Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

Filter archive by: Show All Show only Articles Show only Videos

Swiss probing corruption linked to Lebanon central bank

2021-01-20

by

2021-01-20

The Swiss attorney general's office has requested legal assistance from Lebanon in the context of a probe into "aggravated money laundering" and possible embezzlement tied to the Lebanese central bank, Reuters reports from Beirut.

Read More »

WEF warns of ‘increasing disparities’ due to Covid-19 pandemic

2021-01-19

by

2021-01-19

Infectious diseases, extreme weather events and cybersecurity problems pose key threats to society in the next two years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) warns. The Covid-19 pandemic looks set to have a lasting impact in the next ten years.

Read More »

A Swiss sausage maker in Denver

2021-01-19

by

Born in Zurich, Eric Gutknecht came to the US with his parents when he was a little boy. Today he runs a sausage factory in Colorado. Gutknecht did two charcuterie-making apprenticeships in Switzerland. His professional experience includes teaching economics and working as a business analyst. In 2003, he and his wife, Jessica, took over the family sausage business in Denver. Today, CharcūtNuvo provides grocery stores and Swiss clubs all over the...

Read More »

UBS to close a sixth of its Swiss branches

2021-01-14

by

2021-01-14

The closures will affect 44 of the bank’s 239 branches in the country, mainly smaller ones, UBS confirmed on Tuesday. The bank plans to continue beefing up its online offers.

Read More »

Covid-hit restaurants call for ‘compensation now’

2021-01-13

by

2021-01-13

Half of all hotel and restaurant businesses in Switzerland will go bankrupt by the end of March if they do not receive immediate financial compensation for the effects of coronavirus restrictions, warns the sector’s umbrella organisation.

Read More »

Swiss mom an ‘unofficial cultural ambassador’ in America

2021-01-12

by

She kept dreaming of being on a plane that never reached its destination. Those dreams stopped about a year after moving to Colorado. “The pilot would drop us off in a desert, or in the Alps, or the luggage would blow away,” remembers Regula Grenier, who has lived in Colorado since 2007. She sees the end of those dreams as a sign that she’s finally found the right place to live. Originally from Einsiedeln in central Switzerland, Grenier quips...

Read More »

Switzerland hit by widespread malware campaign

2021-01-10

by

2021-01-10

Several security bodies in Switzerland have been targeted by emails that appear to come from official organisations such as banks or the police and contain a password for a zip file. When this file is opened, the computer becomes infected with a trojan called Emotet.

Read More »

Two globally pioneering technologies among Swiss energy prize winners

2021-01-07

by

2021-01-07

A floating solar power plant and a transport project using renewable hydrogen are among the winners of the 2021 Watt d’Or prize. 

Read More »

Charity works overtime to support Covid-stricken mountain firms

2021-01-07

by

2021-01-07

A Swiss fund that supports small businesses in alpine regions bailed out 100 firms last year that were affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Schweizer Berghilfe (Swiss Mountain Aid) doled out an extra CHF2 million ($2.26 million) to support Covid-hit enterprises.

Read More »

A Swiss Rifle Club in America

2021-01-06

by

Swiss rifles were coveted during the American revolutionary and civil wars. Today they’re used for fun by the Swiss Rifle Club of Minneapolis. In the late 1980s, a group of Swiss expats living in Minnesota – all employed by food technology company Bühler – decided to form a shooting club to maintain a tradition from the homeland. They made a deal with a local club willing to share its facilities, and got the green light from the Swiss military,...

Read More »

Covid-19 drives new car sales down to historic low

2021-01-06

by

2021-01-06

The Swiss automobile industry registered its worst result in over 40 years, as the number of new cars hitting the road in 2020 fell by a quarter compared to the previous year.

Read More »

Immigration Zuwanderung in die Schweiz – Mehr Probleme oder mehr Wohlstand?

2021-01-05

by

2021-01-05

Wanderung aus EU- und EFTA-Staaten
The Swiss automobile industry registered its worst result in over 40 years, as the number of new cars hitting the road in 2020 fell by a quarter compared to the previous year.

Read More »

OECD should focus on climate crisis and inequality, says Hildebrand

2021-01-04

by

2021-01-04

Former Swiss National Bank Chairman Philipp Hildebrand
Former Swiss National Bank Chairman Philipp Hildebrand has been nominated by Switzerland to lead the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), whose Secretary General Angel Gurria is leaving in May 2021.

Read More »

Swiss continue search for absconded British tourists

2020-12-31

by

2020-12-31

Swiss cantons are still trying to identify tourists from the UK and South Africa who are staying in their resorts or who fled to escape Covid quarantine. Canton Valais, home to many popular ski resorts such as Verbier and Zermatt, is struggling. This content was published on December 30, 2020 - 14:03 December 30, 2020 - 14:03 Keystone-SDA/ts At the weekend an estimated 200 British tourists crept out of Verbier during the night, with hotel...

Read More »

‘Brexit envy’ grows in Switzerland

2020-12-30

by

2020-12-30

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a deal on December 24 Paul Grover Britain has finally negotiated a deal with the European Union. The European Court of Justice will not act as a court of arbitration. Some Swiss voices are now calling for Switzerland to get the same deal. The UK and the EU managed to agree on a last-minute trade deal after all. It will come into force provisionally on January 1. This will prevent customs duties...

Read More »

Economic outlook for Switzerland in 2021

2020-12-30

by

2020-12-30

Have the Swiss and European Union economies already been through the worst, or will the pandemic cause more damage in 2021? Keystone / Martin Ruetschi Lockdown, home office, travel bans. The pandemic has shaken up the economy, but its disruptive power is having a selective effect. While the pharmaceutical industry is sailing through the crisis unscathed, the watch industry is being hit harder than any time since the last world war. What is the...

Read More »

Swiss want more digital services from the state

2020-12-30

by

2020-12-30

Digitalisation is increasing pressure on state authorities, with almost three-quarters of Swiss expecting more digital services from the authorities, according to a survey by consultants Deloitte. Whether it’s paying parking fines or obtaining motorway toll stickers, Swiss want to be able to deal with such services online. A third of those surveyed could even imagine getting married via video conferencing.A large majority of the population would...

Read More »

Can 3D printing save the coral reefs?

2020-12-29

by

The oceans produce one in every two oxygen atoms. Coral reefs are like the ocean's rainforest. But it's disappearing, and fast. Ulrike Pfreundt has made it her life's work to find a solution. Pfreundt is a marine biologist at the Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich who gets emotional when she talks about coral death. Through 3D printing, she's found a way to make artificial reefs and replace some of the coral that's being lost by providing...

Read More »

‘We were too lax’ admits Swiss health minister on Covid-19

2020-12-29

by

2020-12-29

In an interview with Swiss public television, SRF, Health Minister Alain Berset has acknowledged that Switzerland made mistakes in managing the coronavirus outbreak.

Read More »

Why the rock band Queen loves Montreux

2020-12-25

by

The quiet lakeside town of Montreux has become a mecca for Queen fans. They make pilgrimages here each year to leave messages at Freddie Mercury's statue and join in the annual birthday celebrations for the late star, who died in 1991. Now there's even a Freddie Tour - you can follow in the footsteps of the flamboyant singer and visit the Studio Experience in the town's casino. That exhibition is based on the recording studios Queen owned, where...

Read More »