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 GZA Annual Report.
Greater Zurich Area AG draws a positive conclusion in its 2025 annual report. 98 foreign companies have heeded the call of the location marketing agency for the Zurich economic region and have chosen to establish a new presence within the network comprising nine cantons, the city of Zurich and the Winterthur region. 29 of them are engaged in research and development, whilst 24 intend to establish their headquarters in Switzerland. Together, they plan to create 1,295 new jobs over the next five years.
GZA acts on behalf of the Greater Zurich Area Location Marketing Foundation, positioning the Zurich economic region internationally and supporting companies wishing to relocate here. In doing so, it focuses particularly intensively on the key ecosystems of life sciences, artificial intelligence and robotics. “Innovation determines whether good jobs, entrepreneurial know-how and industrial expertise remain anchored in our region,” says Chairman of the Board Dr Balz Hösly in his foreword. “For a high-cost location such as the Greater Zurich Area, this is not an option, but a strategic necessity.”
With 20 new businesses, blockchain technology was the strongest focus industry in 2025, followed by biotech and pharmaceuticals (15) and artificial intelligence (8). Many of these projects are in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and food & agritech.
For instance, the Israeli food-tech company Aleph Farms has chosen Kemptthal (ZH) as the base for its European operations. There, it is joined by partners across the entire value chain: Givaudan, Migros Industrie and Bühler. TikTok opened an office in Zurich, where it benefits from proximity to brands, agencies, media and individuals who create content for social media. The Canadian firm Blockstream is expanding its Bitcoin infrastructure in Lugano by establishing its headquarters there and acquiring Elysium Lab. The Beijing-based company Baidu Apollo has chosen Zurich as its first European location for its robotaxis.
International visibility is also the aim of the Zurich AI Festival, which is co-organised by the GZA and will continue in 2026. At the same time, preparations are underway for the integration of the canton of Aargau from 2027, according to GZA Managing Director Lukas Huber. He emphasises the role of the associated cantons in the development of the business location: “With their framework conditions, their clusters and their location development, they lay the foundations for this marketing to succeed. We do the promotion – the cantons are excellent product managers.”