Handbook for Investors. Business location in Switzerland.

The medical technology industry is one of the fastest growing in
Switzerland: no other country employs more people in this industry
relative to the working population. With an average annual
growth rate of around 10 % in recent years, today approximately
45,000 people in 700 companies generate CHF 20 billion in
revenue. Two-thirds of this revenue comes from exports. Almost
half (45 %) of the revenue produced in the Swiss market is generated
by the manufacturers of medical technology products, which
underscores the importance of Switzerland as a production site
for medical technology.
Based on its contribution to GDP, the added value of the medtech
industry is easily double the average for the Swiss economy.
Dachverband der Schweizerischen Handels- und Industrievereinigungen
der Medizinaltechnik (umbrella organization
of the Swiss trade and industry associations for
medical technology)
www.fasmed.ch
Languages: German, French
CHF 70 billion. This amounts to about 15 % of the entire Swiss
GDP. Some 200,000 people are employed in the financial sector,
which is about 5 % of all employed persons in Switzerland. Of
this number, 100,000 work in banks, 54,000 at insurance companies
and the rest at other financial institutions. The establishment
of the Swiss Finance Institute – a collaborative effort between
financial institutions and leading Swiss universities – in 2006 has
helped bolster education and financial research.
From an international perspective, the Swiss banking center is
highly regarded and extremely competitive. Its core competency
is asset management for private clients. In addition to the two
major globally active banks, UBS and Credit Suisse, there are numerous
regional and specialized institutions. There are some 150
foreign banks in the country, and 58 % of the assets managed in
Switzerland come from abroad.
The key factors for success and the basic conditions for the
insurance industry include a generous per capita income and
a strong need for security, a solidly structured old age pension
system, an open and internationally networked insurance centre,
a credible regulatory environment and international know-how in
the reinsurance business.
Medical Cluster
Swiss financial market forum
www.medical-cluster.ch
Languages: German, English
www.forumfinanzplatz.ch
Languages: German, French
Swiss Medtech
Swiss Finance Institute
www.swiss-medtech.org
Languages: German, English
www.swissfinanceinstitute.ch
Language: English
2.3.3 Financial services
The Swiss financial center is an important element of the economy,
as well as a world-class cluster. In Switzerland there are some
330 banks, 260 insurance companies and 2,700 pension funds.
The majority of the financial institutions are located in Zurich,
Geneva, Basel and Lugano. In 2006, the direct value added by
banks came to about CHF 48 billion, and CHF 22 billion by
insurance companies, for a combined total of approximately
2.3.4 Machinery, electrical engineering and metals industry
The machinery, electrical engineering and metals industry (MEM)
represents the largest industrial sector and holds a key position in
the Swiss economy with 350,000 employees. The MEM industry
contributed 19.3 % to GDP in 2007, while its share of added value
amounted to 9.4 %. In almost every division of the machinery
industry, Switzerland’s export volumes rank among the highest in
the world. Approximately 80 % of MEM industry products are ex-
Handbook for Investors 2010
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