Compared to India’s Jaipur Festival, now regarded as one of the world’s leading literary events and heavily attractive to young readers, the Geneva Book and Press Fair is a different beast. Far more commercial, it is seeking to establish itself as the throbbing heart of the publishing industry, at least in Europe. Even though the […]

Le Groupement des Entreprises Multinationales (GEM) is a group of over 80 multinational companies based in the cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Fribourg. It promotes the interests of its members with the authorities and general public. GEM is organizing five evening events featuring senior management and members of the Council of State of Geneva from […]

According to the recent annual “Global Powers of Consumer Products” report issued by Deloitte, despite a slowdown in the global economy, the world’s 250 largest consumer products companies generated sales in excess of $3.1 trillion in 2012. This resulted in an average company size of $12.5 billion in net sales. With net sales of over […]

LAUSANNE. In a close vote in the referendum on 13 April, the planned commercial and residential project, Tour de Beaulieu, nicknamed the “Taoua” was rejected by 51.9% of Lausanne voters. Turnout for the vote was 37.6% which according to the municipality was unusually high for such a vote. The controversial project had been the source […]

The Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANI) has just released its latest report on cyber threats and the protection of personal and business information. One aspect, which is particularly worrying for everyday computer users, is extortion malware or ransomware. This is used to extort money from the owners of infected computers. The principle […]

The number of new motorcycles registered in Switzerland increased by a staggering 15.1% in the first quarter of 2014 as compared to last year. Over 10,500 two-wheelers will now be taking to the nation’s roads. In the same period, according to Office fédéral des routes, 68,722 new passenger cars (voitures de tourisme) were registered – […]

An interim solution to the halt of Erasmus + has been given the all clear by the Federal Council at a meeting this week in Bern. In an announcement likely to be welcomed by academia, students and business alike, the Federal Council has agreed that costs of implementing an interim solution to maintain key elements […]

Bern is to reduce what it heavily terms as “VAT-related competitive disadvantages suffered by domestic companies”. It claims that services bought from abroad are often wrongly procured without VAT and are thereby less expensive for the buyer than domestic services. The government has therefore decided that in future, foreign companies must give a Swiss VAT […]