Review
Services in 2025
2025 proved to be another challenging year for Swiss foreign trade: geopolitical tensions, increasing industrial policy, and high regulatory hurdles defined the international business environment for Swiss companies and Switzerland as a location for business and innovation. Especially in these uncertain times, Swiss export promotion and investment promotion have a positive impact. Thanks to needs-based support offers and a clear focus, S-GE was able to make an important contribution to the international competitiveness of Swiss SMEs and the innovative strength of our business location last year.
High demand in 2025 was driven by US tariffs, which are placing a huge burden on many SMEs. S-GE was able to provide strong support here. On the one hand, by providing rapid assistance with customs clearance, and on the other, by stabilizing the US business and tapping into alternative markets.
The current global situation is also putting Switzerland under pressure as a business location. Together with the Confederation, the regions and cantons, and the Swiss embassies, as part of “Team Switzerland” S-GE is doing everything it can to strengthen Switzerland’s innovative capacity with hand-selected target companies and the resulting settlements. In doing so, investment promotion is creating added value – for companies, for the cantons, and for prosperity in Switzerland.
Export Promotion
Stabilization in Uncertain Times
Internationally active Swiss companies faced new uncertainties in 2025. In particular, the introduction of the new US tariffs presented many companies with enormous challenges and led to a sharp increase in demand for information and advice. As a point of contact and using suitable formats, S-GE was able to provide targeted remedies, both to stabilize existing business and to tap into new or alternative markets. At the same time, new free trade agreements such as those with Thailand, India, and the Mercosur countries opened up additional opportunities for Swiss companies. S-GE was able to inform and support companies at an early stage to enable them to take direct advantage of the new opportunities arising as a result. S-GE continued to rely on effective collaboration with Swiss and foreign partners in the process.
+9%
companies supported
In 2025, 7,237 companies made use of S-GE’s services (previous year: 6,642).
67%
share of digital services
S-GE is continuously expanding its range of digital services to ensure that the increasing demand from Swiss companies is met with high quality. In 2025, around 67% of all services offered by S-GE had been obtained by customers through online channels (previous year: 68%) – whether via the customer platform developed in-house or via export-related or industry-specific information and consulting services.
89%
impact
S-GE relies on a needs-based approach and has flexibly adapted both its analog and digital services in view of the challenging environment of recent years. This resulted in a continuation of the pleasantly high impact values of 89% in 2025 (previous year: 85%).
95%
satisfaction
Swiss SMEs are satisfied with the services provided by S-GE, with a satisfaction rate of 95% (previous year: 92%).
423
exhibitors at SWISS Pavilion
Demand for trade fair participation remains unbroken: in 2025, 423 exhibitors took part in a total of 29 trade fairs abroad (previous year: 374).
Top 3
US, India, China
In 2025, there was particularly high demand among Swiss companies for support for the US, India, and China.An Overview of Activities and Highlights in 2025
US Tariffs – S-GE Creating Orientation and Stability
US tariffs and related developments have been causing a great deal of uncertainty among Swiss companies since the start of 2025. Together with industry partners and experts, S-GE has been able to provide effective guidance through suitable information and support measures. For instance, more than 1,400 companies have contacted ExportHelp with questions about handling tariffs. In addition, S-GE has been able to help stabilize the US business and tap into alternative markets using suitable information and advice formats.
Free Trade Agreements as a Driver of High Demand
In uncertain times, free trade agreements offer new or alternative opportunities. Companies are showing a high demand for the specific opportunities offered by FTAs. For example, the webinar on the new FTA with Thailand attracted around 200 participants, the ExportHelp webinar on verifying origin with free trade agreements around 540 participants, and the webinar on the new FTA with Malaysia over 120 participants.
US-China Trade Dispute: Digital Stress Test for Swiss SMEs
At the International Trade Forum in April 2025, S-GE launched a digital “stress test” for SMEs. This was developed by S-GE in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons and Innosuisse. The digital tool enables Swiss companies to quickly analyze and assess the risk to their own business. At the same time, it provides them with tailored recommendations for action. US-China Economic Fragmentation Stress Test | S-GE
ANYbotics Wins the 2025 Export Award
Zurich-based ANYbotics AG is raising the bar in industrial automation with its autonomous four-legged inspection robot. As it expands globally, it is consistently gearing its efforts to the needs of its key multinational customers and focused industrial sectors. It received the 2025 Export Award from S-GE for its successful internationalization strategy.
Swiss Desk: Stronger Presence in Thailand
S-GE is collaborating with the Swiss-Thai Chamber of Commerce to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia with a new Swiss Desk in Bangkok, Thailand. Since 1 May 2025, a local Business Development Manager has been supporting Swiss and Liechtenstein companies on site with their international business. The new free trade agreement between the EFTA countries and Thailand opens up additional opportunities for Swiss companies. With the new location in Bangkok, S-GE is able to proactively develop the market together with the Chamber of Commerce.
Every Swiss Franc Generates CHF 34 in Export Sales
Export promotion by Switzerland Global Enterprise is having a positive economic impact: a study by the economic consulting institute Swiss Economics shows that every Swiss franc invested by the Confederation generates an average of CHF 34 in additional export sales. The analysis is based on sound econometric calculations and provides a robust basis for the strategic development of Swiss export promotion. More information on the study.
Strong Trade Fair Year with 28 SWISS Pavilions in 16 Countries
S-GE is looking back on a strong trade fair year in 2025: 28 SWISS Pavilions in 16 countries with over 400 exhibitors marked a new record. Particular highlights were the appearance at the Intra-African Trade Fair in Algeria, thanks to close cooperation by Team Switzerland, and the first appearance at the Brazilian plastics trade fair Plastico Brasil – an ideal platform for positioning Swiss technologies, for example, aimed at promoting sustainable plastics processing.
Rebuild Ukraine Conference 2025
Together with SECO and the SBH Central Europe, S-GE organized another SWISS Pavilion at the Rebuild Ukraine Conference in Warsaw. Switzerland was represented by a significantly enlarged delegation. The appearance reinforced Switzerland’s position as a reliable partner in the reconstruction process and offered SMEs and large companies an important platform for new contacts, enhanced cooperation, and greater visibility.Voices from the Business Community
Switzerland is a small market. If you want to grow, you have to go international. The network, advice, and support offered by S-GE are invaluable. I would definitely recommend working with S-GE.
Nathalie Linden
Event Manager, SkyCell
Together we are stronger. For example, at events abroad: in one instance, we held a customer event in Indonesia with S-GE’s support. S-GE also assists us in tax matters and in certain complex market constellations.
Thomas Oetterli
CEO, Rieter AG
S-GE is an indispensable partner for us as a young Swiss company: The expertise and skills of the different teams we work with, and the way they listen carefully and understand our needs and solutions are extremely valuable to us.
Stéphane Moor und Barbara Darbellay-Moor
CEO and COO, Kenzai Cosmetics
For us, exporting does not work with standard processes. What counts is openness, patience, and the courage to just get on the plane without knowing what to expect.
Thomas Sallmann
Co-CEO, ISA Sallmann AG
We not only received active support, but we were really taken by the hand.
Philippe A. Naegeli
Co-Founder and CEO, GenTwo
Investment Promotion
Hand-picked Innovation Leaders Make Switzerland Strong
The tense global situation and US tariff policy are also having an impact on investment promotion. Competition for global innovation leaders, the target companies of national investment promotion, is seeing a noticeable increase. At the same time, company demands are becoming more complex. By specifically identifying and addressing innovative foreign companies in five selected ecosystems (health, digital, automation, food, finance), S-GE was able to attract some particularly high-quality and high-value companies in 2025. These make a significant contribution to renewing Switzerland’s innovative strength and reinforcing the competitiveness of the Swiss economy as a whole long term.
404
S-GE was in close contact with 404 target companies in 2025
As at the end of 2025, S-GE was in intensive dialog with 404 target companies (previous year: 305). S-GE is deliberately focusing on fewer, but highly innovative target companies that would strengthen Switzerland’s capacity for innovation long term in the event of relocation.
81%
are innovation leaders in selected ecosystems
Almost all settlement projects forwarded to cantons and regions by S-GE involve target companies. 81% can be assigned to the five selected ecosystems of health, digital, automation, food, and finance (previous year: 92%).
Top 3
US, Japan, China
… were the top 3 countries of origin for settlement and innovation projects in 2025.
92
settlement and innovation projects were passed on to the cantons
The targeted approach to selected companies enabled S-GE to forward high-quality projects to the cantons, regions and innovation parks in 2025, so that they could consider taking on the companies (previous year: 86 projects). Experience shows that around 30% of the projects result in companies being established in Switzerland.An Overview of Activities and Highlights in 2025
WEF: Platform for Discussions with Innovation Leaders
Within its investment promotion activities, S-GE is focusing on fewer, but no less relevant events that offer an ideal platform for cultivating relationships with target companies. The WEF Davos is a prime example of this: S-GE made targeted use of the WEF and was able to meet with 23 foreign target companies. The meetings resulted in 13 potential relocations and 6 additional investments in Switzerland’s innovation ecosystems.
NEC Corporation Comes to Switzerland
In April, Japan’s NEC Corporation announced that it would be relocating the headquarters of its Digital Government and Digital Finance divisions to Zurich. The company is one of the target companies of investment promotion: its settlement will strengthen Switzerland’s digital ecosystem and capacity for innovation through new partnerships with Swiss research institutes and local companies. An ideal interaction between various Swiss key players as Team Switzerland and the targeted exploitation of synergies between export and investment promotion played a decisive role in attracting NEC to Switzerland. NEC Establishes Growth Unit in Zurich | S-GE
Revised Handbook for Investors
In the third quarter, S-GE launched a modernized reference work for companies interested in Switzerland as a business location. The Handbook for Investors provides information on the most important aspects of Switzerland as a modern and innovative location for business and technology. It contains information on topics such as economic structure, starting a business, taxes, innovative technologies, the labor market and permits, and legal matters. Handbook for Investors | S-GE
International Business Day in Bern
Together with the cantons, foreign companies with a footprint in Switzerland were invited for a full day of updates and networking. In total, 21 C-level representatives attended. The program included updates from SECO on Swiss foreign policy, taxes, the OECD regulation, and innovation. The highlights included a lunch and guided tour of the Federal Palace and a one-hour exchange with Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin. The invitations were sent out in close coordination with the Swiss Business Hubs.Voices from the Business Community
Our long-standing partnership with Switzerland Global Enterprise reflects our shared commitment to positioning Switzerland as a leading business location for international scale-ups. As a board member of Innovaud, I see every day how important location promotion is to attracting and supporting the right talents and companies – a mission that is very close to my heart.
Katka Letzing
CEO and Co-Founder, Kickstart Innovation, member of the board at Innovaud
National investment promotion focuses on leading companies in promising ecosystems, companies with above-average technological expertise and pronounced development potential. What makes targeted, high-quality company relocations to Switzerland such as these so important is the decisive boost they bring to the Switzerland as a business location and how they reinforce its innovative strength.
Walter Schönholzer
Executive Councillor, Head of the Department of the Interior and Economic Affairs of the Canton of Thurgau, Co-Chair of the Investment Promotion Steering Committee
Redomiciling to Switzerland enables us to further execute on our global growth strategy as we evolve as a company. This move enables us a closer collaboration with key scientific, regulatory, and policy stakeholders across Europe, as well as with the more than 400 biotech industry peers just within Switzerland, where we’ve been present since 2017.
Giancarlo Benelli
Senior Vice President, Head of Region Europe at BeOne Medicines
This year, NEC formed a new company in Switzerland, relocating the headquarters function of our Digital Government and Digital Finance Business Unit (DGDF), driving our global business forward, to Zurich. Switzerland's robust international business infrastructure and innovation ecosystem provide the ideal environment for overseeing our European and global markets. We thank S-GE for their support in our establishment and look forward to deepening our collaboration with Switzerland's dynamic communities.
Tomoki Kubo
Corporate Executive Vice President - President of DGDF Business Unit, NEC Corporation
Members + Partners
Valuable Memberships and Partnerships
As an association, S-GE has an important platform function and provides internationally active entrepreneurs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein with valuable networking opportunities and regular personal exchange. More than 2,100 members make up the foundation of S-GE and the Swiss Export Community. These include companies as well as private sector and institutional organizations.
Other key pillars of S-GE and Swiss export and investment promotion are the extensive network of partners and experts in Switzerland and around the world, as well as the associated cooperations in service provision that make up “Team Switzerland”. More information about the S-GE network.
2,276
members
S-GE further expanded its membership program in 2025 and was able to gain 176 new members (previous year: 135). The new members are companies and organizations from Switzerland and Liechtenstein that strengthen the export community and regularly make use of services from the S-GE service portfolio. At the end of 2025, S-GE had 2,276 members (previous year: 2,158). Find out more about being a member of S-GE.
53%
projects with Swiss partners
S-GE relies on co-creation when it comes to service provision. In this regard, the proportion of inter-company projects with Swiss partners (e.g. specialist export webinars with experts and all activities for beginners to internationalization) was 53%.Focus on Partners
The free trade agreements with India, Thailand, and the Mercosur countries give Swiss SMEs access to new markets. Broad free trade relationships are indispensable for our diverse SME landscape in every region – they secure access to markets and strengthen competitiveness.
Andrea Berlinger Schwyter
President of the St. Gallen-Appenzell Chamber of Commerce and Industry and owner of Berlinger Special AG, Ganterschwil
The US tariff policy has been causing a great deal of uncertainty for Swiss companies since the start of 2025. Together with S-GE, we were quickly able to offer SMEs the support they needed.
Rahul Sahgal
CEO, Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce (Swiss AmCham)
What we really value in our collaboration with S-GE is the common goal of supporting Swiss companies with their international projects. Together, we contribute to the success of Swiss companies abroad and to the strength of the Swiss economy as a whole.
Julie Soum
Marketing and Communications Manager, Coface