While many companies have reported a shortage of skilled workers to date, the next shortage is looming, especially among the next generation of managers. The background to this varies from region to region. And so must the way they deal with this problem. This is the result of a worldwide survey conducted by Korn Ferry Futurestep.

Young leadership talent threatens to dry up

Especially in the South American and Asian regions, young people have been promoted very quickly in recent years to lower- to mid-level managers, some of whom now lack the necessary experience and skills to take the next step up to higher levels as department or division managers, notes Jan Müller, responsible for Korn Ferry Futurestep's business in EMEA. "In particular, they have not been sufficiently trained in managing employees. There is a lot of catching up to do here."

At 27 percent, European HR bosses have also declared the lack of leadership talent to be the greatest challenge for their company. Jan Müller says: "In Germany in particular, the first and second levels are filled with very competent managers, and in many cases successors already exist for top positions. It is becoming more difficult to fill this succession pipeline, as fewer and fewer candidates are coming up. This makes it all the more important for companies to uncover the potential of young employees and develop them specifically into middle management - and retain them in the long term. Otherwise, there is a risk of not having enough management trainees available in a few years." The situation is likely to be similar in Switzerland, where certain sectors, such as the construction industry, are already complaining about the lack of young managers. However, the reason for this is still seen in the lack of interest in construction professions among school leavers.

All industries fight for the same top talent

While it used to be a knighthood for IT professionals to work for a leading software group, for business economists as investment bankers or management consultants, and for engineers in industry, such a sectoral division can no longer be made today. "Everyone is fighting for the same talent," says Jan Müller. "This includes not only specialists such as data scientists or cyber security specialists, but also the best engineers, business people or sales specialists." And so, in the same study, 22 percent of the HR executives surveyed in Europe said they were looking primarily for sales specialists with a technical background - making them the most sought-after candidates on the job market.

"That's why companies today are taking ever greater risks in radically changing their brand core and thus their culture," says Jan Müller. "Automobile manufacturers are focusing on swarm, jeans and service, management consultancies are increasingly mutating into digitization specialists, and IT groups are hiring classic mechanical engineers. That didn't exist to the extent it did five years ago - and today it's a competition that's becoming increasingly global."

Retention of talent becomes a key criterion for HR success

This makes it all the more important to retain and develop talent over the long term once it has been recruited. It is true that the speed at which a vacancy can be filled is still the most important success criterion for recruiters. That's according to 63 percent of respondents in Europe. But this is followed by the length of time the talent stays (51 percent) and the success of the respective candidates in their job after 18 months (42 percent).

"What's the point of filling a position quickly, but then it's gone just as quickly?" says Jan Müller. "HR bosses need to check that their target systems are properly calibrated: Recruiting new employees is a process that can become very expensive due to direct and indirect costs. Accordingly, it must be in the interest of companies to retain the employees they have hired at great expense over the long term. This requires individual programs and a long-term development and option corridor that gives young people the opportunity to constantly learn new things and be allowed to reinvent themselves again and again. And that in the same company."

The study can be viewed on the Internet at:

http://www.kornferry.com/the-talent-forecast/the-talent-forecast

Whether it's because of the heat or the beach figure - especially in summer, many people consciously opt for a healthy, light diet. But do working people manage to forego ice cream in the afternoon and reach for an apple instead, even in a stressful workday? A team of Mannheim-based industrial and organizational psychologists led by Prof. Sabine Sonnentag addressed this question in a study recently published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.

Bad mood is compensated by sweets

For the study, 247 working people from various organizations were surveyed about their working conditions and their snacking behavior. The results showed that employees turn to unhealthy snacks such as ice cream or chocolate bars when they want to compensate for their bad mood. This, in turn, is often triggered by high work demands and stress on the job. "If they have to pull themselves together strongly at work in order to cope with their tasks, many people find it harder to do without unhealthy snacks as well," Professor Sonnentag explains this finding. And so people increasingly reach for sweets on such days at work. On the other hand, the participants tended to reach for fruit and other healthy snacks on days when they wanted to pay particular attention to their health.

Further study in progress

"Interestingly, the desire for healthy food does not decrease just because one is exposed to high demands," Professor Sonnentag continues. Thus, it seems to be easier for working people to reach for healthy snacks even on stressful days if a healthy diet is exemplified in the company and promoted by the employer.

Prof. Sabine Sonnentag's team is currently conducting another study on snacking and physical activity in the workplace. "We want to find out exactly where the obstacles to healthier behavior at work lie and how smart technologies can be used to make people more health-conscious," says Sonnentag.

Source: University of Mannheim

In Switzerland, an estimated 300,000 - 800,000 people suffer from chronic insomnia. Only about one percent of those affected receive cognitive behavioral therapy. Thus, all others do not receive the medical care that is considered the gold standard by many experts today. Yet diseases associated with insomnia or other sleep disorders also pose a risk to occupational safety, as we have recently seen on this place have reported.

Unique online sleep therapy in Switzerland

Since 2010, the Clinic for Sleep Medicine (KSM) in Bad Zurzach and Lucerne has developed an online therapy for chronic insomnia, i.e. problems falling asleep and staying asleep, under the brand name KSM SOMNET. Here, KSM sleep experts guide clients online through a cognitive behavioral therapy. The difference to face-to-face therapy is obvious: users do not come to the clinic for a therapy session, but work through several therapy modules on their PC or tablet under the guidance of an online therapist. As a rule, a therapy session lasts eight to twelve weeks. The vision of a therapy that is not tied to a specific time or place and is personally supervised by a therapist has thus been realized - in contrast to many other offers.

A milestone

The inclusion of the service "Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapeutic treatment of insomnia" in Annex 1 of the Nursing Benefits Ordinance as of Jan. 1, 2017, represents a true milestone for the KSM Clinic for Sleep Medicine, according to a statement. The clinic is taking this as an opportunity to further expand its offering of this online sleep therapy. With the expansion of the team of therapists, a software relaunch, the publication of a dedicated information website www.ksm-somnet.ch and the registration of the KSM SOMNET trademark in the Swiss trademark register, the offer is now well positioned to meet the expected demand, the clinic added.

Dizziness, circulatory problems, headaches and aching limbs - for many people, extreme temperature fluctuations cause the body to go crazy. The reason for this is simple: Our modern lives with high-performance air conditioning and heating systems no longer train us to adapt quickly to different weather conditions.

Stimulate metabolism through sauna visits

An exercise deficiency that can be remedied as pleasantly as effectively: Through regular sauna bathing. Because sauna bathing creates a kind of artificial fever in the body, which naturally activates and increases the metabolism quite considerably. In order to dissipate the heat, the vessels under the skin dilate, and blood flow to the uppermost layers of the skin increases dramatically. When cooling down afterwards, the vessels contract again and the pulse rate normalizes.

Sweating in the sauna and the subsequent cold stimulus from cold water, or even more tinglingly, from ice flakes, therefore ensures that the blood vessels first dilate and then constrict again - a vascular workout that is as effective as it is pleasant. "That's why the organism can react much better and faster to heat and cold stimuli in people who regularly go to the sauna," explains Prof. Dr. med. Karl-Ludwig Resch, head of the German Institute for Health Research in Bad Elster.

The right sauna for your own four walls

Regular visits to the sauna, preferably once or twice a week, should therefore be on the agenda not only during the cold season, but especially during the summer months. And of course this is particularly easy if you have your own sauna at home. Manufacturers of wellness and spa facilities such as KLAFS AG offer sauna models for every room situation and every requirement. In this way, the positive effects of regular sauna sessions can also be brought into your own four walls.

Source and further information about products and services: KLAFS AG, Oberneuhofstrasse 11, 6340 Baar. www.klafs.ch

Technology adapts to people, no longer people to technology, is the core statement of the "Accenture Technology Vision 2017″. This study looked at the disruptive technology trends of the next three years and examined and analyzed Swiss companies with regard to these trends.

Disruption is strongly perceived

In Switzerland, people are well aware of the changes brought about by technological change: 86 percent of the Swiss executives surveyed perceive moderate or complete disruption in their respective industries, which is more than the global result (75 percent). However, most Swiss executives also confirm that their company is only investing in digitization in selected business areas. This underscores the gap between the clear perception of disruption and the comprehensive strategies with which Swiss companies are interacting. In this year's Technology Vision, Accenture identified five trends that highlight the importance of focusing on "technology for people" to achieve long-term success. Tomorrow's decision-makers are using these trends for strategies that give them a clear digital edge.

Trend 1: Artificial intelligence becomes the new user interface

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in more and more areas because it enables simple and intelligent interaction between humans and machines. As a result, AI is becoming the new user interface that will fundamentally change the way we interact with virtual systems. Artificial intelligence is now real and people are aware that AI will have a huge impact on our lives. Forty-one percent of experts surveyed by Accenture believe AI will radically change the way their company gains new insights about and interacts with customers. In addition, nine out of ten Swiss companies - 10 percent more than the global average - believe it is important or even extremely important to offer products and services through centralized platforms, assistants or message bots. Swisscom, for example, is using AI to better serve customers by equipping its call center with "Best Solution." This is an AI-driven program that finds a quick and effective solution for the customer, enabling an optimal customer experience.

Trend 2: The ecosystem becomes a macrocosm

Platform providers that enable access to different services via a single access point have completely turned the rules of competition on their head. Companies are now forced to rethink and adapt their previous business models. A single platform strategy is no longer enough. Instead, a comprehensive and robust ecosystem approach is required to give companies a competitive edge in the "new information age". A large majority of Swiss executives surveyed (86 percent) believe that digital ecosystems are fundamentally changing the way their company creates value. More and more companies are integrating their core business functionalities into third-party platforms, and around three-quarters (73 percent) of the companies surveyed are planning initial steps to become part of the digital ecosystem.

Trend 3: Portals for freelancers gain in importance

Technological changes combined with increasing competition are not only influencing what companies provide to their customers, but also their HR strategy. 76 percent of companies confirm this, feeling pressure and a desire for more innovation in human resources. To drive productivity and efficiency, more and more companies are turning to less traditional measures that are flexible and effective, such as mandating freelancers.

The number of online platforms where freelancers offer their support has increased sharply. At the same time, collaborative tools for employees to work together regardless of location are now ubiquitous. These developments are leading more and more companies to dissolve their traditional hierarchies and replace them with online marketplaces for freelancers. As a result, we are witnessing one of the biggest changes in the way companies are organized since the Industrial Revolution. 94 percent of Swiss executives plan to rely even more heavily on freelancers in their company over the next twelve months.

Trend 4: Design for people

As technology is increasingly expected to support employees and customers to achieve required goals, it is essential to adapt technology to people's needs and behaviors. Switzerland's leaders recognize: When technology removes the barriers to effective human-machine cooperation, adapting to specific human behaviors increases not only the quality of the user experience, but also the effectiveness of technological solutions. This change turns a simple relationship into something much more valuable: a partnership. Two out of three decision-makers surveyed said that in the future, companies will need to focus even more on what their customers want in order to better understand how technology can deliver even greater value to consumers.

Trend 5: Breaking new ground

In a digital economy based on ecosystems, not only must new products and services be developed, but new rules must also be established, such as technology standards or ethical norms. In fact, 79 percent of Swiss executives believe that their company will open up completely new digital business areas in the future that have not even been defined yet. In shaping such new digital rules of the game, companies must take a leadership role to achieve their digital goals. Those that lead the way will find a place at or near the center of their new ecosystem. A large majority (81 percent) of Swiss decision-makers feel obliged to define rules for the entirely new business areas.

Source and further information: Accenture

"It takes flexibility to respond to the changing needs of companies in an increasingly complex environment," says Vital Bigler, newly appointed regional director for Zurich and eastern Switzerland at Manpower Switzerland. A native of eastern Switzerland, Bigler knows what he's talking about, having years of experience in human resources. He is 53 years old, holds a Master of Advanced Studies ZFH in Human Resource Management from Zurich's ZHAW/IAP and a certificate from the HSG's St. Gallen Management Seminar for SMEs. He speaks German, French and English. After starting his career as a hotel manager, he held leading positions in human resources for 20 years, including 12 years as regional director for German-speaking Switzerland at a large personnel services provider. In 2012, he founded his own HR consulting company. "The world of work is in a constant state of change, and the demands on companies, as well as on candidates, are becoming increasingly diverse. As one of the leading HR service providers in Switzerland, Manpower Switzerland is actively shaping the future of HR, which is an exciting challenge for me," explains Vital Bigler.

Source: Manpower Switzerland

A new study by technology expert Ricoh highlights the different customer service expectations of different generations. Older customer groups are shown to be less forgiving of brands, while younger customers expect far more information when considering a purchase and in-depth post-purchase interaction to build long-term relationships with brands.

ÄOlder people do not appreciate brands with cumbersome purchasing processes at all.

The study found that 62 % of over-55s would turn their backs on brands with cumbersome purchasing processes, compared to only 43 % of 16-24 year olds. 55 % of customers in all age groups would forgo a purchase if the process proved complicated. Younger age groups, however, value the more advanced interaction with brands far more than older ones. Additional services such as the inclusion of third-party reviews and recommendations are significantly more important to younger consumers. 43 % of 16-24 year olds rated this as a factor that most impressed them when deciding to buy a brand, compared to only 20 % of 55+ year olds. It was also found that older customers were less interested in loyalty programs and incentives for frequent purchases. For only 19 % was this a captivating factor, compared to 38 % among 16-24 year olds.

"Customers reward brands they feel valued by"

Javier Diez-Aguirre, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, CSR & Environment, Ricoh Europe, commented: "Our study highlights one of the core challenges facing brands today - how to manage the diverse preferences of customers across all generations. Brands need to ensure that their customer-facing processes, platforms and technologies are spot-on with the common assessments they use to ensure continued appropriateness and optimal impact. Those that get this right will be rewarded, with 57 % of customers spending more on brands they feel valued by."

Information before purchase

Ricoh's study also found that customers are increasingly making great efforts to gather information before making a purchase. In addition to wanting third-party reviews, 33 % of 16-24 year olds and 37 % of 25-34 year olds use Facebook to engage with a brand before making a purchase. Younger consumers are also frustrated to a higher degree when it is not possible to interact with a brand via social media. This is agreed to by 50 % of 16 - 24 year olds compared to 26 % of over 55 year olds.

Source: Ricoh

As part of the new study, Accenture classified 100 Swiss companies into three digital profiles with different characteristics: Digital Followers, Digital Maintainers and Digital Trendsetters. Companies that have already started their digital journey but are not yet fully ready for transformation are called Digital Followers. They have started selling their standard products and services through digital platforms. Digital Maintainers are companies that are focused on digital monetization but do not yet have a continuous innovation pipeline. The third profile, Digital Trendsetters, includes companies that focus on digital-enabled innovation and have the ability to develop new trends, products and services. According to Accenture's Top500 study, today's trendsetters have grown the fastest in recent years.

Companies need to be bolder

More than half of the companies (54%) that were classified as Digital Followers in 2016 have since moved up to the next higher profile, Digital Maintainers. However, 43% of Digital Followers have not adapted and thus still remain in the Digital Followers category. In addition, almost half of the companies (48%) that were classified as Digital Trendsetters in 2016 had to be downgraded to Digital Maintainers.

"The fact that some Swiss companies have not evolved since 2016 indicates a great potential for development in terms of digitalization," comments Thomas D. Meyer, Country Managing Director Accenture Switzerland. "Companies lack the courage to create new industries and standards. Furthermore, they would need to adapt organizational structures to equip themselves for digital trends; moreover, it is also essential to invest in simple and intelligent interactions, such as artificial intelligence."

Learning to understand digital innovation

Companies can actively influence the maturity of digitization by better understanding the mechanisms of digital innovation and digital asset monetization. Digital innovation is based on the ability of companies to continuously develop innovative solutions for their customers. This, in turn, depends on the use of new technologies and a customer-centric service design philosophy (such as design thinking).

In general, the progress of innovation processes at Swiss companies has led to a higher digital index and corresponding segmentation. The DNA of companies' digital maturity is now visible in all industries. Key influencing factors are, in particular, a high level of commitment on the part of corporate management and an organizational orientation with a strong focus on the digitization of products and services.

Source: Digital Index Switzerland 2017

By applying to the District Court in Bülach (Canton of Zurich) for the opening of a provisional debt-restructuring moratorium, the Board of Directors and the Management of Bruno Piatti AG intend to continue the restructuring process initiated at the beginning of the year and to secure the turnaround. This is stated in a press release sent out on July 27. The company with the two brands Forster Küchen and Piatti is a subsidiary of the German ALNO AG, one of the largest kitchen manufacturers in Germany.

The restructuring measures implemented at Bruno Piatti AG since the beginning of January 2017 are showing initial successes in securing operations, according to the company. Despite these successes, the Board of Directors is required to file an application for provisional debt-restructuring moratorium due to the legacy issues and the associated high liquidity requirements, it adds. With this application, the Board of Directors, together with the Management Board and the management of ALNO AG, is pursuing the goal of continuing Bruno Piatti AG profitably after completion of the restructuring process. Bruno Piatti's current strong market position as one of the largest kitchen manufacturers in Switzerland is thus to be secured.

Source: AFP Kitchens AG

According to the Michael Page Swiss Job Index (July 2017), demand for investment and private bankers as well as IT and insurance specialists has reached an annual high. The number of job offers for these occupational groups increased by up to one-third since the beginning of the year. Across Switzerland, an average of +10.7 % more jobs have been advertised since the start of the year. Between June and July 2017, the number of job vacancies decreased by -1.5 % across Switzerland. This seasonal decline was particularly pronounced in French-speaking Switzerland (-13.7 %), while it was significantly lower in German-speaking Switzerland (+0.3 %).

"Financial services firms are looking for high-revenue specialists and operational efficiency experts. We are seeing strong demand for investment bankers with a track record of attracting profitable customers, as well as private bankers with strong customer portfolios. On the operational side, there continues to be a high demand for IT specialists with banking experience and specific systems expertise. Due to important regulatory programs such as FATCA and MiFID II, demand in this area has increased even more," explains Nicolai Mikkelsen, Director at Michael Page.

The canton of Zurich recorded the highest growth in job postings between June and July 2017 (+2.3 %), while the number of job postings for all occupational groups decreased in the Lake Geneva region (-17.3 %).

Source and further information: www.michaelpage.ch

Annually, global business travel provider Carlson Wagonlit Travel and the GBTA Foundation jointly publish a Global Travel Forecast. The latest edition predicts a 3.5 percent increase in global airfares for 2018. Hotel prices are expected to rise by 3.7 percent, rail, bus and cab by 0.6 percent - significantly less than the three percent inflation expected for 2018. "The higher prices reflect the economic recovery and rising demand," said Kurt Ekert, president and chief executive officer of Carlson Wagonlit Travel. "The global numbers in this forecast can be seen as meaningful and leading indicators of what 2018 holds for businesses - we expect higher spending." However, according to Jeanne Liu, vice president of research at the GBTA Foundation, geopolitical risks, uncertainties in emerging markets and the ever-changing political environment in Europe and the U.S. mean travel managers need to consider more issues than ever before when designing their travel programs.

Flight forecasts for 2018

The upward trend in global airfares results from rising crude oil prices despite expectations that airlines will increase capacity by six percent in 2018. Contributing to the complication of airfares is the increasing segmentation of base fares by major airlines. Travelers now have a choice between restricted basic economy fares and various upgrade fares that include different services and prices depending on the airline. For the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, the 2018 Global Travel Forecast expects air travel to grow, with fares rising 7.1 percent in Eastern Europe and 5.5 percent in Western Europe. Countries in the Middle East and Africa, however, need only expect price increases of three percent, as they continue to face security threats and the oil sector is still recovering. Prices in Switzerland, on the other hand, are expected to fall by up to 2.6 percent. Currency fluctuations in Europe may also further affect airfares. Against the backdrop of limited competition and the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Eastern Europe could again see the most significant price increases for business travel.

In the Asia/Pacific region, prices for business travel are expected to rise by 2.8 percent in 2018, with growing domestic demand, especially in China and India. However, with the strengthening of the Asian economies, infrastructure weaknesses are becoming increasingly visible, especially at airports. In Latin America and the Caribbean, prices will change little in 2018 - up by just 0.3 percent. Airlines have been cautiously cutting capacity. An extended look at South America shows 20 percent more scheduled flights at the end of 2019. Low-cost airlines are well positioned in this region, as market penetration is still low. In addition, new and more efficient aircraft will enter service here, lowering operating costs in 2018. In North America, prices will rise moderately by 2.3 percent, according to the Global Travel Forecast. In view of stricter US entry regulations, flights to the USA have already been reduced accordingly. Canadian airlines are expected to build strong competition - there are new entrants to the market, and capacity will grow by eleven percent in 2017 and twelve percent in 2018.

Hotel forecasts for 2018

The global average hotel price increase of 3.7 percent hides what is actually happening in the regions. Europe is likely to see strong increases, while prices in other regions are barely keeping pace with inflation. In addition, prices in Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to fall. According to the forecast, the mergers of hotel groups in 2017 will make themselves felt in the 2018 tenders. Service providers are actively moving their corporate clients away from fixed, negotiated hotel rates and toward dynamic pricing. There is also a global trend toward "smart" hotels investing in beacon technology, messaging, room technology and other things. Increasingly tech-savvy guests will use apps to check in and out, open their room doors, control the TV, and adjust the room temperature.

In the EMEA region, hotel prices for business travel are likely to rise in 2018 - by 6.6 percent in Eastern Europe and 6.3 percent in Western Europe, but by only 0.6 percent in the Middle East and Africa. Switzerland is expected to see a 0.8 percent decline. Norway will lead the way with increases of 14 percent in 2018. Hotel prices in Russia will be 11.9 percent higher as demand increases due to the 2018 World Cup. In Asia Pacific, the hotel price forecast is plus 3.5 percent - with big differences, as Japan is expected to be down 4.1 percent, while New Zealand is expected to be up 9.8 percent. The economic upturn means that demand in the region is increasing. Buyers should prepare for challenging discussions with the newly merged hotel groups, especially in volume markets such as Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore. For Latin America, the Global Travel Forecast predicts hotel prices will fall by 1.2 percent - with significant declines in Brazil (down 8.7 percent) and Argentina (down 2.7 percent). Peru and Chile, on the other hand, are expected to see increases of 7.7 and 5.5 percent, respectively. Buyers may have advantages in 2018 as major brands buy independent competitors and upgrade their systems. Capacity will grow across the region, with an estimated 449,500 new hotel rooms being built between the end of 2016 and 2025, a 57 percent increase in supply. Hotel operators in North America, in turn, may be banking on economic growth, as demand has softened since the summer of 2016 - but supply is likely to continue to grow steadily through 2018. International travel is expected to grow four percent in 2017 and 2018, with U.S. hotel growth likely to be concentrated primarily on the West Coast and Washington DC. For Canada, hotels in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are expected to fetch good prices amid a weak Canadian dollar.

Rail, bus, cab forecasts for 2018

The Global Travel Forecast predicts rail, bus and cab price increases of 0.6 percent in 2018 (but 5.5 percent by 2022). Industry experts predict record sales of new cars over the next five years, driving up fleet costs per vehicle. At the same time, used car prices will drop 50 percent, lowering the residual value for used rental vehicles. This means that the current pricing structure in the rental car business is no longer sustainable. Due to market-specific regulations for curbing emissions and rising oil prices, providers have already increased the availability of "green" rental cars. Sharing economy companies like Uber and Lyft are likely to continue double-digit growth above ten percent in 2018 before settling into single-digit growth in 2019. Their growth is threatened by costly legal and regulatory prohibitions.

In the EMEA region, ground-based passenger transportation remains highly competitive. In Europe, prices are likely to remain largely stable, while in the Middle East and Africa they will rise by a meager one percent. In Switzerland, prices will decline marginally by 0.5 percent. Rail remains a viable alternative to air travel throughout Europe, particularly with increased security measures at airports. Continued uncertainty in the mining sector and a cautious recovery in the oil and gas sector will lead to stable prices in the Asia/Pacific region in 2018. In China, business continues to grow with the presence of most major rental car and sharing economy providers. Sharing economy companies Didi Chuxing in China, Ola in India, and Grab in Southeast Asia have achieved economies of scale that make them serious competitors for traditional car rental and cab companies. For Latin America, the 2018 Global Travel Forecast predicts slightly higher prices (one percent). Brazil and Mexico expect higher rental car demand in 2018 as their economies get back on their feet. Still, the rental car market there remains highly fragmented. Uber is betting heavily on its Latin America business (despite problems in Brazil, Peru and Argentina) - especially after pulling out of the Chinese market recently. Prices in Canada are expected to rise 4.6 percent in 2018, but overall prices in the region are climbing only one percent. The limited rail network along with rising per capita incomes and growing business travel will likely drive up rental car prices in North America. Sharing economy providers continue to grow, but face stronger competition from traditional cabs and regulatory requirements.

Source: www.carlsonwagonlit.ch

The finalists for the Swiss ICT Award 2017 have been determined. The jury nominated 10 finalists at the end of June. The finalists come from the regions of Zurich (3), Lake Geneva (2), Valais (2), Eastern Switzerland (2) and Central Switzerland (1).

Nominated for the Swiss ICT Award are:

• Artanim SA from Meyrin is well on its way to making a breakthrough in Hollywood with "Real Virtuality," a virtual reality platform.
• Imito AG from Zurich has developed "ImitoCam", an Instagram-like platform for doctors and hospitals, on which medical findings can be exchanged in a privacy-compliant manner.
• Eyeware Tech SA based in Martigny, has developed 3D eye-tracking software that can be used in robotics or automotive industries, smart homes, healthcare or advertising.
• Nomos Systems AG from Zurich has already been awarded a "Red Herring" this year with its universally usable IoT automation software.
• Nagra Vision SAa Kudelski Group company based in Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, has launched "White Noise", a secure communications solution that is expected to be a global breakthrough.

Nominated for the Swiss ICT Newcomer Award 2017 are:

• Advertima AG from St. Gallen, developer of the AI technology "The Experience Management System (EMS)" has grown from 5 to 35 employees in the 1st year.
• Bricks & Bytes AG from Zurich has established itself as the Swiss market leader in the crowdinvesting sector within two years with "crowdhouse.ch", according to its own statements.
• Recapp IT AG from St. German VS enables multilingual automatic logging with "The app to recapp" - including Swiss and Valais German.
• Bexio AG from Rapperswil SG started with an innovative web solution for administration in small businesses in 2013 and says it now has 8,000 customers and a weighty strategic partner on board in UBS.
• WhyWait Ltd. from Zug is on the verge of establishing a global AI hub in Switzerland with the ambitious goal of developing artificial intelligence into a key industry in this country.

The winners will be selected on November 14, 2017 in Lucerne. All finalists are also eligible for the Swiss ICT Public Award, which is determined by an online vote in Swiss IT Magazine and an auditorium vote at the award ceremony. The award ceremony is an important meeting point for players from the Swiss ICT industry in research, business and politics.

Exceptional performance in the IT sector

The Swiss ICT Award has been presented since 2004 to companies that have launched an innovative IT-based product or service on the market. The projects must have been implemented in the last two years and a significant part of them must have taken place in Switzerland. In addition to the main prize, the Swiss ICT Newcomer Award and the Swiss ICT Public Award will also be presented. The award is organized by swissICT, the industry association of the Swiss ICT workplace.

Symposium: New Business Models for Digital Switzerland

The traditional swissICT Symposium will take place before the gala award ceremony, with the title theme "New business models in digital Switzerland". Hardly any industry is not affected by the digital transformation. The media is dominated by topics such as self-driving cars, which will soon be cruising around on our roads. Blockchain is supposedly turning the financial world upside down. Uber is shaking up the cab industry, Airbnb the hotel industry. How is Switzerland dealing with this change? What business models are developing in the digital world? Networking is an important part of the Swiss ICT Symposium.

More information