When it comes to procurement, production and logistics, the economy should avoid all concepts based on the large-scale intercontinental exchange of goods as far as possible, recommends Jane Enny van Lambalgen, CEO of the consulting and management company Planet Industrial Excellence. She cites "geopolitical tensions that can interrupt supply chains uncontrollably at any time, as well as rising transportation costs." It is "the order of the day to say goodbye to excessive global distribution of work and goods across continents."

Return to the principle of regionality 

"In a global economy designed for globality, it is difficult to return to the principle of regionality," admits Jane Enny van Lambalgen. But she points out: "If the entire production in Europe and America is dependent on certain parts or sub-steps in Asia, then this also means that any conflict in Asia or in the relevant Asian countries or on the transport routes could potentially paralyze the entire company." 

The CEO of Planet Industrial Excellence admits that the cost advantage of 30 to 70 percent often cited for production in Asia, depending on the industry and products, cannot be ignored. But "in view of the risk of a complete halt to production, sticking to cost categories does not do justice to the current global situation," she says.

Two-stage approach: first procurement, then production

Jane Enny van Lambalgen advises companies to adopt a two-stage approach in order to achieve greater independence from the increasing geopolitical tensions. In the first step, the procurement side should be organized in such a way that there are at least two suppliers for each primary product, spread across different continents. 

"This poses enormous challenges for medium-sized manufacturing companies," the CEO knows from numerous projects. "Nevertheless, companies are well advised to take this first step quickly before things explode again somewhere in the world," she says casually. Jane Enny van Lambalgen explains: "In addition to the obvious conflicts in the triad of the great powers USA, China and Russia, which in turn harbour numerous proxy conflicts, there are many other dangers lurking around the globe, for example from terrorist organizations, the effects of which no business leader can foresee. Smart CEOs therefore put deglobalization at the top of their agenda in the sense of producing where the company's customers are located."

Warning of the supply chain trap

Jane Enny van Lambalgen warns of the "supply chain trap" in the struggle for greater independence: "It's no use relying on a supplier in Europe for a European plant, which in turn is dependent on Asian primary products," she gives a concrete example. 

She advises companies to use the time and effort already required in connection with the current EU supply chain regulations to not only provide the proof of sustainability required by law, but also to examine the resilience of the supply chain in the face of geopolitical tensions. "The same applies to the supply chain as to any chain: it is only as durable as its weakest link," the CEO points out, "a truism that often receives too little attention in management."

Positive examples from Bosch to Hugo Boss

In the second step, the reduction of global dependencies should be extended beyond procurement to the production facilities. "What is sold in America should be produced in America. What is sold in Europe should be sold in Europe," is how Jane Enny van Lambalgen sums it up. She sees the increasing relocation of production from Germany to Poland or other Eastern European countries as "economically uncritical and often sensible". She cites Bosch, Miele, Viessmann "and many other SMEs and corporations" as examples of companies that have successfully relocated to neighboring countries.

"However, setting up a production facility in Asia only makes sense at present and probably only for the foreseeable future if the products manufactured there are also primarily sold in Asia," she says, providing clear guidelines for deglobalization. On the contrary, she advises bringing production lines from Asia back to Europe as far as possible. "This does not necessarily have to be done by setting up our own European production facilities. Outsourcing to contract manufacturers with European production is a viable alternative," she clarifies, "as long as it is ensured that the contract manufacturer is not caught in the supply chain trap." She cites the approach taken by fashion group Hugo Boss as a good example of this model.

Main hurdle: caste thinking in cost categories

Jane Enny van Lambalgen describes "caste thinking in cost categories" in large parts of the economy as a major obstacle to strengthening resilience through deglobalization. She admits to the "cost riders in management": "Of course it is cheaper here and now to source primary products from Asia or operate a production facility there than in Europe, for example. But the risk associated with this dependency is constantly increasing and is becoming more and more incalculable." This applies all the more to the protection of specific know-how such as software, she points out.

The next corona could be Taiwan

Jane Enny von Lambalgen is surprised: "The lessons learned from coronavirus seem to have faded in many management circles. But you have to be clear: Corona can come back at any time, only this time it might be called Taiwan." She praises the move by German medium-sized company Stihl to Switzerland as a "clever measure". "A good example of a successful escape from the excessive regulation in the EU and the escalating operating costs for production in Germany," says Jane Enny van Lambalgen.

More information: www.planetie.ch and www.diplomatic-council.org/vanlambalgen

Because as long as the vast majority of vehicles used for operational purposes are still driven by people - instead of computer chips - there is always a latent risk that all other warning and safety measures will not be effective. It is then important to be able to prevent the worst by using "brute force" ram protection.

What impact protection is - and what it is not

On a purely metaphorical level, operational ram protection is amazingly closely related to any kind of insurance: It is never needed in the normal day-to-day operations of the company. It is exclusively a means that is intended to take effect when other technical and organizational protective measures have already failed.

In this case, impact protection must always be capable of absorbing heavy loads or kinetic energy before something is damaged, perhaps causing a cascading catastrophe.

There are different types of impact protection. There are always Impact protection profiles for accident prevention However, they are made of materials that, if necessary, are even capable of stopping a forklift truck hitting the ground in an uncontrolled and unbraked manner - for example, before it hits the vertical struts of a high-bay warehouse, buckles and thus possibly brings down the entire warehouse like dominoes.

From a material point of view, therefore, everything in ram protection is primarily broken down into three materials:

1. Steel: It is equally resilient in all three axes. Thanks to the possibility of producing very complex alloys, extremely resistant impact protection elements can be manufactured with regard to the required shaping and other factors - and at an affordable price.
2. Concrete: Its advantage lies not least in the fact that it can be cast into very individual shapes on site if necessary - unlike steel in a cold state. Due to its sometimes enormous mass, a concrete ram protection is considerably heavier and bulkier than steel, but can sometimes be installed without anchoring and therefore flexibly.
3. Plastic: This material is (still) a rather rare representative in the field of impact protection. However, its properties are considerably more flexible than those of steel and concrete. This means that such plastic elements can return to their original shape after a pile-driving incident. The plastic also does not lose its material properties even at very low temperatures. This type of impact protection is therefore a good choice for deep-freeze areas, for example. In the form of mats, plastic can also be used as impact protection padding for existing columns.

Ultimately, that means: The aim of impact protection is always to use a particularly energy-absorbing element/material to keep impact energy away from important components so that their integrity is not impaired.

It is therefore explicitly not (only) about warning. Virtually all impact protection elements are designed in eye-catching warning colors. However, this visual warning effect is only an add-on to increase the impact. The main purpose is always to prevent an impact.

What the Swiss laws say

Some readers may have already seen in internet videos the downright disasters that can occur without impact protection. This definitely does not require crazy impact speeds and energies. On the contrary, depending on the design, many components react extremely sensitively to forces acting from a different direction than intended.

Once again, rack storage systems are an excellent example of this: their vertical struts are ideally suited to bearing loads acting from above. However, even a small bending moment acting transversely to the struts can cause buckling and thus a sudden loss of integrity.

So it's no wonder that Switzerland is dealing intensively with the topic at the level of standards and legislation - which means that impact protection is automatically mandatory in many cases.

• The EKAS Guideline No. 6508. It deals with hazard identification and risk assessment, which may result in the need for impact protection.
• The Employment Act ArGV, in particular Articles 3 to 9, which also contain protective measures.
• The Ordinance on Accident Prevention VUV, in this case Articles 3 to 10.
• SN EN 61310-1, from which the typical coloring in particular emerges. As impact protection systems are usually permanently installed, they are therefore typically colored yellow and black - a red and white color scheme tends to be used for temporary obstacles and barriers.

There is also the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund SUVA. It provides stringent Specifications for planning internal traffic routeswhich in many cases also results in an obligation to install impact protection.

By the way: Laws cannot cover everything. Experience has shown that it is therefore better to anticipate less realistic scenarios when it comes to impact protection and to act according to the maxim "a lot helps a lot" - even where no protection is prescribed.

What impact protection can look like - and what it protects

The central performance spectrum is uniform: impact protection should always protect important elements and people in the company from impact energies that can cause damage or even death.

However, for both architectural and technical reasons, there is no "one" type of impact protection that can be used for everything. In practice, we are already talking about different profiles and round materials at the base. This means that the shapes and areas of application are very diverse. Some of the most important types:

• Impact protection hoops: They protect inventory and personnel in particular and can also effectively seal off larger areas thanks to their shape.
• Crash protection railings: They are similar in design to stirrups, but are intended for much larger areas. For example, the spatial separation of driveways and walkways.
• Pipe and cable pile protectors: These profiles are fitted like a protective cover over power cables and other cables.
• Impact protection bollards: The cylindrical classic not only protects, but can also automatically enforce wider and therefore safer bend radii through clever positioning.
• Collision and post protection: Sheathing and prefabricated profiles that protect all kinds of posts and beams. Depending on the material, also intended to make a collision with people less serious.

In principle, there is hardly any operational area that could not be made safer with appropriate impact protection.

If you think through to the last consequence the disastrous chain of events that even a supposedly small bump from an industrial truck can trigger, it is definitely not wrong to apply very extensive impact protection - the costs for this are practically always lower than the consequential costs that can occur in the event of damage without protection.

The essence of this idea is that we would practice harmful or ineffective behavior less if the consequences were visible, and immediately.

The same applies in business life. Mediocre performance or ineffective behavior often goes undetected because the negative effects are not immediately visible. A major lever for better performance lies in making the impact immediately noticeable. This connection also applies to each and every one of us: if we bring the impact in the future into the present, we would make better decisions and take more meaningful actions. This is idealized, but we can move in this direction.

How can we achieve this in concrete terms?

Tip no. 1: Get rid of the number crunchersovens!

Companies often have huge tables and reports that hardly anyone understands. Imagine you could grasp what it's all about within three seconds. The goal is clear, simple messages. Use images and graphics that are immediately understandable.

This makes it more difficult to conceal connections. Effects become more visible.

Tip no. 2: Bring the future into the present!

You are familiar with the usual lag indicators such as sales growth or EBIT. These only measure success when it is too late to change anything. Much more important are lead indicators that show early on whether you are on the right track.

A personal exercise is to write down three things every evening that you have successfully completed today. This will help you develop a sense of progress and stay motivated.

Tip no. 3: Make sure it is clear!

In many companies, it is too easy to conceal things. Clearly structured reporting and transparent systems help to prevent this.

Imagine you have a CRM system to manage your customers. The rule is: what is not in the system does not exist. This prevents excuses and ensures clear, comprehensible data. Keep it simple and understandable so it's hard to hide poor performance.

Conclusion

These three tips can help you set your team and yourself up for success. Make things visible, use lead indicators and create clarity. You will see how your team's performance and your own productivity improve.

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

Liebherr, a Swiss-based company with German roots and one of the world's largest manufacturers of construction machinery, is to locate new sales and production facilities in Lee County, Mississippi. The project represents a corporate investment of 176 million dollars and will create at least 180 jobs by 2026, according to a press release. The company may invest up to $238.4 million and create up to 342 jobs to support its new operations.

Liebherr has selected the HIVE Business Park in Tupelo, a city with a population of approximately 37,000 and known as the birthplace of the "King of Rock'n'Roll" Elvis Presley, as the location for the expansion of its North American operations. The company has acquired 480,000 square meters of land there and intends to open a logistics distribution center for the American continent. A new campus is to be built on the site, on which more than 90,000 square meters of building space will be constructed. The first phase of the project includes the construction of a state-of-the-art logistics center for Liebherr customer service distribution and logistics. Following the first phase, the company will invest in additional work to support its other product segments. The investment is supported by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) specifically through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive (MFLEX) program. The MDA is also providing assistance for the construction and equipping of the facilities. Lee County, the City of Tupelo and Accelerate MS are also supporting the project.

Liebherr is a family-run technology company with a broadly diversified product portfolio. In addition to construction machinery, the company offers high-quality, user-oriented products and services in a wide range of areas. The Liebherr Group comprises more than 150 companies in over 50 countries and currently employs more than 53,000 people worldwide and over 1,600 in the USA. Liebherr International AG, based in Bulle, Fribourg, is the central parent company of the Liebherr Group. 

Source and further information: Mississippi Development Authority and Liebherr International AG

Let's be honest: the greatest added value in life and in leadership comes from the implementation of creative power. Anyone who only ever repeats or at best optimizes the same thing can easily be replaced. The best leaders are those who show new ways, find solutions to difficult situations and have a creative impact.

The good news is that creativity is not innate, but an ability that you can consciously stimulate and shape. I can confirm this from my own experience. In my daily work as a coach and consultant, I constantly have to come up with creative ideas - be it for workshops, coaching programs or articles like this one.

Here are five tactics to help you stay creative:

No. 1: Change perspective

Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to get the creative juices flowing. If you find yourself at a creative impasse, leave your desk and go outside, perhaps to a café. A new environment can work wonders! Even moving from your desk to a comfy chair in your office is often enough to spark new ideas.

No. 2: Movement

Exercise is a classic creativity booster - and extremely effective. A walk in the fresh air not only stimulates your circulation, but also your thoughts. Have you ever noticed how often the best ideas come to you while walking or doing sport? This is because physical activity releases certain neurotransmitters in the brain that promote creativity.

No. 3: Reading

Reading is an underrated creativity booster. A good book can stimulate your thoughts so much that you have to stop reading after a few pages and immediately start writing down your ideas. Interestingly, this works better with books than with videos or articles, as you are immersed more deeply and the immersion is stronger.

No. 4: Mind mapping

Mind mapping is the magic bullet for me. If I need to develop something new from scratch, I create a mind map. It helps to organize thoughts and create new connections. Instead of writing a list or simply scribbling away, the visual structure of a mind map really gets ideas flowing.

No. 5: Active writing and commenting

Active writing and commenting, especially on social media, can also boost creativity. On LinkedIn, I like to comment on posts from other opinion leaders. It's less about getting noticed and more about sorting out your own thoughts and developing new ideas. Writing a comment often stimulates the creative process and leads to new ideas of my own.

Facit

These five tips will help you to have creativity on demand. Change your perspective, move around, read inspiring books, create mind maps and be active on social media. Try it out and find out which of these methods help you the most.

Author:

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

The conference itself was an example of how collaborative partnerships work: the three organizations öbu Association for Sustainable Business, Pusch - Practical Environmental Protection and the purchasing association procure.ch jointly launched the event. The topic of "sustainable procurement" proved to be an attractive one: around 150 participants from a wide range of industries registered. Five keynotes and seven breakout sessions provided an opportunity for an intensive exchange of information.

OR, CSRD, CSDDD: abbreviations that still require a lot of information

Elgin Brunner from WWF Switzerland was the first speaker to explain how urgent the importance of a more sustainable economy is. Both a climate and a diversity crisis need to be tackled. We are still a long way from achieving the goals set by the global community, she explained. A far-reaching transformation of the economy is necessary, she said, and individual "band-aids" are no longer enough. Elgin Brunner believes that the greatest leverage lies in more sustainable supply chains combined with a change in existing value chains. The economy must therefore take on more responsibility. She used examples from the chocolate industry (Halba from Switzerland and Chocolonely from the Netherlands) to show how this works.

Meanwhile, politicians are not remaining inactive. A whole series of new regulations are being introduced in the EU in particular. Abbreviations such as CSRD or CSDDD are likely to become familiar to more and more Swiss companies in the near future, as Niclas Meyer from the consulting firm BSS explained. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive CSRD, which was adopted by the EU Parliament in November 2022, obliges companies to record the impact of sustainability aspects on the economic situation of the company and to clarify the effects of operations on sustainability. CSRD is currently being transposed into national law in the EU member states. The Federal Council will also soon be submitting a legislative proposal for consultation that incorporates a number of points from the EU regulation. The Swiss Code of Obligations already contains a provision on due diligence obligations and transparency regarding minerals from conflict areas and child labor (CO Art. 964j). The CSDDD, on the other hand, is the EU Supply Chain Directive. This obliges companies to comply with human rights along their supply chains and to minimize their environmental impact. Swiss companies are also affected by this due to the third country regulation - and according to Niclas Meyer, there are more of them than is generally assumed. Due to the complexity of these regulations, companies need to provide appropriate resources. "Simply delegating this to one person as an assistant to the management is not enough," says Niclas Meyer.

Extensive data is required for the assessment of supply chains and reporting. This must be collected, compiled and evaluated from various sources. This is often still done on an Excel basis, which will probably no longer be sufficient in the future. Swisscom has also recognized this. Marion Roeder and Gina Obrecht explained to the audience the approach taken by this communications company for its sustainability reporting. This has also resulted in the so-called Sustainability Software Radar: this shows market developments and trends in software solutions that can support ESG managers and CIOs. The service created by Swisscom therefore offers companies help in choosing the right software tool for collecting sustainability data.

Exchange practical experience

In various workshops and breakout sessions, the participants were then able to delve deeper into individual topics and exchange practical experience. For example, Lena Gubser and Roland Bärtschi provided an insight into how the railroad company BLS deals with the tension between strategy and feasibility. Renato Vögeli explained how his printing company, in collaboration with two other print shops in Austria and Denmark, is implementing the "Cradle to Cradle" concept and has also achieved the corresponding certification. And Tina Kempf (Lyreco Switzerland), together with Ruth Freiermuth Kuchel and Nicole Moser from Swiss Post, showed how greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced along the supply chain (see also the interview with Tina Kempf). Another practical example of the circular economy and resource efficiency was presented by the Locher brewery from Appenzell, which was represented by Sales Manager Philip Herrmann. Among other things, it has found ways of turning brewery by-products into new, tasty foods. Other breakout sessions dealt with due diligence and compliance, digitalization and social procurement risks, demonstrated by the avoidance of child labour.

Procurement in reality and the future

The last block of presentations was given by Mirko Kleiner. He took a look at the future of procurement management, which could be characterized by "Lean Agile Procurement". He showed various "evolutionary stages" of future procurement management, starting from the purchasing department set up in a classic silo organization through to maximum self-organized company units that operate their entire supply and value chains autonomously and within an ecosystem - in some cases massively supported by software. Swiss Casinos AG, for example, managed to evaluate and procure a new ERP system within just two days using a "nucleus" of this Lean Agile Procurement.

Coffee machine manufacturer Thermoplan AG is taking an even more down-to-earth approach to sustainable procurement management. The focus is on as many Swiss suppliers as possible, as Björn Jung and Matteo Trachsel explained. They currently account for 63 percent - with around 300 suppliers. There are four keys behind Thermoplan's supplier management: Clear objectives, transparent communication with suppliers, forging a common path and also resulting showcase companies to set benchmarks for other suppliers.

Building knowledge about sustainable procurement

Conclusion of the event: In order to make progress in the area of sustainable procurement, collaboration and joint learning from one another is required. Another takeaway: data should not only be collected for reporting purposes. The potential of structured data management is enormous and indispensable for transparency, innovation and efficiency. And: top management is also required, as sustainability is now a strategic task. The entire procurement system must also be embedded in this - which is why it is necessary to build up knowledge within the company. In discussions with and from the comments of many participants, it was clear that many companies are only just starting out with sustainable procurement. From this perspective, it can be assumed that this Sustainable Procurement Day will not be the last.

More information: Sustainable Procurement Day

At the annual media conference for the 2023 financial year, Suva reported a positive overall result of CHF 309 million. Suva's financial situation therefore remains solid and all insurance branches are financially balanced, Suva announced. The good stock market year 2023 in particular contributed to the pleasing financial situation; the investment result amounted to 4.8 percent (previous year -8.1 percent).

Occupational accident risk continues to fall - serious accidents on the decline

Lower premiums again for 2025

On the first "Sustainable Procurement Day" on June 20, 2024 in Zurich, companies such as Swiss Post, LyrecoBLS, Appenzeller Bier and Thermoplan will provide insights into their procurement strategies and activities. The event, which was launched by the Pusch Foundation, öbu - The Association for Sustainable Business and procure.ch, is aimed at companies from all sectors that want to integrate sustainable products and services into their supply chains and make them more transparent. Over 130 participants are expected to attend to learn about examples, trends and experiences in sustainable procurement and to exchange ideas.

Relevance for Swiss companies

As larger companies at home and abroad are paying increasing attention to the sustainability of their supply chains, it is crucial for Swiss SMEs (who supply these companies directly or indirectly) to adapt to these requirements. Participation in the conference offers the opportunity to obtain comprehensive information at an early stage about the necessary steps and to network in order to remain successful in the global market dynamics.

Exciting inputs, different perspectives

The conference program includes five keynote speeches and seven focus topics, which will provide participants with practical insights and in-depth discussions with experts and practitioners in the form of small groups.

Experts from the fields of environmental protection, law, procurement, digitalization and business will be appearing on the big stage: Elgin Brunner (Member of the Executive Board) WWF Switzerland, Niclas Meyer (Senior Consultant) BSS Volkswirtschaftliche Beratung AG, Marion Roeder and Gina Obrecht (Business Development, Data Driven Sustainability) Swisscom, Mirko Kleiner (Pioneer of Lean-Agile Procurement) Lean-Agile Procurement Alliance and Björn Jung and Matteo Trachsel (Sustainability) Thermoplan AG.

Sustainable procurement in 7 focus areas 

In the thematic focus groups, the participants first receive specialist or practical input and then discuss possible solutions in small groups.

• The tension between strategy and feasibility with the BLS
• Through collaboration on the circular economy with the world's first Cradle to Cradle Gold certified printing company VÖGELI
• Net zero with sustainable procurement: reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain with Swiss Post and Lyreco Switzerland
• Circular economy and resource efficiency in procurement with the Locher brewery (Appenzeller Bier)
• Social procurement risks: Corporate due diligence, protection of human and children's rights along the supply chain with Solidar Suisse and Save the Children
• Compliance, regulation, due diligence with MME Legal
• Sustainable procurement and digitalization with SAP

Tickets can be ordered here

Sources and further information: Foundation for Practical Environmental Protection Switzerland - Pusch (https://www.pusch.ch/) , öbu - The Association for Sustainable Business (https://www.oebu.ch/) and procure.ch - Professional Association for Purchasing and Supply Management (https://www.procure.ch/) .

For the fourth time, the "Myni Gmeind" association, in collaboration with the Swiss Association of Municipalities and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, surveyed Swiss municipalities on the progress of their digital transformation. Of the total of 2131 Swiss municipalities, 560 municipalities (26 percent) completed the questionnaire in full and a further 1121 municipalities (53 percent) completed it in part. This pleasing response rate provides a solid pool of data that allows for meaningful findings.

Digitization in municipalities as a top topic

Digitalization and cybersecurity are the topics that municipalities are currently most concerned with, alongside others such as infrastructure projects and finances. According to the survey, four out of five municipalities see the digital transformation as a means of increasing their efficiency, and just as many also see it as a service for the population. "The digital transformation has finally arrived in municipal councils and administrations," says Alex Sollberger, President of Myni Gmeind. 41% of all municipalities now see themselves as pioneers in the field of digitalization. This is significantly more than in the previous year, when only a third of municipalities answered this question in the affirmative.

The results also show that it is not necessarily digital skills or know-how that are decisive for the success of digitalization, but rather openness to the topic. The municipalities also identified a clear political will for digital transformation as the most important success factor. 61% of those surveyed stated that they felt this will in their municipality to a greater or lesser extent.

Problem: Human and financial resources

Just as important as the will and openness towards digitalization is the availability of human and financial resources, as the majority of respondents state. However, there is a gap between desire and reality: only 42% of municipalities state that the financial requirements for digital transformation are given or rather given. When asked about the availability of human resources, only a third of the participating municipalities gave a positive assessment. A clear majority of respondents rate their human resources for digital transformation as insufficient or somewhat insufficient. The municipalities see the solution as either increasing personnel resources by creating additional full-time equivalents or temporarily outsourcing tasks to external service providers. "Both options would generate additional human resources for the digital transformation, but would also increase the challenges in terms of financial resources," says Alex Sollberger.

One thing is clear: no one can avoid digital transformation today. The public's expectations of modern administration have grown. Especially in Switzerland, a high-wage country, it makes sense to automate processes as much as possible. Digitalization can also help to alleviate the shortage of skilled workers in the long term. In the meantime, almost half of all municipalities (47%) have already defined a position or person to coordinate the digital transformation across all departments.

Source and further information: Swiss Association of Municipalities, Myni Gmeind Association

The telecommunications service provider mobilezone has received two sustainability awards from EcoVadis. These show that the company's sustainability initiative is bearing fruit, according to the statement. Markus Bernhard, CEO of the mobilezone Group, says: "We are delighted with the awards, which recognize mobilezone's initiative in the area of sustainability and show that we are on the right track with our strategy."

According to mobilezone, sustainability is one of the five cornerstones of its corporate strategy. The company's sustainability strategy was introduced in 2020 and has been continuously developed since then. It is based on the topics of governance & compliance, employees, customers, the smartphone cycle and environmental management. The importance of the second life and refurbishing of smartphones has continued to increase - mobilezone is therefore placing a strong focus on this sustainability issue, the company adds. In the past reporting year, the mobilezone Group calculated the Group-wide CO2 footprint for the first time, including consumption in the upstream and downstream supply chain, in order to be able to define reduction targets for the entire company in the future. In the area of social sustainability, mobilezone will continue to be committed to the training of apprentices and the promotion of their talents and will strive to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. And in the area of governance and compliance, mobilezone is focusing on responsible corporate management, the continuous development of transparency in sustainability reporting and compliance with legal and ethical standards.

EcoVadis evaluates and certifies companies worldwide in the areas of ecology, social issues and sustainability on the basis of internationally established standards and guidelines.

Source and further information: mobilezone

The growth of findependent (known from the TV show "The Lion's Den Switzerland) has accelerated in the last six months, not only increasing the number of clients to over 12,000, but also boosting assets under management to over CHF 110 million. According to Findependent, it was able to manage this growth with its existing team. The start-up is still very lean with seven employees.

The existing investors are convinced by the development. They have therefore provided additional growth financing totaling CHF 1.5 million in recent months. This means that findependent has received CHF 3.5 million since it was founded by Matthias Bryner and Kay Foerschle and has remained independent of a bank or other companies throughout all financing rounds. "Matthias and his team continue to impress me. They work with passion and dedication to make the benefits of investing accessible to everyone," says Roland Brack, explaining his commitment. He has been an investor in findependent since 2021.

Now, for the first time, crowdinvesting gives everyone the opportunity to not only with independent but also in findependent as a company. "We want our customers to be even more closely involved in our journey and at the same time fulfill a frequently expressed wish," says Matthias Bryner, CEO and founder of findependent, explaining the decision. From July 1, 2024, there will initially be an exclusive subscription period for existing customers for 3 days. The general public will then also be able to invest in findependent between July 4 and 14. At least CHF 2 million is to be raised. "To expand our product, further develop the app and position ourselves appropriately for future growth," says Bryner, explaining the use of funds.

Matthias Moser was newly elected to the Board of Directors in order to broaden the Board's support in the context of future growth. Moser has broad and long-standing experience in the banking business, particularly in risk management. He is 61 years old and lives in Frick.

Source and further information: findpendent