Swissmechanic, the employers' association for SMEs in the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and metalworking industries, took an in-depth look at the hot topic of "ENERGY - Is Switzerland running out of electricity?" at its traditional Business Day on September 6. Top-class experts - experienced luminaries in their fields - examined the topic of energy and the environment from their own specific perspective. "At the moment, politicians, parties and associations are showering each other with accusations, recriminations and wild demands. There is a hot argument about who has been too opportunistic or too careless and who can be assigned the scapegoat. But we don't need buzzwords now that trigger a media response but provide little knowledge and hardly any solutions. We need clear facts so that we can find solutions that work in reality," criticized Jürg Marti, Director of Swissmechanic, in his welcoming speech.

Criticism of Europe's climate policy

National economist and financial scientist Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Sinn, one of Germany's most important minds and winner of numerous awards, spoke about the climate problem and the Swiss energy transition. His conclusion: "The climate cannot be protected without concluding and monitoring binding global agreements. Europe's unilateralism on climate policy will undermine the competitiveness of its industries, initiate economic decline and discourage other countries from following the European, especially the German, path."

What to do in the event of a crisis

Werner Meier, a graduate electrical engineer from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), who has already worked for several companies in the energy sector and has been the Delegate for National Economic Supply since 2016, explained the hazards and the way in which the National Economic Supply intervenes.

Dr. Suzanne Thoma, a graduate chemical engineer (ETH Zurich), doctor of technical sciences, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sulzer AG and previously CEO of BKW AG for nine years, warned: Switzerland's energy supply is more than 60 percent dependent on foreign countries (oil and gas), and the move away from fossil fuels will lead to further demand for electricity. Sufficient power at any time during the day requires additional power sources or power imports. At times, there is a shortfall of up to 7 GW. Thoma spoke of a "trilemma" in Swiss electricity policy. This has three main problems: limited imports (greatly reduced capacity in France, lack of gas for German gas-fired power plants, no EU electricity agreement), rising electricity consumption and limited expansion possibilities. A massive expansion of solar energy would not solve the problem sufficiently. Controllable gas-fired power plants as a transitional solution are a "must". Investment incentives must be set, the blockade mentality for expansion projects must be overcome and the situation with Europe must be clarified, because energy is relevant to security. "There is no such thing as a fiver and a dime with any energy strategy," Thoma explained in the discussion round.

Political talk at the Swissmechanic Business Day

Thierry Burkart, lawyer and party president of the FDP, represented the viewpoint of a liberal energy policy at a political talk with moderator Claudia Steinmann, editor-in-chief of Tele Z. With regard to a possible phase-out of nuclear energy, Burkart advocated a sequential approach: first, guaranteeing the security of electricity supply in the short term, decarbonization in the medium term, and the nuclear energy discussion only in the long term. Burkart also pointed out that Switzerland would have to do its own homework in terms of complete liberalization of the electricity market before considering an electricity agreement with the EU. Burkart concluded the subsequent discussion with the Swissmechanic audience with the statement: "You are systemically relevant, you are too many to fail!"

Safe modern nuclear power plants

Dr. Marc Kenzelmann, Director of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) since 2020, presented the nuclear power plants of the current four generations and their safety systems to those present. While a serious accident occurs statistically every 200 to 2,000 years in power plants of the currently predominant generation two (with 500 reactors worldwide), reactors of generation three are ten times safer (one serious accident every 20,000 years), mainly thanks to passive safety systems. When asked about radiation exposure, Kenzelmann, who is from the canton of Valais, explained that the natural radiation in his home canton is the same as the current radiation exposure in areas around Fukushima that are still closed today.

International coordination is missing

Daniel Büchel, Vice Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and Program Manager of SwissEnergy, gave an overview of the current energy situation and short- and longer-term measures for coping with an electricity and gas shortage. The challenge in Europe, Büchel said, is that while all countries are simultaneously engaged in the energy transition, they are not coordinating among themselves. Finally, Büchel addressed energy issues that affect SMEs in the MEM sector and showed the areas in which the federal government supports companies in implementing energy-saving measures.

The Business Day was framed by numerous exhibitors who presented their latest developments, first of all on the topic of energy. The entrepreneurs present took the opportunity to exchange ideas and ask the speakers critical questions.

Source and further information: Swissmechanic

Since 2012, the company ALAN Software AG was part of the FIVE Group from Schönbühl BE, which has been offering, integrating and developing IT and software solutions since 1988. On September 1, 2022, Zehnder Investment AG from Dübendorf ZH added this software company with over 150 customers to its portfolio and acquired all shares in ALAN Software AG. "10 years ago, we took ALAN Software AG under the FIVE umbrella. FIVE management became financially and developmentally involved with ALAN and gave the ERP solution a new perspective," says Ulrich Tschanz, CEO and board member of the FIVE Group. "ALAN has since successfully evolved and maintained its position in the market."

With Zehnder Investment AG, a partner has been found that will improve the ALAN law firm software technologically and functionally. The change of ownership itself will not be qualitatively noticeable for ALAN customers in terms of support, according to the companies involved. The preservation of technical and industry-specific knowledge is also guaranteed, as Udo Schneider will remain with ALAN in his role as product manager and project manager. "The primary goal is and remains to keep customer satisfaction high and to continue to ensure future security," explain Michael Zehnder, owner of Zehnder Investment AG and Sebastian Hurter, new CEO of ALAN Software AG. "We are pleased to have been able to win ALAN for us and appreciate the work FIVE has done so far as well as the long-standing customer loyalty of the law firms. Scaling ALAN is very important to us in order to maximize customer value and ensure the continuation and further development of ALAN."

Sources and further information: FIVE Group / Zehnder Investment

He always has a lucky hand when it comes to the topicality of the topics: When Armin Baumann, founder and CEO of KMU Swiss, decided on the motto for the KMU Swiss Symposium 2022 about nine months ago, he probably had no idea how topical it would be by then. Indeed, we are currently experiencing our limits in many respects - probably most visibly in energy supply, which seems anything but self-evident for the near future. So are we reaching our limits here for a Switzerland 4.0?

Work 4.0 - Company 4.0 - Switzerland 4.0?

For the time being, however, the possibilities with which work is changing seem limitless. "Knowledge work is undergoing the greatest transformation in its history," said futurologist Raphael Gielgen, who is a "trend scout" for furniture manufacturer Vitra AG. So what does the future of work hold? And how can companies anticipate it? To this end, Gielgen recommended that the entrepreneurs present ask themselves "What if..." questions every now and then. Because in the future, we will be working on products that don't even exist today. And the nature of work will also continue to change, for which employees will have to be continuously retrained - and this will probably be easier in the future than always having to recruit new skilled workers. According to Raphael Gielgen, however, one thing will remain and become more important again: Perceiving the world with all our senses. Because digitalization cannot replace this.

Carla Kaufmann's presentation was also about the future, namely those of companies that need to regulate their succession. "Successful company succession means overcoming boundaries" was the title of her input presentation. The succession expert and co-founder of the Swiss umbrella organization for business succession CHDU on the entire life cycle of companies in connection with long-term entrepreneurship, which is only possible by means of successful succession planning. She illustrated this, among other things, with the example of the bell foundry H. Rüetschi AG, which, with 655 years today, is one of the oldest Swiss companies. In a live talk with Natalie Spross, CEO of Spross Holding AG, she delved deeper into the topic and showed how decisive cultural change is in a family-run company. Natalie Spross successfully leads the 130-year-old horticultural company in its fifth generation.

Energy: From leaving the comfort zone

The next block of presentations dealt with the topic of energy. Christian Schaffner showed how rocky the road away from fossil fuels still is. But this is the only way we will manage to achieve the net zero target by 2050. The measures taken and launched so far would go in the right direction, but should be accelerated. In the subsequent panel discussion with National Councilor Beat Flach and Axpo CEO Christoph, the latter first explained what the recently agreed 4-billion rescue package for this energy supplier was all about: not about rescuing the company, but about a "stopgap" to ensure sufficient liquidity so that the collateral required on the electricity exchange can be provided. This process is comparable to providing a rental deposit, Christoph Brand explained, emphasizing that this loan has not yet had to be drawn down. With regard to achieving the climate targets, Christoph Brand also made it clear that some illusions had to be shattered: "You can't have maximum comfort, security of supply, maximum environmental protection and minimum prices at the same time." He - along with fellow panelists - deplored the sometimes lengthy planning and approval processes for wind power plants, for example. National Councilor Beat Flach also accused politicians of having been "asleep for too long." In this context, he showed a prospectus from 2009, which already at that time dealt with the promotion of alternative energy. Christian Schaffner called for the current crisis to be used as an opportunity to finally move forward.

Preserve and revive ideas

In the last block, Guido Honegger from tracker.ch AG spoke about reviving companies. This was not so much about personal succession, but about the preservation of business ideas that are viable in themselves. As an example, he cited PubliBike AG, which he helped acquire from Swiss Post in an MBO at the beginning of 2022 and which is now about to take off again. Guido Honegger is also currently occupying a successful niche with the company Adon Production AG: the vinyl LP, which had been declared dead, is being produced in increasing numbers by this company and is thus also being revived.

At the end, former top diplomat Dr. Thomas Borer drew a picture of Switzerland's future that is rather mixed: Our country should indeed weather the crisis better than other countries thanks to its economic strength and the highest standard of living - now confirmed according to the UN. Nevertheless, Switzerland will no longer be able to stay out of geopolitical crises as easily as it might have been able to in the past.

As a conclusion of the conference, one could take away: A "Switzerland 4.0" is very well possible, but we do not want to reach our limits with it, a return to the good-Swiss ability to compromise is necessary and a turning away from discussions that are currently still too dogmatic. Or as Christian Schaffner demanded in his presentation: "We have to decide now where we want to be in 20 to 30 years.

More information: www.kmuswiss.ch

For around 93,000 Swiss SMEs, business succession will become an issue in the next five years. To ensure that as many of them as possible find a successful solution, the Swiss umbrella organization for business succession CHDU, founded on December 10, 2021, is actively involved in politics, research, the profession and practice. Behind the association is a team of around 15 highly qualified succession experts who have joined together as an ExpertCircle with a uniform market presence. Following the motto "Passing on instead of giving up", in 2018 the ExpertenCircle called for the Initiative Nachfolgebus.ch into being. This was done with the intention of sustainably securing the continued existence of SMEs and thus of economic substance and jobs in Switzerland through the targeted promotion of company succession. To this end, the ExpertenCircle toured 14 cities in German-speaking Switzerland with an Infomobile and provided SME entrepreneurs with information about business succession in free personal meetings. Thanks to extensive digitization and constant further development of the offering, the reach of the initiative expanded steadily until 2021. There has been a noticeable increase in awareness among entrepreneurs of the great importance of company succession and their own succession planning. However, the high social, economic and political relevance and acceptance has not yet been achieved. The foundation of the CHDU, in order to achieve this goal in this format and in cooperation with organizations that pursue the same interests, is therefore a next logical step. In a first phase, the association's activities will be concentrated on German-speaking Switzerland. Expansion into French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino will follow in the course of 2023.

Maintain SME diversity

The dynamics of companies in Switzerland - from their founding to their handover to the next generation, or their demise - are still too little known. Yet their scope is enormous: more than three million employees, two-thirds of the working population, work for an SME. "We cannot afford to leave Swiss SMEs alone with their business succession. Switzerland is based on sustainable SME diversity. This is also where the breeding ground for our innovative strength lies, but its value creation must be built up over generations. The 'price' we pay for unsuccessful succession arrangements in the form of job losses, know-how and innovative strength is therefore simply too high and urgently calls for countermeasures," sums up Carla Kaufmann, Vice President of the CHDU and Partner of Companymarket AG.

Swiss umbrella organization for business succession with four fields of action

The CHDU therefore focuses on raising the awareness of society, politics and business for the market dynamics of business succession and also wants to actively contribute to the positive development of successful SME successions. To this end, the association is committed to these four areas:

• In politics, to raise national and political awareness of the economic importance and relevance of business succession and long-term entrepreneurship, e.g. to make the legal framework more business- and succession-friendly.
• In research, to better understand the fundamentals and operating principles of the corporate life cycle and long-term entrepreneurship, and to make these insights available to all companies for their succession process.
• In the professionalization of succession consulting, by means of a holistic training and continuing education program that ensures a defined quality standard for the advisory support of business succession. The CHDU is developing this offer in cooperation with EXPERTsuisse. The first step is the Day Seminar "Big Picture of Successful SME Succession.
• In practice, thanks to the targeted promotion of SME succession for entrepreneurs, for example through simple and transparent access to the succession market, various free information and networking offers, etc.

The Member Offer of the CHDU is aimed at SME entrepreneurs who want to sell their company or buy a company, as well as succession advisors, fiduciaries, tax advisors, auditors, lawyers, business/organizational consultants, coaches and other professionals and/or career changers in the field of succession planning.

Canton on board

The location promotion department in the Office of Economic Affairs and Labor (AWA) of the Canton of Zurich supports the development and expansion of the association as a partner organization. Anita Martinecz Fehér, Deputy Head of Location Promotion at the AWA and member of the CHDU Advisory Board, comments: "A successful company succession offers the opportunity to build on established values and develop them further: Entirely in the sense of 'Future has origins'. The Standortförderung very much welcomes the fact that the CHDU does networking work, prepares data and works towards helping more business successions to succeed and to raise awareness of the essential decisions among the parties involved.

Source and further information: www.chdu.ch

The Allianz Trade Export Forecast stands at -1.13 points in the third quarter (May: +0.33 points). This means that the indicator is significantly below the long-term trend growth. Negative annual growth rates are expected for exports in the next six to twelve months. Growth forecasts for the global economy have again been revised downward. Accordingly, the export outlook is no longer developing so positively.

Uncertainties cloud export prospects

"Despite temporary brightenings in the financial markets, most leading and sentiment indicators continue to point clearly downward," Allianz Trade Europe economist Katharina Utermöhl explains the situation. "The Ukraine war, inflation concerns and key interest rate hikes are weighing on the markets." Currently, a flight to safe currencies such as the Swiss franc is taking place in the foreign exchange market. The euro has been below the one-franc mark since the beginning of July. Due to the uncertainties in many places, the mood of Swiss consumers and investors has suffered massively. At -42 points, SECO consumer sentiment is at its lowest level since the survey began in 1972. On a positive note, however, the risk of recession for the Swiss economy in the short term is significantly lower than for neighboring European countries, as the surge in inflation and dependence on Russian gas are less pronounced. However, the Swiss economy is not immune to the global economic slowdown.

GDP downward revisions

For Switzerland, Allianz Trade expects GDP growth of 2.4 % in 2022 (2023: +0.7 %), inflation of 2.8 % (2023: +1.6 %) and export growth of only 2% (2023: +4.0 %). World GDP has been further revised downward. For 2022, real, inflation-adjusted growth of 3% is still expected (average of international forecasts). At the beginning of the year, the average value was still 4.3 %, three months ago it was 3.3 %.

Tourism drivers in the summer months, industry hopes for fall

Particularly in the summer months, the Corona reopening effects should be felt strongly in the service sector thanks to the recovery in tourism. Industry is hoping for the fall, as there are signs that global supply chain bottlenecks have peaked, which, coupled with the increasing cooling of the global economy, should allow production bottlenecks to ease in the coming months. As soon as industrial companies are able to ramp up production, the Swiss economy can look forward to somewhat stronger economic tailwinds again, at least in the short term. However, this outlook assumes that there will be no interruption in energy supplies - either gas or electricity.

Vehicle market slumped

Swiss foreign trade continued to grow in the second quarter of 2022, posting new record levels in nominal terms for both directions of trade. Exports rose by 0.9 % compared with the previous quarter. In real terms, they fell by 0.5 %. Imports rose strongly by 2.4 % in nominal terms and by 0.6 % in real terms. The trade balance showed a quarterly surplus of CHF 7.6 bn. The nominal increase in exports in the second quarter of 2022 was based on the three product groups machinery and electronics (CHF +420 mn), jewelry (CHF +334 mn) and metals (CHF +223 mn). Shipments of precision instruments increased slightly compared with the previous quarter, while those of watches stagnated at a high level. Exports of chemical pharmaceutical products decreased by 1.2 % (CHF -403 million). The decline was particularly pronounced for immunological products (CHF -1.3 billion). The vehicle market slumped for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles. In the first half of 2022, 17.7 % fewer new commercial vehicles hit Swiss roads than a year ago. According to the import organization Auto-Schweiz, the supply chain problems are now also affecting motor homes.

Export prospects receive a damper

"We expect a significant damper on Swiss export growth over the next six to twelve months," comments Jan Möllmann, Co-CEO ad interim Allianz Trade Switzerland. "Reasons for this continue to be supply chain problems, which fortunately should slowly dissipate, weak demand caused by high prices, which unsettle consumers and investors, and recession risks. The likelihood of recession in important export markets such as North America and the euro zone is at a very high level. The weak economic outlook has led to a significant correction in commodity markets, except for energy. This is helping to control inflation and restore consumer and investor confidence. China's zero-tolerance policy on COVID-19 is leading to historically low growth rates in that country."

Source: Allianz Trade Switzerland 

What was launched in 2011 as a ranking and event to honor the best Swiss startups has since become a benchmark in Switzerland as "TOP 100 Swiss Startup". Today, TOP 100 offers an Investor Summit, several matchmaking events throughout the year, the only startup magazine translated into five languages, and the benchmark event TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award, often referred to as the "Swiss Oscar for startups". This ecosystem provides a platform to connect promising Swiss startup CEOs, executives, investors and journalists to gain insights into the latest concepts, strengthen networks and forge new business relationships. The 512 Swiss deeptech startups included in the TOP 100 ranking over the past 12 years have created 16,149 jobs and raised CHF 11.1 billion. 71 exits and eight IPOs round out the achievements of these innovators.

Honored with the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award: Yokoy, Planted Foods and Ledgy

For the first time since the TOP 100 ranking was established, a fintech startup has taken first place, highlighting the rapid growth of this field in recent years. With more than 40 new nominees, the 2022 ranking provides a unique overview of this innovative ecosystem, which is among the best internationally. The three top-ranked startups in fintech and foodtech, Yokoy, Planted Foods and Ledgy, represent the diversity and potential of Swiss startups: they are on average three and a half years old, have already created over 420 new jobs and raised a total of CHF 153 million from investors. Here is a brief portrait of the three top startups:

1. Yokoy (www.yokoy.ai): This fintech company uses artificial intelligence to automate the entire process for corporate spending and corporate credit cards. The Zurich-based startup was founded in 2019 by Melanie Gabriel, Devis Lussi, Thomas Inhelder, Philippe Sahli and Lars Mangelsdorf and landed in 20th place in 2021.
2. Planted Foods (www.eatplanted.com): Turning plants into "meat," Planted Foods is revolutionizing the food industry by creating plant-based protein from 100% animal product-free ingredients. The vegan meat alternatives contain no additives. Planted Foods was founded in 2019 by Christoph Jenny, Eric Stirnemann, Lukas Böni and Pascal Bieri and ranked 37th in 2020.
3. Ledgy (www.ledgy.com): Ledgy is an equity management platform that helps startups manage their equity investments, employee stock ownership plans, funding rounds, and investor relations. The fintech startup was founded in 2017 by ETH Physics graduates Yoko Spirig, Ben-Elias Brandt and Timo Horstschäfer and ranked 13th in 2021.

Investors discover Swiss startup gems at TOP 100 Investor Summit

100 hand-picked Swiss and international super angels, venture capitalists, corporate investors and family office representatives, representing an investment potential of more than 20 billion Swiss francs, attended the TOP 100 Investor Summit 2022, which took place before the awards ceremony. This event, to which only accredited investors are admitted, provided those in attendance with what they described as a unique platform to identify the future gems that have what it takes to be among Switzerland's best. The TOP 100 Alumni include several Unicorns - such as Climeworks, GetYourGuide, MindMaze or wefox.

Along the growth curve

Since the TOP 100 Startups ranking is limited to startups up to five years after founding, a growth jury was asked to select the best 25 scale-ups. These companies, which are between five and ten years old, create thousands of highly skilled jobs and have made Switzerland a hotspot on the global innovation map. The scale-ups show the greatest potential and follow in the footsteps of TOP 100 alumni such as Bcomp, Doodle, Insphero, Kandou Bus, On, Optotune or Sophia Genetics. "This year's ranking reflects the strength of the Swiss ecosystem," says TOP 100 Program Director Stefan Steiner. "With a record CHF 2.6 billion in venture capital already flowing into startups in the first half of the year, we are on our way to new heights, and we intend to continue on this path despite the current crises in the global economy."

Click here for the TOP 100 rankings

It all started in 2002 with the locations Kreuzlingen and Frauenfeld, where KMU Personal AG moved into its first offices. With the expansion to Aarau, Zurich and St.Gallen, the company has continued to grow in recent years. In retrospect, the concept of relying on flat hierarchies with short decision-making paths and personal responsibility on the part of the employees proved to be a successful model. From the outset, new offices were staffed with well-known and proven specialists from the respective region. "We thus benefit from the proximity to our customers and the know-how of the regional markets, which can vary from place to place," says owner and CEO Massimo Bella.

Grown into a national service provider

Thanks to permanent development and the conquest of new markets, KMU Personal AG has grown within 20 years to become a company with 28 employees operating throughout Switzerland. Massimo Bella explains: "We owe the national success of our company above all to the great team spirit and commitment of all our colleagues. They are our greatest asset and prove every day how efficient we are." This is one of the reasons why KMU Personal AG has been able to count on the cooperation of many companies for several years. The employees know what is important in the application process and which points in the job profile are important in order to bring together committed applicants and established companies.

The personnel service provider finds qualified employees for companies and suitable jobs for applicants - mainly in the commercial sector, retail, medicine and care, industry and logistics, and the construction industry. The company adapts its services to individual customer requirements and strives at all times for sustainable and successful cooperation. "We have made a name for ourselves through speed and reliability," says Massimo Bella. KMU Personal AG does everything in its power to match its customers with the right candidates and supports them from the first employee interviews to payroll accounting.

KMU Personal AG gives itself a new look

Even at 20 years old, the company feels dynamic, innovative and young. However, the exterior was getting a little long in the tooth. So, for its milestone birthday, KMU Personal AG gave itself a new look to make progress visible to the outside world. With a rejuvenated logo, fresh colors and a revamped website, the company is entering a new era. "Our brand follows our success story: the rebranding reflects growth and change and shows that we are constantly evolving," affirm Massimo Bella and his business partners Raphael Speck and Andreas Staub. Together, they are optimistic about the future.

More information

There is a gap between business growth and the ability to drive long-term change in a meaningful way. This is particularly evident in areas such as improving the customer and employee experience, but also in critical issues such as talent acquisition and the use of technology. A survey conducted by Longitude, a Financial Times company, sought to explore how companies have used the impact of the pandemic as a catalyst for change - and how leaders can realign their organizations for future growth.

Inertia in responding to new business opportunities

The good news is that post-pandemic, business leaders feel better equipped to make decisions quickly (71 %), think strategically about long-term goals (72 %), adopt new technologies (75 %), and build more empathetic and trusting relationships with both customers (71 %) and employees (69 %). Yet despite this positive sentiment, many companies face a sense of strategic uncertainty. This is due to constant upheaval and the increasing complexity of the hybrid business environment. Two-thirds of executives (66 %) said the pandemic has exposed weaknesses in strategy, while 60 % said they are finding it difficult to respond decisively to new business opportunities.

Sampath Sowmyanarayan, chief executive officer of Verizon Business Group, said, "The big lesson we've learned over the last few years is that there is no one right way to lead, build a culture or execute a strategy. That's also why we see many companies trying to adopt 'say yes' as a guiding principle. They are increasingly giving their employees the freedom to question the status quo, while also offering them the chance to openly ask why, for example, an implementation is taking so long or why their company can't meet customer requirements."

Increasing discrepancy between intention and execution

More than half of the executives surveyed pointed to the increasing role that leadership teams have played in technology adoption over the past 12 months. Among these, cybersecurity services (78 %), data analytics software and tools (75 %) and cloud enablement (74 %) were among the top technology priorities. However, according to the study, there is a disconnect between intent and implementation. For example, improving customer experience is cited as a top strategic priority (74%). However, only one-third (38 %) say they have increased their use of data analytics to improve the customer experience, and even fewer have used automation to improve customer service. At the same time, the report highlights the lack of digital skills (33 %) as the biggest shortcoming for companies.

Companies face a mix of challenges, from changing consumer behavior to technology-driven market disruptions to sustainability demands. The study provides recommendations on how executives can guide their companies into the future:

• Finding a clear path through an uncertain business environment
• Understand the importance of building resilience and implementing change through partnerships
• Uniting employees through a clear goal
• Driving innovation through experimentation and risk-taking
• Unleashing the potential of the entire workforce through inclusive cultures

Source: Verizon

According to a survey conducted by LINK on behalf of JobCloud (jobs.ch / jobup.ch), 40% of employees currently love their jobs. In addition, every second employee in Switzerland does not feel properly valued at work, while every fourth person is seriously considering changing companies. In addition, for around two-thirds of Swiss employees, salary is an important value at work. As part of this study, 1034 professionals aged 16 to 60 in German- and French-speaking Switzerland were surveyed.

New campaign for more love for the job

Helping workers be happy in their jobs and enabling them to find their dream job are the goals of jobs.ch and jobup.ch's new campaign: "Stop working. Love what you do", which was launched on September 5. However, the new campaign of the two job portals of JobCloud does not primarily want to call on people to quit their current job. Rather, it aims to challenge them to question their daily job routine and do everything they can to enjoy their job. JobCloud has recruiting tools to help find a job or company that leads to higher satisfaction. The ability to be notified when the ideal job becomes available or to see if the salary is reasonable will help in the search for the dream job.

Another goal of the campaign is to make Switzerland a place where as many people as possible have a job they love. This is important for both employees and employers. People who love their job show more commitment, are more creative and less prone to stress. This also reduces employee turnover. So it should be in the interest of all companies to ensure more than ever that their staff love their job.

Conveying the meaningfulness of work

"We know that having a sense of purpose at work can lead to greater satisfaction in all areas of life. That's why we suggest companies do more to meet the needs of their employees - for example, by involving them in defining goals, giving them confidence and allowing flexibility. Employees thus gain more control over their own work-life balance. And that pays off: Not only will the company get more productive, engaged and satisfied employees, but it will also be more likely to attract top talent," explains Davide Villa, CEO of JobCloud.

The survey clearly shows that employees who love their job are generally more satisfied - whether with their work, the company or their salary. They generally prefer to go to work, are more likely to see the meaning of their work, and the majority of them say that their work also has an enriching effect on the rest of their lives. "At JobCloud, we firmly believe that if you find a job you love, you won't feel like you have to work anymore," Villa concludes.

Click here to go to the campaign

1,400 young people have opted for a commercial apprenticeship in the retail sector. The training and further education of young traders is one of the key services provided by Handel Schweiz. At the award ceremony for the "Best Apprentices 2022", Director Kaspar Engeli explained: "In addition to basic training, we are also dedicated to further training, for example in foreign trade or e-commerce. We are convinced that only with high quality education and good training companies can the industry face up to the growing shortage of skilled workers." But how do young people rate apprenticeships in retail? And what challenges do they see ahead for their industry? In order to find out more, the umbrella organization conducted a survey among this year's final year students of the commercial apprenticeship in the retail sector.

China in the morning, Panama in the afternoon

57 % of the still-learners surveyed find retail interesting as an industry. 40 % appreciates the high quality of education and training and wants to deepen the knowledge gained later. 16 % named a future management position as a goal. Almost a third of the new traders are fascinated by the variety in retail. During the apprenticeship, the junior staff were able to spend several months working in purchasing, sales, accounting, customer service and marketing. In an interview, four of the "Best Apprentices 2022" described what they learned in the process.

Jil Bachmann, for example, completed her apprenticeship at the Stöckli Group in Oberkirch, which is active in medical technology. With a company grade of 5.8, she is in first place. For her, the "international surroundings" make everyday life particularly varied, as she vividly explains: "In the morning, I exchange ideas with China before my contacts go to bed. I deal with Panama in the afternoon, because there they don't get up until 3 p.m. Swiss time," she explains with a laugh. After studying politics, economics and geography, the 28-year-old opted for a shortened commercial apprenticeship plus, because no other offer matched her interests. She is very happy with her choice. She is looking forward to continuing her work with the employer and to further training in medical technology. In her opinion, there are a number of international challenges in retail. These include sustainability: "There is still a lot of room for improvement here! There is a lot of catching up to do in the efficient design of supply chains. Retailers need to get behind this as quickly as possible!" Jil Bachmann's assessment is in line with the overall results of the survey. For 28 % of the learners surveyed, sustainability represents the greatest challenge in international trade. No other topic receives so many mentions.

More sustainability in packaging

Laila Lomello also finds the topic of sustainability very important, as she emphasizes: "Young people attach importance to sustainable packaging or materials in the products." The 22-year-old was able to see this during her initial apprenticeship in the retail trade, when she had direct customer contact. These experiences and the joy of daily variety motivated her to acquire more knowledge about the origin of items, supply chains and pricing. So she started a second apprenticeship in the commercial sector at her employer Interdiscount in Jegenstorf. She completed this with an operational grade of 5.5, putting her in second place. She does not want to stand still in the future either. Further education is one of her personal goals.

18-year-old Thomas Stjelja, on the other hand, did not want to use his foreign language skills only in his free time and therefore decided to do an apprenticeship in commerce. Shortly after graduation, he began further training to become a graduate in business administration. What he finds exciting about commerce is its important function in society, for example in the supply of food. He, too, is convinced that there is still a lot of potential when it comes to implementing sustainability. He is clear: "While sustainability is writ large in many places, it is still too often a matter of professions on paper." With an operational grade of 5.5 and second place, he is also one of the six "Best Apprentices" in the commercial apprenticeship sector. He completed his apprenticeship with the SFS Group, a global supplier of precision molded parts and mechanical fastening systems. They often invisibly perform functions critical to success in technical devices such as cars, smartphones and aircraft.

Switzerland as an island

Dounia Schmid didn't feel like going to high school as a teenager. Instead, she started an apprenticeship at Audemars Piquet in Le Brassus. Founded in 1875, the watch manufacturer generates annual sales of CHF 1.58 billion with 800 employees, 610 of them in Switzerland. Every year, around 45,000 watches in the top price category are produced at the three Swiss sites in Le Brassus, Le Locle and Meyrin. The 19-year-old is proud of her operational grade of 5.5 and the 2nd place of the "Best Apprentices". She is looking forward to now being able to develop further in the internationally successful company. She is convinced: "As a small country, Switzerland depends on good international contacts. In this context, it is also important to live sustainability even better and to take it very much to heart."

Dounia Schmid's assessment is in line with the survey results. This year's commercial apprenticeship graduates named the changing markets as the second most important international challenge. This is where Swiss retailers can bring their strengths into play. In Jil Bachmann's view, these include Switzerland's good reputation and networking. However, the lack of EU membership complicates imports and exports and makes Swiss trade inflexible, she believes. But flexibility is one of the basic requirements of globalization. For the future, she sees Switzerland's lack of raw materials as another major challenge. Foreign trade is central for Switzerland, says Jil Bachmann, because "we are an isolated island and depend on imports. It is more important for many companies than trade in the domestic market." Thomas Stjelja can only agree: "Foreign trade has a major influence on Switzerland's prosperity. That applies to exports as well as imports."

Employers must benchmark themselves again and again

Ueli Stursberg, as first secretary of Handel Schweiz responsible for leading education, summarizes what the survey results mean for employers: "Employees are interested in salary, job content and identification with the job. Employees stay with a company as long as the overall package is right - but people are changing jobs much more quickly today than in the past. Employers in the retail sector therefore also have to benchmark themselves again and again."

Source: Trade Switzerland

According to Swissmem, incoming orders in the Swiss MEM industries increased by 10.1 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2022. After six quarters of positive growth rates, the order volume is now 30 percent above the pre-crisis level (Q4/2019), the industry umbrella organization reports. However, according to Swissmem, growth momentum slowed in the second quarter of 2022. A similar picture emerges for sales. These increased by 12.1 percent compared to the first half of 2021. Due to the high order backlog, sales are also likely to increase further in the second half of the year. Both SMEs and large companies are benefiting from this positive business development.

MEM industry with growing exports and high capacity utilization

The half-yearly balance sheet for the MEM industries also records high capacity utilization in companies, reaching a high 90.3 percent in the second quarter of 2022. According to the latest KOF survey, it fell to 89.5 percent in July. However, it remains well above the long-term average of 86.2 percent. In terms of employment, half-year figures are not yet available. In the first quarter of 2022, 320,900 people were working in the MEM sector. This is 2.4 percent more than in the same quarter of the previous year. In addition, the number of vacancies in Swissmem member companies has risen by 32 percent within a year.

Exports of goods by the MEM industries reached a value of CHF 36.5 billion in the first half of 2022. This value is +9.0 percent higher than in the same period of the previous year. The MEM sector exported more to all main markets (Asia +14.1%, EU +8.5% / USA +7.5%). All product groups increased their exports. Exports in metals rose by +13.3%, in electrical engineering/electronics by +8.9%, in precision instruments by +7.6% and in mechanical engineering by +7.4%.

Dark clouds on the horizon

Stefan Brupbacher, Director of Swissmem, says: "The development of orders and sales in our industry is encouraging. However, this is only half the truth. Delivery problems and, above all, the sharp rise in energy and raw material prices have significantly increased production costs. By no means all companies can quickly pass on the higher costs to their customers. The exploding energy costs in particular are threatening the very existence of some companies."

The mood among Swissmem member companies has generally clouded over. For the coming twelve months, 30 percent of entrepreneurs expect orders from abroad to fall. This is 12 percentage points more than in the survey of the first quarter of 2022, while the proportion of those expecting higher orders has fallen from 35 percent to 29 percent. The level of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for industry reflects this gloom. In the eurozone, the most important market for Swiss industry, the PMI fell below the growth threshold in July 2022 for the first time since mid-2020.

Great uncertainty in energy supply

The MEM industries are concerned about the threat of an energy shortage. For its production processes, the industry is vitally dependent on an uninterrupted energy supply. Only some of the MEM companies are in a position to absorb any interruptions with flexible production planning. Companies whose production processes require high temperatures, on the other hand, are absolutely dependent on an uninterrupted supply. If this were to disappear, they would have to cease production completely. Martin Hirzel, President of Swissmem, warns: "An electricity or gas shortage must be prevented at all costs. It would endanger companies and their jobs in industry." Therefore, industrial companies that are technically dependent on an uninterrupted energy supply must be exempt from any gas/electricity rationing.

That the federal government triesSwissmem takes a positive view of the proposal to develop considerable reserve capacities for electricity production already this winter. However, the association believes that this will not be sufficient and therefore proposes the following measures:

1. Start saving energy now. What is needed here is a national alliance between companies, the administration and the population. The temperature in homes, offices, production halls, museums and shopping centers may only be a maximum of 19 degrees during the heating period. The associated loss of comfort is acceptable if it means that companies and their jobs can be preserved.
2. Solutions for threatened companies: The skyrocketing electricity prices are an existential threat for many production companies. The companies got into this extraordinary situation through no fault of their own. Electricity producers, the public sector as their owner and industrial consumers must therefore work together to find solutions to defuse the situation.
3. Switch operation of dual fuel systems from gas to fuel oil. Swissmem estimates that this could save up to 20 percent of annual gas consumption. Companies that have therefore exceeded their target agreements for reducing CO₂-emissions, should not suffer any disadvantages, according to the intention of the Federal Council. This must be implemented quickly. However, operation with heating oil can cause additional costs. Further measures are therefore needed to exploit the full savings potential.
4. Provide targeted incentives. In order to be able to increase electricity production in the short term, incentives are needed for owners of reserve power plants and emergency generators. Incentives that motivate energy-intensive companies to temporarily forego their electricity consumption are just as important.
5. Production at night or on weekends. In the event of a shortage, peaks in consumption of electricity and gas must be broken. Industry can make a contribution by shifting production to nights or Sundays. This requires a simple and unbureaucratic licensing practice on the part of the authorities.

Furthermore, according to Swissmem, Switzerland must not fail to ensure a secure and sustainable energy supply in the medium and long term. The umbrella organization of the Swiss MEM industries is therefore calling for an adjustment of the Energy Strategy 2050. "The current situation clearly shows that it is not possible to phase out nuclear and fossil energy sources at the same time. The federal government's intention to build two to three gas-fired power plants with a total capacity of up to 1000 megawatts by 2025 is a step in the right direction," Swissmem writes in this regard. In addition, there is a need for a streamlining of the approval procedures. Martin Hirzel, President of Swissmem, demands: "The 15 hydropower projects that the Round Table identified last December must be realized as quickly as possible. Switzerland can no longer afford years of delays in power plant projects." With a bill that restricts the possibilities for objections to these projects and streamlines the procedures, the people could vote on them in a possible referendum as early as the end of 2023.

Source: Swissmem

The Swisscom StartUp Challenge 2022 was all about Climate protection and sustainability. More than 200 startups from 30 countries applied for the tenth implementation of the funding program. In the first round, a jury of experts selected ten finalists by the beginning of August 2022. What they have in common is that all of their innovations contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases. The spectrum of solutions is broad, ranging from IoT applications and hydrogen fuel cell technology to platforms for the circular economy.

Convincing business models honored

On September 2, 2022, the ten-member jury with representatives from Fastweb, ETH, South Pole and Swisscom selected the five winners. To score in the final, however, the startups not only had to present smart, sustainable solutions and a convincing business model, but also demonstrate team spirit and determination. The jury was particularly enthusiastic about Almer Technologies AG, ECCO2 Solutions AG, mobileup, SmartHelio Sarl and Swiss Vault AG.

The five winners secured participation in a week-long exploration program with sustainability and ICT experts from Swisscom and access to the Swisscom ecosystem. In addition to workshops, coaching, a network of climate protection and energy efficiency entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, the winners also have the chance to partner with Swisscom. Because Swisscom wants to save one million tons of CO2 per year by 2025 Swisscom wants to save one million tons of CO2 per year by 2025, in addition to its climate-neutral target, by offering private and business customers innovative ICT solutions that enable them to massively reduce their carbon footprint.

Failure and success are close together

In the ten years that the Swisscom Startup Challenge has been in existence, around 2,000 startups have applied for the competition and 45 have completed the support program. Nearly 100 young entrepreneurs traveled to the Swisscom Outpost in Palo Alto and pitched their business cases to major venture capitalists and Internet giants. Among them were startups such as Ava (2015), Creal (2019), Ecorobotix (2017), Geosatis (2014), Gmelius (2019) and Nanolive (2016). Swisscom Ventures, a division of Swisscom, also invested in all of them. Six of the winning startups have since sold their companies: For example, regtech startup Qumram (2016) to Dynatrade or intelligent image recognition Fashwell (2016) to Apple. Some of the Swisscom Startup Challenge alumni are now ranked among the top 100 young companies in Switzerland. 4 of the 45 have unfortunately already had to abandon their entrepreneurial journey. "Compared to the statistics in the US, the failure rate in the Swisscom Startup Challenge Hall of Fame is much smaller," explains Beat Schillig from Venturelab. "So either the selection was very good or we in Switzerland take fewer risks than startups in Silicon Valley and still have a lot of untapped innovation potential. Because those who dare more can also win more!"

Short portraits of the winners of the Swisscom StartUp Challenge 2022

Almer Technologies AG
Almer Technologies focuses on providing high-tech augmented reality glasses with Swiss-made hardware/software for businesses and offers its service all over the world. Their service offers multiple solutions to problems: Eliminating the travel time an expert must spend to a foreign office, no transportation costs, and reducing the company's carbon footprint.

ECCO2 Solutions AG
ECCO2 reduces building heating energy consumption by an average of 15 percent with a data-driven IoT/AI solution and compiles ESG-relevant building data. Property owners are challenged by high energy consumption. Energy costs, regulatory obligations and social pressures are a real nuisance. Energy efficiency impacts market value for tenants and investors. The ECCO2 solution is fast, affordable, can be deployed anywhere and is subsidized by the Swiss government.

mobileup
mobileup is a platform for buying and selling used smartphones and tablets. All devices are sold with a 12-month warranty and a 30-day return policy. The price and the product range are the most important criteria for customers. Therefore, mobileup has set up APIs for the largest European providers. An algorithm identifies the devices with the best price-performance ratio and thus helps match supply with demand.

SmartHelio Sarl
SmartHelio is the fastest growing cleantech data intelligence company in the world, according to the company. The company's solution, founded by Bcorp and Y Combinator, is used by leading solar developers in Europe, Asia and the U.S. to make solar installations profitable and sustainable. After investing $15 million in research and development, SmartHelio has developed software that predicts PV system faults in real time. This can prevent downtime and increase revenue by up to 10 percent.

Swiss Vault AG
Swiss Vault is a data innovation company that helps the world manage its data efficiently and in an environmentally responsible way. Swiss Vault provides companies with technologies that combine hardware and software solutions for better, economical, resilient and environmentally sustainable data management.