Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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Swiss retail chain Migros shutters physical book shops

2026-01-30

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2026-01-30

The Swiss retail group Migros is closing all 15 physical branches of its bookselling brand Ex Libris by the end of the year. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The group's online book business will be gradually transferred to the digital platform Galaxus. This will affect 230 employees and job …

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Swiss Swatch group suffers huge profit slump

2026-01-30

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2026-01-30

Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch suffered a near 90% slump in net profits last year as sales in Asia plunged, particularly in China. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The group reported net profits of CHF25 million, down from CHF219 million in 2024. + Chinese slump hits luxury watch industry Sales …

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From London to Lausanne: how Isomorphic Labs is rewriting drug discovery

2026-01-30

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2026-01-30

Google DeepMind spin-off Isomorphic Labs is building an AI drug design engine that it believes can “solve” all diseases. We spoke to its Chief Technology Officer in Lausanne about Switzerland’s key role, AI hype, and what it will take to cure cancer. In 2013, Sergei Yakneen was on the fast track to a brilliant tech …

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March 8 vote poll: media licence fee initiative could go either way

2026-01-30

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2026-01-30

On March 8, Switzerland will vote on four proposals. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) survey conducted in mid-January points to a yes to individual taxation and the cash initiative. There is a stalemate on the SBC media licence fee initiative and the climate fund has little chance of success. It is a special challenge this …

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Switzerland demands unfettered metal trade with EU

2026-01-29

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2026-01-29

Switzerland has repeated demands for an exemption from planned European Union metal trade restrictions. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The EU plans to cut tariff-free steel import quotas by almost half. The extraordinary meeting of the Joint Committee on the free trade agreement between Switzerland and the European Union …

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High on a Swiss hill: the oldest playable organ in the world

2026-01-29

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Nearly 600 years old...and still playable! 🎶 ⁠ Built in the 1430s, the organ in Sion is considered the oldest functioning organ in the world. Thanks to careful preservation and modern protection techniques, it has survived over the centuries and continues to draw visitors from around the globe to canton Valais. ⁠ ⁠ Visit Swissinfo to read more about the history of this unique instrument. --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss...

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Seven new Swiss grape varieties make their debuts

2026-01-29

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2026-01-29

Switzerland has bred seven new grape varieties that are resistant to the most important fungal diseases and have a high oenological quality. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Agroscope, the Swiss centre of excellence for agricultural research, presented the new varieties as the fruits of 17 years of breeding work. …

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Swiss trade surplus with US grew in 2025 despite tariffs

2026-01-29

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2026-01-29

Switzerland exported a record amount of goods to the United States last year despite a tariff dispute. Imports to Switzerland from the US fell, leading to a CHF41.1 billion trade surplus for the Alpine state. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Swiss customs reported a 3.9% rise in Swiss goods … Continue...

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Swiss pharma firm Roche posts increased 2025 revenue

2026-01-29

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2026-01-29

Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche posted total sales of CHF61.5 billion ($80.6 billion) last year, an increase of 2% from 2024. looks back on a successful financial year 2025. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Roche has met its own targets and the outlook for the future also promises further growth, …

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Swiss meter firm Landis+Gyr shifts management to US

2026-01-29

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2026-01-29

Swiss electric meter manufacturer Landis+Gyr has relocated the majority of its operational management team to Atlanta in the United States. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox This was announced by CEO Peter Mainz as part of a strategic focus on the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions. Mainz said that he himself …

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Switzerland eases arms export rules as its industry is shunned by Europe

2026-01-29

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2026-01-29

The pendulum on Switzerland’s sale of weapons to countries embroiled in conflict has swung in favour of its defence industry, as Europe rearms at a rate not seen since the Cold War. Swiss officials insist such exports are compatible with neutrality. Over the course of 2022, Germany twice asked Switzerland to allow it to re-export …

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Swiss watch exports continued to fall in 2025

2026-01-29

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2026-01-29

Swiss watch manufacturers sold slightly fewer timepieces abroad last year, with exports to China and Hong Kong suffering a hard fall. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Exports to the United States were more or less stable. Swiss manufacturers exported a total of CHF25.6 billion worth of watches, stated the …

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Minneapolis outrage, apps for boycotting US goods, and anti-MAGA crows

2026-01-28

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2026-01-28

Welcome to our press review of events in the United States. Every Wednesday I look at how the Swiss media have reported and reacted to three major stories in the US – in politics, finance and science. This week headlines in Switzerland were dominated by the killing in Minneapolis on Saturday of Alex Pretti, an …

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Value added tax: the Swiss government’s all-purpose tool

2026-01-28

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2026-01-28

Switzerland has the lowest VAT rate in Europe. Now the Swiss government wants to increase it from 8.1% to 8.9% to pay for national defence. An explainer on the Swiss peculiarities of the most commonplace of all taxes. Why does the Swiss government want to increase VAT? The Swiss government wants to increase VAT by …

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Swiss franc surges to decade high as traders seek last ‘reliable’ haven

2026-01-28

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2026-01-28

Alpine currency at strongest level since 2015 shock appreciation, putting pressure on central bank. The Swiss franc has surged to its strongest level against the US dollar in more than a decade, as a stampede into what traders are calling currency markets’ last “reliable” haven poses an increasing problem for the Swiss National Bank. The …

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Inside Switzerland’s Quiet Rise as a Longevity Hub | Listen to The Swiss Connection

2026-01-27

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In a special bonus episode of our podcast The Swiss Connection, our host, Jo Fahy, is joined in the studio by pharmaceuticals and healthcare reporter Jessica Davis Pluss. We trace how Switzerland was uniquely positioned to become a global hub for healthier ageing. We also compare lifespan and health span, examine why access to clinics is so tightly guarded, and discuss why the pharmaceutical industry is moving cautiously in this growing field....

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Swiss franc strengthens against dollar, but SNB unlikely to intervene

2026-01-27

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2026-01-27

The Swiss franc continues to get stronger against the dollar, with a new high reported on Tuesday. But the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is unlikely to intervene, according to a financial expert. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox On Tuesday afternoon, one US dollar fell to CHF0.7701, its lowest level ever, …

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Bonus Episode – Inside Switzerland’s Quiet Rise as a Longevity Hub

2026-01-27

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Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/910414/open_sms) How did longevity go from a social media trend to a focus of serious science? In this special bonus episode our host, Jo Fahy, is joined in the studio by pharmaceuticals and healthcare reporter, Jessica Davis Pluss. We trace how Switzerland was uniquely positioned to become a global hub for healthier ageing. We also compare lifespan and health span, examine why...

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Technical issue causes flight disruption at Geneva Airport

2026-01-27

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2026-01-27

Flights were disrupted at Geneva Airport on Tuesday after a technical problem at the air traffic controller Skyguide prevented take-offs and landings. Flights have resumed but delays are expected throughout the day, officials say. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Half of all flights were able to resume shortly after 10am, …

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Swiss Federal Railways reports record punctuality in 2025

2026-01-27

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2026-01-27

Swiss Federal Railways has reported a record 94.1% punctuality rate for 2025. Canton Ticino was the only region to see a drop in punctuality, while French-speaking Switzerland saw a major improvement. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Compared to 2024, passenger punctuality improved by 0.9%, Federal Railways reported on Tuesday. And …

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