20 years of success in promoting Schaffhausen as a business location
November 17, 2017
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Generis being appointed by the Government of Schaffhausen to promote the region as a business location capable of competing on the global stage. The Economic Promotion Team – and thus Generis AG – can now look back on two decades of significant development which have transformed the Canton from a traditional manufacturing base to a hub for advanced manufacturing and leading edge service providers.
During the industrial crisis in the 1990’s, the founder of Generis, Thomas Holenstein, developed a comprehensive set of measures from 1995 to 1997 in order to significantly improve the attractiveness of the Canton as a place to live, work and invest. One of the measures required was the creation of a professional Economic Promotion Team and the proposal was implemented in 1997 with Thomas Holenstein being appointed as Head of Economic Promotion and special advisor to the Canton’s Government. That was the first, fixed term contract awarded to Generis to take charge of economic development and inward investment.
In the intervening years, the contract has been re-tendered twice, with Generis presenting a compelling case on each occasion and being reappointed to work with a wide range of government departments, the municipal authorities as well as local communities and to take the lead in shaping the future of the Canton of Schaffhausen.
In 2015, Thomas Holenstein passed on the baton as Head of Economic Promotion to Christoph Schärrer, who has been actively charting the Canton’s strategic course during a period of change in the economic and political environment since he took over. The success achieved over the last two decades is a key driver in ensuring the high level of commitment continues into the future, with collaboration across a wide range of government departments helping to further increase the attractiveness of Schaffhausen for businesses and private citizens alike.
