Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

Swiss seek cooperation with US on cyber security defence

Defence Minister Viola Amherd has held talks with United States government representatives on international security cooperation.

Read More »

Absurdist pop pioneer Yello wins Swiss music prize

The Swiss electronic duo Yello - Dieter Meier and Boris Blank – will receive the Grand Prix Music 2022, presented by the Federal Office of Culture and worth CHF100,000 ($100,400).

Read More »

Swiss remain divided over 5G rollout

Swiss opinion over the expansion of the 5G telecommunications network is still split down the middle, according to the latest survey on the subject. The Swiss government is convinced that the new technology poses minimal health risks and is committed to the rapid erection of 7,500 5G antennae.  

Read More »

Afghan women footballers take to the field again in Bern

Two former players with Afghanistan’s national women’s team have started football training for women in Bern, both to improve their footballing skills and to defend the rights of women to play the game. It’s part of Armisa and Sahar’s (pseudonyms) continuing efforts to rebuild their lives after being forced to flee their country for fear of the Taliban, the Islamic fundamentalist group that was waging an insurgency in Afghanistan when they left....

Read More »

Stop organic farming to help future food crisis, says Syngenta boss

Erik Fyrwald, the CEO of the Swiss agrochemicals group Syngenta, has called for an end to organic farming to avoid a worsening food crisis. The president of the Swiss Small Farmers’ Association meanwhile dismissed his arguments as “grotesque”.

Read More »

Swiss central bank rejects ‘creative’ demands to change course

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) continues to beat off demands to fight inflation by raising interest rates and to distribute more reserves to cantons and other causes.

Read More »

Historians trace Elon Musk’s Swiss roots to Emmental

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has roots in a small, picturesque farming region in central Switzerland. Using genealogy websites and local archives, historians have been able to connect Musk with the Haldimann name, which is still present in the Emmental region today.

Read More »

Covid loan claims fuel rise in suspected fraud cases

The number of reported suspicious financial transactions continued to rise in Switzerland in 2021, but at a lower rate than in the first year of the pandemic.

Read More »

Rising prices put pressure on Swiss consumers and industry

Consumers in Switzerland are much more pessimistic about the general economic situation, with households feeling the strain as prices continue to rise, a new survey shows.

Read More »

The riddle of Russian money in Switzerland

There’s a well-worn Swiss bankers joke about the venality of a particular country. The actual country changes with the times but since this is April 2022, it starts like this: “Where is the capital of Russia?”

Read More »

Hacking as a tool for highlighting grievances

Hacker Tillie Kottmann exposes security holes in computer systems and has been charged in the United States for making them public. For Kottmann, tracking down digital vulnerabilities provides a dose of euphoria and adrenaline. The hacker wants to shine a light on data of public interest. This video portrait is part of the “Digital offensive” series by Swiss public television SRF. It looks at the work of five young people trying to make a...

Read More »

Geldcast update: calls for a more transparent Swiss National Bank

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is very opaque by international standards. That has to change, says Yvan Lengwiler, professor of economics at the University of Basel. He explains his proposals in the latest Geldcast update.

Read More »

Swiss technology foils Russian censorship

The Swiss software Kiwix enables the user to copy entire websites so they can be accessible offline. Now that Wikipedia risks sanction in Russia because of its content on the Ukraine war, downloads of the free online encyclopaedia using Kiwix are off the charts. 

Read More »

Energy prices: government considers measures to help households

The Swiss government has set up a working group to examine whether measures are needed to relieve the burden on households caused by rising energy prices.

Read More »

Swiss trade unions sound alarm about rising cost of living

Trade unions say middle- and lower-income workers in Switzerland are facing a “shock” in 2022, with wages unable to offset rising inflation and health insurance costs.

Read More »

Easter march through Bern addresses war in Ukraine

The traditional Easter march has taken place in the Swiss capital, Bern. This year the “Walk for Peace” focused on issues including the climate and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Read More »

Impact of Swiss finance sector on country’s GDP waning

The contribution of Switzerland’s finance industry to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has decreased over the past ten years.

Read More »

Swiss to decide individually on Russian commodity deals

Switzerland will decide case by case whether to curtail traders' purchases from Russia's state-controlled companies under European Union sanctions. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) which is in charge sanctions confirmed the Swiss policy to follow in principle the EU measures, which aim to limit commodity deals to those deemed "strictly necessary" from mid-May.

Read More »

Saying no to a tax on streaming companies in Switzerland

Should streaming services like Netflix be forced to support filmmakers in the countries where they operate? Under the the so-called “Lex Netflix” law, they will be required to invest 4% of their Swiss turnover in local productions.

Read More »

Crypto Nation Switzerland tackles workforce shortages

The rapidly expanding Swiss blockchain industry is facing growing pains: a limited supply of qualified workers to fill the expanding number of job vacancies. Universities are stepping up to meet the challenge by designing new courses around blockchain and decentralised finance.

Read More »