Political decision strengthens international location marketing
The Grand Council has approved the canton of Aargau's re-entry into the Greater Zurich Area at the beginning of 2027. It is providing the location marketer with CHF 5.5 million for the first four years. It also wants to promote economic development in areas with potential with CHF 4.5 million.
The canton of Aargau will rejoin the Greater Zurich Area (GZA) on 1 January 2027. This was decided by the Grand Council at its meeting on 13 January. It is providing CHF 5.5 million for membership of the location marketing organisation for the first four years. In its proposal, the cantonal government had requested CHF 8.5 million for six years.
In its deliberations in November, the preliminary consultation committee pointed out that, compared to the rest of Switzerland, the canton’s population is growing at an above-average rate, but its economy is growing at a below-average rate. Joining the location marketing organisation was a “clear opportunity to attract new value-added jobs to the canton,” it wrote in a statement at the time. It justified its request to reduce the initial period from six to four years by citing concerns about competition among the member cantons. The shorter period would allow for careful assessment of the effectiveness of membership.
The Greater Zurich Area includes the cantons of Glarus, Graubünden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Ticino, Uri, Zug and Zurich. It promotes the Zurich economic area in the USA and China in particular, with the aim of attracting high value-added companies to settle there. Aargau was a member of the GZA between 2007 and 2010.
On 13 January, the Grand Council also approved economic development in areas with potential. This will allow groups of municipalities with economic potential to join forces to promote their location professionally. The focus will be on establishing business contacts and brokering sites and land. The canton will cover 50 per cent of the costs. The Grand Council has now approved CHF 4.5 million for this purpose.