Swiss SMEs go international
50th anniversary for Swiss Export. Since its founding in 1973 and its renaming in 2003 the association Swiss Export, which represents Swiss SMEs with international activities, has differentiated its services.
A recently-held ‘Swiss Export Day’ (SED) marked the 50th anniversary of the association Swiss Export (SE), which was founded as an interest group of SMEs with international export activities on the Bürgenstock in 1973. Having been renamed it has now operated under the name Swiss Export for the past 20 years.
At the SED in Kloten SE president Carl Ziegler marked the 50th anniversary by referring to Swiss Export’s transformation “from a self-help organisation for SMEs to a centre of excellence.” He wasn’t too shy to call it “the largest private export promoter in Switzerland.”
When asked about the current guiding themes of Swiss SMEs, SE managing director Claudia Moerker said that “innovation and flexibility, digitalisation and processes” are at the association’s forefront. It proved it has he right instincts by raising the issue of artificial intelligence (AI) early on. Since November 2022, everyone has been talking about ChatGPT. The key note speaker at the Swiss Export Day, Pascal Kaufmann, focused on the opportunities for Switzerland as a workplace for SMEs.
“AI can complement humans and be part of an answer to staff shortages,” according to Moerker, who pointed out that according to estimates made by Professor Miriam Meckel of the HSG, AI could make up for about 170,000 missing workers. Regarding the skills shortage, the association advises innovation, “moving away from rigid career ideas towards values and meaning,” as Moerker said. One successful example was provided by the Swiss arm of the Swedish company Camfil recently, which recruited 30 new employees in two months through a social media campaign.
Moerker is convinced that “refocusing on Swiss quality meets with an echo throughout the German-speaking world.” Another issue is the fact 30,000 Swiss SMEs are face the question of succession in the coming years. “We bring players together so that as few firms as possible have to fold,” Moerker explained. For example, foundations like Renaissance Management can provide support in the form of advice and capital. Moerker describes as exemplary the approach of Gabriele Manser, the owner of Goba Mineralquelle who sold the majority of her shares to the Pfister Foundation in 2022.
Giving sustainability a face
The realisation that new regulations, such as the supply chain act, require SMEs with global activities to redefine their place in the value chain is another step. With ‘Swiss Ecomove’ Swiss Export provides the necessary tools to enable SMEs to address their environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) duties.
The sustainability certificate ‘ESG2go’ includes a rating for SMEs, which is supported by Swiss Export’s strategic partner UBS and is available for CHF 600 in the first year. 200 Swiss companies have already come on board. Other initiatives, such as UBS Helpetica for volunteering, complement the offer. So what do members expect from the association in a phase when exports are hampered by a sluggish economy? “Our survey of companies is still underway,” Moerker elucidated.
What is certain is that what members want from the association is unchanged – networking, advice, speakers and training opportunities. “Our events have been fully booked since the outbreak of Covid-19 started, which shows us that we address topics that are of great interest,” Moerker knows. After all, she says, the association with its more than 500 members has been growing by 5–7% a year in recent years – proof that it’s doing plenty right.Christian Doepgen