A diverse and multicultural country in the heart of Europe
Its location in the heart of Europe and its decentralized governmental structure have enabled the country to become a meeting point of cultures and languages. Besides its four national languages, German, French, Italian, and Romansh, English is widely spoken and increasingly used as the lingua franca in business and research. Swiss society is ethnically very mixed and over 20% of its population are foreigners. Although Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, it is well integrated into the EU market, but has chosen to retain its political independence. Nevertheless, the nationals of EU countries who are currently working in Switzerland make up over one fifth of its workforce. In addition, Switzerland has a high proportion of foreigners from outside the EU, including from the USA, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
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An outstanding quality of life
Very few countries in the world can match the quality of life in Switzerland. It is a clean and efficiently organized country and has a low crime rate. The education and health care systems are among the best in the world; its roads are well-maintained; and the public transport network is excellent, enabling you to travel quickly and easily. Switzerland’s amazing landscape and very diverse cultural life offer an very wide choice of leisure-time activities. Its magnificent mountains and lakes provide year-round activities for both nature lovers and sports enthusiasts.
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A highly competitive and international environment
Switzerland offers a liberal and highly competitive business environment. The World Economic Forum ranked Switzerland as number one in its global competitiveness survey of 125 countries in 2006. Switzerland’s well-developed infrastructure for scientific research allows close collaboration between the leading research centers and industry. Intellectual property protection is strong, which has helped spur high levels of technological innovation. Flexible labor markets and excellent infrastructure are two vital features of the business environment. About 10% of the Swiss gross national product (over USD 32 billion) is generated directly or indirectly by foreign companies. Numerous international organizations including the European headquarters of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross are based in Geneva.
Photo: Frank Schräpler at profi-ranking.de
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A dynamic and innovative high-tech sector
Switzerland’s most important exports are machines, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and jewelry. Leading companies in mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, bio- and medical technology, and computer sciences are headquartered in Switzerland. Over 500 medical technology companies employ a workforce of 40,000 people. They invest about USD 500 million annually in R&D, and export goods worth of nearly USD 5 billion per year. Switzerland is a first-class location for life science companies and is home to one of the world’s leading biotechnology clusters. World-renowned life science companies combined with first-rate universities and institutes of technology offer a dynamic biotech industry. Switzerland has also become an excellent location for medical, micro- and nanotechnologies.
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An excellent financial center and attractive location for foreign investors
As a result of its value creation, the high number of people it employs and its contributions through tax revenues, the financial sector is an important pillar of the Swiss economy and fulfills an essential function in the domestic economy. Switzerland is a preferred international financial center, providing long-term stability and an efficient infrastructure. Labor costs are comparatively low due to high worker productivity. By European standards, taxation in Switzerland is investor-friendly. This constellation has resulted in the establishment of numerous prominent headquarters and R&D facilities.
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Download the Brochure "Campus and Research Park Switzerland".
Links
 The platform of the Swiss Education Server is the portal to information on education in Switzerland. It serves as offical platform for federal and foreign institutions. www.educa.ch |
 The Swiss Roots centerpiece, www.swissroots.org, is a state-of-the-art website that serves as a gateway between the 1 milion Americans of Swiss descent to discover their ancestral roots and those with Swiss affinity to discover and communicate with people in Switzerland. www.swissroots.org |
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Studying in Switzerland |
