The General Assembly of Perikom. Fachverein für Personalmanagement und Interne Kommunikation unanimously elected Barbara Aeschlimann as its new president. She replaces Cyril Meier, who is leaving the board. Thore Lingel, Farner Consulting AG, was also newly elected to the board. In gratitude for Cyril Meier's great services to Perikom - since its foundation in 2011 - the board appointed Cyril Meier as honorary member by acclamation.

The new president has been a member of the board since 2014 and executive director of the Zurich Society for Human Resource Management since 2018. Barbara Aeschlimann has been on the board of Perikom for three years. For more than 25 years, she held HR leadership positions in various industries, including serving as the head of HR at EY Switzerland for more than 10 years. Barbara Aeschlimann holds a doctorate in linguistics.

Barbara Aeschlimann says of her new task: "Good, goal-oriented HR work thrives on equally good communication that specifically addresses the target audience. Against this background, I appreciate that Perikom takes a close look at this central interface in the company and thus sharpens the mutual understanding of HR and internal communication".

Perikom's activities essentially comprise regular events for communications and HR experts, the development of continuing education courses, the initiation and monitoring of research and studies on the topic of internal communications, and an annual Swiss HR/Internal Communications Conference. The next one will be held on May 19, 2022, on the topic of "Daring a more humane working world".

Source and further information: Pericom

Following the takeover of the parent company UMB by the BKW Group, the software manufacturer UMB Solutions becomes independent and gives itself a new name, mesoneer. The software division UMB Solutions was not affected by the sale and will now continue as an owner-managed company - and continues to grow. "Neither our services nor our contacts are changing," says mesoneer CEO Patrick Brazzale. "Only the name is changing. Continuity in terms of quality and customer care is therefore guaranteed." The same applies to ownership: With CEO Brazzale, Matthias Keller as majority shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors, and other partners, all partners remain loyal to the company.

Growth to around 100 employees at three locations

The current structure of mesoneer was created in the summer of 2021, when UMB's software subsidiary UMB Solutions merged with the start-up ubitec, which was founded in 2018. Both companies already counted well-known companies among their customers before the merger. In the meantime, in addition to its offices in Wallisellen near Zurich and Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, mesoneer has opened another location in Da Nang in the center of Vietnam and employs a total of around 100 people. In addition to individual solutions for process automation, the company develops applications for digital identification, electronic signature, conversational business (secure messenger and chatbot) and open banking. The products are used wherever security and trust need to be ensured, for example in compliance with the Money Laundering Act or data protection guidelines. In addition, mesoneer offers corporate IT departments consulting with specialized expertise. This includes applications such as the workflow management system Camunda BPM, the automation solution Microsoft Power Platform or the data streaming platform Apache Kafka.

Separate ways, lasting partnership

"We will also remain closely connected with UMB as an independent company in terms of friendship and partnership," says Brazzale. Thus, the two companies would continue to work together on markets and offer services. This will ensure continuity of support for existing customers.

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Consumer demand for plant-based products is growing, but existing meat alternatives often contain many artificial ingredients and require expensive, highly refined protein isolates. At the same time, more than 950,000 tons of readily available, valuable food go unused in Switzerland alone.

Great market potential for meat alternatives

Luya's products satisfy the growing demand for nutrient-rich meatless protein sources while reducing food waste. The global market for alternative proteins is expected to reach USD 140 billion by 2029; more than 14 million tons of okara (soybean meal), Luya's main ingredient, ends up in waste worldwide every year. The foodtech startup offers an environmentally friendly solution with its smart manufacturing process: Compared to producing the same amount of red meat, Luya can avoid up to 95 % of greenhouse gas emissions.

Luya's novel and proprietary production process uses a tempeh-like fermentation process and only two basic ingredients - okara and chickpeas - to produce textured, juicy and flavorful products that are minimally processed and contain healthy levels of protein, fiber and micronutrients. The Swiss-made meat alternatives are also certified organic. Consumers can prepare the versatile products similarly to meat or meat alternatives.

Pilot plant soon to go into operation

Luya was founded by Dr. Christoph Denkel, Flavio Hagenbuch, Tobias Kistler and Michael Whyte. In the coming months, the startup will open its pilot plant to meet growing demand and bring its products to more restaurants and retailers in Switzerland. The Luya team will use the Venture Kick funds to accelerate production expansion and further develop its solid-state fermentation technology. The development of additional products and flavors will also help satisfy the growing interest in Luya. "The Venture Kick program, with its clear focus on execution, helped us create an ambitious plan with clear milestones for each phase of the Venture Kick program. We took that plan and did our best to execute," said Flavio Hagenbuch, Luya co-founder.

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In 2018, the provider of catering for children and young people introduced its systematic occupational health management system and integrated it into its operational HR and management processes. Embedded in an appreciative, responsible management culture, the Zurich-based company promotes both value awareness and employees' personal responsibility for their own physical and mental health.

Set an example of BGM

One year later, in 2019, menuandmore was ready for certification with the label "Friendly Work Space" from Health Promotion Switzerland and has been the proud bearer of the BGM quality seal ever since. Managing Director Markus Daniel: "Sustainability is absolutely central to us. In addition to its ecological, economic and social facets, this also includes lasting health. Therefore, the introduction and certification of a systematic BGM was a next logical step for us, after all the certifications for quality and environmental management we had already obtained."

Whether physical or mental - every topic may be "on the table".

In the meantime, occupational health management has become a permanent fixture at the catering provider for children and adolescents. The associated measures are coordinated and designed by an interdisciplinary health management steering committee under the leadership of Human Resources Manager Helene Teuscher. Together, they are working on improvements to working conditions in physically demanding areas such as the kitchen and transport, for example.

At the same time, menuandmore contributes to the preservation of mental health with the continuous further development of its management culture. For example, existing psychological stress situations among employees are addressed individually.

The commercial apprentice also benefits from this personal support at her training place at menuandmore. Psychological stress among apprentices had already increased significantly before the pandemic, so raising awareness of health issues thanks to BGM is a clear advantage.

Meeting increased demands with confidence thanks to BGM

According to the Job Stress Index 2020 from Health Promotion Switzerland (see chart), 42% of young workers between 16 and 24 have too few resources to meet the demands of the workplace, 30% are emotionally exhausted and their risk of occupational accidents is twice as high. The economic consequence is health-related productivity losses in this age group of a good 21% ¹⁾ .

The need for specific support of learners' mental health is obvious. At the same time, this increases the demands on those responsible for vocational education and training, and specific support services are required. A good point of contact for this is, for example, industry associations, the Association of Vocational Trainers or the "Apprentice" by Health Promotion Switzerland for a health-promoting management of young employees.

The spectrum of "Apprentice" includes a "Toolbox" with case studies, sound information on difficult situations as well as on the mental health of learners in general. Further modules are ERFA Meeting for the intersectoral exchange of vocational educators, a "Experts App" as a quick, up-to-date source of information as well as specific Further education.

"Apprentice' is a convincing offer that provides well-founded solutions to various initial situations. Fortunately, we don't currently have any conflict situations, but 'Apprentice' provides me with a wealth of suggestions and tips on how we as vocational educators can support our learners, for example in developing self-reflection and responsibility. That's why I like using the tools and aids offered," sums up Simon Kindt, Head of Administration, Personnel Assistant and Vocational Trainer at Menu and More AG.

¹⁾ Source: Health Promotion Switzerland - Job Stress Index Monitoring 2018 according to Galliker et al. 2018b

Author: Dorit Schmidt-Purrmann, Communication expert and consultant for BGM

Masks are no longer compulsory in public transport, and the obligation to isolate infected persons has also been lifted. This also means changes for everyday working life, if they have not already "crept in". Even though the pandemic measures have now been lifted: Neither employers nor employees have a free pass when it comes to health. Under the Labor Code, employers are required to take the necessary precautions to protect their employees. Cantonal regulations for the protection of the population also remain reserved if the pandemic situation should worsen again.

But the following questions might arise these days:

Is it okay to go to work if you suffer from mild corona symptoms?
Yes, the isolation requirement has been lifted. So anyone who is 100 percent fit for work can go to work as normal. However, anyone who does not work in a home office anyway should wear a mask at the workplace and pay attention to hygiene. In case of fever or severe illness, however, it is better to stay at home and call in sick.

May an employer request a doctor's note?
Yes, because now only the difference between "fit for work" and "not fit for work" applies again, so an incapacity for work must be certified by a doctor, as was the case before the pandemic measures came into force. In the case of a slight pnüsel or a scratchy throat, one is usually fully capable of work and must appear at the workplace. However, employers should exercise good judgment. In the canton of Berne, for example, the social partners recommend that a doctor's certificate should only be requested from the fifth day of absence due to illness if the PCR test is positive.

If you're infected, can you insist on a home office or a single office?
There is no such entitlement. As a rule, the employer decides on the allocation of jobs. Exceptions may be made, for example, for vulnerable persons (in the sense of the employer's duty of care).

Can an employer send employees for testing?
In individual cases, this may be permissible. As Dr. Nicole Vögeli Galli, attorney at law and lecturer in labor law at the ZHAW explained to Swiss televisionIt can be important for an employer to know whether an infection is present if there is contact with vulnerable persons in the work environment. Moreover, this applies not only to Corona, but also to all infections that could endanger third parties, says Vögeli Galli.

Must a positive test result be reported to the employer?
No. According to Nicole Vögeli Galli, at most when you have to deal with vulnerable people in your work.

Can an employer require a Covid certificate or mandate a mask requirement?
This is possible within the framework of health protection in environments with an increased degree of risk, for example in hospitals, nursing homes, or even in schools. However, the consent of the staff must be obtained. Since the main responsibility for measures to protect the population now lies with the cantons again, it may be that the certificate and mask obligation can be regulated differently in the cantons accordingly.

Many areas in and around our lives are changing as a result of digitization. This includes the public sector such as the federal government, cities and municipalities. Therefore, it is not surprising that more and more smart city projects with unique solutions are emerging. Some examples are street lights that analyze the current traffic situation, apps that display available parking spaces and digital outdoor kiosks that provide city information in real time.

However, what must ALWAYS be at the center of these projects are the people. The ultimate goal of a smart city is to improve the lives of its citizens.

To do this, it is important to put yourself in people's shoes. How do citizens want to be entertained, informed and protected? How do THEY want to be entertained, informed and protected?

With our FORIS® Outdoor Kiosk, a local government is present with its residents around the clock.

Citizens are kept informed on a daily basis about important information such as rescheduling of e.g. waste paper collections, events, education, city developments, housing and leisure.

Now you are probably thinking that such information can be found on the municipality website; but let's face it - important information needs to get to citizens quickly and easily.

If your municipality uses digital outdoor ads, it can reach a large audience. By using digital displays, municipalities and cities can inform their residents in real time with effective notifications.

Moreover, important information such as opening hours, further procedure and hygiene rules etc. can be highlighted. And this in all possible languages. Thus, a higher number of people is reached.

Do you know of a municipality that uses digital signage to communicate with its residents?

Learn more about why digital outdoor info boards make sense for communities in our blog.

As the Swiss market leader, we have successfully implemented countless digital projects over the past 30 years. Inputech AG accompany customers on their way to use the opportunities of digitalization for the benefit of the population, the trade and the city administration.

To order further references and information or to arrange a non-binding meeting to get to know us, please call: +41 44 879 20 24 or info@inputech.ch.

The record wave of new startups seems to be leveling off somewhat: After the last two pandemic years were characterized by a veritable start-up boom, the current start-up figures are settling back into a stable and positive trend, as in the period before COVID-19. Only the major regions of southwestern Switzerland +1.2% and eastern Switzerland +0.2% are enjoying an increase in the number of company founders in the first quarter of 2022. The regions of Central Switzerland -0.5%, Zurich -2.4%, Northwestern Switzerland -7.0%, Ticino -7.8% and Espace Mittelland -12.2% show a slight to medium decline in the number of company startups in a quarterly comparison with the previous year.

5-year comparison and start-ups by sector

On average, 11,984 new firms were registered per first quarter over the past 5 years. Despite a decrease of -3.6% compared to the same period last year, the first quarter of 2022 with 12'695 new firms is well above the 5-year average and continues the stable and positive trend of the pre-pandemic period. Over the past 5 years, an average of 131 new firms were created per day in the first three months.

On the part of company formations by industry, it can be seen that the high-tech industry recorded enormous growth with +54.4%. Other top growth industries include printing & publishing with +13.2%, education with +11.8%, and transportation & logistics with +11.5%. The highest percentage declines were recorded by Agriculture & Forestry (-23.1%), Retail Trade (-11.6%), and Culture & Nonprofit (-11.5%).

Outlook and estimates

In the last decade, the number of company startups in Switzerland has risen from under 40,000 to over 50,000. While the number of startups in 2021 developed positively across almost all cantons, the first quarter of 2022 shows a slight decline compared to the previous year. However, the development of the last 5 years shows that the number of new start-ups has stabilized again in the new year and that the positive trend, as before the pandemic period, is continuing. The economic relevance of newly founded companies becomes impressively apparent when one considers the sustainable number of jobs created in Switzerland. Around 400,000 people are employed in companies that are less than 10 years old. For a well-functioning economy like Switzerland, it is essential that new companies are founded every day. It is not for nothing that Switzerland has for years been a global leader in the areas of innovation, efficiency, number of patent applications and is considered the most competitive business location.

Source: IFJ Institute for Young Enterprises AG

Internet service provider iWay increased its revenue by 6.8 percent year-on-year to CHF 36.9 million in fiscal 2021. The company achieved the greatest growth of 12.7 percent in its core Internet Access business, which accounted for 60 percent of total revenue. This stable growth compared with the previous year was due in particular to significant price reductions combined with an increase in marketing activities. In larger cities, competitive pressure continued to increase, with the result that growth in Internet lines stagnated here. Growth was mainly in rural areas and in the conurbations.

Virtual telephony solutions for SMEs

"Last year, we succeeded in breaking through to become a recognized Internet provider throughout Switzerland," says a delighted iWay CEO Markus Vetterli. In the VoIP (Voice over IP) telephony and TV business area (around a quarter of total sales), the increase was a solid 6.1 percent. Particularly in the business customer environment, iWay was able to record very good sales with well-known customers with the virtual telephony solution from 3CX and, as a result, was also the only Swiss 3CX partner and solution provider to achieve the highest partner level with Titanium partner status. As Markus Vetterli explained, iWay expects to see further growth in the B2B sector in particular. SMEs in particular are recognizing the benefits of virtual telephone systems from the cloud due to the decentralization of their employees to home offices. In the meantime, iWay has implemented more than 500 3CX installations, which are serviced and supported. At 49 percent, the share of total revenue generated by partners was roughly the same as in the previous year (51 percent).

Economies of scale through increased efficiency

In the past financial year, iWay was once again able to increase its efficiency. At 51 employees, the size of the workforce remained at the previous year's level. Vetterli attributes the associated increase in profitability on the one hand to further automation of the ordering processes. On the other hand, synergies within the SAK Group have led to cost savings. For example, SAK Digital has transferred handling, support and marketing processes to iWay. In addition, the switch to SAK's TV solution enabled decisive economies of scale to be achieved in the business unit. The latter measure also paved the way for the acquisition of EW Höfe as an important TV and Internet Layer 2 customer.

Moderate growth expected

"The increasing pressure on margins and the lack of prospects for a quick agreement on the roll-out of fiber infrastructure by Swisscom are not conducive to iWay's growth prospects," says the iWay CEO. The blockade means that in many places the existing fiber-optic infrastructure may not be actively marketed. The ones who suffer are the customers who have a fiber optic connection but can still "only" use a DSL 40Mbit/s connection. On the other hand, Vetterli hopes that the mobile telephony offering launched at the beginning of the year will generate new revenue opportunities with existing and new customers and further strengthen the VoIP area for business customers. For the current financial year, Vetterli expects moderate revenue growth of 8 percent.

Source: iWay

Bluecode is growing rapidly. In recent months, more banks and retailers have become partners of Bluecode. Now the company is bringing Anton Stadelmann on board as its new Chief Executive Officer. Anton Stadelmann is a pioneer of European payments and has built up the Swiss payment solution TWINT in recent years and established it as a market leader. Stadelmann was also actively involved in the founding of the European Mobile Payment Systems Association (EMPSA) and led it as Chairman.

Anton Stadelmann: Experienced in e-payment

"Building Bluecode into the leading mobile payment solution that creates a great customer experience together with banks and retailers is something I am passionate about. I am very excited about this new task," says Anton Stadelmann.

As Executive Chairman of Bluecode, Christian Pirkner will remain responsible for the strategic direction of the group and will increasingly focus on the development of European payment interoperability. "I am enormously pleased that we were able to win Anton Stadelmann for Bluecode. He has a lot of experience in European payments and has developed a mobile payment system into a market leader with his convincing work and extensive network. He now brings this expertise to Bluecode, and together we will lead Bluecode into the next phase of growth."

Independent mobile payment solution

For Europe's banks and merchants, Bluecode represents the independent mobile payment solution. In many European countries, banks and merchants have not yet established an account-based mobile payment solution in their own apps. The Bluecode platform enables retailers and the banking industry to implement a technically, legally and commercially independent mobile payment solution quickly and cost-effectively. Bluecode partners retain the master data of their customers, control the customer journey from their own apps and have commercial sovereignty over the business model. At the same time, they benefit from low investment costs and the agile innovation power of the Bluecode platform. Anton Stadelmann sees great potential in Bluecode: "Bluecode is in an excellent position to attract customers to mobile payments. Bluecode's areas of application are extremely versatile and create added value for users. Bluecode also offers a unique opportunity for banks and retailers to shape the customer experience from within their own apps. I am very excited to grow with Christian and the Bluecode team and bring more application areas to the market."

Source and further information: www.bluecode.com

The Swiss solar industry is booming and has shown in the last two years that it can handle strong growth and that it can advance integration into the power grid with innovative solutions. The call goes out to politicians to quickly remove the remaining hurdles to further growth. Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga said in her opening speech to more than 700 participants: "Never before have so many solar plants been built as now. In the last two years, there has been a record increase in photovoltaics. And the boom will not only continue, it will become even stronger. Because the population wants to get away from oil and gas."

Following the record level of new construction in 2020, further strong market growth was recorded in 2021, which is also continuing in the current year. Fortunately, this applies equally to all market segments, such as single- and multi-family homes, industrial buildings, etc. High energy prices, the desire for energy independence and for a contribution to climate protection, as well as the high demand for electromobility are cited by the Swiss solar industry as market drivers.

200,000 panels in February, half a billion in value added and a new vocational apprenticeship

In February alone, 200,000 solar panels were installed on Swiss roofs. Photovoltaics now cover more than 6 percent of Switzerland's electricity needs. Even just at a steady pace, about 1 percent is added annually. Last year (2021), the added value of photovoltaics in Switzerland amounted to over 700 million Swiss francs (mainly through planning, installation, maintenance and export of machines, tools and components), which flowed directly into the domestic economy - and the trend is rising.

"The Swiss solar industry has a 30 percent increase in orders in 2021," says Swissolar Managing Director David Stickelberger. Today, the Swiss solar industry already comprises around 7000 full-time positions and this number should and is likely to triple in the next 10 years. That's why Swissolar is currently setting up a vocational training course. "More and more young people want to get into this field," says Stickelberger. "We need to give them a solid education." The solar specialist training is scheduled to start in 2024.

Swissolar wants to triple the annual addition of new capacity

In the eyes of Swissolar, the encouraging market growth must continue for the achievement of the climate targets and for the security of electricity supply. By 2030, the annual addition should be 2000 megawatts, three times higher than today. What it will take to achieve this ambitious goal, Swissolar recently outlined in a 11-point program of the Swiss solar industry summarized. The framework conditions that need to be created for this expansion will be the subject of a panel discussion with Daniel Büchel (SFOE), Michael Frank (VSE), Beat Ritler (ResiQ) and National Councilor and Swissolar President Jürg Grossen: "Solar energy is becoming the mainstay of Swiss energy supply. We have the technology, the answers and the solutions - now the hurdles must be removed," said Grossen. With the targeted expansion, solar power will become a key player in the electricity market, which must contribute to security of supply and increasingly be considered in the context of the energy industry, i.e. at grid level and beyond Switzerland's borders. These topics will be the focus of the other presentations on the first day.

Solar installations on roofs and facades remains the main task

Despite the important discussions currently underway on possible Alpine locations for large photovoltaic plants, the focus remains on the solar potential of roofs and facades. On existing buildings and infrastructures alone, more electricity could be generated than we consume today. A particular challenge is often the architectural integration. An entire session on the second day of the event is devoted to this increasingly important topic. Other topics include news from research, in which Switzerland is among the world leaders, and the presentation of current examples of the innovative and practical use of photovoltaics.

The fintech company neon, known for its simple account solution as an app on smartphones, has come up with something special to give financial transactions a more sustainable touch: Users of the smartphone account "neon green" will plant one tree for every CHF 100 spent with their credit card. In addition, neon plants five more trees per month for all of these account holders. In this way, the number of trees planted is growing rapidly.

Fintech company soon with its own forest

"If someone had told us in May 2021 that, thanks to our customers, we would have reached the milestone of 1 million planted trees barely a year later, we would not have believed it," says Jörg Sandrock, CEO at the Zurich-based fintech company. Over the next few years, the trees planted will offset around 300,000 tons of CO2, or the equivalent of the annual consumption of more than 21,ooo Swiss citizens.

Around 80,000 trees can be planted per month. For this campaign, the fintech company is working together with the non-profit organization Eden Reforestation Projects. The trees are planted in various places around the world, such as Madagascar and Haiti, in areas that are suffering from severe land erosion. In addition, the reforestation is a contribution to combating climate change. In the future, the trees will be planted in a separate "neon forest.

Making the ecological footprint of transactions visible

Of course, the "neon green" account is not just about planting trees. Users of this offer benefit from a three-year extended guarantee, sustainable investment opportunities, and a Mastercard made of cherry wood. Together with the neon community, sustainable account is being continuously developed. In the future, for example, the fintech company wants to play out the ecological footprint of individual users based on their transactions directly in the banking app. Currently, over 100,000 customers use a neon account. By its own account, the company is probably the fastest growing provider of smartphone accounts. So it should only be a matter of time before the second million planted trees become a fact...

Source and further information: www.neon-free.ch

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The Corona pandemic catapulted the entire retail industry forward 10 years. The way brands do business has changed fundamentally. MS Direct AG, which offers solutions for mail order and e-commerce, has also benefited from these developments. The company is now strengthening its organization for continued strong growth with new CEO Luca Graf. He will take up his position on May 1, 2022.

Accelerate growth course

To enable e-commerce retailers in Switzerland and Europe to focus on their growth and grow nationally as well as across borders, MS Direct AG has established eFulfillment and cross-border solutions that relieve retailers of the complexity of order fulfillment and enable scalable operations. This path will be consistently pursued in 2022 - with Luca Graf as the new CEO. "We are extremely pleased to welcome Luca Graf as the new CEO of MS Direct AG to further accelerate our rapid growth path," emphasizes Milo Stössel, Chairman of the Board of MS Direct Group. "With the new organization and Luca Graf at the helm, we are strengthening the organization and creating an excellent foundation for the upcoming growth and the continuation of our course as a digital pioneer in the fulfillment industry," Stössel continues.

Luca Graf: "Internationalize offer"

Luca Graf is a proven e-commerce logistics expert. As Head of Digital Innovation at DSV and Panalpina, the 46-year-old, who holds a doctorate in industrial engineering, has many years of experience in the digitalization of logistics processes. From exoskeletons to drone deployments to optimize process efficiency, Graf looks back on an extensive track record. Graf also served for many years as Head of Online & Direct Sales at Swiss International Air Lines, where he was responsible for swiss.com, Switzerland's top-selling online store. In addition, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Cargo sous terrain, the innovative total logistics system that is developing the underground, flexible transport of small consignments in Switzerland. "It is a pleasure and honor for me to take on the role of CEO at MS Direct AG. The company is excellently positioned. I see the CEO function at MS Direct AG as a unique opportunity to contribute my experience as a doer and implementer together with the team for our customers. In addition to targeted automation of our warehouses, we will develop a unique cross-border platform and thus further internationalize our offering," comments Luca Graf on his appointment as CEO.

Source and further information: MS Direct AG