Swiss Report - Medtech Switzerland

Friday, June 10, 2011
SPECIAL REPORT
SWITZERLAND COUNTRY
REPORT
INSIDE: 12-PAGE SPONSORED SECTION IN CO-OPERATION WITH DISCOVERY REPORTS
Alpine nation holds the aces
Tennis champ Federer exemplifies
the success of a landlocked country
which punches well above its
weight, writes Ed Peters
Asked to name an
archetypal Swiss, most
people would pick tennis
champion Roger Federer,
even though his mother
was born in South Africa. Besides
being at the top of his game,
quadrilingual Federer puts as much
effort into his charity work as he
does on court, and is rich even by
the standards of his homeland.
Estimates vary, but the 29-yearold
is reckoned to be worth at least
US$140 million, having picked up
US$62 million in prize money since
turning professional in 1998.
In fact, 1998 was the 150th
anniversary of the adoption of the
Swiss Federal Constitution,
although the country traces its roots
back to the 13th century. In the
intervening years, Switzerland
has become steadily more
prosperous, keeping itself well
out of European wars – and well out
of the European Union.
Its policies have paid off in
spades. Switzerland is one of the
richest countries in the world, with a
nominal per capita gross domestic
product of US$69,838.
Last year, Switzerland totted up
the highest wealth per adult of any
country, with US$372,692 for each
man and woman over 18. What’s
more, Switzerland has one of the
world’s largest account balances as a
percentage of GDP, only lagging
behind a few oil-producing
countries.
Zurich and Geneva have been
rated second and third respectively
as the cities with the highest quality
of life in the world, while last year,
the World Economic Forum ranked
Switzerland as the most competitive
country in the world.
And, just to put the icing on the
cake, the European Union rated
Switzerland as Europe’s most
innovative country by far. Not a bad
result for a landlocked nation with a
population of just under 8 million.
As an idea of just how well Brand
Swiss does in the international
market place, consider some of its
top companies. Glencore is one of
the foremost mining and
commodities operations, Novartis is
more or less synonymous with
pharmaceuticals, Hoffmann-La
Roche and health care go hand-inhand,
power and automation
technology are the mainstays of
ABB, and Adecco, a human
resources outfit, employs nearly
750,000 professionals.
Adding to this mix are financial
giants UBS, Zurich Financial
Services, Credit Suisse, Clariden Leu,
Credit Agricole and Swiss Re. And
where would the world be without
fashionable timepieces produced by
The Swatch Group? Needless to say,
hundreds of similar, if smaller, Swiss
corporations are performing very
creditably.
If Switzerland shines on the
commercial front, it must be in part
due to its excellent education
system. The oldest of its dozen
universities was founded in 1460 in
Basel with a faculty of medicine,
which still maintains a strong
tradition of chemical and medical
research.
The biggest tertiary institution is
the University of Zurich with almost
25,000 students. In business and
management studies, the University
of St Gallen and the International
Institute for Management
Development are the recognised
leaders.
Students flock to Switzerland’s
tertiary institutions from around the
world, especially the hotel school in
Lausanne, which has laid the
foundations for many a Hong Kong
hotelier’s career.
Over the years, many Nobel
prizes have been awarded to Swiss
scientists. The foremost was
physicist Albert Einstein, who
developed his Theory of Relativity
while working in Bern. More
recently, Vladimir Prelog, Heinrich
Rohrer, Richard Ernst, Edmond
Fischer, Rolf Zinkernagel and Kurt
Wuthrich have all been honoured.
Geneva and the nearby French
department of Ain jointly host the
world’s largest laboratory, CERN,
which is dedicated to particle
physics research. The laboratory has
made headlines, thanks to its work
with the Large Hadron Collider, and
it was also the birthplace of the
World Wide Web.
Growing Asian affluence
attracts private banks
......................................................
Chris Davis
Hong Kong’s position as a hub for
the private banking sector continues
to attract Swiss institutions, as
wealth grows across the region. By
2013, according to the most recent
Merrill Lynch Capgemini World
Wealth Report, the Asia-Pacific is set
to overtake the United States, which
is the world’s leader with about
US$13.5 trillion held by the rich.
Kenneth Toong, Clariden Leu
Asia chairman, says Hong Kong
plays a strategic role in the bank’s
Asia operation.
“Asia has been identified as one
of the key markets for future growth
and expanding our footprint here
will be a priority,” Toong says. “We
strengthened our capabilities in
China with four key appointments.
These appointments are a clear
indication of our commitment to
Asia and the tremendous
opportunities we see.”
Clariden Leu has more than 160
employees in the region, a tenfold
increase since coming to Asia 25
years ago. When hiring relationship
managers, Toong says Clariden Leu
looks for at least 10-15 years of local,
market-specific experience. “Onthe-ground
expertise is important,
as advice will never be taken as
seriously as when you have the
relevant, local experts,” he says.
He says wealthy clients look for
solidarity and safety. “With a 24.6
per cent tier-one capital ratio and a
cost/income ratio of 67 per cent,
Clariden Leu is also one of the best
capitalised financial institutions in
the world,” Toong says.
As the number of high-net-worth
individuals in Asia expands, Toong
says Clariden Leu places an
emphasis on delivering premium
wealth-management solutions that
meet its clients’ needs. “Our
approach is centred on providing
premium service including
discretion, preservation of tradition,
Our experts
based in Hong
Kong offer
tailor-made
products
and services
GEORGES ZECCHIN, CEO, CREDIT AGRICOLE
SUISSE PRIVATE BANKING IN ASIA
confidentiality and deep industry
knowledge,” he says. “Careful
analysis is used to assess each
client’s risk profile.”
He says clients’ needs are met
through innovation and ensuring
core values are never compromised.
Innovation includes state-of-the-art
investment solutions, using an open
architecture product platform and
delivering tailor-made wealthmanagement
solutions.
Clariden Leu has developed
solutions to protect and enhance
hereditary wealth transfer, with
customisation a key strength, Toong
says. “Our relationship managers
have access to products from a
range of providers,” he says. “With
the ability to leverage on the Credit
Suisse platform along with other
third-party providers, we can offer
an attractive proposition.”
Asia is also seen as a rich seam to
be tapped by Credit Agricole Private
Banking, which has received its full
banking licence from the Hong
Kong Monetary Authority. Georges
Zecchin, CEO of Credit Agricole
Suisse Private Banking in Asia, says
clients have access to services
including transactions in yuan.
“Receiving the full banking licence
demonstrates our commitment
towards strengthening our local
presence and our determination
to enhance our products and
services offering for our clients,”
Zecchin says.
He says Hong Kong is one of the
key wealth-management locations
offered to clients. “Our experts
based in Hong Kong offer tailormade
products and services. Either
locally or through our head office,
these services include managing
assets and estate planning,
investment into financial markets,
and alternatives such as physical
gold and real estate,” Zecchin says.
“The internationalisation of the
yuan opens opportunities for our
clients to diversify their assets and
participate in the growth of the
region,” he says. “Both our local and
international clients are increasingly
interested in opening accounts in
Hong Kong, as we are able to offer a
full array of wealth-management
solutions locally. All these quality
services are only possible thanks to
our fully integrated, state-of-the-art
in-house banking logistics centre
located in Switzerland.”
Zecchin says clients see value in
straightforward and transparent
products – and this is a key strategy
for the bank. “We are proud of the
way our strict product and service
selection process is designed to
protect our clients, and prevented
exposure to financial harm and toxic
assets during the financial crises.
“Our strict due-diligence and
constant monitoring policies ensure
liquidity and balance risk exposure
with rewards for assets of our
clients,” Zecchin says.
The Paul Scherrer Institute was
responsible for such notable
inventions as lysergic acid
diethylamide, the scanning
tunnelling microscope and the
virtually indispensable Velcro.
Other Swiss technologies
enabled the exploration of new
worlds. The pressurised balloon of
Auguste Piccard is the best example,
while the bathyscaphe allowed
Jacques Piccard to reach the deepest
point of the world’s oceans in the
1950s.
Apart from Federer, there’s
another Swiss who may not be as
well known but who deserves to be
equally popular. Daniel Peter started
out making candles in the town of
Vevey in the 19th century, but he
found himself out of work due to the
growing popularity of oil lamps. He
decided to switch to the
confectionary business and came up
Switzerland’s
watches are
the envy of the
world, but the
landlocked nation
of 8 million people
is also renowned
for its tertiary
institutions,
inventions, industrial
prowess and quality
of life. Photo: Bloomberg
with the recipe for milk chocolate,
which he finally perfected with the
help of an even better-known Swiss
food manufacturer, Henri Nestle.
As millions of sweet-toothed
devotees would agree, this is
probably Switzerland’s greatest gift
to the world.

S2 Friday, June 10, 2011
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
East-West partnerships key to
railway development in Asia
Rail transport is essential to sustainable
development in Asia, and Selectron
Systems believes continuing East-West
collaboration is crucial to success.
“Without understanding Asia, no
company can survive 10 years from now,”
says Emmanuel Hannart, president and
CEO of Selectron. “We look at the world
as a village and we can be stronger as
partners working together, than being
only Western or only Chinese.”
Selectron, a leading provider of
automation control and monitoring
solutions for trains, is a recognised name
in Europe with a Safety Integrated Level 2
certification from German railway
authorities. The company designs the
core information system of machines that
makes train systems more reliable,
efficient and safe for passenger service.
It invests 25 per cent of its annual
turnover in research and development to
deliver this level of precision engineering.
The world’s top three train builders
and specialists are among its customers;
Switzerland’s Stadler Rail, Germany’s
Emmanuel Hannart,
president and CEO
Vossloh and Austria’s Plasser & Theurer.
Mainland clients include CNR Changchun
Railway Vehicles and CSR Nanjing
Puzhen Rolling Stock. Selectron has
worked with them on major global
projects including the Beijing Airport
Express and Shenzhen Metro.
Selectron opened an office in Beijing
in 2005 to handle sales, after-sales and
training on software engineering
services. Hannart is keen on introducing
better safety features on the mainland’s
railway systems. He is particularly
interested in applying Selectron’s wheelslide
protection technology on the
mainland’s vast rolling stock.
“We have a solution that enables ABS
(automatic block signal) functionality in
the braking system without changing the
hardware or the mechanical brakes,”
Hannart says.
Hannart is confident that a strategic
alliance with an established local player
will lead to cost-effective retrofits on the
mainland. With strong collaboration, the
joint venture can develop more
applications for the mainland’s railway
industry. The company is in talks with
Hong Kong players and is also keen on
forging local partnerships elsewhere in
Southeast Asia.
Basel is strategically located in
Switzerland, at the centre of Europe
near the border of southern Germany
and eastern France. The city serves as
an ideal gateway to Switzerland,
France and Germany, providing access
to their highways and ensuring ease of
travel to neighbouring countries.
Air Service Basel is a fixed-base
operator (FBO) that offers the
advantages of this strategic position
and provides a full range of services in
Basel airport for aircraft parking,
service and maintenance. It has three
hangars and plans to add a fourth one
next year.
Aside from the usual handling and
catering support, clients’ aircraft and
personal needs are individually
serviced by Air Service Basel as a onestop
shop.
“Our motto is ‘all services under
one roof’. We maintain and manage the
whole aircraft based on client’s
preferences. We even hire crews and
technically and financially manage the
aircraft,” says Air Service Basel CEO
Claudio Lasagni.
Personal service is a top priority for
Air Service Basel. “We try in every
Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Zenith: The house that time built
Jean-Frédéric
Dufour,
CEO of Zenith
......................................................
Reports by Ea Wederwang,
Jacinta Plucinski and Cassie Lim
Nothing comes close to the
quality and precision of
Swiss-made timepieces.
From design to clockwork,
the craftsmanship of Swiss
watches is a legacy that has been
passed from one generation to the next.
Continuing this tradition of excellence,
Georges Favre-Jacot – the man behind
one of Switzerland’s finest watches –
has built an empire to realise his vision
of creating the most accurate and
reliable watches of his era, Zenith.
Favre-Jacot set up shop in Le Locle
in 1865. From the onset of the industrial
revolution until today, Zenith has been
an important contributor in
revolutionising and defining the watch
industry.
Zenith produced its first pocket
chronograph in 1899 – making the
company a pioneer in mechanical
chronography. A Zenith chronograph is
an important timepiece representing
the unwavering dedication to quality
characteristic of the Swiss.
The company introduced
innovations such as the world’s most
accurate series-produced movement,
the El Primero, in 1969. While most
precision chronographs beat at eight
vibrations per second, the El Primero
calibre beats at 10 vibrations per
second. The El Primero is the first highfrequency
self-winding chronograph
for the most precise movement ever
produced.
Zenith’s precision watches are
instrumental in marking milestone
achievements. Two Zenith precision
instruments were on board the Blériot
XI when Louis Blériot crossed the
English Channel in 37 minutes in 1909.
More than a century later, Alain
Thébault surpassed Blériot’s feat and
crossed the English Channel three
minutes faster. Commemorating this
accomplishment, Zenith appointed
Thébault the new Zenith brand
ambassador and crafted the limited
edition El Primero Stratos Thébault
watch.
Zenith continues to be part of
history as its special edition El Primero
Stratos joins Johan Ernst Nilson on his
2011 Pole2Pole journey – a North to
South Pole expedition commemorating
the 100th anniversary of Roald
Amundsen’s voyage, where a Zenith
pocket watch was also used.
Zenith makes only 35,000 watches
annually. Respecting the tradition of its
watchmakers, it takes nine painstaking
months for Zenith to produce a watch.
“Our watches stand for exclusivity,
beauty and precision,” says Jean-
Frédéric Dufour, Zenith CEO. “We
produce a beautiful watch not by
focusing solely on appearance but on
details and traditional craftsmanship. A
beautiful watch is a sum of 2,500
operations.”
Zenith produces movement today
the way it did 150 years ago. This is why
Air Service Basel provides clients
with all services under one roof
Claudio Lasagni, CEO
Gautschi boosts aluminium
suppliers’ global plans
With Swiss quality and a
90-year legacy as a global
player in the aluminium
industry, Gautschi
Engineering has the
expertise to help the
mainland’s industry players
establish themselves in the
international scene.
Gautschi was involved in
building the world’s most
modern and efficient cast
house for aluminium foil
production in Xiamen.
As a turnkey provider of liquid metal,
casting and heat treatment systems for
aluminium production, Gautschi set its
sights on the mainland 10 years ago. It
opened a unit in Beijing in 2005. With 12
engineers, the Beijing unit enables
Gautschi to provide seamless service on
the mainland and in the rest of Asia.
Gautschi hopes to make its next
impact on the mainland’s transportation
and aerospace industries, leveraging
diverse engineering capabilities at the
Switzerland headquarters and research
and development resources available
through its new owner, EED Holding.
“With our Beijing unit and our owner’s
subsidiary in China, which has a sole
focus on fabrication, we have the
Oliver Moos,
managing director
Zenith guarantees service for any
Zenith watch, whether a new model or
the very first one from 1865.
It is important for Zenith to uphold
its age-old watchmaking tradition, but
introducing new technologies to the
craft is crucial as well. Zenith is
exploring the use of new materials
such as silicon or alchron for its
watches.
Zenith’s legendary watchmaking
prowess is recognised not only in
Europe but also globally. The company
started expanding internationally as
early as 1890. It ventured to Japan in
1901 and entered the mainland before
the industrial revolution. As Asians
clamour for more high-end
commodities, Zenith finds the Asian
region an integral market for its growth.
Zenith has a very extensive
presence in Asia. Complementing its
more than 38 points of sale in Hong
Kong, the watchmaker will open a
boutique in the territory next month to
offer customers the same experience
Swiss Life Network boosts
Asia presence with partners
Strong partnerships are the backbone of
the Swiss Life Network’s Asian
operations. This global association of 58
leading life insurance and pension
providers is strengthening its foothold in
Asia, where its partners in 13 countries
deliver world-class employee benefit
solutions to multinational clients.
The Swiss Life Network welcomed
China Life Insurance to the club in
January, in addition to existing partner
Ping An Insurance on the mainland,
Prudential Assurance in Singapore and
Apollo Munich Insurance in India to boost
coverage in Asia.
“The partners we work with are all
leading local insurers and they know their
markets inside out,” says Margrit Schmid,
head of the Swiss Life Network and a
senior vice-president and chief market
officer for corporate clients at Swiss Life,
the network’s Switzerland-based parent.
The Swiss Life Group, founded in 1857
in Zurich, is one of Europe’s leading
providers of pension and life insurance
solutions. The Swiss Life Network is an
important channel for extending the
group’s services worldwide.
Combining unmatched global
expertise and Swiss reliability with its
Asian partners’ extensive local market
knowledge, the Swiss Life Network lets
Margrit Schmid, head of Swiss
Life Network, senior vicepresident
and chief market officer
for corporate clients at Swiss Life
clients stay focused on their core
businesses. “We take care of employee
benefit solutions around the world so that
companies don’t have to worry about
complexity or differences in each
country,” Schmid says.
The Swiss Life Network delivers a full
range of products and services for
corporate clients, including retirement
pensions, life, accident, disability, medical
and captive solutions. It provides
attractive benefits that help employers
attract and retain the best people.
These tailored solutions, alongside the
Swiss Life Network’s partnership
programme, are cementing its
commitment to Asia.
necessary capabilities to
serve customers
worldwide from China,”
says Oliver Moos, Gautschi
managing director.
Aside from the price
advantage gained from
Gautschi’s ties with EED
Holding, clients are also
assured of a stable and
efficient operation as
demonstrated by
Gautschi’s track record as
a systems supplier. The
company has comprehensive knowledge
of upstream and downstream
requirements, possibilities and impacts
across a diverse range of industries.
Gautschi offers distinct advantages to
automotive and aerospace
manufacturers with its long-standing
quality certification in these fields.
“Wherever you go in the aluminium
industry, our name is recognised certainly
for the long history but also because the
equipment we supply is long-lasting,
durable and performs very well,” Moos
says.
Gautschi is exploring product
development opportunities with EED
Holding to foster greater innovation in the
aluminium industry.
as walking into the Zenith Manufacture
complex in Le Locle. It will also add 13
more points of sale in Hong Kong.
Present in more than 19 cities on the
mainland, Zenith plans to expand its
sales network by establishing 50 more
points of sale in the country.
The company also has 35 points of
sale in Taiwan, 65 in Japan and 12 in
Singapore. It is also present in Thailand,
the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Zenith showcases classic pieces
from the collections in its Le Locle
museum in various Asian locations to
familiarise the market about the brand.
“When people think of
chronographs, I want them to think of
Zenith,” Dufour says. “We have more
than a century of legacy in producing
chronographs. When you buy a Zenith
chronograph, you buy a timeless watch,
a legacy that can be passed from one
generation to the next. It is something
that does not just come from the 21st
century. You also buy a part of the Swiss
watch industry.”
respect to find a solution to satisfy our
clients’ needs.”
The company services individual
and corporate clients with private and
executive aircrafts. Air Service Basel’s
strategic geographical position,
combined with Basel airport’s slot
availability, longer operational hours
and lower landing, rental and parking
fees, is attracting new clientele
travelling for business and pleasure in
Europe.
With more of Asia’s high-net-worth
individuals and business executives
travelling by private jet, Air Service
Basel is bullish towards the Asian
market, particularly the mainland. The
company hopes to acquire a third of its
client base from Asia.
Lasagni is optimistic about possible
partnerships in the region. The company
would like to work with FBOs or with
airports that have a certain amount of
business flights. “We can assist these
potential partners when they come to
Basel by offering our local services.”
Jossi brings
technologies
to mainland’s
textile industry
Walter Kiechl, managing director
Being at the forefront of technology and
pursuing outstanding design, function
and performance have made Jossi
Systems an unparalleled brand in the
global textile industry. Developing the
highest-quality detecting systems for
spinning mills, the company aims to lead
the market and zoom in on the mainland’s
booming fabrics segment.
Jossi boasts innovative technologies
that respond to yarn manufacturers’
demand for maximum safety and quality
in contamination-free production. The
company invests 10 per cent of its
annual turnover in research and
development, and it is backed by more
than 30 years’ expertise in sensors and
diverters for metal particle and spark
elimination.
“As markets moved, we moved,” says
Walter Kiechl, managing director of Jossi.
“Our main focus now is China.”
Jossi is intensifying its mainland
operations through Jossi Systems China,
which it established in Shanghai last year.
The trading company facilitates incoming
parts from Switzerland and final assembly
for the local market. Targeting to sell 50
units annually in the region, Jossi actively
promotes its products at seminars and
trade shows such as ShanghaiTex.
The company launches new products
every three to four years and has more
than 1,500 machines installed worldwide.
Its fourth-generation Vision Shield
Inspect uses four imaging spectroscopes
that can detect the smallest impurities
and a wider range of colours. Its
MagicEye eliminates all kinds of synthetic
materials through multiple detection
principles, which aid in enhanced fibre
processing. It is the only device in the
market that can detect all types of
plastics in fibre.
The company holds free training for
clients’ staff onsite and in Switzerland,
and it ensures the availability and fast
delivery of spare parts. Jossi’s overseas
agents in Asia cover Indonesia, Japan,
South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Our goal is to be the technological
leader and an important player in the
market,” Kiechl says.

Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
To focus on the increasingly important
North Asian markets, LGT is about to
open a second booking platform in Hong
Kong, having been granted a full banking
licence by the Hong Kong Monetary
Authority. With one in every five private
clients of LGT coming from Asia, the
establishment of the second booking
platform enables LGT to offer its clients
an enhanced local platform and an
alternative booking centre.
LGT’s ownership structure gives it an
edge in working with family-owned Asian
companies. “People like the idea of coinvesting,
partnering with a family that is
involved not just as an owner but also in
the management. They value the
alignment of interests and ideas. This has
certainly helped us in attracting clients
and in establishing an extremely
competent and loyal employee base,”
Prince Max says.
As with the other markets it serves,
LGT provides private banking services
to wealthy individuals and their families in
Asia. On the institutional client side,
the majority of LGT’s business is with
pension funds.
Bullish in growing its business
in Asia, LGT targets the mainland, India
and Indonesia. Though regulatory issues
present challenges for LGT’s penetration
strategy in these areas, the company
is constantly thinking about how to
position itself in these markets to help
clients manage their wealth and assets
the right way.
As a strong workforce has been
Friday, June 10, 2011 S3
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
Family heritage represents financial stability
Aunified set of convictions and
sense of values give family
businesses an edge,
particularly in the highly
regulated and monitored
private banking sector. Lending its
personal touch to an industry, where
ratios and statistics matter, LGT Group
Foundation (LGT) is committed to helping
its clients understand the fundamentals
behind the numbers to ensure that their
needs are addressed appropriately.
LGT is the largest private wealth and
asset management group in Europe that
is a fully-owned family business. Owned
and managed by the Princely House of
Liechtenstein since 1920, LGT hails from
a legacy of excellence built on prudent
decision-making and a future-oriented
approach.
Headquartered in Liechtenstein, LGT
benefits from the stability of the location
as a financial centre. Liechtenstein
boasts a well-educated workforce, liberal
economic policies, a highly-efficient
banking system and the free movement of
services within the European Union.
Having established a strong
foundation in Liechtenstein as early as
the 1970s, LGT has taken an aggressive
strategy to expand internationally. LGT
is present in 29 locations, including Hong
Kong, Singapore, Germany, Austria
and Switzerland.
“Coming from a small locale like
Liechtenstein, it is not surprising to have
an international perspective. All
Liechtenstein companies have the benefit
of being forced to develop internationally
from their starting point,” says Prince
Max von und zu Liechtenstein, LGT CEO.
The acquisition of GT Management in
1987 assisted LGT to branch out
internationally. The only truly global
mutual fund business at that time, GT
Management had offices in London, San
Francisco, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Though
LGT later sold GT Management, the
acquisition gave LGT the boost it needed
to compete on an international scale.
LGT has two main areas of business
for private and institutional clients. The
first is private banking and wealth
management, and the second is asset
management. With investment products
geared towards money markets, bonds,
equities, private equity and hedge funds,
LGT ensures the security and growth of
its clients’ assets on a long-term basis.
Building on its strong asset allocation
competencies, LGT counsels high-networth
and institutional clients on
traditional and alternative investments.
Using a client’s investment profile, LGT
determines the opportunities and risks
of a potential outlay.
“We, as a family, have decided to
never sell out. We have a very long-term
perspective as a family that has given us
stability. We are not in the business just
for a quick flip-and-buck. We are
committed to fostering lasting
relationships with our clients,”
Prince Max says.
Under private banking and wealth
management, LGT offers a
comprehensive private banking platform
providing highly efficient and
personalised banking services and full
access to the most professional
independent investment advice and
investment management capabilities.
“The core strength of both private
banking and asset management is a
strong investment management
competence. On the private banking side,
the strong investment management
competence needs to be complemented
by other great service competences that
we have developed in different regions,”
Prince Max says.
LGT’s strong performance as a private
bank is widely recognised in the industry.
The company was ranked by business
magazine Bilanz as the top Swiss private
bank for 2011. It has also been ranked by
Handelsblatt Elite Report 2011 as one of
the leading private banks in Switzerland,
Germany and Austria for 10 years running.
Capital and money markets journal
Euromoney also classified LGT Bank as
the Best Bank in Liechtenstein last year.
LGT Group is one of the few privately
owned banks with a strong credit rating
from Moody’s (Aa3) and Standard &
Poor’s (A+). In addition, LGT has one of
the highest Tier 1 ratios (19.3 per cent)
in the industry, reflecting its conservative
nature and excellent balance sheet
strength.
“On the asset management side, our
investment competence is combined with
the global network that we have built up.
It gives us a lot of know-how across all
asset and key geographic markets in
which we invest. We are, as a family, the
largest client of our own asset
management and that has driven the way
we have built it up,” Prince Max says.
LGT’s asset management activities
are centralised in its New York, London,
Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore
and Tokyo offices.
To build up its competence in selected
risk areas, LGT also works closely with
the best managers and investment
experts outside the company. Through
close collaboration with professionals
from around the world, an in-depth global
industry perspective complements
LGT’s expertise.
“This manager selection competence
and this asset allocation competence are
two strong points that directly result from
developing the asset management with
family investment perspective, which
enables us to offer our clients core
investment opportunities,” Prince
Max says.
LGT’s alternative investments arm,
LGT Capital Partners, is making waves in
the industry. LGT Capital Partners has
been awarded “Private Equity Fund-of-
Funds Manager of the Year” at the Global
Pensions Awards 2011 and for five years
running. Its Crown Managed Futures
programme is also recognised as the
“best risk adjusted performer” by the
Hedge Fund Intelligence publication
InvestHedge.
Building competence from
the ground up
By working closely with clients, LGT is
able to tailor products according to their
specific needs. The company designates
client advisers who serve as the client’s
permanent link to the company.
LGT’s 1,900-strong workforce goes the
extra mile to deliver unparalleled services
to clients. The company arms its
workforce with keen business acumen,
a passion for service and an
accommodating manner through its
corporate university, the Liechtenstein
Academy.
At the Liechtenstein Academy, LGT
educates its employees about the
dynamics of the industry and the value
of fostering long-term relationships.
This is also where LGT instils the drive for
excellence that has come to define the
LGT brand.
“Our employees understand that all
clients look for stability in the relationship.
They are not only interested in quarterly
returns. They are interested in the longterm
development of their portfolios and
in the long-term development of the
relationship that they have built with us
as an organisation and individuals,”
Prince Max says.
LGT also credits its team of
executives and relationship managers for
building a stable and sustainable
business. From 600 employees
10 years ago, LGT now has nearly
2,000 employees.
Aside from a world-class workforce,
LGT believes that diversification is
important for establishing stability in the
financial business environment. Just as
LGT diversifies its services portfolio, it
also diversifies the risks in asset
categories and geographic markets.
LGT’s stability has been key to the
company’s strong financial performance
through the years. Its group profit of
HK$932 million in 2009 increased to
HK$1.3 billion last year.
Prince Max attributes this 40-per cent
growth to strategic business
developments, such as the integration of
the Dresdner Bank in Switzerland into the
organisation, and the promising growth
coming from the Asian region. A new
Frankfurt office specialising in traditional
investments has also contributed to LGT’s
institutional sales boost.
Given its forward-thinking strategy,
LGT is always on the lookout for
innovations and strategies that will
enhance its service delivery and create
lasting asset value for its clients.
Longevity in the Asian sphere
LGT started operations in Hong Kong
25 years ago. But it was not until after the
Asian financial crisis in 1997 that LGT
emphasised the development of its
Asian franchise.
The company has two main offices in
Singapore and Hong Kong. LGT is
represented in these areas by private
banks but also by its asset management
brands LGT Capital Management and LGT
Capital Partners. LGT also has a
Japanese office, which is primarily
focused on asset management.
Henri Leimer,
CEO Wealth
Management
Asia
instrumental in LGT’s success in other
geographical markets, LGT aims
to replicate this strategy in Asia. The
company seeks to work with the
right people who will be groomed to
become experts in different wealth
and asset segments.
LGT is also open to developing more
partnerships in the region to help the
company boost its growth. “We see an
opportunity in establishing partnerships.
We think we can be a fantastic partner
for Asian financial institutions because
we have significant strengths in
international investment management
and global investment management
which local and national players do not
have,” Prince Max says.
The company is looking for business
partners that can complement its
strengths. The ideal partners should have
strong national distribution in areas LGT
does not cover. They should also have the
same commitment to quality that LGT
possesses to uphold the company’s
legacy of excellence.
“We like entrepreneurs who want to
work with us with the same long-term
perspective that we have. We believe
in building long-term partnerships.
Those are generally the ties that we like,”
Prince Max says. “For wealthy families
and individuals interested in growing
their wealth with a long-term perspective,
for those who are looking for individual
solutions and personalised service,
LGT would be the right company to
bank with.”
H.S.H. Prince Max von und zu Liechtenstein, CEO

S4 Friday, June 10, 2011
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
André Maeder, CEO of Charles Vögele
In the clothing industry, it takes more
than a sharp fashion sense to be
successful longer than last
season’s collection. No other
company exemplifies this better
than major retailer Charles Vögele,
whose success spans 56 years, 10
countries, 840 stores – and is still
growing.
Voted one of “Reader’s Digest
European Trusted Brands 2010” by more
than 32,000 consumers in 16 countries,
Charles Vögele proves its commitment to
its legacy. Dating back to 1955, Charles
and Agnes Vögele founded the company
in Zurich as a specialty clothing store for
motor scooter drivers.
“Staying close to our roots of goodquality
fashion for a reasonable price
has enabled us to achieve a longstanding
history,” says CEO André
Maeder. “We now have a gross annual
turnover reaching approximately HK$12
billion, 8,000 employees worldwide and
an output of 70 million pieces a year.”
The company has expanded into
Pfiffner delivers Swiss precision
machinery to automotive sector
Combining Swiss precision with costeffective
production is a key element in
K.R. Pfiffner’s rise as a leader in Europe’s
rotary transfer systems market. Based
in Zurich, the 40-year-old machine tools
manufacturer provides customised
solutions that meet the stringent
demands of various industries. It
mainly serves central Europe and
the United States.
“More than selling machines, we
offer customers solutions to their
problems,” says Pfiffner CEO Martin
Folini. “We produce special machines
to meet the manufacturing goals of
our customers.”
Pfiffner accomplishes this
challenging task by being actively
involved in the development process
of its target sectors. “We listen not only
to our own customers but also to
the customers of our customers,”
Folini says.
With the expansion of
manufacturing centres on the mainland,
many factories are embracing
automation technology. This is where
Pfiffner comes in with its wide array
of easy-to-operate rotary transfer
systems, comprised of modules that
can be tailor-fitted to customers’
requirements. By providing advanced
machining technology at sensible price
points, Pfiffner offers potential mainland
clients the capability to reduce their
production costs and to ensure tight
quality demands.
The automotive sector is the
company’s key target on the mainland,
where more than 40 Pfiffner machines
comprehensive apparel lines, with
women’s, men’s and children’s wear
accounting for 60, 30 and 10 per cent of
total sales respectively. It has also
broadened its geographical scope
throughout Switzerland, Liechtenstein,
Germany, Austria, Belgium, the
Netherlands, Slovenia, Hungary, the
Czech Republic and Poland.
“Our friendly and customer-minded
people on the floor are also a significant
success factor in our growth,” says vicepresident
for group marketing Rudolf
Scheben. “Charles Vögele’s customer
service is always rated as one of the
best, and far above industry standards.”
With a strong foundation and history
in quality fashion and service, the
company is poised for continuing
growth. Listed on the SIX Swiss
Exchange, Charles Vögele seeks to
strengthen its foothold in Europe through
a three-pillar strategy focused on
processes, fascination and growth.
Charles Vögele is sharpening its
profile by modernising store designs and
creating targeted advertisements.
Among its recent initiatives is the launch
of testimonial campaigns featuring
celebrity icons Penélope and Mónica
Cruz and Til Schweiger, who embody
Charles Vögele’s glamorous yet practical
style. Through these ambassadors, the
company aims to appeal to a mature
customer base.
Charles Vögele is also centralising
and simplifying processes to
complement its optimised expansion and
productivity plans. It expects potential
growth to come from its online shop
launched in February. Through its online
presence, the company is initially
offering its Casa Blanca brand and
lingerie and underwear collections.
The company highlights its tight
procurement and logistics operations as
key drivers to its growing business. It
sources most of its products directly
from more than 200 external suppliers in
Asia and Europe through its centralised
purchasing headquarters in Switzerland.
By eliminating intermediate trade, the
company ensures quality control through
its in-house staff, and reduces cost.
With 90 per cent of its products
coming from Asia, the company invests a
large proportion of its resources in
facilitating smooth transitions, from
sourcing in factories to branch
deliveries. It has offices in Hong Kong,
Shanghai and Bangladesh, and three
offices in India. It plans to open a new
office in northern China by early next
year.
“We have been buying from Asia for
40 years and have been able to build a
vast merchandise division that checks
quality at all levels,” Maeder says. “We
have 200 local employees who also
maintain quality assurance and supplier
connections, which are necessary for a
vertical group.”
The company has worked closely
with TexLine in Singapore as its partner
and values its long-term relationships
with suppliers. It is interested in
attracting additional suppliers, especially
as it crosses into new product lines such
Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Charles Vögele emerges as one
of Europe’s most trusted brands
are already running in different
industries. Catering mainly to key
suppliers of domestic and international
original equipment manufacturers,
Pfiffner is proud that its customers
attest to the reliability and productivity
of its machines.
The company has three lead agents
on the mainland, but aims to be closer
to the domestic market. It is setting
up a subsidiary to grow its sales
and service network through local
engineers.
Pfiffner anticipates future turnover
from the mainland to represent 20 per
cent of total revenue. “China is more
open to new technologies nowadays,”
Folini says. “That is why I see that we
have a distinct advantage in the
Chinese market.”
Martin Folini, CEO
C-CIT unveils chemical
sensors for the region
The health care industry is on the brink
of groundbreaking transformation, as
the Centre for Chemical Information
Technology (C-CIT) unveils the first and
only online sensor system for disposable
reactors that facilitates improved cell
culture growth and vaccine production,
CITSens Bio.
Spinning off from ETH Zurich’s
Centre for Chemical Sensor (CCS) nearly
10 years ago, C-CIT has developed indepth
know-how on chemicals and
biosensors through strong connections
with the biotechnology, medical
technology, and environment and food
technology industries.
CITSens Bio measures glucose,
glutamate and lactate in cell cultures in
situ. Instead of examining cultures
manually, CITSens Bio captures relevant
data and sends it to a computer through
a radio transmitter, enabling continuous
monitoring. It also reduces labour time
and contamination risks and promotes
long-term culture stability.
Recognising the potential of CITSens
Bio, well-known multinational
Known for their high level of
craftsmanship, Swiss companies are
constantly raising the bar in
manufacturing technology. Willemin-
Macodel epitomises the Swiss
dedication to perfection with more than
35 years’ experience in developing
high-precision machine tools.
The leading toolmaker started as a
family-owned engineering company in
1974. It initially catered to the watch
industry, but has expanded to offer
machining solutions for other sectors
such as aviation, aerospace and
defence, medical, dental and jewellery.
“We bring not only the machines
but also our technology and high-end
solutions,” says Patrick Haegeli,
Willemin-Macodel sales and marketing
head and board member. “We are
flexible with our machines and that is
one of our strengths. Our customers
come to us not to get a machine, but to
get a solution.”
Powered by more than 200 skilled
personnel, the company has expanded
its know-how to manufacturing
Stefan Spichiger, CEO
corporations are exploring partnership
opportunities with C-CIT.
C-CIT also develops sensor systems
for different measurement applications
– CAPSens 5000 for food oil, CITSens Ion
for ions, and CITSens Gas for gas.
customers worldwide with subsidiaries
in Germany, Russia, the United States,
Canada and the mainland. It has also
established an extensive sales and
support network in western and
as underwear and fashion accessories.
It is also open to creating a design team
closer to its sourcing markets in fashion
hubs such as Shanghai.
With a diverse supplier base, the
company enforces standards that
safeguard the rights of employees who
work in factories manufacturing its
products. As a founding member of the
Business Social Compliance Initiative,
Charles Vögele guarantees that its
suppliers adhere to applicable laws and
regulations covering environmental,
working condition, wage and other
sustainability and social responsibility
concerns.
“We look forward to forming longterm
direct relationships with specialised
suppliers to provide the best high-quality
products to end consumers,” Maeder
says. “Finding suppliers that have the
standards, right machines and ability to
deliver to Europe is crucial, but gaining
partners that possess the creativity and
philosophy behind the products is
equally important to us.”
Swiss toolmaker brings
high-precision technology
Art and science come together in the
intricate process of packaging. Not only
should packaging be attractive enough to
attract consumers, it should also function
to protect and preserve product quality.
Paper producer turned plastic film
manufacturer Pavag Folien has built an
unparalleled expertise in flexible film
extrusion, printing and conversion,
successfully harnessing its properties
for use in different industries.
Pavag Folien has been producing and
converting flexible films since 1975, but
has been in the business since 1926 as
Pavag, the first Swiss paper factory.
Investing in the development of patented
machinery, Pavag Folien is equipped to
develop solutions based on specific client
requirements. The company’s product
range and flexibility make it an ideal
partner for clients.
The company works closely with
customers in managing the supply chain.
“By end-to-end supply chain
implementation, we help clients minimise
costs and stock levels. We provide top
Blaise Haegeli,
president and CEO
service with the shortest lead time,” says
Erich Steiner, Pavag Folien CEO.
Food segment applications make up
60 per cent of Pavag Folien’s business.
CAPSens 5000, in particular, has
been attracting attention in Asia. The
National University of Singapore (NUS)
has endorsed CAPSens 5000 for
boosting food quality following positive
test results. It also reduces health risks
since oil replacement is determined
automatically.
The importance of oil in Asia’s
culinary cultures makes it a significant
market for CAPSens 5000. The
company wants to establish a
production facility in Singapore or
Malaysia technoparks to cater to the
Asian market.
C-CIT works with distributors from
Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the
mainland to capitalise on growth
opportunities. The company angles
towards the biotechnology sector on
the mainland to address this growing
segment.
“We want to demonstrate our
commitment to health in Asia. We are
open to research collaborations to
raise awareness about our sensors,”
says Stefan Spichiger, CEO of C-CIT.
Introducing film applications to the
mainland’s construction industry
Erich Steiner, CEO
eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia
and South America to ensure that
it is able to meet the requirements
of its customers.
With offices in Xian and Shanghai,
Willemin-Macodel aims to strengthen
its presence in Southeast Asia and the
mainland. The company is a leading
provider in the aerospace industry on
the mainland and is looking for
manufacturing partners to satisfy a
growing demand for high-precision
tools in other industries.
Haegeli says a long-term plan to
enhance expertise in cutting-edge
technology is essential. The company
is tapping universities and research
institutes on the mainland for technical
collaboration. It is already working with
a research institute in Beijing.
Willemin-Macodel designs its
machine tools and works with
manufacturers in key locations
worldwide. Soon, partner
manufacturers on the mainland could
be making these world-class
machines.
The remaining 40 per cent comprises
industrial, technical, and non-food
applications.
Pavag Folien’s multilayer films
possess superior oxygen barrier and
optical properties. The company’s
products, such as Rolamit, can be used
in construction. It can be used in
waterproofing floors, roofs and walls and
in repairing and sealing windows and
doors. Rolamit protects wood and steel
against the elements.
Pavag Folien aims to market Rolamit
and a new product called Pavacross on
the mainland over the next couple of
months. Pavacross is similar to Rolamit,
but with much higher mechanical and
stretching properties. Its surface is also
smoother, ideal for prints.
“We are looking for an agent to
help us creatively develop new film
applications on the mainland. We are
looking for partners with experiences
in packaging and industrial and an
existing network of at least 10 years,”
Steiner says.

Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Few names in history have
successfully preserved their
legacy of excellence across so
many generations. Spanning
more than 2 1 ⁄2 centuries, the
legendary Rothschild clan remains one
of the most powerful and influential
families in Europe, particularly in the
field of banking and finance.
Geneva-based Banque Privée
Edmond de Rothschild (BPER) has
honed its expertise in private banking
and asset management while
husbanding the Rothschild family’s own
intergenerational wealth over decades.
The bank delivers the same family brand
of service to clients worldwide,
including to the growing affluent
population in Asia.
“We are privileged in preserving a
name that is almost a myth,” says
Bernard Schaub, a BPER senior vicepresident
and member of the executive
committee. “It is a benchmark for
excellence in finance.”
Seasoned financier Baron Edmond
de Rothschild, who bought out the then
tiny Banque Privée in 1953, founded
BPER. A visionary who dared to rise to
new challenges, Edmond de Rothschild
strengthened his family’s wealth and
asset management business and
ventured into uncharted territories in
modern finance.
The family’s values and traditions
are now in the hands of his son,
Benjamin de Rothschild, who
represents the seventh generation of
the elite dynasty. Following his father’s
footsteps, he continues to lead the
family-controlled business to steady
growth.
The BPER Group’s net profit rose 9.6
per cent last year to the equivalent of
HK$1.3 billion. Despite economic and
regulatory hurdles in Switzerland and
worldwide, BPER managed to attract a
net inflow of HK$56.3 billion in fresh
funds. Assets under management at the
end of 2010 totalled HK$802.8 billion.
“To this day, we continue to
specialise in managing families’ money
across their various members and
generations,” Schaub says. “That has
been a major focus of our business for
generations and is still what we know
and do best. We are here to take care of
our clients’ assets. We make sure these
are properly managed in order to
provide the returns that the families are
expecting.” BPER is the publicly traded
parent company of the Edmond de
Rothschild Group. As a full-service bank
geared towards finance, it caters to
private and institutional clients. It does
not engage in commercial or investment
banking, so clients can rest assured that
there are no underlying conflicts of
interest and that BPER stays focused
entirely on the growth and preservation
of their assets.
Headquartered in the international
wealth management capital of the
world, BPER has established its
presence in major financial centres with
a workforce of 1,600.
The bank has affiliates, branches
and offices in nearly 20 countries,
including the Bahamas, Belgium,
Britain, China, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Luxembourg, Monaco, Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Spain, Taiwan and Uruguay.
Long-standing presence in Asia
Asia is a highly valued market for BPER,
which has been in the region for more
than 20 years. The bank’s presence in
Hong Kong dates back to 1987 when it
launched a joint venture with First
Interstate Bank, a United States-based
institution with operations in Asia and
Latin America. After collaborating with
First Interstate for a few years, BPER
bought its Asian clients and established
a proprietary representative office in
Hong Kong in 1992.
BPER recognises the region’s
potential for strong wealth creation, and
thus aims to strengthen its operations in
Asia further by elevating the Hong Kong
office into a fully-fledged branch upon
obtaining its banking licence. Hong
Kong will serve as the booking centre
for the bank’s Asian clients.
“Basically, we chose Hong Kong
because we know the place very well.
We feel comfortable here,” Schaub
says. “By setting up a bank in Hong
Kong, we can move closer to our clients
and they can keep in touch with us on a
daily basis. We will be able to provide
them with much more personalised
service.”
Schaub points out that having a
stronger Asian presence will also foster
a deeper understanding of economic
and political developments throughout
the region and enable the bank to gain
greater insights on investment
opportunities that can be offered to
clients.
BPER’s Paris-based sister company,
La Compagnie Financière Edmond de
Rothschild Banque, also has
representative offices in Shanghai and
Hong Kong.
“We have been in Asia for a long
time and we are here to stay,”
Schaub says.
The bank boasts a team of
dedicated financial experts who are
veterans in the Asian market. Bruce Von
Cannon, the chief representative in
Hong Kong, is a prominent banker and
wealth management specialist. The
team has an extensive network among
the region’s high-net-worth individuals
(HNWIs).
“The new branch gives us closer
access to these people and allows us to
appraise what kinds of service we can
provide them with,” Schaub says.
BPER is committed to educating
entrepreneurs in the region about the
value of investing, even outside their
own companies. The big challenge,
Schaub says, lies in convincing them
Friday, June 10, 2011 S5
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
New generation carries the Rothschild flame
Bernard Schaub, senior vice-president and member of the executive committee
that they need to preserve part of their
wealth for their families’
intergenerational benefit.
The surge in the number of
millionaires and billionaires on the
mainland gives wealth management
specialists, such as BPER, a broad
platform for growth. Bain & Company, a
global consultant, forecasts that the
number of Chinese HNWIs will reach
585,000 this year, nearly double the 2008
figure. This new elite has individual
investable assets exceeding HK$12
million.
Referring to a study published in
April, Bain notes that the new breed of
HNWIs is becoming more
discriminating when it comes to
managing their fortunes and new
investments.
The same study revealed that while
wealth creation is still a top priority for
well-to-do Chinese, they also put greater
value on safety and on providing for their
children’s education and inheritance.
Asset allocation among the
mainland’s super-rich is also changing,
the study showed, with growing
openness to alternative investments.
The old mainstays – cash, deposits and
property – are giving way to bonds,
equities and more sophisticated
products.
Protecting and growing wealth
for generations
Asian clients will surely appreciate the
strong family-oriented values of the new
Rothschild-owned branch. Preserving
wealth across generations has always
been the centrepiece of BPER’s
mandate.
Through prudent investments and
sound management of financial risk, the
bank maintains a balanced portfolio that
has kept it healthy and profitable over
the years.
Clients benefit from this same
capability, thanks to the highly talented
financial experts in BPER’s wealth
engineering department. They have
expertise ranging from legal and tax
matters to trusts and foundations. The
bank also provides reliable assistance in
estate planning and asset structuring.
“What clients find most valuable in
these services is the personalised
approach that we can give,” Schaub
says. After careful analysis of the needs
and risk profile of each client, the bank’s
experts design a tailor-fit wealth
management solution that serves his
best interests. The service provided is
enhanced with state-of-the-art
investment techniques.
Customised wealth management is
the hallmark of BPER’s long-standing
relationship with highly valued clients.
The bank tracks clients’ changing
circumstances over time and adjusts
their portfolios accordingly.
“We have decades of experience in
making sure that our clients’ assets are
safe and well allocated on a diversified
basis, not only in terms of asset class but
also across currencies, countries and
regions,” Schaub says.
As family businesses in Asia become
more global, they need to brace for
certain implications in taxes and other
matters. “When you make money that’s
international, at a certain point you will
need a private bank to help you,”
Schaub says. “We make sure that
people know that we’re there.”
BPER’s management of client
portfolios provides scope for future
changes in the tax system and
legislation of the countries concerned. It
also makes sure that the next generation
will have the money that was saved for
them.
Having a loyal team of relationship
managers who have been with the bank
for many years is a big advantage,
enabling BPER to deal more effectively
with different family generations. “Our
goal is that each manager ideally should
know three generations in the families
we serve,” Schaub says.
BPER boasts one of the lowest staff
turnovers in the Swiss banking industry,
so clients can expect to enjoy long-term
ties. This is very important as clients
entrust a large portion of their wealth to
the bank.
Diversified portfolios
To make sure that the bank is always on
course when recommending
investments, BPER relies on highly
knowledgeable in-house economists
who have developed an optimal model
portfolio. This has been back-tested 30
years to determine the best risk/return
ratio for each asset class.
BPER is a pioneer in alternative
management, having set up the world’s
first funds of hedge funds in 1969. By
carefully selecting and monitoring
different investment funds, the bank
provides investors with simplified
access to professional fund
management.
Through the Edmond de Rothschild
Prifund umbrella, clients can choose
from a broad range of investment funds
to customise their investment portfolio.
As a testament to the bank’s expertise in
alternative management, the BPER
Group was named Group of the Year for
a second time by InvestHedge for its
Alpha line of funds of hedge funds.
Prifund Alpha Traders, one of the
vehicles in this line, won the Best Global
Macro Fund award at the same
ceremony in New York.
The funds business has become an
important segment of the group, with 30
per cent of private clients’ assets in
Geneva invested in funds of hedge
funds. The hedge fund asset class has
produced an annualised return of 9.4 per
cent since 1993 based on the Credit
Suisse/Tremont Hedge Fund Index in
spite of all the recent crises.
Aiming to continue its legacy of
integrity and excellence in the 21st
century, BPER is committed to growing
organically under solid family control.
The bank is pursuing business
development in Switzerland and
worldwide. In addition to the new bank
in Hong Kong, BPER is set to gain
stronger foothold in the Middle East with
a representative office licence in Dubai.
Similar growth plans are under way in
Latin America as well.
“Preserving the Rothschild family’s
interest forms part of our tradition of
taking care of clients first,” Schaub
says. “Our clients are the most
important people for the bank. We are
focused on providing services for their
benefit.”

S6 Friday, June 10, 2011
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
Client-focused
strategy brings
SWISS success
Carrying an unprecedented
14.2 million passengers last
year, Swiss International Air
Lines (SWISS) is setting the
course for Switzerland
aviation with its remarkable
turnaround. In only nine years, it has
established itself as the airline of
choice connecting Europe with the rest
of the world.
“There is now a very high
identification with the airline in
Switzerland. Today, we are seen as the
national airline of the country and were
able to restore a certain pride again,
which is most important for us,” says
Arved von zur Muehlen, managing
director and head of sales and
marketing for intercontinental markets
at SWISS.
SWISS was founded in 2002 and
faced some rough years before fully
integrating with its parent company, the
Lufthansa Group. Maintaining its
distinct Swiss brand, yet leveraging on
operational efficiencies with Lufthansa,
SWISS has completed its turnaround.
This was sealed in 2007 with the launch
of new European and intercontinental
destinations and, two years later, the
start of an HK$8.5 billion acquisition of
fuel-efficient Airbus and Bombardier
fleets. The move reflects the company’s
strong environmental stewardship,
recognising the aviation industry’s
responsibility to reduce carbon
emissions and noise pollution globally.
“Environmental care and concern
are a crucial part of our corporate
culture,” von zur Muehlen says. “We
are committed to maintaining
sustainable business operations and
are investing continuously in new
technologies to reduce our overall fuel
consumption.” SWISS is also a strong
advocate of industry-wide route
efficiencies and the development of
biofuels in aviation.
As a full-service airline, SWISS
revamped its first and business class
services for long-haul flights in 2009
with the first delivery of its new Airbus
A330-300 fleet. SWISS is also refitting
its A340s with new business class
Arved von zur Muehlen,
managing director and head of
sales and marketing for
intercontinental markets
seats, which will be available on all
long-haul flights by this summer.
Passengers on all intercontinental
routes will have greater privacy and
more sleeping comfort on a two-metre,
lie-flat bed. SWISS also heightens
passengers’ first-class experience with
more individualised services, an even
wider selection of in-flight meals,
elegant fine bone chinaware and
Riedel glasses, and newly-designed
accessories. These service innovations
are designed for the airline’s clients,
including some of the major Swiss and
international global players with whom
SWISS has nurtured strong relations
through open communication.
Being a medium-sized airline
predisposes SWISS to serve clients
with a more personal touch. “We focus
on how we communicate with our
passengers and on new ways to reach
them in a more personal way. That will
differentiate us even more in the
future,” von zur Muehlen says. SWISS
offers passengers flight confirmation
and check-in via mobile devices such
as the iPhone and Blackberry. It is also
active on Facebook and Twitter.
Passengers recognise this service
as typical of Swiss hospitality – high
quality, elegant and functional. SWISS
was named Airline of the Year in the
short-haul category in last year’s
ReiseBlick poll where more than 50
airlines competed. SWISS also
received the Business Traveller Award
for Best Airline for Europe and North
and South America, and the Global
Traveller Award for the Best First Class
Seat.
Given intensifying business ties
between Europe and the mainland,
SWISS, in partnership with Edelweiss
Air, will start weekly non-stop services
between Zurich and Beijing this
summer. Beijing is a potential
permanent destination in the SWISS
network, which has included Hong
Kong since 2002 and Shanghai since
2008. Among SWISS’ loyal client base
from Hong Kong and Shanghai are
major mainland firms and American
corporations.
With increasing leisure travel
among the newly wealthy on the
mainland and their growing fascination
with the Alps, SWISS is looking forward
to robust European traffic. This is why
SWISS – in partnership with Air China,
Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines,
all Star Alliance members – is eyeing
opportunities in second-tier cities on
the mainland and Southeast Asia.
In view of the regional growth
potential for travel from Asia to Europe,
SWISS is seriously promoting Zurich as
a European hub. Zurich Airport is one of
the airline’s core assets because it lies
in the heart of Europe and offers fast
and convenient transfer services for all
passengers.
SWISS is well positioned to be the
best European airline as proven in last
year’s groundbreaking results. “Our
focus on key customers, the corporate
and the high-yield individual travellers,
has really proven to be the right
strategy,” von zur Muehlen says.
Banking on its strong reputation, long
tradition and extensive networks,
Clariden Leu continues to expand its
global presence and is eyeing Asia, with
its growing wealth, as its next stronghold.
The Swiss private bank entered Asia
through Hong Kong and Singapore
nearly 30 years ago, steadily building a
solid presence, as it has in Europe.
Established in 1755, the Zurich-based
bank brings more than 250 years of
experience and a comprehensive
portfolio encompassing advisory
services, bonds, equities, private label
and investment funds, structured
products, and investment research.
Clariden Leu highlights its flexibility
through independent research,
personalised management, high security
levels with systematic risk control and
the use of third-party products with a
best-in-class approach.
“We are a fully fledged bank focused
on providing private banking and a range
of products and services tailored to the
needs and risk profiles of high-net-worth
individuals (HNWIs),” says Clariden Leu
CEO Olivier Jaquet. “We collaborate
closely with our clients every day to
ensure that they get professional
services, products and access to
specialists that can maximise the
potential of their wealth.”
Clariden Leu has risen as one of
Switzerland’s largest private banks
following the merger of Clariden Bank,
Bank Leu, Bank Hofmann, BGP Banca di
Gestione Patrimoniale and Credit Suisse
Fides in 2007. It has since pursued an
intensified global campaign, targeting
HNWIs overseas looking to invest their
assets efficiently and profitably, such as
in high-performing structured products in
which the bank also specialises.
Standing by its vision of “preserving
capital growth in the West and enabling
capital growth in the East”, the bank is
strategically expanding its operations by
following economic trends flowing into
Asia and other rising markets. “The
economies in Asia and Eastern Europe
are now growing a lot faster than in
Western Europe and the United States,”
Jaquet says. “We expect this trend to
continue over the next couple of years
because there is a lot more dynamism;
more people are preserving their assets
and looking for investment
opportunities.”
With 15 offices in place worldwide,
Clariden Leu is exploring growth in
Eastern Europe, the Middle East and
Asia, which accounts for an increasing
percentage of the bank’s revenues. It is
also building a European platform in
London, and emphasising its
commitment to Asia by strengthening its
presence in Hong Kong and Singapore.
The bank has revamped its booking
centre in Singapore and asset
management company in Hong Kong,
where 150 highly trained professionals
tend to the market’s most demanding
clients. “In today’s competitive banking
industry, it is important that we set
ourselves apart with first-class people
that become the main differentiating
factor,” Jaquet says. “We are investing
heavily in training and development,
upgrading the professional skills of our
people throughout the world wherever
we do business.”
Clariden Leu’s Asian hubs have 30
new relationship managers who also
cover businesses in Indonesia, Taiwan,
India and other countries in the region.
The bank looks forward to extending its
coverage to the mainland in the near
future, seeing it as becoming the world’s
biggest market in the next few years.
Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Clariden Leu strengthens global
operations with Asian focus
Olivier Jaquet, CEO
Rondo Burgdorf, the world’s leading
manufacturer of pastry and breadmaking
machines, has enhanced the
food safety features of its machines to
address the demand in the bakery
industry for higher levels of sanitation
and hygiene.
“Four years ago, we realised that
much stringent standards for hygiene
and sanitation will be enforced,” says
Rondo CEO Robert Rohrer. “So we
redesigned our complete range of
equipment to focus on easy cleaning,
easy maintenance and easy
inspection.”
Based in Switzerland, Rondo has
more than 60 years of experience in
manufacturing machines for sheeting
and laminating dough, and for producing
pastries, breads and rolls, croissants,
pizzas, doughnuts and thin dough. The
company’s expertise and knowledge
are encapsulated in what it calls
“dough-how”, which has led to the
development of its pioneering
Advanced Sanitary Technology, or
ASTec.
Rohrer credits Swiss standards and
reliability and Italian creativity for the
success of its machines worldwide.
The flexibility of Rondo’s products is
also valued by customers such as Pizza
Hut, Dunkin Donuts, BreadTalk, KG
Pastry and Maxim’s.
Rondo, through its continuing
research and development, has also
developed the ability to build systems
that grow with the customer and
“Asian investors are very sophisticated
and professional, knowing exactly what
opportunities to look for,” Jaquet says.
“This is why Clariden Leu adds value by
creating products to suit our clients
specifically and personally.”
Emerging from the recent global
economic slowdown, the bank produced
asset inflows last year. It is targeting a
steady annual growth for the following
years, taking into account the
challenging European market and Asia’s
rising opportunities.
Clariden Leu plans to create more
structured products in Switzerland that it
can distribute in Asia to retain its leading
role in providing enhanced structured
products. It will also continue expansion
throughout Europe and Russia.
The bank promises to maintain its
high profitability and solid financial
strength, which it believes will attract
HNWIs and ultra-HNWIs seeking a
strong private bank that they can
partner with. It also intends to give
clients access to its strong niche
products.
“The needs of the clients are
constantly increasing, which is good
because it heightens competition and
attracts professional banks,” Jaquet
says. “We want to position ourselves as
a banking partner that can respond to
those needs with the added value of
tailoring products and services
according to customers’ requirements
and risk profiles.”
Rondo tops food safety in bread-making
Robert Rohrer, CEO
A leading supplier of high precision
microtubes and automation processes,
Siewal Microtubes survived the 2008
financial crisis by diversifying from the
automotive business and finding itself a
new niche in the medical fields. The shift
proved key to the company’s success,
along with the company’s “can do”
attitude that leverages specialist
knowledge and Swiss fine precision
skills.
“We are the only ones who cover
the three technologies: precision
cutting, laser cutting and cold forming.
We are also very flexible; if the
customer needs a solution in 10 days or
has a problem, we can do it,” says
Antonio Talamo, the president and CEO
of Siewal who founded the company
in 1995.
Quality management certified since
1997, Siewal produces some 200 million
microtube components for the medical
industry, accounting for 60 per cent of
the company’s turnover. It also offers
diagnostic tools such as sensors and
measurement systems and electrical
components.
It customises high-precision
microtube solutions, collaborating with
clients on design and engineering using
Siewal’s machines. Siewal has in-house
accommodate varieties of bread
products.
The company sees great potential
on the mainland, where people are
increasingly preferring bread products
and food hygiene has become
paramount. Rondo is seeking agents
and partners who have a deep
knowledge of the area to serve as direct
communication links to end-users.
Rondo is exploring more growth
opportunities in the baking business.
Rohrer says dough, which is commonly
used as wrapper, can potentially be
used to wrap fruits, vegetables, fish and
many other goods.
That opportunity is still half-baked
but Rondo, for sure, will be ready to
jump on it.
Swiss logistics company
with a flair for Asia
Global logistics player KOG Transport is
becoming one of Switzerland’s dynamic
freight forwarding companies, playing an
integral role in the rising import and
export between Europe and Asia.
Described as “the first local company
that is international”, KOG’s ability to
become successful in Asia is reflected in
the company’s involvement in key
construction projects, such as Cathay
Pacific’s cargo handling centre in Hong
Kong.
KOG’s niche is in heavy lift, reefer
transportation and turnkey project
solutions. Its strength lies in its
personalised service combined with its
international network of 21 offices
worldwide and membership with the
Atlas International Network and The
Heavy Lift Group. With more than 100
members, these organisations allow KOG
to do business in places where it has no
physical presence.
Servicing the oil, gas, power, cement
and food industries, KOG’s top-tier clients
include Nestlé, Bühler, Siemens, Linde
Engineering, Alstom, Japan Gas,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Marubeni
and Sinoma.
The company’s strong commitment to
Asia is evidenced by its large presence in
the region, where local partners are also
shareholders in the company.
Having offices in several key Asian
cities, including 16 offices on the mainland
with joint-venture partner Smart Cargo,
and a partnership with Wang Foong
Transportation in Hong Kong, KOG plans
to open new offices in Chengdu and
Vietnam. “We give our Chinese partners
the tools to be international and that’s the
key to our success in China,” says KOG
president Rolf Gubler.
Fundamental to KOG’s business ethos
is its anti-corruption programme, allowing
Siewal Microtubes succeeds in medical fields
Antonio Talamo, president
and CEO
KOG to build strong relationships with
customs, permitting authorities and
other governmental bodies, making the
shipping process quicker and less costly
for the clients.
KOG is setting its sights towards
Australia. With large investments in
mining and infrastructure projects
going into the country, KOG seeks to
penetrate the market through a local or
Asian agent.
Rolf Gubler (left), president and Roger Kuendig, managing director
surface treatment capabilities,
particularly in fine and microlaser
cutting.
“The solution that we can offer to
the customer with the laser cutting is
never-ending,” Talamo says. Siewal has
a wide range of stock material, from
0.4-20 mm. Intellectual property rights
protection is built into its service.
Siewal imposes no minimum order
quantity and has proven its reliability
in on-time delivery.
Recognising the importance of the
mainland market, Siewal is eyeing
possible joint venture partners engaged
in complementary pursuits such as
welding medical components. Talamo is
willing to divest majority stake for a
particularly committed partner with the
network and business model for Asia.
“We want to be the centre of
competence for microtubes and its
precision machinery. I think we can
give a big added value to the pharmacy
and medical industries in Asia,”
Talamo says.

Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Stopinc marks
45 years of
steel innovations
Penetrating the world’s top steel
market is a remarkable feat
especially for small companies.
Despite its nimble size,
engineering and trading
company Stopinc has successfully
managed to own more than 10 per cent
share of the mainland’s burgeoning steel
industry. The company’s innovative
products, excellent customer relations
and cutting-edge technology have earned
the patronage of leading steel producers
such as the Baosteel Group, Anyang
Group and Wuhan Iron and Steel.
The Hünenberg-based company is a
recognised pioneer in the development of
the global steel industry. Stopinc is a key
proponent of the flow control technology
under its trademark INTERSTOP. This
technology regulates the flow of molten
metal in the production of steel and nonferrous
materials. Celebrating its 45th
year, Stopinc’s continuing innovation is
evident in the company’s product
releases. It is in the fifth generation of
development for its ladle gate systems.
“We are the heart of the steel
process,” says president and CEO Walter
Schaer. “We consider ourselves No 1 in
flow control technology worldwide with a
market share of more than 35 per cent.”
More than 5,500 units of INTERSTOP
slide gate systems are operating in 72
countries and facilitating production in
more than 400 steel plants. With only 80
employees worldwide, Stopinc efficiently
runs its centre of excellence in
Switzerland with offices in the United
Suhner Abrasive Expert, a specialist in
high-end stainless steel surface
treatments, has revealed plans to expand
operations on the mainland and
Singapore as part of a strategy to
entrench its position as a top brand in the
region’s abrasives market.
The Swiss firm ascribes its success
in creating sales in Asia to its special
mobile demo service, using a vehicle that
carries all tools necessary to offer onsite,
end-to-end solutions for specific
applications in the stainless steel
industry and the maintenance overhaul
and repair unit of the aviation segment.
This sales and support structure
allows Suhner to transfer crucial market
knowledge and top-of-the-line customer
service from Europe to its local clients.
Suhner, which runs a direct sales
network on the mainland and India, aims
to boost its Asia presence by extending
its franchise model into fast-growing
States and Shanghai. It also maintains
sales and support operations in Russia,
India and Brazil.
The company capped more than
HK$332 million in turnover last year as it
vowed to pursue its technological
leadership in steel production.
“We are always working on new
technology,” Schaer says. “Being able
to handle liquid steel is complex but
we maintain focus on our core
business and keep our competitive
edge on technology.”
Together with its shareholder, the
Austria-based refractory company RHI,
Stopinc works closely with steel
Suhner aims to boost presence in Asia
Olivier Annaheim,
export manager
markets such as South Korea, Malaysia,
Myanmar and Cambodia. The abrasive
expert wants to tap into and partner with
distributors that can act as product
manufacturers and industry partners to
improve its product offerings. Backed by
strong patents, the company plans to
apply robotics to develop new products
and processes in steel production.
The mainland will continue to be a
priority market for Stopinc. The company
sees recurring business streams in the
replacement and maintenance of almost
700 systems installed in 28 steel plants in
the country. Stopinc also aims to
strengthen its footprint in Asia by
leveraging its success with key
customers in South Korea, Taiwan,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India,
Thailand and the Philippines.
(From left) Reinhard Ehrengruber, vice-president and sales manager;
Walter Schaer, president and CEO; and Arnold Häni, technical editor
SwissCo eyes mainland for pharma
opportunities beyond sourcing
In the highly regulated pharmaceutical
industry, meticulous attention to detail and
adherence to high-quality standards spell
the difference between SwissCo Services
and its competitors.
The high calibre of technology
required in manufacturing and packaging
moisture-sensitive pharmaceuticals, such
as effervescent tablets and active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs),
testifies to the supply chain expertise
SwissCo has built over the years. One
example of SwissCo’s ingenuity is the
Easy Click technology, packaging that
protects effervescent and other types of
tablets from humidity.
SwissCo’s product portfolio includes
pharmaceuticals and food supplements.
When pharmaceutical conglomerate
Temmler Group acquired SwissCo in 2008,
it enabled the latter to diversify into other
galenical forms, such as film tablets,
sugar-coated tablets, slow-release
tablets, granulates, hard gelatine
capsules, powders and compactates.
Manufacturing 200 million
Reto Stahl, managing director
effervescent tablets and 450 million
regular tablets annually, SwissCo
ensures short lead times for orders,
helping clients get ahead in this fastmoving
market. Instead of waiting four
to five months, client orders are fulfilled
in about four weeks.
“Instead of a supplier, we want
to be a partner to clients. We can
provide insights to help them anticipate
market trends. We also offer the perfect
balance of high-quality and economical
pricing,” says Reto Stahl, SwissCo
managing director.
Numerous industry certifications
guarantee the quality of every SwissCo
product. The company has ISO 9000, ISO
14000, ISO 22000 and Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Points certifications.
It looks to the mainland for sourcing.
SwissCo collaborates with up to 30
Asian suppliers to purchase materials
from the mainland. Although SwissCo is
not working with local customers,
company representatives regularly visit
the mainland for audits.
“We hope to work with Chinese
companies in the future, not just for
sourcing and manufacturing but also to
supply this market with our products. We
want the Chinese market to get
inspiration from us to develop new
products,” Stahl says.
Steinemann creates perfect surfaces
Serving customers is Steinemann
Technology’s top priority. The company
provides total solutions that combine its
sanding and graphics expertise to create
perfect surfaces for every application.
Operating globally since 1998,
Steinemann has subsidiaries in Asia, and
North and South America, plus a diverse
network of regional agencies in 42
countries. It exports 98 per cent of its
products, reaching more than HK$345.83
million in total annual sales. The company
started producing wide-belt sanders for
the panel industry in 1960 and varnishing
machines for the graphics market in 1976.
Steinemann Sanding offers machines,
abrasives, spare parts and related
services to the wood-based panel
industry. “We are a market leader in the
sanding industry, in which up to 70 per
cent of the world’s wide-base wood
panels are finished on Steinemann
machines,” says vice-president Hansjörg
Hansjörg Fritsche, vice-president
Fritsche. “Being innovative and close to
our customers has driven our
longstanding success.”
Realising early on the importance of
being close to its customers, the company
established subsidiaries in Malaysia,
Brazil, the United States and on the
mainland. The Shanghai office is
responsible for the mainland market and
has manufacturing capabilities to produce
smaller, cost-efficient machines targeted
at emerging markets. It is looking to
improve its engineering capabilities in its
Shanghai facilities by adapting
technologies used in its Switzerland plant
in developing similarly innovative
products such as its SATOS Plus machine.
Steinemann is also optimistic about its
growth in the graphics division on the
mainland. Providing varnishing and
laminating machines, consumables, spare
parts and services, Steinemann Graphic
sees expansion opportunities through
partnerships with local agencies.
“China is a competitive and tough
market, but it will play the most important
role in our growth in the next three to five
years,” Fritsche says. “If you want to be a
global player, you have to be in China.”
suppliers and service the aviation, food,
sanitary, kitchen and hydro-turbine
industries in these countries.
To support its distributors and clients,
Suhner plans to capitalise on the
strategically located island of Singapore
and turn it into a trading hub for key
Southeast Asian countries, while Hong
Kong maintains its role as the commerce
centre of mainland transactions.
The group has orchestrated a move
to attain a growth of around 25 per cent
over the next 18 months across Asia. It
has outlined plans to add to the
capabilities of Suhner’s Suzhou
manufacturing plant, which produces
for the Asian market but still imports
specialised equipment from Switzerland.
“Strategically, there will be products
which we will import but I believe, in the
next few years, we will definitely expand
operations in China,” says Suhner export
manager Olivier Annaheim.
Friday, June 10, 2011 S7
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
Gallus revamps packaging industry
with higher-value label printing
As discerning consumers in Asia
demand higher-quality goods,
manufacturing and packaging industry
players feel mounting pressure to
differentiate themselves from
competitors. Through its innovative label
printing presses and folding carton
converting equipment, Gallus Group
bridges this gap by enabling clients to
create stronger branding.
Gallus has been renowned for Swissquality
label printing, folding cartons and
screen printing machinery since 1923.
Recognising Gallus’s unparalleled niche
expertise, Heidelberg acquired 30 per
cent of the company in 1999.
To increase label value and minimise
manufacturing costs, Gallus works
closely with clients to customise presses.
“It is crucial to stay very close to your
customers, even the customers of your
customers, to constantly discuss their
requirements and how their environment
is changing,” says Klaus Bachstein, CEO
of Gallus.
As Asia is a thriving manufacturing
hub, it is an important market for Gallus.
Out of Gallus’s total sales of HK$1.8 billion
in 2009, Asia accounted for 14 per cent.
In the fast-paced, high-technology
photofinishing industry, only the
innovative survive the shifting market
landscape. Among the few able to adapt
to the analogue-to-digital evolution is
Imaging Solutions.
Imaging Solutions develops and
manufactures hardware and software
products, including specialty
photofinishing, printing, graphics, postprocessing
and image enhancement and
workflow programmes for central
laboratories, photo service providers and
professional photographers. It is backed
by more than 40 years’ experience
through predecessor Gretag and eight
years as an independent private
company.
“We are the leader in high-speed
photo processing on silver halide paper,
with post-processing equipment
Gallus is present in major packaging
centres on the mainland such as
Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai. It
aims to provide label printing presses for
higher-value labels – which require
multiple colours, hot foiling or embossing
– to the health and personal care,
cosmetics, high-end food and beverage,
pharmaceuticals, and other fast-moving
consumer goods markets.
Demonstrating its dedication to the
mainland, Gallus supports companies in
the value chain such as Avery Dennison
in its Kunshan training college. Here,
people get trained on a Gallus label
printing press in innovative technologies
for self-adhesive label printing.
Gallus is open to collaborating with
mainland companies that can
complement its technological and
sourcing capabilities. The company also
welcomes Chinese customers looking to
succeed in higher-value label printing.
“We do not just bring presses to the
market, we also bring knowledge on how
to run the presses and manufacture
labels. If somebody is thinking about
label printing and manufacturing, think
about Gallus,” Bachstein says.
designed to be also compatible with
alternative print technologies such as by
Klaus Bachstein, CEO
Innovative solutions for digital photo
industry made in Switzerland
Ralph Bayer, CEO
Hewlett-Packard, Canon and Xerox,”
says CEO Ralph Bayer. “Our customers in
more than 120 countries expect the
highest quality. We respond with Swissmade
products that guarantee reliability.”
Highlighting its purePhoto trademark,
Imaging Solutions is developing postprocessing
devices aimed at the growing
market for premium photo books and
other personalised photo products. “The
key to success in this competitive market
is to focus on premium-quality products,”
Bayer says. “Premium photo books offer
perfect image quality on silver halide
paper in combination with a true layflatbinding.”
Imaging Solutions’ automated
industrial book binding machines, such as
the fastBook and fastBooklet, can
produce materials for more than 20,000
premium books per month.
“We are a global company and do our
utmost to satisfy our customers even if
the requirements differ among diverse
parts of the world,” says area sales
manager André Schlösser.
Europe is Imaging Solutions’ biggest
market, followed by the United States and
Asia. The company anticipates significant
growth will come from Greater China,
where it sees partnerships with
established mainland and Taiwanese
manufacturers can help broaden its
footprint.
“Imaging Solutions not only
manufactures machines but also
provides complete services and a
personal touch through trusted local
agents,” Bayer says. “We look forward to
building more relationships and
communities that are essential in keeping
the business growing.”

S8 Friday, June 10, 2011
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
Synergy between Swiss and Chinese
workforce instrumental
to Frewitt’s success
Charles Phillot, CEO of Frewitt
Mirroring the dynamic growth of the
pharmaceutical industry globally, the
mainland remains one of the key
growth markets for most companies in
this sector. Having laid the
groundwork by establishing offices in
Shanghai and Beijing, and a technical
centre in Shijiazhuang, Frewitt is
bullish that it can help the mainland
sustain its growth trajectory.
Frewitt has more than 60 years of
expertise in manufacturing Swissquality
mills for processing powder
and treating solid products for the
pharmaceutical, chemical and food
industries. The company integrates
equipment and machines to provide
comprehensive solutions to major
companies such as Novartis
Shanghai, Lonza Guangzhou and
Pfizer Suzhou.
Since it established Frewitt
Machinery China in Shanghai in 2009,
the company has had exponential
growth. Frewitt has built a steady
foundation for its mainland operations
by appointing local employees.
“The company’s progress
exceeded our expectations. We
started with three people and this year
there will be 20. The successful
synergy between our Swiss and
Chinese forces helps address the
mainland’s demand for modern
equipment,” says Charles Phillot,
Frewitt CEO.
Maintaining its edge as an industry
innovator, Frewitt continuously invests
in research and development to
introduce breakthroughs such as
nanotechnology mills. These new mills
process powder to nano size, going
beyond the industry average of 100
microns in diameter. Frewitt is set to
produce prototypes by the middle of
the year.
With the establishment of its sister
company FreNuc – a nuclear
engineering firm specialising in
components validation – Frewitt aims
to be a major player in the mainland’s
burgeoning nuclear industry. Frewitt
also sees growth opportunities in the
food sector on the mainland.
To achieve its goal of becoming a
sustainable source of high-quality
equipment for the mainland’s growing
pharmaceutical industry, Frewitt seeks
non-exclusive partnerships with parts
manufacturers to bring down
equipment costs. Frewitt is also
looking for partner distributors to
widen its scope.
In the fast-paced and competitive
world of automotives, fine-blanking
is a process that allows massive
production of high-precision parts
at a considerably lower cost
compared to other methods. It is in the
distinct fine-blanking niche that Feintool
International has carved a name for itself.
Evolving from a modest family
business to a prominent world market
leader in a span of decades, the
company employs more than 1,500 people
from countries across Europe, North
America and Asia. The Lyss-based
company is recognised as the only global
supplier offering the entire line of fine-
Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Global Swiss
fine-blanking
supplier expands
China operations
Heinz Loosli, CEO of Feintool
Pavatex promotes wood
fibre insulation in Asia
A staunch advocate of sustainability in
construction, Pavatex has opened a
unit in Japan to promote the use of
high-quality wood fibre insulation.
“Buildings should be functional and
energy efficient, completely airtight but
open for vapour diffusion,” says Martin
Brettenthaler, Pavatex CEO. “This is a
very big issue in Japan or in subtropical
areas where you have high humidity
levels.” Japan also has a long tradition
of building wooden houses.
Pavatex develops wood fibre
insulation products that increase indoor
air quality and make buildings more
energy-efficient. It focused on
insulating materials for building shells in
the 1980s when oil-based products
were the norm. Made of renewable raw
materials with low noxious emissions
that insulate the living space from heat
and noise, Pavatex’s wood fibre
insulation for walls and roofs is ideal for
modern buildings.
With an elaborate logistics system,
Abifor, a world leader in thermoplastic
adhesive powder technology, continues
to anticipate industry trends with its
latest product innovation, Ecoflex.
With 55 years of experience in
customised bonding solutions, Abifor has
developed a strategy of innovation and
specialisation to achieve its market
leadership across a variety of sectors
including the classic textiles, car, building
construction and leather-related
industries.
Ecoflex is its biodegradable hot-melt
variant, developed in partnership with
chemicals heavyweight BASF. Abifor
started producing Ecoflex in 2005 under
an exclusive arrangement with BASF to
distribute the product as hot-melt
powder for vehicle and construction
applications.
“The automotive industry should
have a certain interest in Ecoflex
because one of the key issues in the
future will be the use of natural
resources and the recycling of cars,”
says Rolf Wickihalter, Abifor president
Martin Brettenthaler, CEO
Pavatex is well positioned for high-end
buildings. It offers complete system
solutions for new buildings and
renovations, consulting with clients to
adopt best options. Designed for trained
craftsmen, Pavatex’s wood fibre boards
and CEO. Given Abifor’s specialisation
expertise, Ecoflex can potentially be used
in the car, construction, filter, hygiene
and cosmetic industries, and bonding of
recycled materials, wood and flax fibres
and rice hash. “We provide the service to
blanking, from engineering and tool
design to mass production of fineblanking
components and after-sales
service and support.
Feintool’s success can be attributed
to its uncompromising quality standards,
combined with a strong market position
internationally. The Swiss supplier
continues to build on its assets by
developing new technologies and
expanding its operations in new markets.
The result is a company poised to remain
No 1.
Realising early the significance of the
mainland in the automotive sector and
the opportunities this represented for the
fine-blanking process, Feintool boldly
ventured into the market. “When we
went to Asia 20 years ago, nobody knew
about fine-blanking,” says CEO Heinz
Loosli. He relates how the Feintool
founder decided back then that the best
approach was simply to go in and
demonstrate the advantages of the fineblanking
process.
With the expansion of car production
on the mainland, fine-blanking is
becoming a sensible – not to mention
environment-friendly – option because it
provides the same type of functions at a
substantially lower weight.
Feintool began its operations on the
mainland in 1985 and has had its sales
and service company, Swisstec, in
Beijing since 1995. The company is
looking at opening a plant outside of
Shanghai by the end of September, and
will also open a technology centre
providing innovative services on the
mainland.
To enable Feintool to maintain its
leading position as a technical pioneer in
fine-blanking, the company focuses on
developing strong relations with local
universities. “We have had a very close
co-operation with the Shanghai Jiatong
University and the Technical University in
Shanghai since 1996,” says Michael
Orschel, sales director for Asia-Pacific.
Feintool pursues its growth strategy
on the mainland with high hopes and
commitment. “This country will continue
to grow,” Loosli says. “It has such
tremendous resources and international
companies like us need to be in this
market.”
Abifor’s biodegradable hot-melt powders
ideal for auto, construction industries
Rolf Wickihalter, president
and CEO
are easy and fast to install. Its products
have been highly rated by European
consumer and sustainability advocates.
“We are very close to the market
needs constructing wise, logistics wise
and conceptually, and that keeps us
ahead,” Brettenthaler says.
In keeping with European
sustainability norms, Pavatex is carbonneutral
in its production process.
Through process innovations, the
company is among the top five in
Switzerland in sustainability, having
reduced its carbon emission per
product unit by 60 per cent over 10
years.
Pavatex is hoping to work with a
partner that is willing to adopt European
standards and help spread sustainable
building in Asia. “The ideal profile would
be a constructor of innovative natural
sustainable buildings that has a strong
focus on upmarket houses, who can
transfer what we do into a local
context,” Brettenthaler says.
support technical education, the knowhow
of the market, know-how of the
applications and the right powder,”
Wickihalter says.
Abifor entered the mainland in 2004 to
support its customer base that relocated
manufacturing facilities from Europe. The
Zurich-based company has deployed
technical experts to its wholly-owned
Shanghai plant, where cryogenic
grinding, mixing and blending capabilities
will also be set up. This way, Abifor can
enhance close relationships and strong
growth with its clientele of high-end
exporters on the mainland, while building
up its domestic client base.
Wickihalter’s growth strategy is
founded on the entrepreneurial spirit he
has fostered in Abifor. He is keen on
working with like-minded mainland firms
and clients to develop new products. “It’s
important that they get a certain knowhow
by investing in the right people and
equipment. We will work together with
such customers and participate in their
success,” Wickihalter says.

Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Instruments and
sensors assure
water quality
With a little more than 100
employees, SWAN
Analytical Instruments is
one of the best examples
of legendary Swiss
quality. At the base of the company’s
success are a small but highly qualified
research and development team, welltrained
manufacturing and multicultural
management and an unwavering
commitment to excellence.
SWAN produces sensors and
analysers for monitoring water and steam
quality. Semiconductor manufacturers,
thermal power plants and the
pharmaceutical and beverage industries
rely on these instruments.
Sensors and analysers require
identical skills commonly associated with
Swiss watches – craftsmanship,
theoretical know-how and a preference
for quality over price. SWAN’s instruments
are exclusively manufactured in its
headquarters in Switzerland and undergo
stringent quality testing.
“When we first came to the Asian
markets 15 years ago, we expected price
wars rather than a drive for quality,” says
Ruedi Germann, CEO and one of the
founders of the company. “The hunger for
quality in these markets came as a great
surprise to us. We made friends fast
because our customers shared our
interest in new technologies.”
The technology drive and the
established partnerships with technical
leaders gave SWAN the lead in the power
market. The SWAN brand has become
very well-known in the industry.
SWAN works with independent
distributors in most countries where it
operates. The company has developed
long-time relationships with its
distributors. “Every distributor is a
personal friend and has a history of its
own,” Germann says.
This personalised approach fits
perfectly in the Asian setting, where
business is often based on personal
relationships. Being a nimble company,
Germann says SWAN sees it as a great
advantage to be able to deal with its
partners and customers on a more
intimate level.
Speed is another advantage for the
Swiss company. SWAN decided within 24
hours to establish a support office in Hong
Kong when technical expertise was
needed locally. The company has also set
up a sales force on the mainland.
“Customers are always first,”
Germann says of an important aspect of
SWAN’s business philosophy.
Recognising that clean drinking water
is a serious challenge in many countries,
SWAN is targeting the potable water
markets as its next step for growth. The
company has developed new instruments
for monitoring chlorine and turbidity.
These analysers have been well
received in Europe and have been
approved by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency.
SWAN’s sales partners are looking for
pilot installations in key cities in Asia.
Posalux is technological leader
in automatic machine tools
One of the world’s major automatic
machine tool suppliers, Posalux is riding
the highly competitive precision machine
market with renewed resilience.
Focusing on high-technology
products and working closely with its
customers, Posalux has maintained a
strong position against its competitors.
“Our customers look to us to develop
new technology and we are constantly
innovating,” says Posalux CEO René
Stoessel. “We are living in an industry
where products are getting more and
more complex.”
Headquartered in Biel-Bienne, the
watchmaking capital of Switzerland,
Posalux was established in 1943 to
service the watch industry. The company
has since diversified. Its two main
divisions focus on developing drilling and
routing machines for printed circuit
boards and electrical discharge
machining (EDM) of holes into nozzles for
diesel and gasoline injectors in the
automobile industry.
Exporting 99 per cent of its products,
Posalux has subsidiaries in Germany,
Taiwan and South Korea and sells
through agents all over the world,
earning it a 50 per cent world market
share in the EDM industry.
The growing diesel and gasoline
direct injection car market on the
mainland presents promising
opportunities for Posalux. The company
Sanitized, the leading producer of antimicrobial
hygiene function and material
protection for textiles and plastics,
highlighted its commitment to
the burgeoning Asian market with the
debut of its ShanghaiMart showroom
last September.
“Asia is a very important market for
the future so we will concentrate our
efforts on the Asian market,” says
marketing head Urs Stalder.
In line with its aim to become the top
brand of hygiene finishes in the region,
the pioneering Swiss firm hired
Shanghai-based Jestin Zhao as a
business development manager.
Sanitized entered the mainland
market with specialty chemicals firm
Clariant about 10 years ago. It has
intensified growth efforts in the area
after local operations jumped to
50 per cent over the past two years. The
company’s longstanding partnership
with Clariant enables the delivery of broad
technical and quality control service to
Reaching a mountain’s summit requires
absolute determination. Aside from
willpower, a mountaineer needs reliable
equipment that also gives 100 per cent
performance because it can mean the
difference between life and death.
Nestled at the heart of the Alps,
Mammut has established a brand that is
synonymous with safety, quality and
excellence. The company’s portfolio
includes outdoor apparel, ropes, footwear,
climbing gear, avalanche rescue
transceivers, backpacks, sleeping
systems and headlamps.
Celebrating its 150th anniversary next
year, Mammut will showcase its products
through the world’s biggest climbing
event, with 150 teams scaling 150 summits
worldwide.
A strong international network has
helped Mammut establish a foothold in
markets outside Switzerland. Most sales
come from Europe but Mammut sees this
trend shifting as Asian countries exhibit a
has delivered more than 40 EDM units to
diesel injection manufacturers on the
mainland in the last four years and is
looking to increase this further.
With the full implementation of the
Euro 5 standard of reduced pollution
emission for all European vehicles this
year, Posalux is investing in new
technology. The company introduced the
new machines during the 12th China
Sanitized brings freshness to textiles
Niklaus Lüthi, CEO
its clients within the textile segment. The
Sanitized seal stands for highest quality
standards. It adds value to its customers’
textiles and helps them to differentiate
themselves in the market where
consumers are becoming more
An absolute alpine lifestyle with Mammut
Michael Tobler-Arnold,
chief sales officer
growing interest in the outdoors. With
daughter companies in Japan and South
Korea, and a distributor in Hong Kong,
Mammut is bullish about Asian expansion.
By adapting to local market needs,
Mammut has already become the biggest
European outdoor brand just four years
International Machine Tool exhibition in
Beijing in April.
The success of Posalux lies in its
ability to adapt to the changing needs
of its customers and the continuous
development of hi-tech and durable
products. “With Posalux, you get
value for your money because of the
lifetime reliability of our products,”
Stoessel says.
René Stoessel (left), CEO, and Herbert Klay, director, PCB Division
concerned about hygiene, environment
and safety.
With global certification bodies such
as Oeko-Tex, bluesign and Allergy UK
affirming the quality, safety and
environmental calibre of its products,
Sanitized has also established similar
alliances with the Chinese Industry
Association for Antimicrobials and the
Société Générale de Surveillance.
Sanitized seeks to initiate its
expansion on the mainland by increasing
its foothold in different product markets
including beddings, apparel and plastics.
It has set its sights on Li Ning, the third
largest sporting apparel group in the
world.
Maintaining a high level of innovation
is the backbone of the success of
Sanitized, enabling the company to
develop key technologies that set it apart
from competitors in the industry.
Reflecting its growth strategy,
Sanitized plans to set up local production
on the mainland in the future.
since entering Japan. Forecasting the
mainland to be the second-biggest
outdoor market by 2020, Mammut aims to
replicate its localisation strategy on the
mainland. Mammut also aims to cultivate
an outdoor lifestyle not only on the
mainland but also throughout the rest of
Asia through its Alpine School, a project
for equipping beginner and expert
mountaineers with the knowledge to
embark on mountain adventures.
In line with its expansion strategy in
Asia, Mammut seeks furniture producers
that can provide the company with a store
system throughout the region. Mammut is
also considering establishing a research
and development centre on the mainland
in the future to customise products
according to Asian market demands.
“We are taking time to get to know the
Asian market because we want to
develop product lines that fit perfectly,”
says Michael Tobler-Arnold, Mammut
chief sales officer.
Friday, June 10, 2011 S9
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
KerrHawe brings dental
solutions to mainland
KerrHawe, a world-leading
manufacturer of specialty dental tools
and consumables, is now directly
represented on the mainland by
Shanghai-based sister company, Kavo
Sybron China. This will enable closer cooperation
with government authorities,
local universities and dentists towards
providing adequate dental solutions in
greater China, where the company aims
to have one distributor per province.
“China could be the point of
development for Asia-Pacific in the next
five to 10 years,” says Luís Teixeira,
KerrHawe international sales manager.
“It is more effective to have our own setup
in China, eventually with specific
research and development.”
South Korea and Southeast Asia are
also important markets in the region.
KerrHawe earned its top industry
position by keeping in constant touch
with dentists through exhibitions and
customer-needs surveys. Its sales
agents are also technicians who
understand the intricacies of clients’
needs. This interaction helps the
company develop innovative products
that are relevant to all industry
segments.
Its latest breakthrough product,
Compothixo, was launched in Europe
last September and is due for global
distribution. Through a patented
vibration process, the Compothixo helps
to change the thixotropy of the
composites, enabling dentists to model
them more easily inside a cavity. This
shortens the dental procedure and helps
prevent leakage, making the restoration
more effective and durable.
“It has been a huge success, the
best breakthrough of KerrHawe over the
last three to four years,” Teixeira says.
The company is also finalising a new
model of its PerioStar, a device for an
easier and extremely accurate dental
tool sharpening.
Primarily conducting research and
development in Europe, KerrHawe’s
product development is market
driven to deliver cost-effective
solutions. “We have the right
solutions and if we don’t have it,
then we find the answers together
with our customers,” Teixeira says.
KerrHawe wants to be
recognised as the best dental
consumable brand, with
products that are different,
useful and affordable.
Luís Teixeira,
international
sales manager
M+R Spedag sees China overtaking
the growth of other markets
Daniel Richner, CEO and owner
The year 2010 was a historical milestone
for M+R Spedag, as it marked the 25th
year of the company’s unparalleled
service and dedication to the Asian
market. Renowned for its world-class
logistics and transportation supply chain
solutions, M+R Spedag leveraged its
Swiss heritage to penetrate the highly
dynamic and competitive Asian market.
“The initial step to Asia was to follow
the Swiss customers in the textile
industry when they ventured to Asia for
production. The focus is different now –
we look at the world from an Asian
angle,” says CEO and owner Daniel
Richner.
From being a textile-focused
company, M+R Spedag diversified its
expertise to also cater to the electronics,
toys and furniture segments and cargo
that can be containerised. M+R Spedag
has built a solid portfolio of high-quality
ocean and air freight services, project and
textile logistics, warehousing and contract
logistics and distribution services.
The customer-oriented company is
also committed to providing value-added
services – from technology to
communication to documentation in
special economic zones.
M+R Spedag looks to the East for its
future growth. Trading under the name
M+R Forwarding in Asia, the company has
35 offices and employs more than 1,000
staff in the region.
The company has identified China and
India as key markets. Capitalising on
growth opportunities, M+R Spedag has
acquired PL Shipping and Logistics in
India, which has been its agent for the
past 10 years.
Pushing its growth aggressively in
China, M+R Spedag has just opened
offices in Guangzhou, Dongguan and
Zhongshan to complement its Hong Kong
regional headquarters. The company has
a total of 15 offices on the mainland.
“It has been forecast that in 2011 the
population of China will consume
as many goods as they export. China will
continue to outgrow the world. We can be
the partner of choice that can bring this
vision to fruition using logistics to connect
continents,” Richner says.

S10 Friday, June 10, 2011
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
Emission-free plants solve
renewable energy issue
The global energy industry is on the verge
of revolutionary transformations, as BNL
Clean Energy pioneers emission-free
energy systems for power generation and
synthetic fuel production from biomass,
coal and waste. Upholding Swiss quality
and craftsmanship, BNL Clean Energy
develops systems and manufactures
power plants using biomass, coal or
waste to produce renewable clean
power, energy and synthetic diesel
without emissions.
BNL Clean Energy’s patented system
employs high-temperature pyrolysis and
gasification processes to transform lowquality
feedstock, such as biomass, coal,
chemicals and municipal waste, to
power, energy and synthetic diesel fuels.
Compared with other power plants
with emissions, BNL Clean Energy’s
emission-free plants operate at higher
efficiency rates by utilising chemical and
thermal energy in the feedstock. The
plants can also extract and sort earth
metals, such as actinium and cadmium,
from the feedstock for further recycling.
BNL Clean Energy is building two
small plants in Germany, one in Sweden
and one in the United States to showcase
the technology’s efficiency. The plants
are slated to be operational by the middle
of the year and the company invites
potential customers to visit the plants to
inspect operations and attend seminars.
Intending to provide clean, emissionfree
and renewable energy sources using
biomass, coal and waste as feedstock,
BNL Clean Energy works with energy and
environmental ministries to comply with
local licensing procedures. The company
is in talks with three coal power station
operators on the mainland. BNL Clean
Energy is open to public-private
partnerships with investors interested in
helping finance potential projects on the
mainland and the rest of Asia.
“Technically, we have solved the
renewable energy issue,” says Mikael
Rüdlinger, BNL Clean Energy president
and CEO. “We are ready to lend our
expertise to the mainland to help advance
its energy industry. There would be an
enormous financial gain for the
Chinese government to invest in
our product since return on
investment is only two to three
years.”
Mikael
Rüdlinger,
president
and CEO
Sanitary ware producer Laufen
is a leader in customised
bathroom design with its total
bathroom concept strategy
that delivers optimum
solutions to its clients. Switzerland’s No 1
sanitary ware and faucet maker is
collaborating with interior design experts
and furniture makers to combine form
with the functionality of Swiss quality
products.
“The Swiss are multicultural. The
combination of Germanic precision and
craftsmanship, the Italian flair for design
and the French finesse makes Laufen
unique,” says Alberto Magrans, senior
managing director.
Laufen has been a frontrunner in
bathroom culture for more than a century.
Established in 1892 in the small Swiss
village of Laufen, where it derived its
name, the company joined the Roca
group in 1999. Roca is the world’s largest
sanitary ware producer with a turnover of
HK$18 billion and a global presence in 135
countries.
Laufen achieves production
efficiency through the development of
innovative materials. One of its latest
developments is a new hi-tech slip
ceramic, a production material that can
produce pieces that are up to 40 per cent
lighter. This allows for production of
finished products using less material and
raises the possibility of an even more
sophisticated design. “This demonstrates
the fine art of mastery of ceramics Laufen
has brought to perfection,” Magrans
says.
For faucets, the Ecototal cartridge is
Laufen’s eco-friendly initiative. This
technology reduces temperature and
water flow on the tap, which serves to
reduce water and energy consumption
by up to 33 per cent.
Laufen built the Laufen Forum in 2009
to showcase its innovations in bathroom
concepts and designs. The 1,400-cubicmetre
concrete structure is designed
like a washbasin. Laufen has also
invested in a multimillion-dollar training
facility. “Our Bath Competence Centre
is the only one of its kind in Switzerland,”
says Klaus Schneider, managing director
of Laufen Switzerland.
In addition to the markets in which
Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Laufen brings
total bathroom
concept solutions
Alberto Magrans (left), senior managing director, Laufen and
Klaus Schneider, managing director, Laufen Switzerland
SSTH offers hands-on
education marked by
Swiss hospitality
With two restaurants and a kitchen
staffed by undergraduates in the school’s
hotel dormitory, Swiss School of Tourism
and Hospitality (SSTH) clearly embodies
practical learning.
Blending theory and
practice, SSTH takes pride
in its hands-on approach
to preparing young
professionals, as they
embark on a career in
A leading global manufacturer of solidstate
laser solutions, Rofin-Lasag Lasers
is carving a niche for itself in
micromachining, as its products make
headway into cutting-edge applications.
Initially under the Swatch Group and
recently bought by laser expert Rofin,
the company capitalises on the legacy
of Lasag’s Swiss origin and the strength
of Rofin’s impressive network. The result
is a total-package provider that offers
innovative and sophisticated devices
tailored to customers’ precision cutting,
welding and drilling needs.
“We offer top-of-the-line turnkey
solutions, as well as customisable laser
sources that our customers can build
into their workstations,” says Asia sales
manager Tony Arquisch. “We are
finding new applications day in and day
out – making manufacturing processes
more efficient, economical and safer for
the environment through our laser
technology.”
Expanding from primarily watch
applications, the company has grown to
specialise in medical devices, which
account for approximately 70 per cent of
the hospitality and gastronomy industries.
“Our interactive teaching and
problem-based learning methods help
develop the best hotel employees up to
management level,” says CEO Beat
Wicki.
SSTH has five departments
at different educational levels;
vocational training, higher
professional education, further
education and degree level.
Beat Wicki, CEO
of Swiss School
of Tourism and
Hospitality
its annual revenues. The rest of its
products are used in the automotive,
power generation and aerospace
industries, where high precision is
crucial.
Laufen already has a strong position, the
company is determined to open up other
markets more intensively. Turning special
attention to the project business, Laufen
has specialised staff that address and
support architects and project planners
in major architectural hubs such as
London, New York and Singapore.
Laufen’s vision is to become the
preferred brand in the high-end market.
With Asia’s increasing affluent
population, Laufen hopes to grow in the
region through partnerships with
potential wholesalers. “We are
developing our Asian strategy because
we strongly believe that Asia is one of the
key markets in the future,” Magrans says.
Micromachining specialist carves
Asian niche with laser precision
Tony Arquisch, sales manager
Asia
Boasting the “Swiss brand for hotel
education”, SSTH offers consulting
services in hospitality, gastronomy,
tourism, education and ecology knowhow
to overseas industry partners.
Internationally diverse since it began
operations 40 years ago, SSTH has 600
students. It fosters an intercultural
community, where students are exposed
to different social environments similar to
real-world settings.
The majority of about 200 international
students come from Asia, led by the
mainland and India.
“Among the competences we teach
our students is intercultural exchange,
which is important in the hospitality
industry, especially as it is becoming
increasingly globalised,” Wicki says.
“Moreover, the international SSTH
students experience an intercultural
exchange on the campus with their fellow
students from Switzerland.”
SSTH aims to grow its student
population by up to 5 per cent annually,
targeting high-quality and strongly
motivated high school graduates from its
broad network of private schools. It looks
forward to forming more long-term
relationships with educational institutions
that mirror its international focus.
The school is also open to working
with hotel brands to add to its list of
partners including Starwood, Hyatt, Four
Seasons, Marriott, Disney Cruise Line and
Viking River Cruises.
“Be it in Asia or wherever in the
world, we welcome all interesting
partnerships as we pursue our goal to
become one of the key players in
hospitality education,” Wicki says.
Rofin-Lasag collaborates with
various partners such as the largest
medical device manufacturer, with
which it developed laser-cut stents
used in unclogging blocked arteries. It
conducts research and development in
Switzerland, the United States and,
increasingly, in Asia as its customer
base grows in the region.
Recognising the mainland as Asia’s
fastest-growing market with the
country’s rapid transition from manual
to automated processes, the company
is broadening its local presence
through Rofin’s established sales
contacts. It is also actively looking for
local system integrators that can bridge
support and communication with its
customers.
“We want to help grow and work
together with local partners to develop
the market, achieving a win-win
situation,” Arquisch says. “More than
just a business relationship, we are
looking for a partnership that can
complement our quality with a solid
technical background and a strong
service network.”

Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
BIBUS expands
tech, materials
sectors in China
The slogan “supporting your
success” has become more
than a marketing tool for
materials, technology and
electronics specialist BIBUS
Holding, which instils this philosophy in its
diverse business segments and growing
presence overseas.
“Our long-term relationships with
customers and suppliers exemplify this
thrust, enabling us to achieve financial
stability throughout the decades,” says
managing partner (materials) and
member of the board Christian Bibus.
“The group fosters a strong team spirit
and family ownership that extend to all
overseas subsidiaries, which are backed
by 100 per cent local management.”
BIBUS applies its core competencies
in engineering, logistics and services
across its multidisciplined trading,
services and manufacturing activities.
Beginning as a steel trader in Switzerland
in 1947, it has expanded with subsidiaries
in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Germany,
France, Slovenia, Ukraine, Britain,
Romania, Denmark, Russia, Bulgaria,
Bosnia, Belarus, Spain and Portugal.
Aiming to duplicate its successful
penetration of Eastern Europe in Asia,
BIBUS is pursuing growth in the
mainland’s materials and technology
industries. It established BIBUS Metals
China in 2008 and a technical division,
BIBUS (Shanghai) Mec, last year through
local partnerships.
To differentiate itself within these
competitive industries, BIBUS is focusing
on niche markets. The materials segment
provides high-end stainless, aluminium,
nickel-based and titanium metals and
alloys. It plans to open sales offices in key
locations such as Shanghai and Beijing in
addition to its head office in Shenzhen
and warehouse in Xian.
“Entering the domestic materials
market in China later than many of our
competitors gave us the advantage of
assessing the landscape and knowing
the customers thoroughly,” Bibus says.
“We have been profitable from the very
first year, doubling our turnovers annually
since then.”
Christian Bibus (left) and Conrad Ulrich, managing partners and members of the board
“The company’s technology division
offers state-of-the-art pneumatic,
electronic, automation and hydraulic
system solutions, expert advice and inhouse
sales support,” says Conrad Ulrich,
managing partner (technology) and
member of the board.
BIBUS is seeking more customers
and strengthening recognition for its
quality, reliability and customer support.
Encouraged by the Chinese government’s
movement towards high technology, it
looks forward to entering emerging
markets where it can be one of the first
suppliers.
BIBUS acknowledges the role its
partners and international and high-end
local suppliers have played in its ability to
broaden its foothold on the mainland. It
welcomes other partnerships, mergers,
acquisitions and joint ventures that can
continue to complement its growth within
both segments.
“We aspire to be among the leaders
in our industries in China and to increase
exports to the rest of Asia within the next
five years,” Bibus says.
Coating technology leader
boosts Asia presence
Swiss-based Platit is set to debut its
Shanghai office later this year to tap new
clients in the uncontested market of
specialised coating processes. This
development reinforces Platit’s existing
presence in key Asian markets, including
a unit in Hong Kong and service hubs in
Singapore and South Korea.
As the leader in physical vapour
deposition coating technology, Platit
creates flexible coating machines that
can be adapted, customised and
dedicated to specific applications, a
principle that departs from the traditional
coating production process of highvolume,
standardised products.
A part of BCI Blösch Group, Platit
services international clients in the United
States, Europe and Asia. Platit’s
customers include manufacturers of
cutting tools, moulds and dies, plus
machine components such as car parts.
Positioning itself as the Google of the
coating business, Platit offers complete
turnkey systems that provide users
Tibor Cselle, CEO
access to its end-product’s source code,
thereby enabling them to develop their
own branded and coated products, which
increases their profit margins.
The company demonstrates its
capability through its distinct product
ranges such as the PL70, Pi80, Pi111,
PL1001 and the Pi300 series that provide
superior quality coatings within short
cycle times, applicable even for small and
medium-sized consignments.
Following its initial venture in Asia,
marked by a partnership with Hong Kongbased
Techmart 10 years ago, Platit has
started a survey with the University of
Shanghai to determine the level of
interest among Chinese firms in investing
in high-quality manufacturing in niche
sectors.
With half of its workforce committed
to research and development, the
collaboration further solidifies Platit’s goal
to integrate new coating technologies
into the customer’s manufacturing
process.
“If you would like to bring your
products to European, American and
Japanese customers for high returns,
then you have to go for niche markets,”
says CEO Tibor Cselle.
OLZ & Partners sets new standards
in wealth management industry
Guided by principles rooted in
transparency, integrity, commitment and
competence, OLZ & Partners Asset and
Liability Management rises as a unique
wealth manager that puts clients’
interests above anything else.
Setting new industry standards with
its “invest efficiently” approach, OLZ
provides comprehensive services
focused on portfolio return, risk, cost and
conflicts of interest awareness. It offers
financial and liquidity planning, risk and
cost analysis, asset and liability
strategies, portfolio and fund
management, and reporting and
benchmarking.
“OLZ is regulated and fully
independent, meaning only paid by the
client, using banks as custodians.
Kickbacks and trailer fees received from
banks as payments are given back to
clients 100 per cent,” says partner and
CEO Pius Zgraggen. “Our three-pillared
investment philosophy is based on risk
diversification, return optimisation and
cost minimisation – we offer long-term
efficient strategies for capital reserves
without engaging in stock exchange
speculation.”
By concentrating on what it considers
true asset classes, OLZ avoids costly and,
for an efficient diversified portfolio,
redundant investments such as
structured products or most alternative
Pius Zgraggen (left), partner and CEO, and Carmine Orlacchio, partner
and member of the executive board
investments. Its portfolios are “reduced
to the max” and focused on the essential.
OLZ manages assets exceeding
HK$10 billion, and has booking
capabilities in Switzerland, Liechtenstein,
Singapore and Hong Kong. Targeting
professionals and institutional customers
overseas, it sees investment consulting
opportunities in Asia through
collaboration with partners that share
its principles.
The firm co-operates with research
institutions and universities in developing
efficient investment models such as the
OLZ Efficient World Equity and Bond,
which has earned four- and five-star
ratings from Morningstar.
“Our mission is not only to be
profitable but also leave a small mark in
the finance industry as a company that
started something different,” says partner
and member of the executive board
Carmine Orlacchio. “Achieving that
makes up a big part of our
accomplishment as entrepreneurs,
managers and family fathers.”
Friday, June 10, 2011 S11
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
Swiss pharma film specialist
seeks new growth overseas
Perlen Packaging, the leader in film
manufacturing and film coating for the
pharmaceutical industry, has revealed
plans to debut new products certified by
China’s State Food and Drug
Administration this year.
The move reflects the blister film
pioneer’s aim to strengthen global brand
recognition and tap high growth
potential in key Asian countries.
Established in 1954, Perlen runs a
three-pronged operation with sites in
Switzerland, Germany and the United
States, each handling individual
functions in the manufacture of pharma
films. Perlen also produces films for
suppositories and secondary packaging
for certain medical devices.
“Perlen Packaging is known for
having very high standards in packaging
materials,” says CEO Wolfgang Grimm.
“We always improve those standards
even further to be ahead of the
competition. Our investments in the past
couple of years were geared for the
pharmaceutical industry.”
In a sign of commitment to Asia,
Perlen appointed two representatives
for its business on the mainland
following the purchase of ac-Folien in
2007.
Perlen maintains its core
competitiveness by dedicating a
significant amount of its total turnover to
research and development, furthering its
aim to remain on top with the latest
processes, equipment and procedures
in the industry.
This initiative has effectively
expanded its PERLALUX products with
the recent development of high barrier
blister films and the hologram
technology that protects against
counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs.
Another major offering is the
specialised anti-microbial coating
structured to kill critical bacteria within a
24-hour period, the patent of which is
held by Perlen, the Swiss state and
Zurich-based ETH University. The
PERLAZID products are custom-built
formulations embedded in specially
developed, coated polymer solutions
that are applied to the base substrate.
The group, which boasts a client
roster that includes the top 10
multinational pharmaceutical
companies, is also looking at
the possibility of transferring
its information technology
and production capabilities
to Asia.
Wolfgang Grimm,
CEO

S12 Friday, June 10, 2011
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
Jürg Werner, CEO and executive committee president
Time-consuming kitchen and
laundry chores are a burden for
everyone except the Swiss.
This is because almost every
Swiss household has at least
one V-ZUG appliance helping
homemakers breeze through these
tasks.
From a small, manual galvanising
plant established in 1913, V-ZUG has
grown into a strategic part of
conglomerate Metall ZUG, which also
has business divisions in infection
control, wire processing and real estate.
It has built a reputation as a reliable
Swiss brand known for the high quality
and long life of its household appliances.
A reputable name in ovens,
steamers, refrigerators and washing
machines, V-ZUG invests significantly in
research and development (R&D).
V-ZUG’s focus on R&D contributed to
its 8.9 per cent growth last year.
V-ZUG’s kitchen innovations are the
stars of every kitchen, helping cooks
prepare gastronomic feasts with a press
of a button. Even internationally
renowned chefs endorse V-ZUG’s
appliances.
One of V-ZUG’s latest kitchen
appliances is the Combi-Steam XSL, a
multifunctional oven and steamer in one.
With the patented BakeOmatic function,
there is no need to manually set time,
temperature, operating mode or weight
because sensors automatically
recognise food size and shape.
Advanced technology is also applied
in V-ZUG’s laundry room products.
V-ZUG introduced a washing machine
with a vibration-absorbing system that
reduces noise and vibration when
spinning clothes. With the patented
Steam Anti-Crease function, it eliminates
wrinkles in the washing machine – a
world novelty introduced by the Swiss
icon.
Number one in the Swiss market and
well established in Europe, V-ZUG
entered Asia in 2009. “With our premium
products, we are bringing our Swiss
heritage of top quality, precision and
innovation leadership to Asia,” says
Dr Jürg Werner, V-ZUG CEO and
executive committee president.
Through distribution partners in
Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and on
the mainland, V-ZUG aims to strengthen
its presence in the region and increase
awareness of its state-of-the-art
Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
Cooking intelligence made by
Swiss appliance icon V-ZUG
With our premium
products, we are
bringing our
Swiss heritage
of top quality,
precision and
innovation
leadership to Asia
..............................................
Jürg Werner
CEO and executive committee
president, V-ZUG
Harnessing the power of light to develop
innovative optical systems is what
SwissOptic does best. As the former
optical manufacturing arm of Leica
Geosystems, SwissOptic possesses
the finest credentials to revolutionise
the use of precision optic systems
across industries.
Becoming part of Berliner Glas Group,
the technical glasses and photonics
expert, has enabled SwissOptic to offer a
wider scope of products and services to
an even broader client base. Initially
focusing solely on metrology, SwissOptic
today manages the entire supply chain of
original equipment manufacturers
(OEMS) in the defence, semiconductor
and medical segments.
SwissOptic’s extensive expertise in
precision optics systems is evident in
applications such as scanners, cameras,
sensors, excimer lasers, endoscopy
equipment, microscopes and thermal
pointing and imaging devices.
“We will continue to strengthen our
research and development capabilities
that will enable us to tackle even more
complex projects with our customers and
to learn how to grow in adjacent
markets,” says Hans Ebinger,
SwissOptic managing director.
products through focused presence at
high-class kitchen specialists. V-ZUG
established a partnership with KHL
Marketing Asia in Singapore and
launched the official brand in February.
V-ZUG only works with business
partners that are able to maintain its high
brand image.
“We want to prioritise the
development of our Asian investments
and we are looking to strengthen this
base,” Werner says.
Aiming to penetrate the mainland,
V-ZUG seeks to leverage its partnership
with Hong Kong-based Vocci Group to
explore prime project business
opportunities.
V-ZUG also aims to form strategic
partnerships with companies in Australia
to boost its prime project business.
See the world in a different
light with SwissOptic
Hans Ebinger, managing director
PD able to deliver
top quality at
reasonable prices
Innovation is key in a niche market
where high quality must be balanced
with reasonable pricing. Produits
Dentaires (PD) has done this in the
dental field. A family-owned business
now into its third generation, PD is
distinguished for Swiss manufacturing
that dental experts rely on for durability.
“For a Swiss company, superior
research and development is essential
to produce better products,” says Marc
Fehlmann, CEO of PD. “Without
investing in innovation, we cannot keep
our production in Switzerland and the
guaranteed quality this brings.”
Among PD’s widely recognised
developments are the Micro-Apical
Placement (MAP) System and the
Fibrapost-Sealacore kit. The MAP
System enables dentists to place filling
material into a root canal with
precision. Meanwhile, PD’s newestgeneration
glass fibre posts, the
Fibrapost, are Bisphenol A-free, thus
safer for patients. Sealacore, on the
other hand, makes restorations easy
and durable.
“Once a dentist uses our products,
he knows that he can rely on their
quality. With our reasonable pricing,
we’ve ensured that our products
are always interesting to them,”
Fehlmann says.
While the MAP System has not
reached the mainland market, local
university experts who tested the
product have given it rave reviews.
Fibrapost has been available on the
mainland for two years.
PD nurtures long-term mutually
beneficial relations with its distributors.
It has worked closely with Healthcare
Dental in Hong Kong for more than
10 years and with Beijing Human
Future Economic and Trade, its
distributor on the mainland, since 2005.
PD also has distributors in Japan,
South Korea and Southeast Asia, and is
open to develop more relationships in
the region.
“China is a big market for us and
one of the most important in the future,”
Fehlmann says. PD hopes to double its
turnover on the mainland within five
years by ramping up new products
starting this year.
Without investing
in innovation, we
cannot keep our
production in
Switzerland and
the guaranteed
quality this brings
..............................................
Marc Fehlmann
CEO
Working closely with clients
such as Leica, SwissOptic fully
customises its products to suit
specific technical requirements.
SwissOptic further demonstrated its
commitment to clients when it proved
its willingness to follow clients to new
markets such as the mainland.
The company ventured into Wuhan
to provide a major client the unparalleled
kind of service characteristic of
SwissOptic.
SwissOptic sees the mainland as
important in helping its business expand
into Asia. The company aims to leverage
its Wuhan manufacturing plant and use it
as a supply chain hub.
“At the moment, our business is
driven by our Western customers and
their plans in China. We seek reliable
suppliers and partners who share our
commitment to quality to realise our
vision to grow on the mainland and the
rest of Asia,” says Christian Drapal,
SwissOptic Wuhan general manager.
Textile care
professional
woos master
franchisees
Philippe Labhard,
managing director
Internationally renowned textile-care
professional 5àSec was founded on a
simple principle: to provide quality
services matched with fast delivery
returns and straightforward rates. This
sustainable and lucrative business model
has paid off. 5àSec opened 134 new
shops last year and continues to show
impressive growth in new and existing
markets. 5àSec reaches nearly 2,000
shops in 28 countries today.
“Our concept has always been built
around convenience, good price-quality
ratio, location and speed of treatment,”
says Gilbert Bieri, who is responsible for
international development.
The company’s main priority in the
near future is robust expansion in Asia. It
has 25 outlets in the region, and 5àSec is
keen to reach 100 stores within the next
five years, identifying the mainland, the
Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam as key
markets. “We have the right potential and
the demand is there. We are trying to
attract Asian partners because we
strongly believe it is a huge market for us,
and our priority will clearly be China,”
Bieri says.
To help with its assertive expansion
plans, 5àSec is looking for motivated and
ambitious entrepreneurs. Bieri says: “It’s
preferable to have local partners and
master franchisees that can bring their
local retail know-how and networks. In
return, we offer 43 years of experience
and advice including full set-up
assistance, training and other services.
Together, both parties will succeed.”
5àSec is bringing continuous
innovations to the market, such as
MAXIMA, a new technology specifically
for delicate garments. It also has tailored
services such as text-messaging
notifications, helping it earn business-tobusiness
clients that include airlines and
hotels. This, along with the company’s
commitment to offer tangible value
proposals to its master franchisees and
the constant drive to excel in the
business, shows 5àSec is indeed poised
to take on the textile care market in Asia.

Sponsored section in co-operation with Discovery Reports
BHI is ‘best-kept
secret in Asia’
The growing affluent population
in Asia-Pacific is driving global
private banks to establish a
presence or ramp up existing
operations in the region.
European banks are tapping into the
region’s high-net-worth individuals
(HNWIs), who numbered about 3 million
in 2009.
Bank Hapoalim Switzerland operates
internationally under the BHI Swiss
Private Banking brand. It is positioned as
a focused boutique private bank in Asia,
melding financial expertise with in-depth
cultural understanding to serve private
clients.
“Although still relatively unknown, we
are finding new clients in Asia who
appreciate our values and who are doing
or wish to do business in the region,”
says Michael Warszawski, CEO of BHI.
“We support clients with services to
develop their personal financial
objectives.”
Established in Israel in 1921, Bank
Hapoalim had its first presence in
Switzerland in 1964 and its present legal
structure since 1975. BHI represents the
bank’s marketing brand for its various
global services including customised
investment management, advice and
private banking.
The bank’s foray into Asia began
Uncompromising Swiss quality is the
principle that has guided the Berlac
Group towards steady growth and
earned it global recognition for its
superior products.
Evolving from a family-owned
lacquer business in 1928, the group has
become a leading niche player with an
annual turnover exceeding
HK$822.53 million. It has built seven
companies under the Berlac brand,
with 450 employees and offices across
Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, the
mainland and Hong Kong.
“We always search for our niches
and maintain interdisciplinary cooperation
throughout our subsidiaries,
offering diversified products and
reaching broader markets to ensure
the group’s success,” says CEO Willy
Scheuchenpflug.
Berlac develops lacquers, paints
and pigment pastes as core products
and caters to industries ranging from
construction to health care,
polyurethane, accessories and
packaging. With a keen eye on market
trends and ears pressed to customers’
demands, it anticipates the mainland
Swiss dental products of distinction
Harald Nordin is leading the development
of non-metallic solutions for dental
reconstruction. The Swiss family-owned
dental device manufacturer offers a full
range of patented and high-quality fibrereinforced
posts at competitive prices.
All Nordin dental products are
when it opened a representative office in
Hong Kong in 2005. It strengthened its
presence in Hong Kong with the opening
of BHI Investment Advisors (Asia) in
January this year headed by CEO Eli
Bitan. BHI established a branch in
Singapore with full local booking
capabilities in 2007. This is headed by
Keith Harrison who is the bank’s head of
Asia-Pacific and the branch manager.
“We have a very strong team in Asia,
with outstanding people that have wellestablished
reputations in the market,”
Warszawski says, describing BHI as “the
best-kept secret in Asia”.
BHI leverages the strategic synergies
emanating from being an Israeli bank
with Swiss private banking expertise.
The bank is well-positioned to service
private and corporate clients in Israel
and around the world who are doing
business or exploring investment
opportunities in Asia.
BHI prides itself on being “solid yet
flexible, universal yet personal, listening
yet guiding”. These key qualities have
enabled the bank to gain the long-time
trust of international private clients and
have catapulted it to become one of the
top 20 foreign banks in Switzerland.
“We are large enough to have
Michael Warszawski, CEO
Berlac takes Swiss paint and
lacquer expertise to China
Willy Scheuchenpflug, CEO,
Berlac Group and managing
director, Berlac
continuing to play a significant role in
its growth.
The group entered the mainland in
1982 through a local partner amid the
mass relocation of Swiss watch
production to keep its services
accessible to clients. Its operations
grew from watches to spectacle
100 per cent Swiss made, manufactured
in its facility in Montreux and sent to
major dental schools for testing before
being exported worldwide.
Based on generations of knowledge
in dental science, the company was
founded in 1977 by Harald Nordin, the
company’s president. Nordin has made
many contributions to the advancement
of dental science and holds many
patents for his innovations. The Nordin
family tradition will continue as Harald’s
son Peter takes over to lead the next
generation of product development.
The company produces an
estimated 25 million pins and posts
every year. These are distributed to a
network of 200 dealers located in more
than 80 countries, including China,
Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Nordin
works with two mainland distributors,
Tree in Beijing and Shanghai Forward
Harald Nordin, president
all the resources to serve the needs of
most HNWIs, yet we are small enough to
be able to take a more personalised
approach with our clients,” Warszawski
says. “It is an exceptionally personal
business. It is a business of establishing
and keeping trust and confidence over
multiple generations.”
frames and other applications, leading
to the establishment of Berlac Hong
Kong and Berlac Shenzhen in 2007 and
the acquisition of German-owned
Bomex Shanghai.
Servicing mainly the local export
industry, Berlac envisions penetrating
the mainland’s booming automotive
and handheld devices sectors.
“We can respond to China’s
increasing demand for high-quality
raw materials such as lacquer and
bring Swiss expertise into Chinese
homes,” Scheuchenpflug says.
Berlac looks forward to finding
more acquisition opportunities through
companies with new or niche markets,
and other relationships
complementing the group’s
decentralised structure and strategic
goals.
“We empower our subsidiaries to
be self-reliant,” Scheuchenpflug says.
“Our Asian networks bring value to our
global operations, as exemplified by
our ongoing development of paints and
coats based on ultraviolet-curable
products, which we first saw in
mainland factories.”
EROWA helps raise productivity levels
Backed by decades of market
leadership, Swiss palletisation
and automation systems
supplier EROWA enables
greater productivity and
efficiency for manufacturers in
various industries worldwide.
“We are the ideal partner for
manufacturers because we help
them stay competitive,” says
EROWA CEO Franz Wyss.
The privately-owned
company evolved from a small
tool and mould-making business
into a global organisation
engaged in manufacturing
technology. EROWA is present in major
industrial markets such as Germany,
France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, the
United States, Japan, Indonesia, India
and the mainland. It has 320 employees,
12 subsidiaries and 22 agents worldwide.
The company has partnerships
with major machine tool manufacturers.
Its main customers come from the
automotive, aircraft, space
operations, medical technology,
telecommunications, electronics and
Franz Wyss, CEO,
EROWA
Stephan Neeser, CEO
EROWA Group
micro-mechanics industries.
EROWA offers its customers a
revolutionary flexible manufacturing
concept (FMC), covering four key
aspects. The first aspect refers to the
palletisation of work pieces. This
integrated tooling system constitutes a
standardised universal interface
between work pieces and machine tools.
Through organisation, presetting times
on the machine are eliminated with
appropriate external presetting
equipment. Automation enables
the machines to run on their own
round-the-clock. Integration
means the co-ordination of
workflow and the communication
of all data for maximum
productivity and process
security. FMC is becoming
the industry standard in tool
and die making and production
in general.
Process security is also
important in Asia, where many
of EROWA’s customers benefit
from their use of the system.
The mainland shows big growth
potential for EROWA.
“Our goal is to come up with products
designed to meet the needs of the
Chinese market,” says Stephan Neeser,
CEO of the EROWA Group.
EROWA has been in China for more
than 12 years, with offices in Shanghai,
Dongguan and Hong Kong. For EROWA,
it is key to stay close to customers and
be a strong partner. “We are the
preferred solution provider for the
production industry,” Wyss says.
in Shanghai, that distribute to luxury
clinics.
Nordin’s success stems from its high
quality and innovative designs. Among
its latest developments is Glassix Plus, a
radiopaque and light transmitting glass
fibre post that is highly flexible and
resilient. It absorbs chewing pressure
better and puts less stress on the root
compared to metal posts. “Glassix Plus
is made of a material which is absolutely
compatible with the body and more
flexible than metal posts,” Harald Nordin
says.
With Asia’s rising demand for dental
wellness, Nordin is ready to take on the
challenge. It acquired additional floor
space and machines last year, doubling
its production capacity. “China is a
growing market for dental products with
more people having larger disposable
incomes and a growing popularity for
professional dental care. We are ready
to meet this opportunity,” Nordin says.
Friday, June 10, 2011 S13
SPECIAL REPORT: SWITZERLAND COUNTRY REPORT
Swiss university fosters knowledge
exchange with mainland counterparts
Switzerland has been exchanging
knowledge with the mainland in the
field of applied sciences since 2001.
The initiative was started by The
Swiss Federal Office for
Professional Education and
Technology and the Guangdong
Science and Technology
Department, which established a
partnership that has produced 15
projects in five years.
Following this success, The
University of Applied Sciences and
the Arts of Southern Switzerland
(SUPSI) and the Dongguan
Science and Technology Bureau
conducted an extensive survey in
the region which determined that
precision manufacturing was an
area of win-win co-operation.
SUPSI introduced its first
master of science in engineering
programme with a major in
precision manufacturing in 2008 in
partnership with the Guangdong
University of Technology (GDUT).
The course offers advanced
education in precision
manufacturing, particularly in
assembly, design, advanced
materials, production planning and
control. Supervised by a SUPSI
tutor, students perform thesis work
in a real industry environment.
To increase co-operation
between Swiss universities of
applied science with counterpart
Pearl River Delta universities,
SUPSI and GDUT established the
Sino-Swissnex last year. SUPSI
also inked partnerships with
universities in Taiwan, Hong Kong
and Singapore.
As one of seven public Swiss
universities of applied sciences,
SUPSI specialises in cutting-edge
fields such as artificial intelligence,
sensors and mechatronics,
networking, telecommunications,
advanced materials,
manufacturing processes,
environmental engineering and
engineering management. The
university supports applied
research and innovation with
industry partners.
“Research helps in formulating
sustainable solutions for the long
term,” says Giambattista Ravano,
director of SUPSI’s department of
technology innovation.
One of its most successful
initiatives is a groundbreaking
wastewater treatment that is being
tested for applicability on the
mainland, following the
government’s approval to fund the
project. “The innovative process
and equipment are particularly
suitable for fast-developing regions
like the Pearl River Delta,” says
Claudio Boër, director of the
Institute for Computer Integrated
Manufacturing in Sustainable
Innovation at SUPSI.
Giambattista Ravano, director,
department of technology innovation

S14
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011 SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST