The present entrepreneurs were also asked where they are hindered in their innovation by the public administration. Almost 50% of the local entrepreneurs would like to see a stronger customer orientation of the public administration, as the short survey showed. A lack of e-government in various areas, unclear regulations and time-consuming and costly approval procedures are also a thorn in the side of entrepreneurs. A NüGlarus working group has therefore set itself the task of developing new ideas for public administration.

In addition to the inclusion of local companies in the Co-Innovation Channel on September 6, NüGlarus will also organize a national event in Ziegelbrücke on October 18, where the regional and national ambitions of the initiative will be outlined for the first time. In particular, it will be shown how the idea can also be implemented in other regions of eastern Switzerland. Registrations are also possible for this soon.

Source and further information

Indian yoga guru and relaxation expert Deepak Yadav from La Clairière Bio & Spa Hotel in Alsace gives five helpful SOS tips for stressed managers.

Give yourself breaks!

If you take small breaks during work and recharge your batteries a bit, you'll usually get more done than if you work through it all the time. Basically, two active mini-breaks are particularly recommended. Use them for a small meditation session: open the window, stand upright and close your eyes. Listen to the sounds wafting in from outside. Take a deep breath in with your arms above your head and lower them as you exhale. Repeat this exercise three times: you will see, you already feel much more rested.

Green tea

Anyone who feels stressed should keep their hands off coffee. Contrary to the assumption that coffee strengthens the nerves, it mainly causes heart palpitations in tense people. If you're looking for inner peace, it's best to turn to green tea. Instead of caffeine, it contains theanine - a substance with calming properties.

Hand massage

You don't need a professional to give you a hand massage with a calming effect: simply provide yourself with some relaxation. To do this, stroke the thumb of your other hand over the palm with gentle pressure, starting with the muscle of the ball of the thumb. Take about three to four minutes per hand.  

Cold water

Hard to believe, but really true: Cold water helps against stress. Because on the inside of the wrist as well as behind the ears are important arteries that have an impact on the overall well-being. If you drip some cold water on these areas, you will immediately experience a calming effect.

Do sports

Those who find enough time should opt for a little exercise. It's the panacea for numerous aches and pains - especially stress and inner tension. Sometimes even a walk through the neighborhood helps. Even better - if it's possible - are small, ten-minute yoga sessions outdoors, because they bring the pulse back down and ensure a clear head. Here are a few simple exercises by yoga expert Deepak Yadav for in-between sessions that even stressed-out managers can do:

• Dog Looking Down - Adho Mukha Svanasana. Granted: This exercise is not for the open office, but maybe you can find a quiet corner for the dog looking down. The starting position for this exercise is the quadruped stance. The hands are just below the shoulders. Now put your toes up and push your buttocks up as far as they will go with your arms and legs at the same time. Stretch the legs through, if possible the heels touch the floor or are at least as far as possible on the floor. The head is lowered during this exercise, the gaze is directed to the knees. If the stretch in the legs is felt uncomfortable, you can take small steps on the spot with your feet to loosen up.
• Half rotating seat - Matsyendrasana. Sit on the floor with legs straight and back straight. The left leg is positioned, the right is stretched. Now the foot of the left leg is placed against the outside of the right knee. The legs are now crossed. Turn your upper body so that you can see over your left shoulder and bend your right arm. With your elbow, gently apply pressure against the outside of the bent leg. Hold for one minute and then switch legs.
• Tree - Vrksasana.  Stand upright with your feet parallel. Keep your back straight and knees loose. Now shift the weight to the left foot, the right one is placed against the inside of the upper thigh. Place your palms in front of your chest in a prayer position. Afterwards, the hands, which are placed together, move over the head. If you find it difficult to keep your balance at first, it is best to fix your eyes on a point around you, a treetop or a flower.

If these little tips don't help in the long run, you may need some time off from your daily routine....

Source and further information

An overcrowded Pfalzkeller with an active audience of around 200 people heard a report on the experiences of someone affected that got under their skin: "It was only after Thusis that I finally came halfway around. In the morning, I left everything as if in a trance, apparently got into the car and stopped before the Bernardino tunnel and turned around again. But not in order to report to work again, but as if I had been driven by someone else, I drove to Bad Ragaz, where I took a room and isolated myself. These first words of an affected person gave the audience a first-hand impression of what the topic of "mental crisis" is probably all about. When it is not fatigue, overwork, nervousness or stress that are the main issues, but a "disengagement" that is on the agenda.

Company reacted early

After the introductory welcome by Dr. Andreas Hartmann, President of the Cantonal Trade Association St.Gallen, the discussion round for this year's forum started.Integration led by moderator Bruno Schnellmann, co-leader of Profil - Handicap&Work.

The example of the company swissplast AG from Sargans was used to show the way of an employee back into the company. The owner and the production manager of swissplast impressively described how important it was to react quickly to the psychological crisis of the previously very reliable employee by staying in contact with her during her illness.

Interaction with consultants

Future changes in the workplace were discussed and planned together. Cooperation with the IV integration consultant played an important role in this. According to Prof. Dr.med. Wolfram Kawohl, Chief Physician Psychiatric Services Aargau, it is possible to continue working despite mental illness in many more cases than previously thought. The scope of the job can be changed to create a better fit between the employee and the workplace. It turns out that job coaching is important for all parties involved and brings relief in the process design. The job coach as a translator between the parties involved, as a lynchpin of the different interests and needs, is decisive in many cases.

Integration as the normal case

The IV integration consultant was able to point out the state co-financing and report on the consultations that were needed at the swissplast company to bring everyone involved, including the employees, to the table until it was finally possible to "get back" the deserving employee. It should be noted that it was not done with one meeting, it took two or three attempts until she and the team were able to vote again. In the end, it was worth it.

The experts present from the medical, legal, social insurance and private insurance sectors and from the field of job coaching answered questions that arise for employers and employees in connection with the return to work. For the many company representatives present, it was possible to show how paths back to work can be successful. Thus, this forum is an important contribution to the fact that such integrations can be "normal" and are definitely worthwhile - worthwhile compared to dismissals and new hires.

More information: www.forumimpfalzkeller.ch

The "Arbeitskreis Interim Management Provider" (AIMP) - by its own account the most important association of interim management providers in German-speaking Europe - presented the "Interim Manager of the Year" award for the seventh time on April 22. The award winner, Dr. Patrick Jung, has been working as an interim manager since 2006. Since then, he has had more than 10 successful assignments as CEO, division and project manager, of which AIMP provider member Top Fifty AG in Zug arranged eight mandates. Jung holds a doctorate in engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and spent many years in permanent positions managing companies for electrotechnical solutions. Today, his many years of management experience are in demand in a wide variety of industrial companies. He is a generalist who masters both the technical and the business side. He often works on turnaround projects. Jung has also continuously developed as an interim manager during his self-employment and is now a sought-after expert.

"I am passionate about interim management"

Anyone who wants to successfully build up a network and make a name for themselves in interim management has to work hard. Thanks to his great commitment and correspondingly successful mandates, Patrick Jung is also permanently booked out, as the saying goes. He sees his career as a path with many high points, but also difficult moments: "I'm passionate about interim management and, by taking on management responsibility on an interim basis, I want to develop and implement sustainable solutions together with the management team."

Renowned network

Jung not only supports his clients in managing their businesses sustainably and profitably, he often accompanies his clients on the company's board of directors after the operational activities have been completed. Patrick Jung is an Associate Partner at Top Fifty Interim Management in Zug. For more than 20 years, the company has been placing executives with above-average professional and life experience for demanding interim or project management. Three members of the Top Fifty network have already been awarded "Interim Manager of the Year".

More information: www.top50interim.com

Urs Weber (49) has been responsible for Professional Services at Sage Schweiz AG since 2015. He has now taken over as Head of Product Delivery and is responsible for the development of the local Sage products Sage Start, Sage 50 Extra and Sage 200 Extra. The graduate computer scientist has many years of experience in the software industry. Among other things, he headed the e-business division at ALSO Schweiz AG and was responsible for setting up and managing the Business Intelligence Competence Center at Bison Schweiz AG.

Edwin Bütikofer (62) is relinquishing management after 12 years and will also step down from the Executive Board of Sage Schweiz AG as of July 31, 2017. He will remain with Sage as Product Manager responsible for Sage 200 Extra. Edwin Bütikofer on this decision: "I have now been with the company for 30 years, including over a decade in the management of one of the leading software houses in Switzerland. It was always clear to me that my path would lead me 'back to the roots'. Namely to the product Sage 200 Extra, the former Simultan."

Marc Ziegler, Country Manager Sage Switzerland: "We are pleased that Edwin Bütikofer with his enormous know-how will remain with us and that we have been able to find an accomplished successor in Urs Weber. We will focus our investments on the expansion of our products Sage Start, Sage 50 Extra and Sage 200 Extra, especially on the industry solution for nursing homes and institutions for the disabled. In doing so, we are keeping an eye on the growing requirements of digitization. For example, all products are already ready for the new Swiss payment transactions with ISO 20022 standard."

Following the change in management, Professional Services will be led by Felix Hegi on an interim basis. Recruitment for this position is currently underway.

Source and further information: Sage Switzerland

Big day on June 21, 2017 in Oberengstringen just outside Zurich: Equinix announces the completion of the second expansion phase of the International Business Exchange ™ (IBX) Datacenter ZH5. The expansion created an additional 900 square meters of data center space and 280 cabinets at ZH5 to meet the ever-growing demand for connectivity and co-location. Equinix invested approximately USD 18 million, underscoring both its growth in Switzerland and the importance of the Zurich region as a business location. As digitalization has become a strategic business principle, Equinix offers companies direct connectivity to network service providers as well as international cloud service providers such as Amazon, Microsoft Azure, Google and Softlayer. But Equinix also offers its data center services to "smaller" customers, such as those who want to operate a private cloud and rely on the high data security standards in Switzerland. "In a way, we are the enablers of digitalization," said Roger Semprini, Managing Director of Equinix Switzerland, at a media orientation.

New use of the former flower exchange

The ZH5 data center was opened in 2013 in the former flower exchange in Oberengstringen. With a total of around 6,670 square meters, the site is Equinix's largest data center in the Zurich area when completed and houses one of the most important Internet nodes in Switzerland. Expansion work began in October 2016, driven by high demand for data center space and interconnection from the financial community, cloud providers and the telecommunications market in this important economic region.

ZH5 is connected to the other Equinix IBX data centers in Zurich via a fiber optic ring line, creating a high-performance, interconnection-ready campus for the greater region. In total, Equinix hosts more than 90 network providers, more than 60 cloud service providers, about 40 financial companies, and more than 20 content providers and enterprise customers each at its data centers in Zurich. In other words: Streaming services such as Netflix and the various social media platforms only function thanks to such data centers.

Further expansion planned

Zurich is an important interconnection and financial center in Switzerland and centrally located in Europe, Zurich is a key location from which to reach all European destinations in a maximum of 30 milliseconds. Roger Semprini explains, "Switzerland, in the heart of Europe, is a key market for Equinix with an ever-increasing demand for data center space. That is why we are continuously investing in our sites to meet our customers' needs for highly secure and high performance data centers. Equinix plays an important role in helping enterprises future-proof their IT operations by interconnecting people, sites, clouds and data. Today, we can announce the completion of the second phase of expansion at the ZH5 IBX data center - with the next phase already planned."

More information: www.equinix.ch

The latest Switzerland country report of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), the largest international study on entrepreneurship, shows a great reluctance among young people to want to start their own company one day. The 2016/2017 edition of the study, authored by the Fribourg School of Economics (HSW-FR), in collaboration with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), examines for the first time regional differences according to the seven major regions (from the Federal Statistical Office) and the spatial types of Switzerland's new regional policy NRP. Within the framework of the study, 3500 interviews were conducted.

8.2% of Swiss people started their own business between 2013 and 2016

The framework conditions in Switzerland are generally viewed positively, and the conditions for starting a business are better in Switzerland than in comparable countries. Nevertheless, only 8.2% of the Swiss have embarked on an entrepreneurial adventure in recent years. This is a slight increase (+ 0.9%) compared with 2015, but Switzerland still ranks below the average of comparable innovation-based economies (9.1%), such as the United States, Canada or Australia.

Entrepreneurship is not a real career choice

In 2016, 43.3% of the Swiss believed they had enough experience and skills to start their own business. But starting a business is only an option for a minority: 38.9% of the population considers it a good career choice, compared to 77.9% in the Netherlands, 68.8% in Portugal, 65.5% of Canadians, or 64.2% of Israelis. And only 7.9% of the Swiss are willing to become entrepreneurs and start a new business in the next three years. Entrepreneurial careers still do not seem to have the necessary positive appeal among the Swiss population.

Switzerland in the back ranks

Among young people aged 18-24, the transition to entrepreneurship is indeed problematic. Although many of the young respondents consider an entrepreneurial career a good career choice (44.2% of them), only a small minority (13.6%) consider that they have the necessary foundations to start their own business. And only a quarter (25.5%) recognize interesting business opportunities in the place where they live. In an international comparison, Switzerland clearly lags behind here: only one young person in their thirties is currently starting a business or is at the helm of a startup. A figure that puts Switzerland in the back ranks of comparable innovation-strong economies (23rd place in a comparison of 27 countries). In the Netherlands, nearly one in five already knows the joys and challenges of entrepreneurship....

How can you get young people excited about entrepreneurship?

Are these signs of a lack of self-confidence? Or does the young Swiss generation not want to leave its own comfort zone and employee status? The results suggest that the course toward entrepreneurial incentives and education is being set too late. How, therefore, can entrepreneurial spirit and innovative behavior be taught during compulsory schooling? According to Rico Baldegger, Director of HSW-FR, "the success of our first edition of the ADOPRENEURS summer camp, which we organized in the summer of 2016 for young people aged 13 to 16, clearly shows that young people are waiting for such initiatives. Even more, the way of entrepreneurial education, including the post-compulsory level, needs to be fundamentally rethought. We need to get students out of the classroom and into the practice of the real business world, especially that of startups. The Swiss education system needs to do a better job of fostering creativity in young people and encouraging them to think outside the box and away from traditional careers."

Women less involved in entrepreneurial activities

The situation analysis from a gender perspective shows that women are less likely to engage in entrepreneurship today than they were about a decade ago. From 22.9% in 2003, the rate increased to almost 50% between 2011 and 2014 - a figure close to parity with men - but drops again to 32.2% in 2016. This could be interpreted as the 2008 financial crisis pushing women to start new businesses "out of necessity". Furthermore, the overall situation of the labor market has improved in recent years, and may therefore have diminished their entrepreneurial ambitions. The balance between work and family life also seems likely to be a factor in this significant decline.

Source and more information

>>venture>> is organized by ETH Zurich, McKinsey & Company Switzerland, Knecht Holding, the Federal Commission for Technology and Innovation, and EPFL. In addition, 31 renowned Swiss companies, institutions and media partners support the startup competition. In this year's >>venture>> edition, 325 people in 203 teams participated: 95 submitted their business ideas and 108 their business plans. The top teams tackled topics from the fields of medical technology, biotechnology, pharmacology, aerospace, geology, and information technology.

The winners

The jury and advisory board selected Lumigbo as the best business plan and ReflectUS as the best business idea from the submitted business plans and business ideas. TWIICE has won the SRF/RTS Audience Award.

1st place - best business plan: Lumigbo (ETH Zurich/EPFL, Lausanne)

The problem with existing implant solutions is that the curing process of the filling material cannot be controlled. Lumigbo has developed a material that can be cured using light. By using the material, implants (e.g. in dental procedures) can be built up and hardened step by step directly in the body.

1st place- best business idea: ReflectUS (ETH Zurich)

Breast cancer diagnosis usually means considerable stress for patients: Mammography exposes them to X-ray radiation, and squeezing the breast during the examination is usually painful. ReflectUS is developing an examination device based on ultrasound technology. It allows radiation-free diagnosis and enables a more comfortable examination.

Audience Award: TWIICE (EPFL, Lausanne)

TWIICE is developing a modular exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to regain independence in their daily activities. Patients can stand, walk and climb stairs again with the exoskeleton. Unlike existing exoskeleton solutions, TWIICE's modular exoskeleton can be specifically adapted to patients' needs.

Not only prize money

The >>venture>> awards ceremony is about much more than the total prize money of CHF 170,000, the organizers say: "For 20 years, we have been improving the chances of success for budding entrepreneurs by imparting knowledge, coaching and expanding their network," explains Dr. Thomas Knecht, former director of McKinsey & Company Switzerland and founder of the competition. "On the day of the awards ceremony, all participants also get the opportunity to meet investors in 1:1 meetings, and the best teams present themselves to interested groups of investors," he adds. The quality of the projects submitted for the startup competition is very high, Dr. Thomas Knecht adds. Selecting the best teams from the many good projects was a great challenge for the judges, he says.

The other award winners

2nd-5th place business plan >>venture>> 2017

2nd place Haelixa (ETH Zurich): DNA-based markers for industry that are neither toxic nor radioactive.
3rd place Rainbow Biosystem (Eawag, Zurich): Fish cell-based biosensor system that can determine toxicity in water.
4th place Vibwife (Switzerland Innovation Park, Biel/Bienne): mobilization mattress that ensures a correct body position during birth.
5th place ASTROCAST (EPFL, Lausanne): Builds a network of nanosatellites with technical support from ESA (European Space Agency).

2nd to 5th place business idea >>venture>> 2017

2nd place Struckd (ZhdK, Zurich): Struckd closes the gap between the two trends gamification (e.g. for advertising content) and user-generated game content.
3rd place PeakProfiling (Zurich/Berlin, no university stated): Developed an algorithm that enables the diagnosis of depression based on voice patterns.
4th place TWIICE (EPFL, Lausanne): TWIICE is developing a modular exoskeleton that enables paraplegics to regain independence in their daily activities.
5th place Komp-Act (EPFL, Lausanne): Develops lightweight and innovative electric (instead of hydraulic) actuators for the aerospace market.

More about >>venture>>

Hardly any other sub-discipline of corporate management is as subject to changing (fashion) trends as marketing. SMEs in particular - which make up the backbone of the economy with 99 percent of companies - seem to be at a loss when it comes to using new trends to market their own company and products. With her book "Praxisbuch Trendmarketing. Innovation Cycle and Marketing Mix for SMEs", the authors Veronika Bellone and Thomas Matla now provide a wealth of information and helpful guidance. First, various SMEs from the DACH region themselves have their say and report on their own handling of trends and the corresponding trend marketing After a section on trend research, seven important megatrends are then discussed (digitalization, individualism, globalization, demographic change, sustainability, healthstyle and urbanization). Then it gets really concrete: the authors present the 13-P marketing mix and explain its application in SMEs with the derivation of an innovation cycle for trend marketing. The classic 4P approach from the 1960s is no longer sufficient in the eyes of the authors. The criteria Product, Price, Place, Promotion are supplemented by People (humans), Process (processes) and Physical Evidence (materials) and extended by dimensions such as Purpose (enterprise purpose), Performance (performance figures) or Propulsion (technologies). Paying attention to the needs of customers is also an important call of the book for SMEs. Practical checklists and case studies - always interspersed to illustrate individual theoretical sections - round off the clearly structured book. All in all, the two authors provide a useful working tool that combines scientific depth with many examples from SMEs in different industries - a treasure trove of knowledge and stimulus for application for marketing managers with strategic aspirations as well as for students who want to delve deeper into this subject area.

Veronika Bellone, Thomas Matla
"Trend Marketing Practice Book - Innovation Cycle and Marketing Mix for SMEs"
Campus Verlag Frankfurt/ New York, 2017
367 pages, hardcover
Print ISBN 978-3-593-50662-3
E-Book (PDF) ISBN 978-3-593-43567-1
E-Book (EPUB) ISBN 978-3-593-43590-9

Link to the book

"During the vacations, employees should recharge their batteries without worrying about job matters," emphasizes Yeng Chow, Senior Manager at Robert Half in Zurich. "Holiday handovers therefore not only help colleagues who have to take over tasks. Above all, they serve to actually be able to completely switch off and regenerate during the vacations. If recreation comes up short during the time off, lower productivity and lack of motivation can be expected upon return," says Chow. To help employees enjoy their well-deserved vacation, Robert Half recalls some tips for the perfect vacation handover.

Organize vacation replacement successfully with these 5 tips:

1. The early bird catches the worm: Inform in good time: Remind your colleagues at least one to two weeks before your last day of work and plan enough time for the handover. No one is focused at 5 p.m. on Fridays, so the appointment should take place earlier. This will give your colleagues enough time to ask you questions after the meeting. You should also allow a buffer for yourself: Don't schedule important tasks or appointments just before the vacation to avoid unnecessary stress. In any case, it is advisable to record all responsibilities, tasks and external contacts in writing. This document will serve as a reminder to your colleagues and will also come in handy if a substitute drops out and someone else has to step in.
2. Clear responsibilities: Clearly designate vacation replacement: Regulate exactly who represents you and bears responsibility. In this way, you prevent tasks from not being processed due to unclear responsibility. If the rules are clear, your colleagues will have sufficient opportunity to consult with you. In this way, it can be clarified at an early stage whether your intended substitute has sufficient capacity available. If this is not the case, you should better look for an alternative in consultation with your supervisor. It often makes sense to delegate your tasks to several colleagues in order to distribute the load evenly.
3. Tidying up and creating a to-do list is half the vacation: An unstructured return can quickly undo the recovery. Two simple measures can help against this: First, you should create order on your desk and in your documents so that you are not overwhelmed by the chaos on your desk after your return. Secondly, you should create a to-do list for the time after your vacation. Both will help you to motivate yourself in the first days after your return and to prioritize tasks properly.
4. "I'm off then": Write an out-of-office note: Even if you have informed your most important contacts about your vacation in advance, an out-of-office note is essential. This should contain the following information: The date of your return, the contact of your vacation replacement, and an indication of whether the email will be forwarded. If necessary, you should also set up a forwarding of your phone to your colleagues.
5. For managers: Clarify telephone availability during vacation: Particularly in managerial positions, it is often contractually agreed that you must be available even when you are on vacation. In this case, you should set fixed times when you answer the phone or reply to e-mails. This way, your colleagues will know when they can get information from you and won't disturb you on an inappropriate occasion. In addition, this approach is more efficient and you get better rest than to look at the cell phone or laptop every now and then in between.

Thus, nothing should stand in the way of recreation during the vacations.

Source: Robert Half