April 10 2023

Investment promotion 2022: positive settlement figures despite challenging market environment

Source: Switzerland Global Enterprise

The statistics for investment promotion by the federal government, cantons and regions conclude positively overall in 2022. A total of 265 companies were able to settle in Switzerland, creating 1,199 new jobs in the first year of operation. Over the next three years, these companies plan to create a total of more than 3,100 new jobs in Switzerland. In geographical terms, around half of the companies that have settled come from the USA, Germany and France.

Once a year, the Conference of Cantonal Directors of Economic Affairs (VDK), in cooperation with the cantonal economic development agencies and regional organizations, collects figures on new settlements of foreign companies in Switzerland. These are settlements achieved through the cantonal, regional and national location promotion agencies. Even though the number of companies settling in Switzerland has dropped by 17 to 265 compared to the previous year, the development of new settlements has remained relatively stable over the last 10 years (between 220 and 280 settlements per year). Due to the numerous environmental influences, the settlement business is subject to considerable annual fluctuations in some cases. As in previous years, most of the companies that have settled in the cantons are from the information and communications technology (ICT) or life sciences sectors.

Strengthening Switzerland as a center of innovation and technology

National investment promotion in Switzerland is a joint task of the federal government and the cantons. These mandate the official Swiss organization for export promotion and investment promotion, Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), with the promotion activities with a national approach. The representations of S-GE abroad are part of the Swiss embassies or consulates general and are managed as "Swiss Business Hubs". The Swiss Business Hubs market Switzerland as a leading innovation and technology location and identify and advise high-value-added companies with settlement potential. S-GE forwards concrete settlement projects to the regions and cantons, which then lobby for a settlement in their canton in the federal competition.

The current 2020-2023 strategy of the national investment promotion of the federal government and cantons positions Switzerland with a clear focus on innovative companies from technologies with future potential. This is with the aim of sustainably strengthening the innovative power of the Swiss economy as a whole and keeping it competitive. In doing so, these companies also contribute to strengthening regional and local value creation as well as the SME landscape with their innovative know-how in their network. In principle, the federal government and the cantons want to continue to pursue this strategic thrust in the years 2024-2027. The Federal Council has also stated this in its dispatch on investment promotion 2024-2027.

 

Source: s-ge.com