NEWS from Switzerland Trade and Investment Promotion - Volume 13, No. 2 Winter 2009-2010
backNEWS from Switzerland Trade and Investment Promotion - Volume 13, No. 2 Winter 2009-2010
02/02/2010
www.locationswitzerland.comDownload
The report states that between 2003 and 2009, 269 headquarters transferred to Switzerland. Of these 54% are from the U.S., 29% from Europe, and the balance from Asia and elsewhere. Of the U.S. headquarters 23% are EMEA, 31% global and 46% European.
The A. D. Little report cited six reasons given for choosing Switzerland as an HQ location: economic competitiveness, an attractive tax system, highly qualified labor, a central location with excellent infrastructure, quality of life and support from administrative authorities. The report noted that improvements can be made in terms of labor law flexibility, availability of qualified labor and affordable accommodations. The report can be downloaded at http://www.promfr.ch/upload/hq-adl-nov09.pdf
Wins and Updates
Vermont-based wind turbine manufacturer Northern Power Systems has opened its European headquarters in Zurich. The firm sees high sales potential for its products in Europe.
Innoveer Solutions, a Boston-based customer relationship management (CRM) consulting firm, announced the opening of its newest office in Zurich in response to the company's growth throughout Western Europe. The Swiss office has already worked with several organizations including Celgene Corporation and JT International to plan and implement successful CRM programs.
New York-based provider of filtration, separation and purification systems and technologies Pall Corporation has inaugurated its new European headquarters in Fribourg. The office will initially house Pall's Life Sciences business in Europe, with plans to integrate the company's European Industrial business in 2011.
Texas-based software company Ignite Technologies has announced the expansion of sales operations into the EMEA region with the opening of an office in Zurich.
Rhode Island-based insurance company FM Global has opened a branch office in Lugano. The expansion responds to growth in its Swiss business and gives it more flexibility to respond to client needs.
Icana Investments, Inc., of Vancouver BC has purchased 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of EasyMed services, SA in Geneva. EasyMed is a medical and health technology services company offering a range of medical services and applications based on Internet and mobile phone platforms.
Reverse Investments
Mondobiotech, based in Stans, is expanding its US footprint by establishing its health information and technology services center in Silicon Valley. The operation in Palo Alto will be headed by Dr. Michael Keller, Director of the Stanford Library and Founder of HighWire Press, who will have the title of Director of Health Information Services.
Zurich Financial Services has entered into a data center and information technology service agreement with Computer Sciences Corporation of Falls Church, VA. The agreement is estimated to be worth up to $2.9 billion over 10 years. Depending on individual country arrangements up to about 1,000 Zurich Financial employees may move to CSC during the first half of 2010.
GenVec of Gaithersburg MD has reportedly entered into an agreement with giant Swiss drug maker Novartis to license its early-stage work aimed at reversing hearing loss. Under the agreement Novertis will acquire $2 million of GenVec's stock and will additionally pay an upfront $5 million down payment.
Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, has announced the opening of a new West Coast customer training center in Pleasanton CA as part of an initiative to make training on diagnostic equipment more accessible to labs and hospitals. Roche has a training center at its headquarters and is planning to open another facility in New Jersey later this year.
Basle-based Novartis has agreed to acquire Corthers, Inc, in San Mateo, CA. The reported consideration is $120 million up front and an additional potential $500 mi8llion based on future achieved targets.
News about Nestle
Vevey-based food manufacturer, Nestle SA, has relocated its US headquarters in Connecticut to Stamford from Greenwich.
Nestle also announced it will purchase the frozen pizza business from Kraft Foods for $3.7 billion. The Kraft subsidiary has last year revenues of $2.1 billion and will be incorporated into the Swiss conglomerate when regulatory approvals are obtained. In a related action, the company's subsidiary Nestle Professional has agreed to acquire Vitality Foodservices, Inc., one of North America's leading beverage solution providers to the food service industry.
Outsourcing solutions provider Swiss Post Solutions, Inc. has opened a new office in Washington DC. The fast-growing company launched operations in more than a dozen US cities last year.
From The Foreign Desk
Austria-based provider of packaging solutions, Greiner Packaging GmbH, plans to spend a total of 6.6 million Euros in Diepoldsau, Canton St. Gallen, in 2010. Most of the money will be invested in a new building in the Letten industrial park, where various processes are to be concentrated at one site.
Other News
Despite a generally unfavorable global foreign direct investment climate Switzerland in 2009 scored a total of 38 expanded or new investments from North America and a significant number of projects from elsewhere. The numbers are on a level of 2008 performance, which suggests that FDI declines may have bottomed out signaling a more positive long-term trend for FDI activity in general.
The World News page of The Wall Street Journal for February 2 carried the article "Switzerland's States Compete on Tax Cuts." The article points out that Zug's success has resulted in the canton running out of space, and that other cantons are now competing harder for business. Companies mentioned as setting up shop in Zug are J&J, Burger King Holdings and Siemens AG. Other settlers listed are Yahoo, Kraft Foods, Google and Unilever. The article calls attention as well to Switzerland's research universities, efficient public sector and strong intellectual-property protection.
Six Western Swiss cantons - Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Neuchatel, Valais and Vaud - combined economic development programs under the banner Greater Geneva Berne Area (GGBa) effective January 1, 2010. The organization's headquarters are located in the World Trade Center in Lausanne. Mr. Philippe Monnier, formerly head of corporate development at Schindler, became Director of the new organization on February 1.
A new Basel incubator and start-up center providing office, laboratory space and coaching has been launched. More information at www.basel-inkubator.ch
Switzerland again holds 4th place globally and 1st in Europe in the Cato Institute Economic Freedom of the World 2009 Annual Report. The report ranks 141 countries on a range of factors in five broad areas: 1) size of government; 2) legal structure and security of property rights; 3) access to sound money; 4) freedom to trade internationally; and 5) regulation of credit, labor and business.
The Siemens "European Green City Index" is a unique study of the environmental sustainability of 30 major cities in 30 European countries presented during the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. As the featured Swiss city Zurich ranks 6th overall and in transport, 2nd in waste and land use, 3rd in CO2 emissions, 5th in water, 6th in energy. 9th in buildings and in air quality, and 11th in environmental governance (a category with 4 in 1st place, 2 in 5th place and 2 in 7th place). http://w1.siemens.com/press/pool/de/events/corporate/2009-12-Cop15/European_Green_City_Index.pdf
The www.locationswitzerland.com website has now been incorporated into the Osec website that provides access to information about other regions around the world where Switzerland Trade and Investment Promotion conducts inward and outward FDI activities. More information at www.osec.ch
The Greater Zurich Area's newest business center has opened in Schindellegi, Canton of Schwyz. It offers an intriguing business infrastructure while ideally complementing the tourist attractions in the region Ausserschwyz
Coming Events To register click the "Event" icon at www.locationswitzerland.com
February 9-11: Medical Design & Manufacturing Show, Anaheim, CA - Swiss Pavilion
February 12-28: Winter Olympics, Vancouver CA, (Swiss House)
March 1-5: RSA Conference, San Francisco, Booth 345
March 8-12: CFO Rising, Orlando
Spring date TBD: Swiss Med Tech Webinar
Publicity and Promotion
Releases sent since our last newsletter
January 19: Switzerland Scores 8 Expansions, 30 New Investment Projects from North America in 2009; Significant Projects from Elsewhere
SwissInk (Note that links were "live" at publication of this newsletter)
Our release on the 2009 investment scorecard was picked up by Nano Business News
The Financial Times Weekend January 16-17 under the title "Fringe Value" contained an article by Haig Simonian about real estate ownership in Verbier. Veysonnaz and the so-called "Four Valleys" in French-speaking Switzerland.
More coverage on the Green Technology media tour
An article on Creaholic's hand washer in the November 16 issue of DNA, published in India
Catherine Ducuret of Les Echoes wrote on the biorefinery research projects at Biomass Process Solutions AG
More coverage on the Emergency Management Media Tour
Fran Hawthorne wrote a 3-page 4-color article on OVD Kinegram, published in the fall issue of Frontline Security
The same issue carried a 2-page 4-color article on Evolva written by John Morrow
+55 11 5683 7447 - 