Tag Archive: Business

Funding for start-ups barely dented by coronavirus

2021-01-26

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2021-01-26

More than CHF2 billion of venture capital flowed into young Swiss companies for the second year in a row, a sustained rate of funding that defied the economic destruction wreaked by the pandemic last year.

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Swiss multinationals draw blurry political lines in the sand

2021-01-21

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2021-01-21

Our analysis of what the biggest global companies in Switzerland are up to. This week: corporate funding in politics, diamond billionaire on trial and high hopes for the economy.

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UBS to close a sixth of its Swiss branches

2021-01-14

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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.

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Two globally pioneering technologies among Swiss energy prize winners

2021-01-07

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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. 

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Swiss franc shrugs off being put on the naughty step by US

2021-01-07

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2021-01-07

For many foreign exchange traders, the US Treasury’s decision to designate Switzerland as a currency manipulator last month comes nearly six years too late and with a good dose of irony.

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Covid-19 drives new car sales down to historic low

2021-01-06

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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.

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Credit Suisse chief vows a ‘clean slate’ in 2021

2020-12-22

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2020-12-22

The chief executive of Credit Suisse has vowed the bank will start 2021 with a “clean slate” after a torrid year that began with a damaging corporate spying scandal and was punctuated by embarrassing fallout from legacy compliance and lending failures.

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Swissair liquidator extracts CHF2.75 million from former bosses

2020-12-08

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2020-12-08

Former Swissair bosses have been ordered to pay CHF2.75 million ($3 million) almost 20 years after the national airline carrier went bust. The bill has been presented to 14 former managers after many years of legal wrangling and court battles.

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Covid continues to stress Swiss economy

2020-12-07

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2020-12-07

Overnight hotel stays fell by more than 40% during the summer as Switzerland locked down against coronavirus. The pandemic has also battered the finances of the airline industry, but most smaller companies have retained some optimism for the future.

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Five lessons from the Swiss ‘responsible business’ vote

2020-12-01

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2020-12-01

The battle over the responsible business initiative is now over. The way the campaign was managed and how the issue was eventually decided says a lot about Switzerland.

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French blockchain firms offer tracing for Swiss watches

2020-11-29

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2020-11-29

The market for second-hand luxury watches is booming. But for the average consumer, it is not easy to tell a fake from the genuine article and determine the real value of a particular timepiece. Certificates based on blockchain technology could provide more transparency.

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Life as an expat in Swiss cities: the good news and the less good news

2020-11-28

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2020-11-28

From tip-top transport in Basel to housing headaches in Geneva, foreign residents share what they love and loathe about the four Swiss cities featured in the Expat City Ranking 2020. This content was published on November 26, 2020 - 09:00 November 26, 2020 - 09:00 Thomas Stephens Born in London, Thomas was a journalist at The Independent before moving to Bern in 2005. He speaks all three official Swiss languages and enjoys...

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Blockchain trading venue challenges stock exchange dominance

2020-11-26

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2020-11-26

Digital assets bank Sygnum says it will open up new sources of funding for small companies by creating and trading shares on the blockchain. Its new trading facility will also target venture capital, real estate and the arts and collectibles market.

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Clariant plans to slash more jobs

2020-11-26

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2020-11-26

Swiss speciality chemicals firm Clariant has announced further job cuts amid a series of divestments.

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Why big companies fear the Responsible Business Initiative

2020-11-18

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2020-11-18

Big multinationals in Switzerland have been nearly unanimous in their rejection of an initiative to make companies more accountable for their actions abroad. What are they afraid of?

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Vote November 29: Spotlight on ethical business practices

2020-11-15

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2020-11-15

A proposal to make Swiss-based multinationals accountable for their business practices abroad is tabled for a nationwide vote on November 29. An initiative aimed at restricting investments in the arms industry is the second issue on the ballot sheet. 

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Swiss advance plans to take goods transport underground

2020-11-15

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2020-11-15

Building a 500-km tunnel network to transport goods under Central Switzerland is the ambitious aim of the “Cargo Sous Terrain” project. The vision has moved closer to reality since the Swiss government brought forward enabling legislation last month.

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Swiss multinationals: global heavyweights in high-risk sectors

2020-11-12

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2020-11-12

Home to big players in the raw materials, food and chemicals industries, Switzerland boasts one of the world’s highest concentrations of multinational headquarters.

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Which US president would be best for Swiss business?

2020-11-05

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2020-11-05

Swiss-US trade has been booming in recent years. Would it be better for the Alpine country to stick with the current set-up or trust in a potentially more conciliatory new American president?  

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Novartis boosts involvement in anti-Covid treatment

2020-10-31

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2020-10-31

The biotech company and the pharmaceutical giant want to develop and market a drug with a unique approach for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19.

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