Swiss companies brace themselves against the economic crisis
The pressure on companies has rarely been as high as it is today: 84% of industrial companies in the DACH region report unprecedented challenges in the current industry study "Shaping the future". However, a look at the individual countries also reveals a differentiated picture in many respects. The comparison between Swiss and German companies is particularly remarkable: Whether it's energy costs or burdensome bureaucracy - the sky is much darker in Germany.
"Swiss industrial companies have continuously strengthened their resilience through constant adaptation and innovation. This is now paying off. They are therefore more optimistic about the year 2025 than their German competitors," says Jürg Hodel, Managing Director of management consultancy Staufen Inova AG. "In addition, the Swiss economy as a whole is already much more diversified, while in Germany crises such as the one in the automotive industry are hitting not only suppliers but also related service providers hard," Hodel continues.
There are also clear differences between Switzerland and Germany when it comes to assessing which challenges are currently weighing most heavily on the industry. While 54% of German respondents cited the difficult economic situation, only 47% of Swiss respondents did so. Swiss companies are also more positive about other factors: The excessive bureaucracy is perceived as a burden by 42 percent in Germany, compared to only 28 percent in Switzerland. The discrepancy in energy costs is also striking: In Germany, energy prices are perceived as the second biggest burden (43 percent), while in Switzerland only one in four companies cites this factor.
Strong franc as an efficiency turbo
The resilience of Swiss industry is also a consequence of the strong Swiss franc. "In order to remain competitive despite its appreciation, companies have already been forced to take measures to increase efficiency and digitalization in the past," explains Staufen Inova Managing Director Hodel. As a result, price-intensive products have either become cheaper thanks to optimized processes or production has been relocated abroad. German companies, which had benefited from the weak euro and cheap energy from Russia for years, had not been exposed to this pressure and were now suffering from the changed framework conditions.
Nevertheless, a good one in two companies (56%) in Switzerland say that their domestic location is becoming less competitive in an international comparison. And even site closures or relocations are no longer taboo for four out of ten Swiss companies. "Even if the figures in Germany are even worse at 70% and 52% respectively, this does not change the fundamental challenge of being able to compete with Asian and American competitors in the long term," warns industry expert Hodel.
He is convinced that Switzerland cannot afford to stand still despite its current strength: "Whether we like it or not, we will remain a high-wage and high-price island." In his view, the answer can therefore only be consistent digitalization. "Regardless of whether it's an SME or a corporation - with the consistent use of digital end-to-end platforms, there is certainly room for another 20 to 30 percent more productivity."
About the industry study "Shaping the future"
For the "Shaping the future" study, Staufen Inova AG surveyed a total of 313 industrial companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland at the end of 2024. At the same time, 280 companies in the USA were surveyed to enable transatlantic comparisons.
Source: www.staufen-inova.ch
