From April 17 to May 7, 2023, the fourth "Swiss Managers Survey" asked companies about the business climate and specific challenges managers face in practice. In the representative survey, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), the University of Applied Sciences Grisons (UAS Grisons), the Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana (SUPSI) and the Haute École Arc (HE-Arc) interviewed alumni of their EMBA and MBA programs. 340 participants from all parts of the country and all relevant industries gave insight into their companies. Network partners of the project are the Zurich Chamber of Commerce (ZHK), the Winterthur Chamber of Commerce and Employers' Association (HAW) and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce - Central Europe (SEC).

Only a few expect business to deteriorate

This year's survey shows that companies are more positive about developments in the coming months than in the previous year (March 2022). Only a small minority expect business to deteriorate in the second half of 2023. When it comes to the current business environment, service companies give a very positive assessment - an improvement of 19.5 percentage points on the previous year. However, this is not shared by the industrial companies, whose situation is perceived to be worse today than last year.

Martin Hirzel, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the ZHAW School of Management and Law and President of Swissmem, comments on the results of the study as follows: "The results are in line with our information: Capacity utilization is still good thanks to last year's high order intake. However, the recent decline in orders and the low level of the global Purchasing Managers' Index PMI point to much more difficult times ahead."

Swiss competitiveness leads to strong dependence on immigration

The strengths of Swiss companies remain unchanged: Despite higher costs, they can prove themselves in international competition thanks to high quality and innovative strength. Among the challenges, the shortage of skilled workers on the Swiss labor market is cited: 51 percent of respondents say that strong competitiveness has led to labor shortages and wage pressure (higher wages). 63.2 percent of the companies surveyed rate the strong dependence on immigration as problematic. Losers in this situation are smaller companies in particular: 70 percent of the SMEs surveyed see themselves at a disadvantage in the fight for talent compared to large companies. "The reasons for these difficulties faced by SMEs could be the better conditions, such as higher wages or prospects, that large corporations offer their employees," says study author Prof. Dr. Florian Keller, Head of the Center for Global Competitiveness at the ZHAW School of Management and Law, assessing the situation.

Merger of UBS and Credit Suisse - and its impact on Swiss companies

Although the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS is seen as a reputational risk for Switzerland as a business location, no negative consequences are expected for the company's own business. Only a small minority of the Swiss managers surveyed (13.6 percent) believe that the merger of the two big banks will have negative consequences for their own company. "We were surprised that the managers surveyed did not expect negative consequences for their business, such as more expensive loans, as a result of the takeover of CS by UBS," says ZHAW Professor Florian Keller. On the other hand, 61.8 percent of the participants are convinced that Switzerland as a business location has been damaged by this takeover.

Supply chain risk: Focus on Europe and larger storage capacities

For 56.2 percent of industrial companies, their supply chains are currently the greatest risk. The companies concerned see promising counterstrategies above all in procurement from Europe and in building up storage capacities. When it comes to domestic procurement, the managers are not in agreement: "It turns out that for some companies, domestic procurement is a successful strategy - for others, where this option does not exist, access to the European procurement market is central." Study leader Prof. Dr. Keller (ZHAW) adds further: "The survey also shows that access to foreign markets is essential for Swiss competitiveness: Only 5.7 percent of participants do not see this as significant."

While industry struggles with supply issues, other risks are relevant for other companies: More than 85 percent of companies that cite cyber risks as their biggest threat have fewer than nine employees. Among mid-sized companies, two-thirds say that financial risks such as exchange rate fluctuations, inflation or rising interest rates are most pressing for them.

Source and further information: ZHAW

Smart factories with intelligent machines, efficient processes, autonomous transport vehicles and service robots have dominated the discussion about Industry 4.0 for years. For six out of ten companies, their own digitization is therefore also at the top of the agenda this year. "When it comes to concrete implementation, however, there is still a lot to do to be able to exploit the full potential of digitization," says Urs Hirt, Co-Managing Director of Staufen.Inova AG. "Many companies are currently still feeling their way around the topic with various individual projects that are not always coordinated with each other." According to the study, for which the consulting firm surveyed a total of 126 industrial companies in Switzerland on the topics of digitization, efficient value creation, sustainability and resilient networks, a digital two-tier society is emerging in industry.

A lot of digitization potential in production and the supply chain network

After all, 58 percent of companies are continuing their digitization projects unchanged despite the tense economic situation; 39 percent have even launched new projects. Most of them (89 %) expect this to increase efficiency. Almost three quarters (73 %) also expect greater transparency in processes, and for more than half of the companies (60 %), digitization is expected to help reduce costs. The industry sees the most potential in the supply chain (65 %) and logistics (55 %). "Often it's a question of approach. All companies know they need to digitize. However, many do not yet know how to get the most out of digitalization and therefore start with projects to increase efficiency," says Hirt.

Conquering new markets through alternative business models

For the Staufen.Inova consultant, however, this can only be the first step. "The enormous benefit of digitization lies in the development of new business models. The pioneers of Industrie 4.0 already have this strategically in mind when implementing the technology." However, only just under half of companies are driving digitization strategically. For example, while almost three-quarters of companies (74 %) offer products and services with Industrie 4.0 functionalities, such as in the area of predictive maintenance, only three percent have so far also developed new business models on a digital basis, including in the area of intralogistics. "Individual digitization projects help small and medium-sized companies in particular to get through the current crisis, for example. But if you want to position yourself for the future in the long term, you need alternative business models to take advantage of the opportunities offered by new markets," says Urs Hirt.

Source: Staufen.Inova

ALD Automotive has successfully completed the acquisition of LeasePlan, a leading global fleet management and mobility company, from a consortium led by TDR Capital. This acquisition creates a global leader in sustainable mobility with a total managed fleet of 3.3 million vehicles. By joining forces, ALD Automotive and LeasePlan will lead the way to carbon neutrality and the digital transformation of the industry, according to the statement. Due to its size and complementary capabilities, the company will further strengthen its competitiveness and achieve sustainable growth, the statement added. Following this acquisition, the two organizations will begin the process of integrating into a single company - subject to regulatory approval.

Niklas Zetterlund becomes new Country Managing Director

To lead the strategic development of the combined entity in Switzerland, Tim Albertsen, Chief Executive Officer of ALD Automotive | LeasePlan, has appointed Niklas Zetterlund, previously Managing Director of LeasePlan Switzerland, as Country Managing Director. This conditional appointment is effective immediately. Martin Kössler, previously General Manager of ALD Automotive in Austria and Switzerland and Regional Director Central Europe, has been appointed Group Regional Director.

Swedish-born Niklas Zetterlund is a proven mobility and digitalization expert and has many years of management experience, including as Operations Director of LeasePlan Sweden. About his new role, he says: "I am very excited to join ALD Automotive | LeasePlan as Country Managing Director. The merger will allow us to transform the industry and, as it were, we are best positioned to provide even better services, solutions and benefits to our customers." He is also committed to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles. In this regard, Switzerland is home to good conditions.

Source: http://www.aldautomotive.com

Discussions about the impact of artificial intelligence are now commonplace. But the truth is: AI has already started to change the way we work. With the ability to analyze vast amounts of data and extract insights, AI is also enabling the creation of more effective marketing campaigns. Such a level of personalization cannot be achieved at all without this technology in terms of time alone. It allows us to better understand target groups and create concepts that directly address their interests and needs. Above all, the ability to automate many repetitive and time-consuming tasks so that marketers have more time for strategic tasks is revolutionizing the market. AI can help streamline strained efforts, from automating email campaigns to optimizing ad targeting. This can make marketing efforts more efficient and effective.

Text quality at a new level

AI also has implications for content creation. Using natural language processing algorithms, artificial intelligence can produce high-quality content on a large scale. This not only allows more content to be created faster, but also ensures quality and consistency across all channels. All of these points are proving to be key advantages for marketers and present themselves as absolute gamechangers in a competitive professional field. In summary, the role of artificial intelligence in online marketing will only continue to grow as the technology continues to evolve. The industry sees this as the future of all text-based tasks, and yet the technology is just scratching the surface of what seems possible. AI has what it takes to change the way an entire economic system does business, and will likely have a significant impact on much more than marketing in the years to come. Creators in marketing need to understand artificial intelligence in its current form as a tool that expands their capabilities and helps achieve goals faster and more satisfactorily.

Allow me, ChatGPT

Such disruptions of a particular way of working also always bring up dark prospects for the future. While some fear that AI will replace the human workforce, it is more likely that it will complement human capabilities. However, it should still be clear to everyone that later developments in AI could exceed the processing power of the human brain. For those who still doubt the capabilities of artificial intelligence even in its current form, perhaps the following will open their eyes: This commentary was written using the most popular AI language model, ChatGPT. Anyone who didn't recognize this right away shouldn't blame themselves too much for it, but should see it as a sign of AI's massive potential. It is already capable of generating insightful and thought-provoking content, but this also underlines the need for responsible development and conscientious use. In these ways, as demonstrated here, it is possible to work hand in hand with AI.

Author:
Robert Klipp is CEO and managing partner of My Best Concept, one of Germany's successful performance marketing agencies. With his technical background from his mechanical engineering studies, his start at Dirk Kreuter as an intern and his way to the top of an agency, Klipp acquired a cornucopia of knowledge and has since gained experience from countless online marketing projects. In his book "Milliardengrab Agenturdienstleistung," published in 2022, he provides valuable insider tips for entrepreneurs, further establishing himself as one of the most sought-after experts in the marketing industry.

For more information www.mybestconcept.com

Every year, the market for artificial intelligence grows by up to 25 percent - to an estimated $130 billion by 2025.[1] Despite Europe-wide inflation, the shortage of skilled workers and the associated budget cuts, international tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft are currently investing considerable sums in Industry 4.0. While the United Arab Emirates has even had a Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence for several years, experts complain that there is a lack of strategy in Europe. According to a survey, 54 percent of decision-makers in Swiss companies want to increase their budgets for data science, machine learning and AI in the next three years.[2]Nevertheless, the U.S. and China dominate the market for artificial intelligence, which could make companies and governments dependent on each other.

Exponential growth in the billions

"Last year, the AI market experienced significant growth in deep learning, such as audio, video or text recognition. But there is also a tremendous amount of development and investment in the machine learning segment when it comes to clustering, visualization and filtering. AI-based software accounts for the largest share of the market," explains Strauss-Frank of Freedom Finance Europe. If investments in artificial intelligence research and development amounted to just under $37.5 billion in 2019, by 2022 the investment volume was already $118 billion, and by 2026 it is expected to reach $300 billion - almost tripling in just a few years. "The global market for AI was estimated at $119 billion last year. By 2030, it is expected to grow to around $1.5 trillion at a compound annual growth rate of 38.1 percent," Strauss-Frank said, underscoring the potential. North America in particular currently dominates the AI market, he says, and cloud computing and IoT (Internet of Things) are high on the agenda here. "However, due to increasing demand in emerging markets such as China and India, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to show the highest growth rate," Strauss-Frank says.

In which industries AI is capitalized

Artificial intelligence became an issue in the automotive industry relatively early on in the wake of autonomous driving. "In many industries, AI is also used to make predictions. Be it forecasts for road traffic, or in the field of cybersecurity threat as well as predictive analyses. In the financial sector, artificial intelligence is also expected to increase fraud detection, but here it is primarily trading through algorithms that is exciting. By 2025, the market for AI in the financial sector is expected to reach $26 billion," Strauss-Frank said. The importance of artificial intelligence in e-commerce should also not be underestimated, he said: here, a market volume of $45 billion is expected by the end of the year, and software for product recommendations and supply chain management are among the most common areas of application. Added to this are chat bots, which are designed to personalize the customer experience and answer customer queries.

Great potential also in healthcare

"The processing and analysis of big data is an important driver for the development of the AI market," says Strauss-Frank, referring in particular to the healthcare industry, where AI devices can improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. A McKinsey study from 2017 shows just how great the potential is: according to the data available at the time, a medium-sized German insurance company received up to 700,000 requests for reimbursement from hospitals every year. The insurer is obliged to check these invoices - this not only requires several hundred employees, but almost every tenth invoice turns out to be incorrect. The use of AI can not only relieve staff here, but also improve the success rate. This is because the checking algorithms identify the invoices that are actually faulty and, for example, only identify claims with a high chance of success for the cashier to process humanely. "But application areas such as robotic surgery or virtual nursing assistants should not be forgotten either. The market for AI in healthcare is expected to reach $34 billion by 2025," Strauss-Frank adds. Listed Teladoc Health, one of the leading providers of telehealth services, is already demonstrating what medical treatments in Industry 4.0 can look like. "Patients can thus also receive advice from specialists at a distance. Teladoc is using AI to develop virtual care solutions and also to diagnose and treat patients regardless of their location," explains Strauss-Frank.

AI investors face a dilemma

While the potential applications are considerable, cautionary voices are also growing louder. But the call for a pause in development sounds more drastic at first glance than it actually is: "The suspension is supposed to apply primarily to a subgroup, namely the area of generative artificial intelligence such as image and text creation. However, software for data processing of inventories, for example, would probably not be affected by the halt. Investors nevertheless find themselves conflicted; on the one hand, the market is growing enormously fast, attracting billions of dollars in venture capital, private equity and corporate investment. On the other hand, the technologies are far from perfect and often reach their limits," says Strauss-Frank. Accordingly, investors must balance their desire for profit and innovation with their responsibility to consider what ethical, social and legal implications may arise. She concludes, "Researchers, companies and governments must work together to ensure that the development and application of artificial intelligence is guided by ethical principles and that appropriate safeguards are in place to avoid unintended consequences or misuse." If this is the case, investments in artificial intelligence could probably be made with a clear conscience.

[1] https://www.de.digital/DIGITAL/Redaktion/DE/Standardartikel/Magazin/kuenstliche-intelligenz-da-schau-her.html

[2] https://www.computerworld.ch/business/marktanalyse/so-investiert-schweizer-wirtschaft-in-digitale-technologie-2838551.html

About Freedom Finance

Freedom Finance Europe is the only EU-based investment broker whose holding company is listed on NASDAQ. Freedom Finance Europe provides domestic and international clients with access to 15 U.S., European and Asian exchanges and offers a wide range of financial markets services to meet clients' short and long-term financial needs. Through the Freedom24 platform and mobile app, clients gain direct access to equity markets and the ability to invest in stocks at IPO prices on the secondary market.

https://freedomfinance.eu/

The specialist for digital workflows ServiceNow presents various innovations for its Now Platform. The most important innovations include new automated workflows for critical business processes. These include procurement, accounting and supplier management. In addition, the functions can be integrated into existing ERP systems. Based on the insights companies gain from the data, they can take concrete action faster, generating greater value from their technology investments. In addition, there are generative AI capabilities that build on ServiceNow's already extensive AI capabilities. These include the ServiceNow Generative AI Controller, which allows organizations to easily connect ServiceNow instances to OpenAI and Microsoft Azure Open AI, and Now Assist for Search, which brings the benefits of generative AI to Portal Search, Next Experience or Virtual Agent.

AI-powered features for employee development

Another innovation is an AI-supported solution approach for employee growth and competence development. The new so-called Employee Growth and Development will be available in September 2023. It uses AI and machine learning to help companies develop a scalable skills strategy. This will allow them to drive the re-skilling of their own talent and better develop their employees - closing gaping talent gaps. Through Employee Growth and Development, disparate learning and development systems are linked on a single platform. This enables better visibility into development goals and learning resources, resulting in higher-performing teams and a more engaged and productive workforce, according to the company.

Manage cloud infrastructures better

Managing cloud infrastructures is becoming increasingly complex. To that end, ServiceNow has developed a new end-to-end cloud application observability solution. New features in it are designed to help site reliability engineering teams better manage the growing size and complexity of cloud infrastructures. To do this, relevant observability metrics are merged with tracing and logging data from Lightstep in a solution specifically designed to connect insights and measures across all the tools, people and processes involved.

Central platform for all value chains

ServiceNow also announced a new offering to digitally transform the vital work of nonprofits, as well as new partner courses for the RiseUp with ServiceNow training program. The goal is to train one million people to use the platform by the end of 2024. "There's an app for everything these days - but no one wants to have to use 1,000 different programs. CEOs need a central platform that can orchestrate the entire technology value chain to drive faster business results," said Bill McDermott, chairman and CEO of ServiceNow, commenting on the innovations the company will present in Las Vegas from May 14 to 18, 2023.

The median salary* of all participants in the current UAS salary study is CHF 104,000. This study is conducted every two years by the umbrella organization UAS Switzerland and sheds light on the salary, employment and continuing education situation of graduates of a Swiss UAS. The study is supported by all Swiss universities of applied sciences and various companies. The data is collected by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). All respondents have graduated from a Swiss university of applied sciences. They come primarily from German-speaking Switzerland (87 percent) and are mostly employed (98 percent). More than half of the respondents work in management positions, 13 percent in senior management.

University of Applied Sciences studies in the financial sector remain lucrative

It is still worth working in the finance and insurance sector. Here, the median salary is the highest of all industries at CHF 120,000. This is followed by the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, public administration and IT, where the median salary is also well above 110,000 Swiss francs.

*The median is the middle value - half of the wages are below it, half above. In contrast to the average, individual outliers at the top or bottom do not distort the picture.

70 percent of respondents were able to look forward to a wage increase this year. This confirms the general trend as a result of inflation. Most of the increases (over 50 percent of respondents) are in the range of up to 5 percent. The proportion of those who have not seen any wage increases is noticeably smaller than a year ago.

Majority of the UAS graduates surveyed are in management

Other results of the salary study are striking: Economists earn more in almost all sectors than those who studied in other UAS disciplines. The location of work also influences salaries: Zurich is, as usual, the front-runner with a median of over CHF 111,000 per year. Compared to the 2021 study, however, the eastern Swiss have caught up massively and, with a median of 106,000, are in second place this year, ahead of other countries (104,000) and northwestern Switzerland (103,230), which was still in second place at the time.

Although 70 percent of the study participants are under 40 years old, around 60 percent of all respondents hold a management position. They earn between CHF 106,000 and CHF 140,000 per year. Lower management in particular has thus caught up significantly from just under 101,000 to 106,000 Swiss francs since the last study. "The study confirms that graduates of universities of applied sciences play a key role in society and the economy," says Toni Schmid, managing director of UAS Switzerland. The older the UAS graduates, the more likely they are to be in an upper management position.

More than half plan further training

Interest in further training remains high. In fact, 60 percent of respondents are planning to take one in the foreseeable future. CAS and DAS are the most popular, followed by specialist and management courses. But the far more time-consuming MAS, MBA and EMBA also remain popular. Nevertheless, the proportion of those not planning any further education (a good 40 percent) is significantly higher than in the 2021 study, when the figure was 30 percent. A look at the results also shows that the desire for further education is greater among women than among men. Only 37 percent of women say they are not planning any further training, compared with a good 42 percent of men.

Further results and information of the FH wage study are available on www.fhlohn.ch available for a fee.

The Great Place to Work consulting firm again surveyed 220 companies of all sizes and industries with a total of around 30,000 employees. The feedback resulted in a ranking of employers that particularly stand out: A high level of integrity on the part of management, as well as a pronounced welcoming culture, were particularly important factors for employee satisfaction this year, according to the report.

55 companies recognized as "Best Workplaces

On May 16, 2023, the winners were announced and duly celebrated in front of around 260 guests at Kaufleuten Zurich. In the category of large organizations (250+ employees), Cisco Systems (Switzerland) GmbH took first place. This is the tenth time the IT company has taken part in this national competition and the sixth time it has made it to the top of the podium. In the Medium category with 50-249 employees, Hilton took first place. In the Small category with 20-49 employees, the IT company baseVISION AG makes it to first place. The Micro category with 10-19 employees is led by goSecurity AG.

In total, 55 organizations were recognized by their employees for having an outstanding workplace culture. Ten companies were in the Micro category (10-19 employees), also ten in the Small category (20-49 employees), 20 organizations in the Medium category (50-249 employees) and 15 in the Large category (250+ employees). Four companies made it into the "Best Workplaces Legends" category for the first time this year: AstraZeneca AG, dbi services and Novo Nordisk Pharma AG were named Best Workplaces for the fifth time, and Cisco Systems (Switzerland) GmbH for the tenth time.

What makes excellent employers

An excellent employer is characterized by the fact that it creates an environment in which employees can sustainably develop their potential. The basis for this is, above all, a high level of trust, achieved through lived values and leadership quality, as defined by Great Place to Work. While pride in one's employer remains the most important factor when it comes to job satisfaction, the integrity of management in particular has become much more important compared to recent years and is one of the top factors for a great workplace culture, according to this year's evaluation. While in 2022 ethical behavior and integrity of management had a very low impact on satisfaction, this year it is among the top 5 drivers for a trust-based workplace culture. For example, employees at Best Workplaces 2023 said they are confident that their leaders keep their promises (79% vs. 52%), exemplify the best qualities of their organization (78% vs. 48%), and behave honestly and ethically (88% vs. 69%).

According to Michael Hermann, consultant and co-owner at Great Place To Work, "The sincerity and integrity of supervisors is no longer just an implicit requirement. Rather, they have a direct influence on the attractiveness of the employer and the commitment of the employees to the workplace. It is gratifying to see that Switzerland's best employers do particularly well in this regard"

Other results of the survey show that investing in your culture pays off: Creating great workplaces for everyone means engaged employees who are proud to work at their organization (85% vs. 61%), who want to work there for a long time (82% vs. 60%) and who act as ambassadors:inside for your great workplace (81% vs. 58%). Excellent workplace culture has been proven to drive productivity and value creation. But not only that: It also helps build an employer brand. In times of skills shortages, this is an important consideration. By communicating the workplace culture to the outside world, employees are more authentic than any commercial, helping to capture the interest of potential employees and build a strong, authentic, and honest employer brand, according to Great Place to Work.

The top 3 employers per category

Best Large Workplaces™ (250+ employees)

1. Cisco Systems (Switzerland) GmbH
   Information and telecommunications technology
   359 employees
2. Salesforce
   Information and telecommunications technology
   501 employees
3. SAP (Switzerland) AG
   Information and telecommunications technology
   971 employees

Best Medium Workplaces™ (50-249 employees) 

1. Hilton
   Hospitality
   155 employees
2. CSP AG
   Services
   65 employees
3. Holle baby food AG
   Manufacturing industry and production
   53 employees

Best Small Workplaces™ (20-49 employees) 

1. baseVISION AG
   Information and telecommunications technology
   34 employees
2. SFL Regulatory Affairs & Scientific Communication GmbH
   Services
   20-49 employees
3. WS Audiology Switzerland AG
   Healthcare
   32 employees

Best Micro Workplaces™ (10-19 employees)

1. goSecurity AG
   Information and telecommunications technology
   18 employees
2. Alohi SA
   Information and telecommunications technology
   10-19 employees
3. OMIT Group AG
   Real estate and housing
   15 employees

Here you will find the complete Ranking of the Best Workplaces™ in Switzerland 2023

In the Swiss tech industry[1] In the first quarter of 2023, sales increased by +4.9 percent year-on-year. This increase in sales was significantly more pronounced at large companies than at SMEs. Order intake fell by -4.8 percent in the first quarter compared with the prior-year quarter. Overall, the level of order backlogs is still high, as evidenced by the good capacity utilization in companies of 89.5 percent. This is above the long-term average of 86.2 percent.

Rising exports to all major markets

Exports of goods by the Swiss tech industry increased by +2.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, reaching a value of CHF 18.4 billion. Exports to all major markets increased. Specifically, they increased by +3.4 percent to the USA, +3.0 percent to Asia and +2.9 percent to the EU. There were differences in the development of exports to the most important product groups. While exports increased in mechanical engineering (+6.0%), electrical engineering / electronics (+5.4%) and precision instruments (+1.2%), they decreased significantly in metals (-5.7%). The latter shows how strongly the companies operating in this sector are negatively affected by the continued high energy prices as well as subsidies abroad.

High energy and raw material costs dampen earnings development

The very good course of business last year unfortunately did not lead to a significant improvement in the earnings situation at companies in the tech industry. As before, 18 percent of companies report a negative EBIT margin and 27 percent report a positive but insufficient EBIT margin of less than 5 percent. "Increased raw material and energy prices due to the Ukraine war, as well as ongoing problems in certain areas of the supply chains, have put margins under severe pressure," says Stefan Brupbacher, Director of Swissmem. "In order to preserve companies' ability to invest and innovate, they must not be burdened with additional costs," emphasizes Stefan Brupbacher. It is true that the general business situation in most companies in the Swiss tech industry is currently still good. However, the differences between the sub-branches are considerable. In particular, energy-intensive companies, SMEs and, increasingly, mechanical engineering are under pressure. In contrast, companies offering products and services related to the transformation of the energy supply system are enjoying good business.

Subdued outlook for the tech industry

The outlook for the coming months does not allow for much optimism. "Companies are currently feeding off the very good order intake from last year," comments Stefan Brupbacher. "The decline in incoming orders in the first quarter and the level of the Purchasing Managers' Index PMI, which is currently below the growth threshold in all major markets, point to a significant slowdown." In parallel, there are significant risks. Recent interest rate moves by major central banks are likely to further dampen economic activity and thus demand for tech industry products. In addition, the energy supply situation remains tight. However, major risks for the global economy also lie in a further escalation of the war in Ukraine and an intensification of tensions between China and the USA.

Swissmem supports the net zero target 2050

In addition to the tense geopolitical situation, climate change remains a major challenge in the long term. "Technological innovations are the only way to limit climate change while maintaining prosperity in Switzerland," says Martin Hirzel, President of Swissmem. "Net zero is the goal. And the tech industry is delivering the solutions to achieve that goal. That's why the Swissmem board has decided to vote Yes to the Climate and Innovation Act KIG," Martin Hirzel emphasizes. At the same time, Swissmem also supports the OECD minimum tax. Both bills will be put to the vote on June 18, 2023.

[1] The tech industry includes the machinery, electrical and metal industries, as well as companies active in other pioneering technology areas, such as sensors, photonics, robotics, additive manufacturing and industrial ICT.

Source: Swissmem

To successfully implement this required transformation to the circular economy, leaders are needed who are able to motivate and engage external stakeholders for this change. The ambitious SNSF project, "Green Transformational Leadership in the Context of the Circular Economy", aims at this task at ISM HWZ in cooperation with Judith Walls (HSG) and Christian Vögtlin (ZHAW) and Silvan Oberholzer, PhD student.

Innovation and responsibility

Green Transformational Leadership, in the context of the Circular Economy, is an innovative approach that prioritizes sustainability and environmental responsibility while recognizing the importance of operating within planetary boundaries and innovating. Green Transformational Leadership seeks to advance models such as the circular economy in a goal-oriented manner by fostering innovation and collaboration among stakeholders, including businesses, governments, and civil society.

Characteristics of Green Transformational Leaders include a vision for a sustainable future, a commitment to social and environmental responsibility, and the ability to inspire and mobilize others around sustainable and circular practices.

Change requires leadership

The aim of this research project at the HWZ, in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen and ZHAW, is to identify why, when and how leaders can optimally engage stakeholders in this process to address the identified environmental challenges in the context of the circular economy. This necessary change requires leaders with specific characteristics. It is about actual transformers:inside and appropriate mechanisms to build relationships with external stakeholders that create sustainable value for stakeholders and nature. In a first step, analyzed case studies are used to visualize the processes in circular stakeholder networks that underlie the relationship dynamics between transformative leaders and stakeholders and lead to ecologically sustainable outcomes. In addition, the characteristics and motivations of Green Transformational Leaders are elaborated.

"With its current study, the Institute for Strategic Management at the HWZ makes a sound contribution to the theory and practice of transformational, entrepreneurial leadership, environmental management and stakeholder engagement. The identified characteristics of change-minded leaders as well as the engagement mechanisms of external stakeholders in the transformation should contribute to the solution of major environmental challenges such as CO2 reduction or preservation of biodiversity," says Prof. Sybille Sachs, who has led the Institute for Strategic Management at the HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich for 20 years.

Source and further information: www.fh-hwz.ch

Bruno Sauter acquired a sound understanding of the interfaces between the public and private sectors as head of the Office of Economic Affairs and Labor of the Canton of Zurich (AWA) from 2005 to 2020, and has since been able to apply this in advisory roles.

As the new Managing Director of vonRoll hydro (suisse) ag, Bruno Sauter now takes over the operational management of the "Life & Services" business unit. vonRoll hydro is a business unit of the Swiss industrial and data group vonRoll infratec, which generates sales of over CHF 300 million with around 1200 employees. The new Managing Director will also oversee the group's strategic development and anchor the "zerowaterloss" mindset among water utilities in Switzerland and abroad with a technologically leading range of integrated products, services and software. "When I was asked whether the topic of Zerowaterloss might appeal to me, I met a highly motivated team that is willing and able to move and shape a lot - I didn't have to think twice," says Sauter. "It will be particularly exciting to transfer the Swiss experience and successes to the global Zerowaterloss franchise."

Jürg Brand, Chairman of the Board of Directors: "With Bruno Sauter, we have gained the perfect addition to our team. He brings the experience and contacts that we need to achieve our ambitious goals and further expand our position as a leading company in the water supply industry."

Source: FromRoll hydro

It is a typical regional bank for SMEs, commercial and private customers: Bank Thalwil, founded in 1841, with headquarters in Thalwil and branches in Adliswil, Kilchberg and Langnau am Albis. Bank Thalwil's range of products and services covers all standard banking transactions such as payments, savings, investments, financing, retirement planning and asset management. As the bank for the Zimmerberg region and as a cooperative, Bank Thalwil has strong roots in the area on the left bank of Lake Zurich.

Rooted in the population

Now the bank has moved into new premises. They also include a new ATM zone and a 24-hour safe facility. The new building is proving to be a major highlight for customers and employees alike. "Bank Thalwil is a great enrichment for our lakeside community and gives the new center, which is being built around Centralplatz, a characteristic face," said the mayor of Thalwil, Hansruedi Kölliker, on the occasion of the opening. During the three opening days from May 11 to 13, 2023, the regional bank gave all guests a look inside the modern and energy-efficient building. In doing so, Bank Thalwil sent a clear signal that it is committed to the community and will continue to be there for the population in the future.

Reference to the traditional craft

Last Thursday and Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., some 350 visitors toured the new building, accompanied by readings from the book "Thalwiler Geldgeschichten". They were surprised by the impressive ambience in which the future banking services will take place in the lakeside community. Bank Thalwil has said goodbye to individual offices and is introducing the flexible form of work known as "activity-based working" at its new headquarters. In open offices without fixed workstations, collaboration and networking among employees are to be strengthened and exchanges with customers are to become even more personal. The meeting rooms, gardening, carpentry, weaving, plumbing and painting, are intended to create a direct link to traditional crafts and thus reflect the differentiation as "The Bank Craftsmen" vis-à-vis the customers.

Guided tours, photo box and catering for "one Stutz

On the open day, there were further attractions in addition to the guided tours. While the big guests took a souvenir selfie in the photo corner, the little ones had their face painted at the children's face painting. In addition, all visitors could enjoy sausages, bread or drinks for "one Stutz" each. Sandro Meichtry, CEO of Bank Thalwil, is very satisfied with the opening: "The opening days were a complete success. During the bank tours, which were completely booked out and in some cases overbooked, we were inundated with compliments and congratulations. I am very much looking forward to the new premises and the new way of working".

Source and further information: www.bankthalwil.ch