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SWITZERLAND
International, Business Friendly,
and Focussed on Innovation
Geneva is one of the world’s most international cities
and is home to many leading global organisations,
including the Red Cross, which was founded there in the
19th century. In addition, expatriates make up almost
half of Geneva’s population.
According to François Longchamp, President of the
State Council for the canton of Geneva and State
Councillor for Solidarity and Employment, Geneva’s
guiding principles include respect for human rights,
openness to all types of individuals, and support for
people’s efforts to achieve financial security. “For more
than 500 years, the accumulation and management of
wealth have been clustered in this region,” he says.
The canton of Geneva is well known for its very pro
business environment, strategic European location,
history of innovation, and high standard of living,
factors which have attracted major multinationals as
well as thriving smaller companies to set up operations
there. “Through multiple bilateral agreements
there is lack of bureaucracy when it comes to jobs,
laws and corporate operations here in Geneva, and
the city’s high standard of living and central location
make it easy for companies to attract talented human
resources,” François Longchamp points out.
In addition, Geneva has a very diverse business sector
which includes financial services (especially private
banking and wealth management), watchmaking and
international headquarters. Geneva is proactive in
maintaining growth in every segment of its economy,
and is increasingly becoming known as a hub for hedge
funds and commodities trading.
Flexible, efficient and reliable business
culture
François Longchamp explains that one of Geneva’s
biggest assets is that its culture and business environment
are not only flexible but also reliable and
efficient. He adds, “We are also the only canton in
Switzerland that created more jobs in 2009 than in
2008. The government has an open dialogue with the
François Longchamp, President of the State Council for the Canton of Geneva
and State Councillor for Solidarity and Employment for Geneva
business community, and Geneva has a long standing
tradition of quality.”
As for the future, Geneva is making major investments
in its infrastructure, including more than 1.04 billion
over four years to build an underground railway passing
beneath Lake Geneva, and €278.8 million to expand the
canton’s international airport, already one of Europe’s
busiest. Building more housing is another goal.
Geneva’s economic strategy, according to François
Longchamp, takes into account the canton’s limited
space. He says, “We will focus on core sectors and industries
where we can provide expertise, and then build
those strategically. Geneva’s unique mixture of qualities
will continue to support and enhance innovation and
productivity.”
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