
Location marketing attracts 264 companies to Switzerland
In 2025, cantonal, regional and national location marketing organisations attracted a total of 264 companies to Switzerland. That is 33 more than in the previous year. They have already created 919 new jobs, and the total is expected to reach over 2,687 jobs within three

The Zurich economic region is attracting an increasing number of international companies
The Greater Zurich Area (GZA) location marketing initiative and the associated cantons attracted a total of 98 foreign companies in 2025. Twenty-four of these intend to establish their headquarters in Switzerland, whilst 29 are conducting research and development here. This is highlighted in the

New open space concept enhances quality of life and biodiversity
The local council has adopted the Spreitenbach Open Space Concept as a binding framework for future development. Through this concept, it aims to strengthen the identity of the neighbourhoods, promote biodiversity and make the urban environment

The wood that protects itself
Today, sawdust usually ends up in the oven. Tomorrow it could protect houses from fire. Researchers at ETH Zurich and Empa have developed a composite material that combines wood waste with the mineral struvite and achieves the fire protection class of conventional cement boards. The material

The construction site also wants flexibility
Part-time work alone won’t solve the problem. At the event “We’re Counting on You!” held on March 26, 2026, at CAMPUS SURSEE, it became clear that the construction and infrastructure sector is facing a cultural shift. Anyone who wants to succeed in the competition for skilled workers must

When cantons go from being a drag to a location factor
Building permits determine how quickly residential, commercial and energy projects become reality. In Switzerland, analog routines and digital ambitions collide. Those who invest in functioning e-processes today gain speed, transparency and political

Zurich remains the world’s number one smart city
Zurich tops the IMD Smart City Index for the seventh year running. Out of the 148 cities surveyed, Geneva ranks third. Lausanne – which was ranked 10th last year – has climbed back up to seventh place. The index measures how smart citizens consider their city to

New construction project bolsters the research hub in the Bernese Oberland
Funding has been secured for the new building of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in Thun Nord. The city is providing an interest-free loan of 16 million Swiss francs and acting as guarantor for a federal loan of 10 million. Empa is investing 16 million,

New foundation to bring SMEs forward
Lucerne is just in the top third of the cantons in terms of competitiveness. But far behind in terms of innovative strength. This is set to change. The cantonal government is applying to the cantonal council for a special loan of CHF 24 million for a new foundation to provide SMEs with targeted

80 centimeters slow down 63 million project
In September 2025, almost 60 percent of school citizens voted in favor of the new Lärche school center in Arbon. Now a single objector is threatening to torpedo the timetable. The attic storey is 80 centimetres too high. The dispute over centimeters could cost

Network Switzerland elects new members to the board
Christina Doll and Andreas Zettel have been newly elected to the board of Netzwerk Standort Schweiz. The business development officer for the town of Schlieren and the deputy director of Lucerne Economic Development are taking over from Jasmina Ritz and Albert

The Learning Factory is forging new links between industry, research and education
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) plans to establish a learning factory in the Zug Tech Cluster. If Parliament and the public give their approval, operations are set to begin in 2029. The canton and city of Zug intend to contribute 82.5 million Swiss

47 million for a new heart in the Bernese Oberland
A former military site, 60 hectares, characterized for decades by uniforms and armaments factories. Now cutting-edge research is to move in. The city of Thun is getting serious and is advancing CHF 16 million to ensure that the new Empa building does not fail due to lack of funding. What sounds

The city is exploring new approaches to reducing waste and resource consumption
The Government Council of Basel-Stadt is considering launching a pilot project with Pretty Good to facilitate the drop-off of used items at recycling points. In doing so, it is following the example set by Bern and Zug. It intends to involve the local second-hand and repair sector in the


City wants to acquire industrial building for archive and temporary uses
The city of Biel wants to acquire the industrial property at Mattenstrasse 133. The factory building is to be used for the city archives from 2033 onwards. Until then, it is planned to be used temporarily as a gymnasium and city library. The municipal council is now requesting 3.89 million Swiss


New Head of Market and Policy at the Solar Association
Wieland Hintz is the new Head of Market and Policy and Deputy Managing Director at Swissolar. His predecessor, David Stickelberger, will continue to support the association as Senior Policy Advisor. Anna Plancherel will become the first Director for French-speaking Switzerland at the solar energy

Digital tool assesses sustainability of events
The Swiss Association for Sustainable Events is launching the Eventkit platform. This provides event organisers and authorities with a standardised tool for planning and evaluating sustainable events. It also integrates the KITmanif platform of the city of Lausanne and the canton of

Federal government conducts consultation on location promotion
The Federal Council has opened the consultation process for the 2028–2031 location promotion message. The aim is not only to reduce the administrative burden on SMEs, but also to promote their access to international markets. The federal government is making around CHF 400 million available for


“Insieme” education centers in Sursee
With the "Insieme" project, the joint location of the health and social services and business, IT and technology education centers in Sursee will receive a new seven-storey building along the railroad line. The Lucerne cantonal government is thus strengthening a central educational location for

The way is clear for Wil West
The voters of St. Gallen have cleared the way for the Wil West business park. By voting yes to the sale of land to the canton of Thurgau, a key milestone has been reached. This is important for the economic future of the region, but also for more orderly settlement and transport development in the

First consultation on location promotion
The Federal Council has opened the consultation on the 2028-2031 Dispatch on the Promotion of Switzerland as a Business Location and is planning CHF 392 million for this purpose. The focus is on easing the digital burden on SMEs, improving export opportunities and strengthening the economies of all

New CKW headquarters strengthens Emmen
CKW is planning to relocate its business units from Reussbühl to Emmen and move its headquarters from Lucerne to the Reussinsel. The new "EnergiePark Emmen" will strengthen the regional power supply, bring up to 1,000 jobs to the site and create additional added value for the municipality of

Thun North is developing into a new district
Three interdisciplinary teams have developed proposals for the future development of the new Thun Nord district. An advisory committee has used these proposals to derive key parameters for the next steps. The results of this workshop process are currently on display at Thun Town


Construction site for retirement home in Schlieren to be set up in March
Preparatory work for the new "Wohnen am Stadtpark" retirement home in Schlieren will begin in March. The withdrawal of two appeals in December 2025 cleared the way for this. The official ground-breaking ceremony is planned for April.

