Business Location: Switzerland

Promoting Switzerland as a business location to China

Initial Situation

Pioneering location marketing in China

Switzerland is in competition with many other countries to attract overseas businesses. In China, this type of marketing presents particular challenges, requiring a highly-developed understanding of Chinese entrepreneurialism and culture, an excellent network of contacts both in Switzerland and China as well as the ability to develop and then implement the right business solution for a very diverse range of requirements.

Moreover, however attractive Switzerland may be as a business location, the first challenge remains that Switzerland, as a small country, can easily be overlooked when Chinese businesses consider moving to Europe.

Project Profile

China-Missions with Swiss Delegations

Chinese companies supported

Approach

Generis appointed official role in China

Switzerland Global Enterprise (formerly OSEC), part of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, awarded Generis AG a multi-year contract to coordinate and implement the marketing of Switzerland as a business location to Chinese companies.

Generis AG collaborated with Swiss cantons to create and successfully implement market development activities. Key factors in the selection of Generis for this challenging role were its long-term track-record leading economic development in the Canton of Schaffhausen, its deep understanding of China thanks to its subsidiary in Peking and its ability to operate and influence successfully in the spheres of business and politics.

Achievements

Chinese businesses discover Switzerland

Generis AG’s pioneering work quickly bore fruit and the first Chinese businesses arrived in Switzerland. Routing enquiries from Chinese companies to the Swiss cantons was handled professionally so that no region received an unfair share. Chinese companies were able to get to know Switzerland as a potential business location and it continues to be viewed as a very attractive option.

One example is the decision by Huawei to set up operations in Switzerland, with several hundred staff currently and plans to increase headcount to over one thousand. In total, around two dozen Chinese businesses have now established a base in Switzerland.

Daniel Küng

Former CEO,
Switzerland Global Enterprise

«Generis AG’s pioneering work quickly bore fruit and the first Chinese businesses arrived in Switzerland. Routing enquiries from Chinese companies to the Swiss cantons was handled professionally so that no region received an unfair share. Chinese companies were able to get to know Switzerland as a potential business location and it continues to be viewed as a very attractive option. In total, around two dozen Chinese businesses have now established a base in Switzerland.»