Along with the name change and rebranding, Somnitec strengthens the organization with two new management functions: Mirco Blöchliger is appointed Head of Delivery, taking over parts of the operational activities from COO Vanja Rohr. As Head of Technology, Tobias Franz expands the market with hybrid cloud solutions in the Microsoft environment and further develops the innovation topics. The two long-serving employees will join the Executive Board in their new roles. COO Vanja Rohr will thus be able to focus more on the topic of business development and consistently continue the strategic areas of hybrid cloud, SAP Hana and the international strategy. The company will continue to be led by CEO Martin Vogt as Delegate of the Board of Directors.

"The separation from the vonRoll infratec Group, the name change and the new overall appearance of Somnitec underline the consistent continuation of the proven strategy and are at the same time an expression of our constant further development," says CEO Martin Vogt. "Even with the name change and rebranding, our customers will continue to receive all services from the hand of a Swiss company." The management and the entire team will continue to be available as contact persons.

More information

The candidates have been determined. The independent Jury of business, science and media representatives has announced who is in the running for the 2018 Export Award:

• Industrielack AG, Wangen SZ: ILAG leaves no stone unturned
• Acutronic Medical Systems, Hirzel ZH: Strong presence in a small niche market
• On, Zurich: The running community is enthusiastic

The winner will be chosen at the Foreign Trade and Investment Forum on April 26 in Zurich. The awards will be presented by Ruth Metzler-Arnold, Chairman of the Board of Directors of S-GE.

Swiss Made all over the world

The finalists are holding their own all over the world, despite the fact that more than 750 new protectionist measures have been enacted every year since 2009, as the Global Trade Alert by Professor Simon Evenett of the University of St. Gallen shows. High barriers to entry are particularly prevalent in the medical technology sector - making the export performance of Acutronic Medical Systems, which manufactures high-precision ventilators for premature babies, all the more outstanding. The company has already established itself in Western Europe and the Middle East and is beginning to put out feelers in China. But On's running shoes and ILAG's cookware coating also have to meet high standards around the world, which the companies have managed highly successfully.

The finalists for the Export Award 2018

lLAG leaves no stone unturned: When it comes to coating cookware and baking pans, ILAG is big business. The export-oriented SME scores with quality and an innovative business model: Consistent relationship management with all participants in the value chain and image-enhancing co-branding ensure that the company is growing - and generated sales of 34 million Swiss francs in 2017. In the most important markets, ILAG is on the road with sales agents, while the US market is handled from its own office in Chicago. ILAG is still mainly successful in the consumer goods industry, but in the future it will increasingly focus on applications in industry. www.ilag.ch

Strong presence in small niche: High-tech equipment for tiny customers: With its product range, Acutronic Medical Systems covers the entire spectrum of neonatal artificial respiration. The universally designed, easy-to-use high-tech devices are used in operating theaters, intensive care units, and county halls in many European countries, the Middle East, and China. In this way, products from Hirzel ensure that many premature babies survive without permanent damage. And also that the Swiss medtech company thrives. www.acutronic-medical.ch

The running community is enthusiastic: Push off hard, land softly, and run with a feather-light stride without any discomfort - around three million runners worldwide rely on shoes from On. Founded in 2010 by three Swiss sports enthusiasts, the label has taken the global running scene by storm with its revolutionary CloudTec sole. Thanks to its consistent focus on the premium segment worldwide and a clever marketing strategy, On is the fastest-growing brand in the running shoe market and is present in 4,000 stores in 50 countries. www.on-running.com

Growing internationally between globalization and protectionism

Switzerland Global Enterprise's Foreign Trade Forum is the meeting place of the year for all Swiss exporters. Small and medium-sized companies in particular find inspiration and practical advice for their international business here, according to the organizer. For SMEs, on the one hand, it has never been so necessary and potentially profitable to do business on a broad international scale. On the other hand, it is becoming increasingly complex to deal with the multitude of markets and the specific trade barriers. During the generous breaks and at the Apéro Riche, there will be room for exchange with over 600 participants and numerous exporters who are facing similar challenges or have already successfully mastered some of them.

Registration and program at www.s-ge.com/awf

"Karin Taheny and François A. Gabella know the international business environment very well," explains Ruth Metzler-Arnold, President of S-GE. "With their experience and specific background, they can optimally complement the Board of Directors and specifically promote exporting Swiss SMEs and the promotion of Switzerland as a business location."

Karin Taheny is Head of Consulting at Yourposition AG in Zurich. After completing her Master's degree in Business Administration at the University of Zurich and Limerick (Ireland), Karin Taheny worked in various companies worldwide to support clients in the implementation of digital strategies. Among others, she worked for Google in San Francisco. Since 2015, the enthusiastic runner has been leading the strategic and operational client consulting at Yourposition AG in Zurich and is a member of the extended management team. With her know-how in digital international business and her global professional experience, Karin Taheny is ideally suited for the board of directors of S-GE, writes the export promotion organization.

François A. Gabella has been CEO of LEM Holding in Fribourg since 2010. The company produces components for measuring current and voltage and has 1,400 employees worldwide. François A. Gabella has many years of experience in large and medium-sized companies, is familiar with the international MEM industry and holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. A strong analytical mind and the ability to act in a solution-oriented manner round off his profile. This makes François A. Gabella is also an ideal candidate for the S-GE Board of Directors.

If confirmed by the General Meeting of S-GE, Karin Taheny and François A. Gabella replace two previous members of the Board of Directors. Doris Albisser is stepping down after 12 years on the Board of Directors. Pierre-Olivier Chave wishes to retire for reasons of age.

www.s-ge.com

Advancing digitization, changing customer behavior and new working models - the challenges facing business leaders today are manifold and require Swiss SMEs in particular to take a bold lead. In many places, there is not enough time for longer training courses. What is needed are events that provide a concrete benefit in a short, concise form. According to its own presentation, this is where the new Swiss Leaders Symposium comes in.

Focus on knowledge transfer

"As a typical Swiss service company, we have repeatedly attended events in the past that offered us little that was concrete for managing our own company," explains Sandra Turcic, initiator of the Swiss Leaders Symposium. Together with Danijel Turcic, she has been running the Sales Activity Group GmbH, which specializes in buying success according to Limbic®, since 2001. As Limbic® license partners in Switzerland, they support manufacturers such as Nespresso, Apple and Epson and generate shopping experiences at the point of sale.

Sandra Turcic explains further: "The reason for this was usually speakers from large well-known companies whose case studies were impressive, but which ultimately related strongly to the respective company and were too little in line with the realities and challenges of typical Swiss SMEs." Based on these experiences, the initiators have made a virtue out of necessity, so to speak, and set up a new event platform with the new Swiss Leaders Symposium. In the eyes of the initiators, the goal is a specialist event that sets new standards in terms of the quality of presentations and practical relevance and is intended to be a worthwhile investment for entrepreneurs and managers in Swiss SMEs, both in terms of time and money.

Top-class experts provide new ways of thinking and innovative approaches

The new symposium aims to live up to this claim with renowned experts and visionaries who inspire as personalities and whose strategies, methods and tools contribute concretely to successful corporate management. To this end, the first Swiss Leaders Symposium has invited a number of top-class experts, who can be seen and heard together for the first time on one day in Switzerland. These include the well-known neuromarketing specialist Dr. Häusel, who will use his presentation based on the limbic map he developed to show how the customer's subconscious plays a role in the decision to buy. The best-selling author Monika Matschnig illuminates in her presentation the effect of good communication both in the guidance of the coworkers and in the customer service. The mastermind of courageous business strategies, Edgar K. Geffroy, shows how business management works in the digital age and the motivation expert Dr. Stefan Frädrich, also known from German television, gives tips & tricks from the field of motivation theory.

"With the Swiss Leaders Symposium, we want to keep the passion and courage of entrepreneurs high to go their own way and stay ahead in everyday life," says Sandra Turcic. "In times of scarce financial and human resources but also of great economic upheaval, we bring together a lot of know-how and expertise in one day."

The first Swiss Leaders Symposium will take place on May 2, 2018 at the Swissôtel Zurich. Registration under: www.sls.swiss.

In the last parts of the Knowledge Series from Clavis IT in Herisau focused primarily on the legal starting position and the definition of terms. In the current third part, things are now getting concrete: It is shown for which document types in a company experience shows that digitization generates maximum benefits for a paperless office.

Electronic processing and archiving of business documents can be applied to almost all document types and yet the benefits of digitization vary. A benefit can be derived from two areas: Either through the digitization of processing operations or in the archiving of documents themselves. The article provides an overview of the potential behind which document type, such as contracts, invoices, order documents, physical mail, but also industry-specific documents such as construction plans, government reports, delivery bills or freight/customs documents.

Also presented is a Calculatorwhich can be used to calculate the cost-saving potential offered by a paperless office.

www.clavisit.com

Armin Baumann, Managing Director of the SME network KMU Swiss, had the pleasure of welcoming around 450 participants to the 16th KMU Swiss Forum on March 22, 2018 at the Trafo Baden Congress Center. Seven speakers gave presentations on the topic of "Dynamics - Flexibility of Action". The event was once again moderated by Hugo Bigi.

Tom Lüthi: on the road at 340 kilometers per hour

The star guest was motorcycle racer Tom Lüthi. "The premier class is every rider's dream," enthused Tom Lüthi about his move to the MotoGP class. "Every change is a risk, but it's the only way I can continue to develop." To keep moving forward, he said, you need stamina, a clear focus, plenty of electronics expertise and, above all, a free mind to keep a handle on the concentrated power at 340 kilometers per hour. "But you get used to the speed, after all, everyone goes that fast!" added Tom Lüthi with a smile. For the current season, Tom Lüthi will still have to take many learning steps. But he wants to continue to make up places in the king's seat. For him, it is a matter of seizing this unique opportunity.

Using the "time" factor as an advantage

Speed is also a big issue in logistics. The company Planzer Transport AG transports 23,000 shipments a day. In the evening, it shifts from trucks to rail. "This protects the environment and shortens transport time," says Nils Planzer, CEO of Planzer Transport AG. "What is relevant is the first and last mile. You have to be able to interface in order to master the future." And for the future, Planzer is convinced that drivers will still be needed, despite self-driving trucks. On the contrary: In the future, drivers could not only deliver parcels to the customer's home, but also take on additional services such as installation or the assembly of furniture.

Recipes for success for speed in SMEs

Book author and profiler Suzanne Grieger-Langer also provided a lot of momentum. She gave an insight into her multifaceted work as a profiler and revealed her recipe for success in today's leadership in seven steps. The need for clear leadership was also emphasized by Jürg Brandt, Chairman of the Board of vonRoll infratec (holding) ag, in his presentation. The company recovered from the crisis thanks to leadership and a cultural change. Madeleine Stöckli, CEO of B. Braun Medical AG, pleaded for quick decisions: "It's important to think globally, but act locally!" Global thinking is also important for SRF Swiss Television, because its biggest competitors are global giants like Apple, Amazon and Google. "We invest in new technologies to stay competitive. We also focus on our core business and promote interdisciplinary ways of working," says SRF Director, Ruedi Matter. Derek Brandt, CEO Sensile Medical AG, sees the recipe for success in the future primarily in the employees: "There is a shortage of skilled workers. We have to offer attractive working conditions to attract the best employees."

A strong brand is important

In his presentation, Urs Kessler, CEO of Jungfrau Railways, showed how important clear brand management is: "Top of Europe also demands top quality! The participants experienced how other companies present themselves during the breaks in the exhibitor area. Expertise and business cards were exchanged and for once everyone went home a winner. The next KMU Swiss Forum will take place on March 21, 2019 on the topic "Challenge 2030".

10 years marketplace Baden - follow-up event

For the 10th time, the city of Baden invited Baden companies to the Baden Marketplace, where guests could network and exchange ideas. Moderator Hugo Bigi interviewed Barbara Lüthi, the long-time SRF China correspondent and current moderator of the "Club".

www.kmuswiss.ch

As part of the Global Inclusion Seminar, where experts from around the world exchange best practices and trends on the topic of diversity and inclusion, Helena Trachsel, head of the Cantonal Zurich Office for Gender Equality, launched a day explicitly for local and regional SMEs. This day was dedicated to new job profiles, work processes, business models and organizational structures that take advantage of social diversity and new technological developments. Speakers included future consultant Gerd Leonhard, Bea Knecht, the visionary founder of Zattoo, and Florian Wieser, founder of The Relevent Collective. Finally, Jacqueline Fehr, member of the Zurich government, represented the "political view" on the complex issue of integration and inclusion of all people, regardless of their origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc.

The future for women?

First, Gerd Leonhard gave an overview of what might await us humans in the future. He warned against being afraid of the future. "The future is better than we think. But we have to agree on what and who we want to be in the future," he said. Technology will still bring us many benefits, but, "Technology has no ethics," he warned. Therefore, he said, we humans must shape technology so that it can truly serve equal opportunity. As artificial intelligence would take over more and more routine work, he said, the training of emotional intelligence in particular would play a central role in the future. "EQ will become more important than IQ," says Gerd Leonhard. And that has consequences for diversity and inclusion: since men, for example, think much more strongly in terms of plans and structured processes, they are much easier to replace with artificial intelligence, he said. The question should be asked: Is the age of women now beginning? "Women are better for the new world," says Gerd Leonhard approvingly.

Not just a gender issue

Woman vs. man, man vs. woman: This discussion still dominates the diversity topic. This also became clear again and again in the table discussions. But there were also other examples: Ann-Kathrin Greutmann from the Zürcher Kantonalbank, for example, showed how, thanks to technical progress, hearing and visually impaired people can also play to their strengths in her company. Or Laurenz Uhl explained how HR processes supported by artificial intelligence can promote diversity and inclusion. Or Reto Schneider (Swica) appealed to dealing with people who have different prerequisites than most of us. "We still have to learn this way of dealing better," he commented. Or Bea Knecht: The pioneer of Internet television and founder of Zattoo has had to deal a lot in her life with "otherness," swimming against the tide, and much more. Her descriptions of the development of her own resilience were correspondingly impressive.

Way out of the biotope

The topics met with open ears among the participants. For most of them, it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done for the equality of all people in the world of work. And with digitalization, companies are facing new challenges: New forms of work, alternative working time models and more flexible organizations are the order of the day. Those present were able to report on a great deal that has already been achieved and demonstrated the willingness and necessity to take a chance on something new. The only thing was that the conference had the appearance of a "meeting of like-minded people". In the world outside this "biotope", as one participant put it, there is still a lot of convincing to be done. On the other hand, there are many globally positioned companies that come up with many good examples - not because this only serves their image, but because they are virtually forced to diversity and inclusion due to their international orientation.

More information

Become extreme! And especially in what you define as the benchmark. You don't even have to cite the usual "suspects" like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs or Richard Branson: Anyone who achieves significantly more than others in a given time has "extreme" standards in terms of what is possible.

Apply tougher standards

Most of us have learned from childhood to limit ourselves. This has advantages, of course, and is often a prerequisite for a comfortable life. The problem is that this same attitude prevents us from achieving truly outstanding things. In order to do so, we have to become much more demanding.

I keep repeating it: you can achieve much more if you apply tougher standards, especially to yourself.

Three areas where you can get "extreme"

Here are three areas you can start getting "extreme" with right away (in a positive sense, of course):

1. Drawle. Do you want to grow by 5% or have 10% more customers? Then double down and change your goals to 10% growth and 20% more customers. Unrealistic? Sure, just like flying to the moon, the iPhone or inventing and mass producing a car. You've almost certainly experienced that you can achieve the seemingly "impossible" when it's a must.
2. Learning. Listen to and read from experts who take a much more radical viewpoint than you do, especially when it feels totally uncomfortable ("That's way too American" is what I keep hearing). Want to attract more new customers? Then consume someone every day who is proven to win 10 new customers a day. Want a cutting-edge culture? Then study Zappos, Ritz Carlton, Virgin or Google, every day! Let this mindset become a daily part of your life.
3. MutTry new things all the time, be it in leadership, marketing, sales or wherever. Be bold and step out of your famous comfort zone at least once a week (better: daily). For many, that's things like videos (yourself on camera), showing emotion as a leader, celebrating successes, and more.

I already know: 95% of my readers may read the points but will not apply them. The others are the ones who achieve outstanding things and change the world a bit. Are you there?

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch

The majority of women work in caring and educational occupations, while men are predominantly employed in manual and technical occupations - this has hardly changed in the Swiss labor market over the past 23 years. There have been shifts, however, in the distribution of occupational types: Occupations with a craft-technical orientation still account for the largest share of the labor market, but the number of leading-selling occupations has risen sharply over the past two decades. This is shown by an examination of data from the Swiss Labor Force Survey of more than half a million professionals over a 23-year period. Using six occupational interest types, researchers led by Anja Ghetta and Andreas Hirschi of the Institute of Psychology at the University of Bern analyzed the development of the Swiss labor market from 1991 to 2014 from a psychological perspective. The results were published in the "Swiss Journal of Psychology".

Psychology of the Swiss Labor Market

Personal interest is one of the most important factors in choosing a career. In order to find a suitable occupation, it is important on the one hand to know one's own interests and on the other hand to know how these interests can be realized in the labor market. Labor markets are typically described based on industries or economic sectors. Within these industries and sectors, however, there are significant differences in the interests that can be realized in particular occupations. For example, cooks have very different occupational interests than do hotel clerks, even if they work in the same industry. Until now, little was known about how strongly certain occupational interest types are represented in the Swiss labor market and how they have developed in recent decades. Occupations of the "manual-technical" type are characterized by the fact that people in them like to work with objects and materials and use tools or operate machines. This includes occupations such as sound engineer, farmer or carpenter. The results show that between 1991 and 2014, the percentage of these occupations in the Swiss 2 labor market decreased. However, this type consistently represented the field of interest with the most employees; in 2014, 30% worked in a craft and technical occupation. Individuals in occupations of the "investigating-researching" type like to deal with ideas and want to use scientific methods and logical thinking to find out something new. Examples of occupations are scientist, detective or psychologist. Occupations of this type grew strongly in percentage over the last years, but at a low level (9% in 2014). In occupations of the "artistic-creative" type, individuals are typically interested in art, language, and abstract concepts and want to creatively create or design something. Typical occupations include singer, graphic designer, or writer. This occupational type remained at a very low level during the 23 years analyzed; in 2014, 3% worked in an artistic-creative occupation. People in occupations of the "educating-caring" type like to work with people whom they want to support, advise, care for or educate. This includes occupations such as teacher, nurse, or social worker. This type of occupation has grown significantly in recent years and currently represents 16% of the labor market.

Employment opportunities of the future

The occupational type "leading-selling" reflects an interest in economic and entrepreneurial activities, as is the case in occupations such as advertising specialist, entrepreneur or salesperson. This field of interest has grown the most of all since 1991 and represents the second largest field in the Swiss labor market in 2014 with 25%. Occupations of the "tidy-administrative" type are, for example, archivist, secretary or lawyer. Persons in these occupations are interested in conscientious and structured work with data and facts. In percentage terms, this occupational field has shrunk slightly over the past 23 years to 18% in 2014. Overall, it was found that the Swiss labor market offers different opportunities for people with different interests. Individuals with craft and technical occupational interests continue to find a large labor market. However, the sharp increase in occupations of the educating-caring as well as leading-selling interest type points to important future employment opportunities for individuals with such interests. "These results can play an important role in career choice and career counseling," says Andreas Hirschi.

Stable differences between men and women

Women and men are differently active in the various fields of interest, and these differences were surprisingly stable over the 23 years studied. In occupations with manual-technical interests, men have consistently been in the majority, whereas occupations with educational-caregiving interests have always been carried out by a large majority of women. The most balanced gender ratio is in occupations with managerial-sales interests, in which women have accounted for about half of the employees since 1991. Compared to men, women are less concentrated in one field of interest, but work in a broader range of occupations - every fourth to fifth woman works in an educational-caring, managerial-selling, order-managing, or manual-technical occupation. It is noteworthy that during the last 23 years, despite increasing equality in society, there have been no major fluctuations in the proportions of women and men in the six occupational types. "The results suggest that the practice of occupations based on gender-typical occupational interests is extremely stable," says Anja Ghetta.

Publication details:

Ghetta, A., Hirschi, A., Herrmann, A., & Rossier, J.: A Psychological Description of the Swiss Labor Market from 1991 to 2014: Occupational Interest Types, Gender, Salary, and Skill Level. Swiss Journal of Psychology. March 2018, 77, 83-94.

Source: www.unibe.ch

In times of increasing globalization and digitization, it is more important than ever for organizations to be able to respond quickly to changing customer needs. Andreas Hink, Chief Digital Officer at Globus, is well aware of this: "Stability used to be the credo of IT," says the trained business economist, "but digitalization is making more flexible working methods necessary.

Agile organization

In the in-service training CAS Agile Organization, participants learn how their company can secure a lasting competitive advantage through agility. The course is run jointly by the FHNW and the ZHAW in cooperation with the agilist cooperative and the Swiss Agile Research Network. In terms of content, participants deal with the principle of agility as a personal working principle, in the team and in the company. The transformation from a traditional work process to an Agile way of thinking and proceeding will be addressed by proven experts. Selected case studies provide an exciting insight into various companies. In his e-commerce team at Globus, Andreas Hink began to gradually introduce agile work processes based on the "Scrum" model. Scrum is a framework for complex adaptive tasks to effectively and creatively deliver products with the highest possible value. In doing so, the product is developed iteratively and incrementally in short cycles.

Difficult cultural change

According to Prof. Martin Kropp, the cultural change in the organization is one of the greatest challenges when introducing agile working methods. Working according to agile values and principles is much more than a new process model. The professor of software development at the University of Applied Sciences FHNW is one of the authors of the Swiss Agile Study, which examines the use of agile methods in the Swiss IT industry every two years. In addition to the culture change, the changed role of management is another challenge. "Self-organized Agile teams are no longer led according to the control and command principle, but demand leadership according to the servant leadership principle," explains Martin Kropp, "the roles are redefined."

Measurable success

According to the latest Swiss Agile Study, 85 percent of IT companies now use agile process models - and are satisfied with them. "The speed of our processes has roughly doubled," Andreas Hink also reports, "delivery reliability can be met more frequently, and target achievement has risen from 30 to around 80 percent." This is confirmed by the findings of the Swiss Agile Study. "The fact that success is measured consistently at all is what I consider to be the most important result of Agile methods," says Hink. In addition to IT, the approach is also used at Globus in logistics and marketing. "Wherever projects are carried out, Agile methods can be applied," says Martin Kropp.

CAS Agile Organization - Information

Degree: CAS FHNW/ZHAW
ECTS points: 15
Next start: 14.09.2018
Duration: 28 course days
Class days: Friday / Saturday
Place: Windisch
Price: CHF 8'200
www.fhnw.ch/cas-agile-Organisation

Young people with learning disabilities find it particularly difficult to enter working life. They often lack the opportunity to get fit for working life with training and support that is suitable for them. This is a shame in two respects: on the one hand, because the people affected are inhibited in their development, and on the other hand, because the economy leaves untapped potential that people with learning disabilities also offer.

With the Prix Lions Club Bern, the Lions Club wants to set an example for the promotion and professional integration of young people with learning difficulties. Companies that offer space to young people who have difficulties finding a job in the regular labor market and who need a little more support in vocational training and integration can apply for the prize. The award is given exclusively to companies that are organized in the private sector.

 The two 2018 award winners, Taroni Metallbau AG and Schibler & Haldi AG, received their awards on Monday evening, March 19, in a ceremony at the Kursaal Bern:

• The Taroni Metal Construction Ltd., Ittigen, specializes in stairs, doors, interior fittings and general metal construction. The company employs 10 people, including two young people with learning disabilities.
• The Schibler & Haldi AG, Frauenkappelen, specializes in construction work such as masonry and plastering, joinery and erection of wooden structures, roof renovation, wooden flooring and insulation work. It employs 30 people, six of whom are young people with learning disabilities.

More information: www.prixlions.ch

More and more companies are creating value with research and application of blockchain technology. They are thus becoming an important economic factor. Furthermore, a momentum has developed in Crypto Valley in Zug and Zurich that is also radiating to other regions. In French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, there are more and more blockchain startups, so that Switzerland is indeed becoming a Crypto Nation.

Blockchain companies are becoming increasingly important for value creation

Now, for the first time, a comprehensive overview is available that shows the size, importance and diversity of blockchain companies in Crypto Valley. At the Internet address www.cryptovalley.directory lists more than 350 companies that develop and use blockchain technologies. The first inventory on Crypto Valley was compiled in meticulous detail by startup investors and consultants from Lakeside Partners and IT consulting firm inacta. For Mathias Ruch, founder and managing partner at Lakeside Partners, one thing is clear: "The numbers clearly show how important blockchain technology has already become for value creation in the Zug region." The ecosystem of these companies is becoming an increasingly important economic factor for the whole of Switzerland, he adds. The Zug company's figures show this: "We opened our second location, Crypto Valley Labs, three weeks ago and already count around 50 blockchain companies there. In total, there are now around 100 companies in our area alone," says the startup investor. That's remarkable, because a year and a half ago there were only about 20 companies.

Only a snapshot

Given the pace of development in this industry, it goes without saying that the map is a snapshot and is constantly changing. Daniel Rutishauser, Head Blockchain at inacta, says: "We see the map as an important tool and want to update it regularly." New blockchain companies can therefore register on the website if they want to be listed on the map. The map is tangible proof, even abroad, that Crypto Valley is one of the most important blockchain hubs in the world, he said. "This tool makes it easier for startups and investors to decide to base themselves in Switzerland," Rutishauser said.

Regular updates are also necessary because new companies keep appearing in Crypto Valley. Private and public contact points are still registering increasing numbers of inquiries. Well over 100 companies and founders per week inquire with them about how they can move to Zug in Crypto Valley. At the same time, interest from investors, crypto enthusiasts and established old economy companies continues to grow. Not a month goes by without a high-ranking foreign delegation visiting the Valley.

Crypto Valley radiates to other regions

The map shows for the first time how strongly the Valley is already radiating into the rest of Switzerland. The momentum has spread to French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. There are more than 40 entries on the Crypto Valley Map in French-speaking Switzerland and already around 10 in Ticino. Ruch says, "What Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann propagated in January is becoming apparent for the first time through the map: Switzerland is on its way to becoming a Crypto Nation."