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BUSINESS :“Enriching Life through Communication”Huawei Technologies Switzerland AG

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT :Micro and Nano Writ LargeThe Empa Laser Center in Thun

LIVING :Learning for the WorldThe International School of Berne and K12 Inc

COVER STORY :“Konolfingen is synonymous with quality, innovation and technology” bernecapitalarea talks to Eugenio SimioniGeneral Manager of Nestlé Switzerland

CANTON OF BERNE – INTERNATIONALLY CENTRAL

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MAGAzINE ON BUSINESS, SCIENCE AND LIVING IN THE CANTON OF BERNE; SWITzERLAND 2012 Edition

The Swiss Market is waiting for you

KPMG in Switzerland supports you with experienced specialists. We provide valuable local knowledge

and assist you in your market entry. We help you setting up your company and managing tax & legal requirements. KPMG is here to support

every step of the way – contact us.

Hans Jürg Steiner, Partner Head of Tax & Offi ce Manager KPMG Berne

Hofgut, 3073 Gümligen-Bern T: +41 31 384 76 57

E: [email protected]

www.kpmg.ch

© 2011 KPMG Holding AG/SA, a Swiss corporation, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member of the KPMG network of independent firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss legal entity. All rights reserved. The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.

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CONTENTS PagE 3

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8–17

10

12

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18–27

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24

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28-37

30

32

34

36

40

41

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COVER STORY :

BUSINESS :

LIVING :

BERNE ECONOmIC dEVELOpmENT aGENCY :

RESEaRCH & dEVELOpmENT :

pages 24 – 25 :

ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research

pages 14 – 15 :

CSL Behring AG

pages 36 – 37 :

The International School of Berne and K12 Inc

“Konolfingen is synonymous with quality, innovation and technology” Talk to Eugenio Simioni, General Manager of Nestlé Switzerland

What Drives UsDoing Business Internationally

Time is your FriendLa Montre Hermès SA in Brügg

“Enriching Life through Communication”Huawei Technologies Switzerland AG in Köniz

The Plasma Miracle of Berne CSL Behring AG in Berne

Langenthal is Shaping the FutureSolar Industries AG in Langenthal

What Takes Us ForwardInternational Research and Development

Micro and Nano Writ LargeThe Empa Laser Center in Thun

The Energy Storage System of the FutureBattery Consult sagl in Meiringen

“Integration of Education, Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship” The ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research in Berne

“Engraving, Beveling and Skeletonizing”Watch manufactory Armin Strom AG in Biel

What Moves UsInternational Living

Ski Slalom, Wooden Masks and Thomas CookBritish Influence in Interlaken

The House of Switzerland in LondonPresence Switzerland at the 2012 Olympic Games

“For me it’s not just about playing the piano”Jeremy Menuhin and the Menuhin Festival Gstaad

Learning for the WorldThe International School of Berne and K12 Inc

Working for BusinessesSupport from the BEDA

Region Goes From Strength to StrengthNew companies in the Canton of Berne

Fly the Easy WayFast, practical and flexible flights from Bern-Belp

Win a Feel-good WeekendTry your luck in the BEDA competition

Events in the Canton of BerneDates for your diary in the region

TogeTher sTriving for more success.

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credit suisse supports the swiss national football teams.

Credit Suisse has been supporting Swiss football since 1993. We support the senior national teams with the same pride and passion as we do youth football. We wish all our teams every success for their matches in 2012. Hopp Schwiiz! Let’s go, Switzerland!

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21051_210x280_Bern2012_fusA_e.indd 1 23.12.11 13:24

EdiTOrial SEiTE 5

Dear Reader

“Internationally central” – you will be hard pressed to find a location in Europe that fits this description better than the Canton of Berne. Located as it is at the heart of Switzerland and at the center of Europe, our region offers a highly qualified, multilingual, open-minded workforce and an excellent infrastructure that gives companies direct access to all European markets. As the country’s seat of government, Berne is home to our foreign embassies and various international organizations. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site. Our canton boasts numerous international companies, schools, associations and institutions and is the location of Switzerland’s largest bilingual city, Biel/Bienne. It combines a high standard of living with security and a highly diverse leisure and cultural offer.

In this latest edition of our magazine you will discover how international companies are benefiting from our cutting-edge technology and expertise, and from the fruitful synergies in our key industries – precision engineering, medical technology, environmental and energy technology, ICT, and design. Explore products from the watchmaking industry with its long tradition in the Bernese Seeland and the Bernese Jura, like Armin Strom AG’s innovative handmade chronographs and La Montre Hermès’ exclusive watches. In a region with a large number of expat families, an international school is a must; read how the International School of Berne makes global learning and teaching an integral part of the timetable thanks to a smart new partnership. And did you know that British influence has helped shape the Interlaken region for more than 200 years?

But the emphasis is not just on establishing an international community here in the Canton of Berne. We are also reaching out to other countries and cultivating a presence there, as you will read in the article on the House of Switzerland at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and in our interview with world-class bicycle racer Fabian Cancellara.

Find out in this edition of bernecapitalarea why the Canton of Berne is an excellent, “internationally central” place to live and work. I hope you enjoy reading our magazine and that it will provide plenty of stimulating food for thought.

Yours truly,

Andreas RickenbacherVice-President of the Government of the Canton of BerneMinister of Economic Affairs

“Konolfingen is synonymous with quality, innovation and technology”We talk to Eugenio Simioni

Nestlé expanded its production capacities in Konolfingen in 2011. Eugenio Simioni, General Manager of Nestlé Switzerland, talks about the strategic importance of the location,Switzerland as a manufacturing base, and the secret of Emmental milk.

PagE 6 COvErSTOry

How important is Switzerland to Nestlé as a global company?“Switzerland may not be particularly im-portant as a market, accounting for around two per cent of the group’s turnover, but it still plays a key role as a country of origin for Nestlé. We not only have our headquar-ters here but also a number of research centers and production facilities in which we invest on an ongoing basis. Switzerland is also one of our pilot markets for new products. We are currently testing an inter-net platform for luxury chocolate, Maison Cailler, here, as well as a new capsule system for infant nutrition, Babynes. This premium product is being produced at our Konolfingen facility.”

"mY FIRST JOB aT NESTLE 22 YEaRS aGO WaS aN INTERNSHIp IN KONOLFINGEN." EUGENIO SImIONI, GENERaL maNaGER OF NESTLE SWITZERLaNd

In your opinion, what benefits does Switzerland offer?“Undoubtedly its extremely discerning market and excellent levels of education and training. Besides our historical ties, the high-caliber research expertise available here is one of the main reasons why Nestlé continues to invest in Switzerland.”

Many regard the strong Swiss franc as a disadvantage these days.“At the moment the currency is more of a short-term challenge as far as we are concerned. We base our investments on long-term goals. Nestlé is a global com-pany; there are other risks in other places. So the strong Swiss franc is not a reason

Information www.nestle.ch

for Nestlé to reduce its commitment to Switzerland. On the contrary, it is challeng-ing us to become even more competitive here.”

How important is the Konolfingen facility to the Nestlé group?“It is an important manufacturing and re-search center for infant and healthcare nutrition. We have been producing high-quality export products here for many years. One exception is our Stalden Crème, which we only produce for the local mar-ket. Konolfingen is synonymous with qual-ity, innovation and technology, which is why we are expanding our production and research capacities here. Our Product Technology Center is of strategic impor-tance to the group as our global center for

infant and healthcare nutrition. We develop new products there which are manufac-tured at Konolfingen and in other produc-tion units in different countries.”

How much has Nestlé invested in Konolfingen?“We invested CHF 200 million in our state-of-the-art production unit for probiotic in-fant nutrition, which opened in 2011. Prior to that we had already invested a total of CHF 200 million over the years, creating

ally very happy to relocate. Most people appreciate the high standard of living in Switzerland. Our production facilities are usually located in industrial environments, not in cities. So no Nestlé employee would mind coming to Konolfingen – and anyway, it’s not that far from Berne.”

What medium-term goals do you have for Nestlé Switzerland?“To achieve good, healthy growth and to be better than our competitors. We also want to prove to the group that Switzerland is still an excellent manufacturing base.”

370 new jobs in the process. We believe that the infant nutrition sector has excellent growth prospects.”

All the products you produce in Konolfingen are milk-based. Where does this milk come from?“Mainly from Emmental. We process 70,000 tonnes of milk from 390 producers with about 10,000 cows every year. We are expecting the volume of milk we use to double over the next few years.”

Is Emmental milk better than milk from the rest of Switzerland?(laughs) “I have not tested the milk in every region myself, but I do believe that given Nestlé’s extremely high quality standards, if we have been using Emmental milk for decades it must be good! Coincidentally, my first job at Nestlé 22 years ago was an internship in Konolfingen, where I visited several farms with the production manager on my very first day. This was followed by a three-week stint on the assembly line where I learned a great deal about our milk-based products.”

There are specialists from more than 30 countries working in Konolfingen. Are these international experts happy to relocate to rural Emmental?“We have large numbers of academically trained expats at our development center: microbiologists, chemists, nutritional sci-entists and engineers. People who are keen to pursue an international career at Nestlé – as indeed many are – are gener-

“ Switzerland is a major research and production location for Nestlé.”

FACTS & FIGURES

Nestlé employs around 9,500 people in Switzerland. In various locations across the country the world’s largest food company with its headquarters in Vevey (VD) has eight production facilities, one of its two international research centers and three product technology centers, one of which is located in Konolfingen. Nestlé Switzer-land achieved a turnover of CHF 2.1 billion in 2010; the figure for the Nestlé group as a whole was around CHF 110 billion.

FACTS & FIGURES

Eugenio Simioni (45) joined Nestlé in 1989 after graduating in Economics at the University of Geneva. In 1994 he moved to Asia where his roles included Head of Marketing and Sales at Nestlé in the Philippines. He returned to group headquarters in 2007 as Head of Group Audit and has been General Manager of Nestlé Switzerland since 2011. Eugenio Simioni lives with his family in Blonay (VD).

The Canton of Berne is a world-class, “internationally central” business region. Global corporations such as pharmaceuticals giant CLS Behring, luxury watch manufacturer La Montre Hermès SA, telecommunications equipment provider Huawei

What Drives Us

BUSINESS : paGE 8

Technologies and solar panel manufacturer Solar Industries are benefiting from the state-of-the-art technology, specialist expertise, highly skilled multilingual workforce and fruitful synergies to be found in the Canton of Berne..

La mONTRE HERmÈS pROdUCES ITS LUXURY WaTCHES IN BRÜGG aT THE HEaRT OF THE TRadITIONaL WaTCHmaKING REGION OF BIEL-SEELaNd.

Time is your FriendLa Montre Hermès in Brügg

Hermès is synonymous with luxury leather accessories. But its fastest growing product segment is watches. From its Brügg base, La Montre Hermès is planning the next stage on its expansion trajectory.

Located in the Brügg industrial zone, the modern building is pleasing to the eye. In the middle of the entrance hall suffused with natural light there is a sculpture of a horse. Just as this artwork references the Hermès emblem, so too does the architecture of the

building reflect the French fashion house’s self-image. “Our building was designed by the same architect as our production center in Paris,”

La Montre Hermès CEO Luc Perramond ex-plains. Allowing natural light to flood through the building is not done purely for aesthetic reasons: Hermès craftsmen prefer to work in natural light.

While the traditional Paris brand is primarily known for its luxury leather accessories and handbags, watches are actually among its longest-standing products, having featured in the Hermès product range since 1928. For many decades manufacturing was out-sourced, always favoring Swiss quality. But in 1978 the group decided to bring its watch manufacturing in-house. To meet the com-

pany’s high quality standards, it was decid-ed to base La Montre Hermès at the heart of the watchmaking industry in Biel. “It was the first time in our company’s history that a product segment was based outside France,” says Perramond, CEO of La Mon-

tre Hermès since 2009. Watches account for some 5% of the Hermès group’s turno-ver, a figure that is set to increase: in 2010 La Montre Hermès announced double-fig-ure turnover growth. And the future is bright. Hermès aims to further develop its house style and expand its manufacturing. It also plans to collaborate with Vaucher, a well-known exponent of haute horlogerie, with a view to boosting its know-how.

The finest leatherHermès chronometers are assembled in Brügg by experienced watchmakers. Every last one of the individual components is made in Switzerland, Perramond affirms. Brügg is an ideal location, he believes, be-cause it is close to suppliers and enables the company to recruit the highest caliber staff. La Montre Hermès moved here from Biel in 1999, receiving excellent support from the Berne Economic Development Agency for the construction of the new building, Luc Perramond explains.

The most distinctive feature of these time-pieces from Brügg is their watch straps:

FACTS & FIGURES

La Montre Hermès is part of the French Hermès group. Established in 1837, the family-run company’s headquarters are in Paris. The Brügg facility has a workforce of around 100 people. Watches account for about 5% of Hermès’ annual turnover, which amounted to € 2.4 billion in 2010.

PagE 10 BUSiNESS : WhaT drivES US

“ Hermès is synonymous with craftsmanship. We make watches for people who love quality.”

THE La mONTRE HERmÈS WaREHOUSE STOCKS maNY dIFFERENT TYpES OF aNd COLORS OF LEaTHER.

Information www.hermes.com

Hermès is probably the only watch pro-vider to produce its own straps. And this is hardly surprising, since leather finishing is the core competence of the Paris-based label, whose origins lie in the manufacture of riding accessories. Stored in the base-ment of the production facility in Brügg are leathers with a range of origins and colors: besides cowhide, more exclusive materials like ostrich or alligator are represented. Alligator is the material of choice for leath-erworker Marie Vieille-Marchiset, who learned her trade in the company’s Paris workshops. We could not resist the temp-tation to ask about the secret behind Hermès’ working method. “It’s patience,” Marie explains with a grin. However plau-sible this may sound, there will be other hidden aspects to the meticulous handi-work of this traditional company at the pin-nacle of global fashion.

Referencing traditionHermès aficionados include celebrities and

ORIGINS IN SaddLEmaKING: LUC pERRamONd WITH THE EmBLEm OF THE FRENCH HERmÈS GROUp.

the crowned heads like Umberto II, the last king of Italy. So is the Brügg factory prima-rily creating a product for the rich and fa-mous? Luc Perramond shakes his head. “No, we make watches for people who love quality. Hermès is synonymous with crafts-manship.” However, purchasing a Hermès watch, with prices ranging between CHF 2,000 and CHF 15,000, does presup-pose a certain appreciation for the out-of-

the-ordinary. The CEO wears the Hermès Arceau Le Temps Suspendu himself. With its horseshoe-shaped attachment, it is both a reference to the traditional craft of saddlemaking and a trick of time: at the touch of a button, the hands move to an unusual resting position and the date hand disappears. Time is your friend, not a stress factor – that is the message this chronom-eter portrays. To return the hands to their “proper” position, the wearer simply press-es the button again. And time is no longer suspended.

FACTS & FIGURES

Luc Perramond (49) studied Finance and Business administration in Paris and the USA, graduating with an MBA. He then went on to work in senior positions with various watch compa-nies, including Tag Heuer, LVMH Montres and H. Stern. He has been CEO of La Montre Hermès in Brügg since 2009.

“ The secret behind the Hermès method is patience.”

Your company is a global player active in over 140 countries. Why have you chosen Köniz as the Swiss headquarters of your firm? “It’s quite simple: in line with Huawei Tech-nologies’ policy we want to be as close to our information and communication tech-nology (ICT) partners and customers as possible. Besides the central location in Switzerland, the Canton of Berne has im-pressed us with its numerous ICT compa-nies. In Köniz, in addition to customer serv-ices we are focusing on sales activities, so it’s important for us to have fast, direct ac-cess to our customers and partners from our site.”

ments that further strengthen our market position.”

What milestones mark the success of your company in Switzerland?“Shortly after becoming established in Köniz in 2008, we have achieved a major breakthrough with a very large telecommu-nications provider. For this customer we

“Enriching Life through Communication” Huawei Technologies Switzerland AG in Köniz

Huawei Technologies Switzerland AG places a high value on communication. This extends beyond talking about products and services to include intercultural events for customers and employees, as Managing Director Tony Cheng relates.

How has Huawei Switzerland developed since opening its doors three and a half years ago?“Since 2008 we’ve enjoyed continuous growth. In May 2011 we were able to open a branch office in the Zurich region. We now employ 70 specialists from ten na-tions.”

What do you offer your customers?“Our portfolio includes a wide range of services and solutions for our partners and customers, who belong to the biggest Swiss telecommunications providers. With a variety of local companies we are able to enter into long-term cooperative arrange-

“ It’s important for us to have quick, direct access to our customers.”


BUSiNESS : WhaT drivES US PagE 13

are building the backbone – the core link-ing the telecommunication network to-gether with very high data transmission rates – which connects the whole of Swit-zerland. The provider chose us because

we could offer the best technology. In 2009 and 2010 we developed our business and recruited numerous new employees. We are now already a recognized supplier in the carrier market. Since the beginning of 2011 we have also been expanding in the enterprise sector in order to make our high-grade products also available to busi-ness customers in Switzerland.”

What’s the source of your success?“We not only offer our customers tailored solutions and products, but at the same time ensure we implement them as cost-effectively as possible. This in turn allows our customers to achieve healthy and sus-tainable growth that generates a long-term relationship. We believe customers’ trust is

the basis of our success. We therefore in-vite them to visit our headquarters and show them the exact nature of, and ap-proach to, our work here. This approach is in line with our company motto: ‘Enriching Life through Communication’.”

How else do you enrich the life of your customers?“In our company we regularly hold intercul-tural seminars and events to which we also invite our customers. We use these to give insights into the Chinese culture and mindset. This helps promote an exchange with our customers and strengthens their trust in us.”

Why as an entrepreneur are you placing your trust in Switzerland and in the Canton of Berne in particular?“I find it outstanding that everything here is so reliable, high quality, punctual and pro-fessional. I suppose this is especially strik-ing for expats like me, who tend to draw an immediate comparison with other coun-tries. In the Canton of Berne in particular we have found conditions very conducive to our business activities and received comprehensive first-rate support. I also like to describe the area of my new home and place of work as a ‘little paradise’. As far as our business is concerned, this ex-tends to life and leisure in general – and of course to communication.”

Information www.huawei.com

NEaRBY: WHaT TONY CHENG paR-TICULaRLY appRECIaTES aBOUT HIS COmpaNY’S LOCaTION IN THE CaN-TON OF BERNE IS THE pROXImITY TO paRTNERS aNd CUSTOmERS IN THE ICT SECTOR.

INTERNaTIONaL EXCHaNGE: STaFF aT HUaWEI TECHNOLOGIES SWITZERLaNd aG dON’T JUST TaLK TECH: THE FOCUS IS aLSO ON INTERCULTURaL ENRICHmENT.

FACTS & FIGURES

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is a provider of telecom solutions founded in 1988 and headquartered in Shen-zhen, China. The company is a world market leader in switching techno - logy, networking products, software applications and terminals, and employs more than 120,000 people in over 100 branches in more than 140 countries. The company also operates 29 research and 29 training centers throughout the world. Huawei Technologies Switzerland AG moved into its Swiss headquarters in Köniz near Berne in 2008. A branch was opened in the Zurich region at the end of 2011.

FACTS & FIGURES

Tony Cheng (37), whose Chinese name is Cheng Ji, was born in the Province of Zhejiang and graduated from Peking University with a Master of Information Administration. Before establishing Huawei Technologies Switzerland AG together with Wenwei Xu, Chun Hui and Lifang Chen in 2008, he had worked in the telecom-munications industry for many years. Today Tony Cheng is Managing Director of the Köniz company. With his wife and his four-year-old son, he lives in Liebefeld, and his favorite leisure activities are skiing, cycling and playing basketball.

“ I like to describe the Canton of Berne as a ‘little paradise’.”

The Plasma Miracle of BerneCSL Behring AG

While jobs disappear from the pharmaceutical industry elsewhere, CSL Behring is expanding in Berne. Careful management, first-class know-how and good location marketing are responsible for the blossoming of the former nonprofit organization.

On the way to CSL Behring you pass a column commemorating the legendary World Cup Final of 1954. The German team’s unforgettable entry into the annals of football at the Wankdorf Stadium in Berne is being reflected by a different squad also making history almost next door. CSL Behring has a prominent posi-tion on the world map of immunodeficiency drugs. Massive expansion being under-taken at present is generating a constant stream of researchers and builders on the company’s site. Despite the acronym CSL

standing for an Australian biotech group, the company has an essentially Swiss ori-gin – as the Blood Donor Service of the Swiss Red Cross. This began in the 1950s, with products being developed from blood plasma in the Central Laboratory of the SRC Blood Donor Service (ZLB). Put sim-ply, plasma is the liquid component of

blood, whereas the remaining parts, for example the blood cells, are solid. The protein-rich plasma can be separated (fractionated) and processed into products for treating immunological and other disor-ders.

A Medical RevolutionThe ZLB soon established itself in the

“Champions League” of plasma research: Having already developed a pioneering production process in the 1960s, in 1979 it achieved a breakthrough whose effects are still being felt. “The launch of the first immunoglobulin for intravenous adminis-tration was a medical revolution”, says Uwe E. Jocham, Senior Vice President and General Manager of CSL Behring in Berne. This product, one of the most im-portant CSL Behring medicines, repre-sents a milestone as a means of treating

“ CSL was welcomed with open arms and superbly supported at all times.”

pHaRmaCIST pETER RÖTHLISBERGER TaKES SampLES FOR SUBFRaC TIONaTION (LEFT). IN THE ImmUNOGLOBULIN pROdUCTION pLaNT, pHaRma TECHNI-CIaN RaYmONd HENZER OpERaTES THE NaNOFILTRaTION SYSTEm (RIGHT).

FACTS & FIGURES

CSL Behring AG is a subsidiary of the Australian biotech group CSL Limited. It is one of the leading manufacturers of plasma protein products, with production facilities in Berne, Marburg (Germany) and Kankakee (USA). Worldwide, CSL Behring employs about 9,100 people in 19 countries.


immunodeficiencies. Bavarian Uwe E. Jo-cham has been active in the company since 2000. In the same year, the Swiss Red Cross decided to sell the ZLB. The disposal of the old-established laboratory to an Australian company gave rise to astonishment at first. “It was, however, the right decision”, emphasizes Jocham. None of the competing potential purchas-ers professed such a clear commitment to this location as CSL. The group has since

invested more than 300 million francs in Berne and created the world’s biggest and most modern production facilities for im-munoglobulins. In the last eleven years the Berne company has doubled its workforce to more than 1,000. Its highly qualified personnel come from 49 different na tions. The company’s supreme achievements have been honored with accolades such as the HIV Prize, the Espace Mittelland Prize for Entrepreneurship from the Swiss Venture Club (SVC) and the Tell Award of the Swiss Government.

Signs Set for ExpansionJocham says that the Berne authorities made an important contribution to this wonderful achievement: “CSL was wel-comed with open arms and superbly sup-ported at all times.” This made it easier for managers to build up trust in this location, which serves a key function for the group. This central role is due to around a third of the total turnover being generated in Berne, where with the immunoglobulins the most important and fastest growing group of products is based. The latest “Berne product”, a liquid 20% immu-noglobulin for subcutaneous administra-tion, is a bestseller. The pipeline is primed with further interesting product develop-ments, and the signs are definitely set for expansion. In Berne, for 65 million francs CSL is building a new logistics and service center and expanding the production fa-cilities. Its environmentally friendly solu-tions include heating surrounding build-ings with the waste heat from production. A not unimportant factor made possible by the location is cooperation with differ-ent Swiss universities, such as the Univer-sity of Berne, where Uwe E. Jocham lec-tures. The industrious pharmacist also sits on numerous panels, such as the Medical Cluster, for example. His social commit-ment reflects the company tradition of not just pursuing commercial aims, but also

“Breathtaking natural and first-class work environments are an excellent argument for this location.”

FACTS & FIGURES

Uwe E. Jocham (48) studied pharmacy in Munich, qualified as a pharmacist specializing in pharma-ceutical technology and is a certified marketing planner. Since 2000 he has worked in Berne for CSL Behring AG, becoming Senior Vice President and General Manager in 2004. The father of two sons lives with his family in Goldiwil. His hobbies include golf, ice hockey, cooking and skiing.

helping people achieve a higher quality of life. Together with his family he lives above Lake Thun. “It’s almost as beautiful as Ba-varia there”, he says – a tongue-in-cheek reference to his home region. In actual fact you would be hard put to find a more en-thusiastic ambassador for the Bernese Oberland than him. “The combination of the natural world and good infrastructure is ideal. And the view of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau is incomparable”, enthuses Jocham, who regards the conjunction of breathtaking natural and first-class work environments as an excellent argument for this location.

Information www.cslbehring.ch

FROm HIS ROOF SENIOR VICE pRESIdENT aNd GENERaL maNaGER UWE E. JOCHam CaN LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH CONFIdENCE. aROUNd a THIRd OF THE GROUp’S TURNOVER IS GENERaTEd IN BERN-WaNKdORF.


Rolf Wägli, 60, President of the Advisory Board of Solar Industries AG, is a man of action. Environmentally friendly energy has long been an issue for him. Back in the 1990s he read reports on imminent climate change. “At that time it became clear to me that we have to act and look for alternatives to conventional power generation”, ex-plains the entrepreneur. In 2008, in the Canton of Glarus, he launched Solar Indus-tries AG – a solar company that initially ac-quired an interest in an Italian module pro-ducer, and purchased and expanded a module production facility in Freiburg im

GROUNd-BREaKING: IN LaTE OCTOBER 2011 ROLF WäGLI (CENTRE) LaId THE FOUNdaTION STONE FOR SWITZERLaNd’S LaRGEST pHOTOVOLTaICS FaCTORY, WHICH WILL STaRT pROdUCING HIGH-qUaLITY SOLaR paNELS WITH a WORKFORCE OF 40 FROm mId-2012 ON.

Langenthal is Shaping the FutureSolar Industries AG Building Solar Panel Factory

Digging and hammering signal construction in Langenthal of the largest factory for solar panels in Switzerland. 40 employees will start their new jobs here as early as June 2012, manufacturing 400,000 modules per year in the future.

“ Langenthal offers the biggest advan-tages as a location.”

Breisgau. Now follows the next step for Rolf Wägli: construction of the company’s own solar module production plant in Switzer-land. There are sound reasons for building

the factory in the Canton of Berne rather than Glarus: “Langenthal quite simply offers us the biggest advantages as a location”, explains Wägli. The central position and


favorable land prices on the one hand, and the fair tax framework and good municipal infrastructure on the other, are convincing arguments. Another crucial factor was the fact that the Canton of Berne is at the fore-front of the photovoltaics sector and well-trained personnel are available. "Berne has an excellent solar cluster from which we can benefit", mentions Rolf Wägli, adding: “In future we will work closely with the Berne University of Applied Sciences in Burgdorf, whose technical facilities include its own photovoltaics laboratory.”As a partner and the most important share-holder in Solar Industries AG (SIAG), the Berne utility company “Energie Wasser Bern” (EWB) is closely involved. “Participa-tion in SIAG is a strategic move and strengthens our intention to position our-selves in the renewable energies sector”, says Marcel Ottenkamp, Head of the Net-works Department at EWB and Member of the Board of Directors of Solar Industries. EWB is convinced that solar energy offers great potential for power generation not just in the sunny south, but in Switzerland as well.

Capacity of a Nuclear Power StationThe groundbreaking ceremony for the new solar panel factory was held at the end of October 2010. Construction is continuing apace. The new production facility will cov-er an area of 17,000 square meters, which is roughly equivalent to the size of two and a half football pitches. The cost is corre-

spondingly high: Solar Industries is invest-ing a total of 25 million francs. The building is due for completion by the end of May 2012, with the start of panel production scheduled for June. From summer on-wards, 40 workers will be manufacturing solar panels. Subsequent, incremental ex-pansion up to 70 employees or more is possible. An average of 400,000 solar pan-els per year will be produced for the Swiss market. What this means in practice is il-lustrated by Rolf Wägli with the aid of an example: “With a production capacity of 100 megawatt the Langenthal factory will

be manufacturing modules with a capacity of ten percent of an average nuclear power station. In other words: in ten years Solar Industries alone will produce sufficient modules to replace one of these nuclear power stations”.

Two Product LinesSIAG will manufacture two types of solar panel as standard: roof- and façade-mounted modules. As emphasized by Wägli, these are high-quality and hence du-rable panels. They turn roofs and façades into intelligent building envelopes. For a de-

FACTS & FIGURES

Entrepreneur Rolf Wägli, 60, has worked in sectors including the private banking industry, became a self-employed asset manager in the 1990s and founded the companies 3S (Swiss Solar System) and New Value (cleantech investments). In 2008 he launched Solar Industries AG, of which he is President of the Board of Directors. Wägli feels very attached to the Canton of Berne. His hometown is Bern-Belp, today he lives with his wife in Bergdietikon in the Canton of Aargau. Wägli is married, has three grown-up children and enjoys spending his leisure time in the great outdoors.

“ Within ten years we can replace a nuclear power station with our panels from Lan-genthal.”

tached house, the panels produce not only sufficient electricity for hot water and heat-ing, but also a surplus of approximately 25 percent, which a homeowner can sell to local electricity producers. “Minergie build-ings have already been superseded from the viewpoint of current photovoltaic tech-nology. The future generation of buildings is focused on positive energy.”

Information www.solarindustries.ch

FACTS & FIGURES

Solar Industries AG, which is headquartered in Niederurnen in the Canton of Glarus, owns subsidiaries in Freiburg im Breisgau (module production, 40 employees), Puchheim bei München (sales, 10 employees) and SI Solutions AG in Niederurnen (Swiss sales). It also has a sharehold-ing in an Italian company, which manufactures solar panels in Milan and New Jersey, USA.


Research and Development in the Canton of Berne is internationally relevant: nanometer-thin surfaces with unique properties are under the microscope at the new Empa Laser Center in Thun, Battery Consult is ushering in a new era in storage technology,

What takes us forward

RESEaRCH & dEVELOpmENT : paGE 18

the ARTORG Center in Berne is an international reference institution for medical technology research, and the fine art of watchmaking meets state-of-the-art Formula 1 technology at Armin Strom AG in Biel.

mOdEL OF a LIVER aFFECTEd BY a TUmOR: INTEN SIVE RESEaRCH INTO aRTIFICIaL ORGaNS IS BEING CONdUCTEd aT THE aRTORG CENTER aNd THE INSTITUTE FOR SURGICaL TECHNOLOGY aNd BIOmE-CHaNICS (ISTB) aT THE UNIVERSITY OF BERNE.

rESEarCh aNd dEvElOPMENT : WhaT TaKES US FOrWard

Which section of the laser center has already been commissioned?“The heart of our center is the recently completed excimer laser facility. We run this in conjunction with our partner, the start-up company Crealas GmbH. We are also in-volved in other installations for processing materials with lasers, and in projects being carried out under the direction of Empa with different partner companies”.

What’s the purpose of the excimer laser facility?“Its pulsed ultraviolet laser beam can ab-late layers precisely from large surfaces of up to three square meters. This facility is

Micro and Nano Writ LargeThe Empa Laser Center in Thun

Empa Director Prof. Gian-Luca Bona reveals how nanometer-thin surfaces with unique properties are being researched and produced in the new Empa Laser Center in Thun, and why regional and international customers and partners are benefiting.

to be produced in a single piece. Films for optical security features can also be manu-factured. Examples include replacing the holograms on banknotes with microstruc-tured films with optical 3D effects. Also pos-sible are films for optical structures with light-controlling properties, such as 3D screens that work without glasses.”

What else can be achieved through microstructuring of surfaces?“Surface microstructuring can be used to create new physico-mechanical effects. For example, the microstructures can reduce friction, lower the amount of drag or inhibit fungal growth. Also conceivable is the devel-opment of new kinds of windowpanes that illuminate interiors at night and act as solar cells during the day. Another idea is to create materials for electrochemical processes, us-ing them to form electrical connections on flexible screens or solar cells.”

How can the laser center benefit from its location in the Canton of Berne and vice versa? “We enjoy excellent networking in the re-gion, working extremely successfully with

one of only three of its kind in use world-wide. The 19-tonne granite table acting as the base was transported to Thun in spectacular fashion in October 2010.”

What’s the benefit of removing layers just nanometers thick from large areas?“This technique not only brings benefits to materials science, but also opens up new prospects for our industrial partners. Laser machining of large surfaces allows manu-facturing of molding tools with which indus-try can produce structured films cheaply and in bulk. Until now, molding tools always had to be assembled from several parts, whereas the new laser center enables them

"WHaT SpaRKEd mY INTEREST IN pHYSICS? EVEN aS a CHILd I WaNTEd TO UNdERSTaNd THE INTRICaCIES OF HOW THE WORLd WORKEd. I COULdN’T BELIEVE WE dIdN’T FaLL OFF THE GLOBE IF IT WaS aS ROUNd aS a FOOTBaLL aNd REVOLVING aLL THE TImE!" pROF. GIaN-LUCa BONa, dIRECTOR OF Empa.

“ Nanometer-thin layers not only bring benefits to materials science, but also open up new prospects for our industrial partners.”

smaller firms like Rofin-Lasag through to major concerns such as Meyer-Burger. In-novative companies in the canton will be able to derive even greater benefits from our new type of laser center in the future. The economic area of Thun already has the highest density of mechanical engineering and metalworking jobs in the whole of Switzerland. We are committed to ensur-ing that, thanks to its unique equipment and the know-how of its scientific and en-gineering staff, the laser center will shed new light on the sector beyond our region and attain national and international impor-tance.”

To what extent is the Empa Laser Center already an international beacon?“As our excimer laser facility is almost unique worldwide as a means of forming micro- and nanostructures on large sur-faces of materials, our customer and part-ner base is also international. The laser center could be aptly described as being internationally central: Thun is right in the middle of Switzerland and Europe. And al-though the origins of the laser system lie in the UK, Swiss scientists were involved right from the outset and are now continu-ing to drive international R&D forward in Thun.”

Do you also involve undergraduate students, doctoral candidates and young scientists?“Empa takes it for granted that the genera-tion preparing their master’s dissertation or Ph.D. theses will also play a part in our projects. Like our permanent staff, they in-

clude materials scientists, physicists, opti-cal scientists and mechanical engineers.”

What is your vision for the laser center?“I would like the center to grow and flour-ish. We have in mind a whole series of in-novations we want to develop on the new facility together with our industrial part-ners. These are key technologies for new types of products, for example in the sec-tor of more efficient lighting of large areas, structures for coupling light into photo-voltaic solar cells, screen structures for ICT and packaging that cannot be copied or faked.”

Information www.empa.ch

“ On the new facility we want to develop a whole series of key technologies for new types of products.”

FACTS & FIGURES

The new Empa laser center with the only UV laser facility of its kind in the world was opened in Thun on 7 April 2011. The facility will help researchers develop new kinds of surfaces. Industrial partners will be able to use it to structure extensive films with micro- to nanometer precision. Prof. Gian-Luca Bona, Director of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), received his Ph.D. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), was Research Manager for Photonic Networks at the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory in Rüschlikon, and from 2004 was responsible for Science and Tech nology at IBM Research – Almaden in California. The physicist and research manager has an outstanding inter-national reputation thanks to a wide variety of scientific publications on materials and surface science as well as photonics and opto-electronics.

pREVIOUSLY THE SWISS maTERI-aLS TESTING INSTITUTE, NOW aN

INTERdISCIpLINaRY RESEaRCH aNd SERVICES INSTITUTION FOR

maTERIaLS SCIENCE aNd TECHNOLO-GY dEVELOpmENT: Empa OpENEd ITS

INTERNaTIONaLLY UNIqUE LaSER CENTER IN THUN IN 2011.

The Energy Storage System of the FutureBattery Consult sagl in Meiringen

Cord-Henrich Dustmann has an ambitious goal: he wants to open a new era of storage technology with his company Battery Consult and his salt battery.

About a dozen electric cars are parked in front of the entrance, against a backdrop of scaffolding – the outside wall is still under construction. However, inside the building almost everything is already in place. On the conference table lie technical articles in Eng-lish and Japanese. “I’ve been involved in bat-teries for more than twenty years”, relates Cord-Henrich Dustmann. The Ph.D. physi-cist from Germany looks back on a long ca-reer with some of the most renowned indus-trial companies. “The idea of further developing the salt battery has lain dormant in me for a long time. It’s now time to take a chance on the project”, says the 66-year-old.

FACTS & FIGURES

ese mobility management Genossenschaft in Meiringen is an electric mobility service provider, whose mission is to make mobility in general more climate-friendly and electric mobility in particular more accessible. Its services include battery and electric vehicle hire, as well as advice and support with financing or insurance questions. As a partner of Battery Consult, ese is also using salt batteries.

aT THE SERVICE OF UpCOmING GENERaTIONS: CORd-HENRICH dUSTmaNN WaNTS TO HELp THE SaLT BaTTERY aCHIEVE a BREaKTHROUGH.

rESEarCh aNd dEvElOPMENT : WhaT TaKES US FOrWard PagE 23

FACTS & FIGURES

Battery Consult sagl was estab-lished in the Canton of Tessin in 2008 and relocated its headquarters to Meiringen in 2011. On the site of this town’s former arsenal, where the company supported by the Swiss Fe - deral Office of Energy (SFOE) is based, a research campus will emerge in the future. Berne University of Applied Sciences in Biel is also contributing to the company’s devel-opment. In addition, Battery Consult is working with the hydroelectric power company Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG (KWO) and with the Ipaitu Hydroelec-tric Power Station in Brazil.

In fall 2011 he moved to Meiringen, where he wants to turn his dream into a reality. “Up to now we have had one major problem in that electrical energy can only be stored to a lim-ited extent”, says Dustmann. “This means the amount of electricity being generated al-ways has to exactly match the demand. In this respect the renewable energies such as solar and wind are at a disadvantage, as they cannot produce a constant output. As, until now, storage has been more expensive than the primary energy, the way out of the energy trap can only be via better and cheaper stor-age media.” And Dustmann believes his technology is a hot candidate for exactly this escape route. This is because the salt battery has various advantages: “The electrical en-ergy is stored in common salt. The other ac-tive materials – nickel, iron and aluminum – are readily available and recyclable. And the salt battery has a higher energy density than other types of battery.”

Immense PotentialThe salt battery was invented in the seven-ties, but is now only being produced by a single Tessin based company. Electric cars are one of the applications. Other types of battery are admittedly being used in most of the common electric vehicles, but the elec-tric mobility company ese mobility manage-ment Genossenschaft in Meiringen is com-mitted to salt batteries. However, according to Dustmann the fact that the salt battery has not managed to achieve a mass market breakthrough is less attributable to technical than to corporate policy reasons. Its im-mense potential, extending well beyond the electric car sector, is now being rediscov-

ered – even by big industry. General Electric will start production in 2012.

However, creative spirits like Battery Consult are in demand to continue developing the technology. With the aid of local develop-ment grants, Dustmann and his team of three have leased the former arsenal in Meir-ingen. Dustmann values the support he is getting in the region from various sources, and is pleased to have found young, moti-vated staff here. The wealth of experience of the physicist is thus being combined with the latest scientific know-how. One of the employees is the chemist Akane Harten-bach, who received her Ph.D. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). The young woman from Neuchâtel recently moved to the Bernese Oberland, where she likes both her exciting work and the idyllic surroundings.

On Behalf of Generations to ComeHartenbach is currently spending a lot of time in the laboratory in which the batteries are checked and tested. With the “Glove Box”, for example, where new formulations with sensitive chemicals for the salt battery are being tested with the exclusion of air and moisture. Most of the tests are performed in a thermally insulated environment. This is because one important disadvantage of the battery is that it is only capable of operating

at a temperature of about 300 degrees. Dustmann is nevertheless convinced by this technology, as it has the potential to store even large amounts of energy economically. “The bigger the battery is, the more critical the safety aspect becomes. The salt battery has an advantage here as well”, adds Dust-mann. If his vision one day becomes reality and the salt battery fit for the mass market, it will pave the way to supplying renewable energies. “I’m not pursuing this project for my own sake”, emphasizes Cord-Henrich Dustmann. “I’m doing it on behalf of the gen-erations that come after me.”

Information www.batteryconsult.ch https://esemobility.teamraum.ch

“ I’m not pursuing this project for my own sake.”

“Integration of Education, Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship”The ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research in Berne

« Unsere enge Zusam-menarbeit auf dem Ge-biet der Medizinaltech-nik ist einzigartig in der Schweiz und hat ein im-menses Zukunftspoten-tial. »

FACTS & FIGURES

Lutz-Peter Nolte is Director of the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research at the University of Berne. The Professor of Surgical Technology and Biomechanics originally studied structural engineer-ing and gained his doctorate in theoretical mechanics. As a result of a personal experience at the end of the 1980s he switched to the field of traditional biomechanics. In 1993 Nolte became Head of the Depart-ment of Orthopedic Biomechanics at the Maurice E. Müller (MEM) Institute of Biomechanics in Berne. Born in Germany, he is regarded as one of the pioneers of computer-aided ortho-pedic surgery. He has been Co-Direc-tor of the National Center of Compe-tence in Research (Co-Me) since 2001, became Co-Director of the MEM Center in 2003, and took on the task of establishing the new ARTORG Center in Berne in 2007.

What was the intention in establishing the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research?“We want to make a contribution to health care by integrating education, research, in-novation and entrepreneurship. The Cent-er supports this effort by encouraging a new type of partnership between clini-cians, laboratory scientists and technolo-gists. This strategy is unique in medical engineering in Switzerland at present and has immense future potential. From the starting point of specific problems and questions in routine clinical practice, close cooperation is resulting in the development of prototypes, whose effectiveness and safety are then verified in clinical studies. This can only be accomplished by expand-ing our local network with national and international contacts, as a means of ac-quiring complementary knowledge and ensuring appropriate know-how.”

What’s the main thrust of your research?“The research groups are thematically centered around the label of ‘artificial or-gans’ – including organ components, sup-

Director Prof. Lutz-Peter Nolte explains why biomedical research and development is carried out in the ARTORG Center in close collaboration with clinicians, technologistsand entrepreneurs.

port systems and related surgical tech-nologies. We are currently working in a total of ten groups, each headed by an assistant professor: Artificial Kidney Re-search, Artificial Hearing Research, Diabe-tes Technology, Spine Research Center, Cardiac Support Systems, Ophthalmic Technology, Lung Regeneration Technol-ogy, Cardiovascular Engineering, Implan-tation Technology and Gerontechnology & Rehabilitation.”

What unique innovations has the ARTORG Center already managed to develop?“A representative example is our GPS-like

NEW "GpS SYSTEm" FOR LIVER SURGERY: pROF. LUTZ-p. NOLTE dISCUSSES ImaGE GUIdEd LIVER SURGERY mETHOdS WITH HIS STUdENTS aT THE OT TaBLE aT THE INSTITUTE FOR SURGICaL TECHNOLOGY aNd BIOmECHaNICS.

PagE 24 rESEarCh aNd dEvElOPMENT : WhaT TaKES US FOrWard

FACTS & FIGURES

The ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research was estab-lished in 2007 by the University of Berne in conjunction with the Univer-sity Hospital. The aim was to promote education, research & development, innovation and startup companies in the field of biomedical engineering. Thanks to the developments achieved by the ARTORG Center, future patients should benefit from improvements such as more precise, shorter opera-tions, for example in the implantation of minute hearing aids.

navigation system for organ surgery, which allows precise targeting of tumors in the interior of the liver using three-dimensional imaging. After successful clinical evalua-tion, we established a multiple award-win-ning start-up company, which actively mar-kets this technology. Another example is a program being undertaken by our Cardio-vascular Technology research group with the aim of using the body as a source of energy for implants. In future this should avoid the need to change batteries for im-plants such as pacemakers, which used to involve the patient in very stressful surgical intervention. Other aspects we are pursu-ing include purely mechanical concepts. Being able to draw on the wealth of experi-ence of the Swiss precision industry is of great assistance here.”

Which Swiss institutions of technology are you cooperating with?“The ARTORG Center is a member of the National Center of Competence in Re-search ‘Computer Aided and Image Guid-ed Medical Interventions (Co-Me)’, which is a network established in 2001. Our uni-versity has been collaborating with the Medical Technology department of the Berne University of Applied Sciences for over five years. On the special master’s degree course ‘Biomedical Engineering’, we jointly train between 50 and 70 engi-neers each year as the next generation for the Swiss medical engineering industry. We also work with various groups of the Swiss institutes of technology, other universities of applied sciences and the CSEM Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de

Microtechnique, as well as the Swiss med-ical engineering industry, which helps fund a large number of projects directly or indi-rectly through the support program of the Commission for Technology and Innova-tion (CTI).” Why is Berne the ideal location for you? “Our close partnership with the involved clinical departments of the University Hos-pital (Inselspital) is exemplary and one of the cornerstones of the ARTORG Center. The Medical Faculty of the University of Berne, the University Hospital and the af-filiated research institutes are the joint lead-ers of medical research. Last but not least comes the strong presence of highly suc-

aRTORG dIRECTOR pROF. LUTZ-p. NOLTE IN THE aCOUSTIC CHamBER aT THE aRTORG CENTER IN WHICH HEaRING IS TESTEd.

cessful medical engineering companies in the Greater Berne area.” What do you want for the future of the ARTORG Center?“Over the next few years it will be important to sustainably establish our center. This will certainly entail a tightening of our thematic focus, but we will retain a certain degree of flexibility. In this way the ARTORG Center will become a reference institution for ap-plied and translational medical engineering research in Switzerland.”

Information www.artorg.unibe.ch

rESEarCh aNd dEvElOPMENT : WhaT TaKES US FOrWard PagE 25

“Engraving, Beveling and Skeletonizing”Watch Manufactory Armin Strom AG, Biel

Armin Strom’s exclusive timepieces are made with the very best materials in intricate manufacturing processes and with absolute dedication to the high art of watchmaking. Armin Strom and Serge Michel explain what this has to do with Formula 1 technology.

After 50 years in the watchmaking industry, Armin Strom can look back over a unique career. The visionary was one of the first people in Switzerland to attempt the art of skeletonizing. The removal of large sections of the movement to allow a view right through to the heart of the watch is still the hallmark of Armin Strom watches today. “Until 2006 I was a lone warrior creating watches in my modest workshop in Burg-dorf, but I always dreamed of setting up my own company one day,” Strom reminisces. Today, just under six years later, Armin Strom AG employs a dedicated team of 17 people making wristwatches that are among the most esthetically attractive and innovative of our time. Strom’s decision to base his com-pany in Biel was a conscious one. The out-

standing infrastructure in this traditional watchmaking city with its wide network of suppliers and highly skilled workforce is the perfect base for a company that is among the few remaining that still make and deco-rate every minute detail of their watches by hand. Time for Precision Craftsmanship“There are four crucial processes involved in the finest precision engineering that goes into finishing our timepieces,” Armin Strom explains. “First the individual components such as the bottom plates, bridges and wheels are prepared; with a few exceptions,

“ Innovations are very rare in today’s watch industry.”

aLL aRmIN STROm WaTCHES aRE madE IN BIEL. a CHaNCE mEETING WITH aRmIN STROm BROUGHT SERGE mICHEL TO THE COmpaNY. WITH HIS paSSION FOR mOTOR RaCING, THE CEO’S FaVORITE WaTCH IS THE 40 EXampLE aRmIN RaCING ONE WEEK LImITEd EdITION.

PagE 26 rESEarCh aNd dEvElOPMENT : WhaT TaKES US FOrWard

we make all of these out of the appropriate raw materials ourselves. This is followed by engraving, which we do with a graver in-stead of a machine; this makes each watch unique. The next step is beveling, a high-precision manual filing and polishing tech-nique in which all the edges are chamfered, and then some components are given a characteristic decorative pattern. Finally the engraved, decorated and polished pieces are electroplated with their precious protec-tive finish of gold, rhodium or ruthenium.” Armin Strom AG has also been producing its own high-carat movements since 2009. “Actual innovations are very rare in today’s watchmaking industry,” CEO Serge Michel remarks. “Nonetheless, on the first move-ment we built, the ARM09, we managed to build the winding mechanism directly on the side of the face. And when you wind our Armin One Week model you can see the cogs turning at the front of the watch without taking the watch off your wrist.” Following on from the first ARM09 manual winding calib-er, which was made of 146 individual parts including 34 rubies produced specifically for Armin Strom, the latest generation of Strom watches was recently launched in the form of the new manufactory caliber AMW11.

Formula 1 engine componentsLimited editions, exclusive and often sur-prising materials, and a view right into the heart of the movement revealing its intricate technology characterize all the watches made by the Biel-based company. “In the early years we focused mainly on getting our manufacturing facility up and running and refining our products,” Serge Michel remem-bers. “Now the time has come to invest in marketing.” To mark the 55th Menuhin Fes-tival Gstaad, the company – an official festi-val partner – produced 55 examples of the ARMIN Manual Fire Limited Menuhin Edi-

tion, designed around the festival theme of “Fire & Sun”. “This series is an enhancement of our ARMIN Manual Water, Air, Earth and Fire collection, which features casings made of different materials representing the four elements. Rose gold embodies fire, for ex-ample, and the ultra-light titanium repre-sents air,” Serge Michel explains.

“In our ARMIN Racing collection, on the other hand, some of the movement compo-nents are made of the same materials as racing car engines. These four different models were realized in 2011 as a result of our partnership with the Marussia Virgin Racing Formula 1 team,” says CEO Michel. It was decided to launch the watches at the Marussia Virgin Team Garage in Monaco shortly before the 78-lap race got underway. “Innovation, single-mindedness, a pioneer-ing spirit, Swissness and precision: our company and our partners are such a good fit because we believe in the same values.” Company founder Armin Strom and he are of one voice: “The Swiss watch industry can be proud of what it is today. Time is your most valuable asset – particularly when you are wearing it on your wrist.”

Information www.arminstrom.ch

“ Time is your most valuable asset.”

FACTS & FIGURES

Armin Strom AG was established in 2006. Based in the Swiss watch-making capital Biel, the company is engaged solely in manufacturing and is one of the few companies still making their own movements today. The label Armin Strom has been synonymous with the highest quality hand-skele-tonized and hand-engraved watches for more than 40 years. Armin Strom (73) took a traditional watchmaking apprenticeship in Geneva before opening his own watch store in his home town of Burgdorf some 50 years ago. A little later he started making watches himself in his workshop. He handed over the running of the company to Serge Michel (33) in 2008 and retired at the end of Sep-tember 2011. Strom remains a shareholder and will continue to give the company the benefit of his extensive expertise and finely honed finishing skills. The father of two grown-up children is looking forward to having more time to play golf and attend lectures at the University of Berne. Armin Strom’s favorite watch is the hand-skeletonized Blue Chip Chronograph.

dURING a CaREER daTING BaCK mORE THaN 50 YEaRS,

aRmIN STROm HaS BUILT Up aN aLmOST pERSONaL RELaTION-

SHIp WITH HIS WaTCHES. "aS WE ONLY pROdUCE SmaLL SERIES, WE pUT OUR HEaRTS

aNd SOULS INTO EVERY INdIVIdUaL TImEpIECE."

dEEp INSIGHT INTO THE mOVE-mENT: THE EX-CLUSIVE BLUE CHIp aUTOmaTIC SKELETON.

The Canton of Berne is a multifaceted setting for international experi-ences: the British have been visiting the Bernese Oberland since 1700, the Saanenland welcomes soloists like Jeremy Menuhin at the Menuhin Festival Gstaad, students from more than 40 nations now

What Moves Us

LIVING : PaGe 28

have even more global study options at the International School of Berne, and the Canton of Berne is represented at the 2012 London Olympics with the House of Switzerland and world-class sports personalities like Fabian Cancellara.

eNJOYING THe OUTDOORS IN THe HeaRT OF THe CITY: IN SUMMeR THe aaRe RIVeR IN BeRNe IS JUST THe PLaCe FOR a COOL, ReFReSHING DIP.

Ski Slalom, Wooden Masks and Thomas CookBritish Influence in Interlaken

The first tourists in the Bernese Oberland were British. Interlaken Tourism General Manager Stefan Otz describes how they helped shape the Interlaken region and why the area between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz is still so popular with visitors from the UK today.

LIVINg : What MoVes Us

"THe BRITISH MaRKeT WILL CONTINUe TO Be aN IMPORTaNT ONe FOR INTeRLaKeN GOING FORWaRD, SO We aRe FOCUSING eFFORT ON THIS SeGMeNT aND INVeSTING IN IT. aLTHOUGH HOTeL ROOM BOOKINGS BY UK VISITORS aRe DOWN SLIGHTLY IN ReCeNT YeaRS, aT 10.7 PeR CeNT THeY STILL aCCOUNT FOR a SIGNIFICaNT PROPORTION," SaYS INTeRLaKeN TOURISM GeNeRaL MaNaGeR STeFaN OTZ, PICTUReD HeRe TaKING aFTeR-NOON Tea aT THe VICTORIa-JUNGFRaU GRaND HOTeL aND SPa.

“As long ago as the end of the 17th cen-tury young, wealthy Britons newly emerged from their education would take the ‘Grand Tour’ to France, Germany, Italy, the Neth-erlands and Switzerland before embarking on a career,” General Manager of Interlak-en Tourism Stefan Otz explains. “The Alps were hailed as a particularly rewarding destination. In the early days their reputa-tion was one of fearful and dangerous natural forces, but from the 18th century onwards the gradual appearance of po-ems, paintings and travel narratives by fa-mous artists and literary figures increas-ingly bathed the wild, primeval mountains in a more romantic light.” Lord Byron’s work Manfred, set as it was in the baronial Castle of Unspunnen in Interlaken, drew hordes of Britons to the region. “The two Grindelwald glaciers, which at the time still extended right down into the valley, were another popular subject that began to raise the profile of our region throughout Europe; together with the Staubbach Falls, the gla-ciers became one of the most visited sta-tions on the Grand Tour,” says Stefan Otz.

British ColonyThe nascent tourism in the region gave rise to new branches of industry alongside ag-riculture. “As demand for souvenirs rose, wood carvers and silk weavers from Brienz, potters from Heimberg and lace-makers from Lauterbrunnen Valley were increas-

ingly sought after,” Otz tells us. The Shep-herds’ and Alpine Herdsmen’s Festivals at the foot of the Unspunnen ruins in 1805 and 1808 attracted so many Britons that Interlaken sometimes began to resemble a British colony. With a lack of hotels, visitors would rent rooms in the homes of farmers, craftsmen and priests who would often end up sleeping in their own haylofts. Dat-ing back to 1491, Hotel Interlaken started life as a monastery guest house and would later play host to famous guests like Lord Byron and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Grand Councilor Johann Seiler opened In-terlaken’s first guest house in 1806; by 1860 there were 13 boarding houses in the town. “At the time there was virtually no-where to stay outside Interlaken. Another reason why our region became increas-ingly popular was that our enterprising forefathers were quick to respond to the tourists’ needs.” The region’s improved in-frastructure - new roads were built, allow-ing for comfortable coach journeys, steam-ers were introduced on Lake Thun in 1835 and on Lake Brienz in 1839, and the Böde-li and Jungfrau Railways were opened in 1872 and 1912 respectively - brought more and more people to the Interlaken region, now not just for adventure but for pleasure as well. The economic upswing brought about by tourism yielded higher tax revenues that were often invested in railway projects: 25 new railway lines were built in the Bernese Oberland between 1872 and 1916 alone.

Loyal guestsWith its wonderful natural environment and breathtaking mountain scenery, the Inter-

FaCTS & FIGURES

Englishman Thomas Cook invented organized tourism for the middle classes with affordable group holidays from England to the Continent in 1855. The enterprising Bernese Oberland people immediately responded to their British guests’ needs: roast beef suddenly appeared on restaurant menus, sanitary facilities were upgraded, more hotels and tennis courts were built; even some Anglican churches were established. The English brought with them curling, skiing and sledging, introducing winter sports to the Interlaken region. The first modern ski slalom was organized in 1922 by the English hotelier Sir Henry Lunn in Mürren. Lunn was the founder of the English Public School Alpine Ski Club in London and the Kandahar Ski Club in Mürren and an innovative organizer of educational tours from Britain. Today Jungfrau Tours offers a package covering part of the historical ViaCook: a tour from the Bernese Oberland and Interlaken to Central Switzerland.

laken region continues to attract British tourists today. “Some of our hotels have regular UK clients who have been coming here for decades – often with entire ex-tended families,” says Stefan Otz. “Our ef-forts to achieve sustainable tourism and soft mobility – by providing electric vehi-

cles, for example – resonate strongly with our British guests. Our ‘chalet romance’, traditional dishes like fondue and raclette, our Christmas Markets and our Harderpot-schete winter mask procession are par-ticularly popular. Visitors can experience tradition and customs first hand here every day – and not just in the Ballenberg open-

air museum.” The Unspunnen Festival, al-ready very popular in the 19th century, underwent an impressive revival in 1999 and again in 2006, attracting spectators in their thousands. Britons who come to In-terlaken are seen as loyal guests. “They usually stay for longer on average than visitors from Asia, for example,” Stefan Otz reports. In 2010 alone, British tourists spent 84,549 nights in Interlaken, Matten and Unterseen – not including stays at holiday apartments, hostels and camp-sites. “You can still travel in our region in the traditional way today: through Inter-laken by coach, by nostalgic steam train on the Schynige Platte and Brienzer Rothorn railways, or by steamer across Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. This year the Jungfrau Railway is celebrating its centenary, which it is marking with a series of expansion projects. In February, for example, it is opening a new arrivals hall on Jungfraujo-ch, followed in April by the opening of a 60-minute Experience Walk on which visi-tors can find out about the building of the Jungfrau Railways and the development of tourism in Switzerland.” Visitors can also follow in the footsteps of Thomas Cook still today. “People wanting to visit the region’s sights 150 years ago had to put up with bumpy coach trips and exhausting march-es on foot. A journey along ViaCook today is much more comfortable, but it is still an unforgettable experience,” Stefan Otz says with a smile. “And not only for our UK guests.”

Information www.interlaken.chwww.jungfraubahn.ch www.jungfrautours.ch

THe UNSPUNNeN FeSTIVaL NeaR INTeRLaKeN HaS BeeN aTTRaCTING HORDeS OF UK TOURISTS SINCe 1805.

“ Visitors can still experience tradition and customs at first hand here every day.”

The House of Switzerland in LondonPresence Switzerland at the 2012 Olympic Games

The XXX Summer Olympics take place in London from 27 July to 12 August 2012. Nicolas Bideau and Martin Tritten explain how the House of Switzerland is involved and why it is not just about sport but about being present.

“All the world’s eyes will be on London in summer 2012,” says Nicolas Bideau, head of Presence Switzerland. “Like athletes and fans, politicians, the media and business representatives will be looking to the Olym-pic Games in the British capital with high expectations. So this is exactly the right place to present the many facets of Swiss culture and Swiss economic power.” And this place has a name: the House of Swit-zerland. “The House of Switzerland is the guest center that traditionally represents our country at the Olympic Games,” says Bide-au.

Platform for Promoting the CountryToday the House of Switzerland is project

FaCTS & FIGURES

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Presence Switzer-land, is responsible for raising Switzerland’s profile abroad. One of the ways it does this is by organizing a comprehensive Swiss presence at major international events like the Olympic Games. The House of Switzerland at the Olympic Games not only serves as a platform for promoting the country but as a central meeting place for decision-makers from the worlds of business, politics, tourism, science and sport. It also hosts the official victory celebrations for Swiss Olympic medalists.

makers from the worlds of sport, business and politics will meet,” Nicolas Bideau re-ports. “What’s more, the House of Switzer-land is one of the few national centers that is open to the public. As always, it will open one week before the beginning of the Olym-pic Games and can be visited from 20 July to 12 August 2012.”

Bernese Oberland-Jungfrau in LondonUnder the brand name “Bernese Oberland-Jungfrau”, the Canton of Berne will be using the House of Switzerland together with tour-ist destinations and tourism service provid-ers as part of an exclusive partnership. “The British have played a considerable role in the development of tourism in the Bernese Oberland, and the UK is still our second big-gest foreign market after Germany,” says Martin Tritten, head of tourism at beco. “With our presence in London we not only want to thank our British visitors for their loy-alty, but we are also aiming to attract new customers.” This will be done with tourism displays, cultural events and presentations highlighting tradition and innovation from the Canton of Berne. Swiss cuisine will feature strongly, of course. “How great would it be if we could celebrate the Swiss Olympic team’s triumphs with Bernese rösti and me-ringues on the banks of the Thames!”

Information www.houseofswitzerland.orgwww.image-schweiz.ch

managed by Presence Switzerland, part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and has transformed itself from a local hang-out for athletes and fans into an all-encom-passing platform for promoting Switzerland. “The House of Switzerland at Glaziers Hall overlooking the River Thames will bring to-gether many different facets under one roof. It is not only the official Swiss guest center and meeting point for the Swiss Olympic team, but it is also an established brand at the Olympic Games. On its 3,000 m² site it will be the marketing and events platform for Swiss business, tourism and culture and Switzerland as a site for science and re-search. It will also be home to the SRG SSR television studio – a place where decision-

GLaZIeRS HaLL IS HOSTING THe HOUSe OF SWITZeRLaND UK 2012.


Swiss Olympic Top athlete Pedals for GoldFabian Cancellara

Bicycle racer Fabian Cancellara is one of the world-class athletes sponsored by Swiss Olympic. Bernecapitalarea spoke to the Swiss Olympic Top Athlete as he prepared for London 2012.


When did you get on a bicycle for the first time?“When I was 12 I discovered an old racing bike in my father’s garage. As soon as I saw it I wanted to take it out for a spin. That one spin turned into many, and soon I was off on my first bike tours.”

What fascinates you most about cycling as a sport?“The variety. You really get in touch with nature, and cycling is not only a chance to switch off, it also boosts your energy. I love that cycling gets you out and about so much, and that you can really let rip in such a wide variety of settings – unlike in many other types of sport.”

As a bicycle racer, you have achieved just about everything in your career. What titles do you still dream of winning? What do you hope to achieve at the 2012 London Olympics?“It would be great to become Road World Champion and win the World Hour Record. It goes without saying that I would also like to bring home a medal from the Olympic Games.”

You are being sponsored by the Swiss Olympic Top Athlete program. How can this program help you?“The support I get from Swiss Olympic is invaluable as I prepare for the Olympic Games. It allows me to visit the race routes and the training camps ahead of the Games with the rest of the Olympic team.”

As a professional cyclist you travel all over the world and pitch yourself against the international cycling elite. What does your home town of Ittigen in the Canton of Berne mean to you?“Ittigen is my home and my retreat. I can really be myself here. For me, working means being on the road. So my home means all the more to me. Everything in Ittigen is familiar; my roots are here.”

Information www.fabiancancellara.ch www.swissolympic.ch

FaCTS & FIGURES

Fabian Cancellara (30) is Switzerland’s most successful profes-sional cyclist. He became world champion for the fourth time in 2010 and went on to win Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders in succession. Cancellara wore the yellow jersey on the Tour de France for almost a week, and he has worn it an impressive 21 times since 2004 – more than any other Swiss cyclist. His dream of Olympic gold has already come true: in Beijing 2008 Cancellara triumphed in the time trial, his specialism, and he also picked up silver in the road race. The same year he was crowned Swiss Sports Personality of the Year. When Cancellara is not on his bike, he likes to spend time with his friends and family, his wife Stephanie and his young daughter Giuliana in peace at home in Ittigen in the Canton of Berne.

FROM ITTIGeN TO THe WORLD eLITe: CYCLING PRO FaBIaN CaNCeLLaRa IS

a ReGULaR FRONT RUNNeR IN INTeRNaTIONaL RaCeS.

“ The support I get from Swiss Olympic is invaluable as I prepare for the Olym-pic Games.”

“For me it’s not just about playing the piano”Menuhin Festival Gstaad

Every summer the Saanenland echoes to the sounds of classical music at the Menuhin Festival Gstaad. Pianist Jeremy Menuhin has been attending for more than 40 years – for good reason, as he tells us.

Why did you decide to learn to play the piano? “I used to love composing even when I was young, and the piano is simply the best instrument for that. A piano produces an impressive range of sounds, and you can also play complex harmonies on it.”

Can you remember the very first time you performed in public? “I played my first proper concerto – Mo-zart’s K. 467 – when I was 13. I was incred-ibly nervous; I don’t remember much else about the evening.”

What does playing the piano mean to you?“For me it’s not just about playing the piano but about wonderful music. It’s not me, the

pianist, who is important; it’s the privilege of being able to bring to the world the her-itage of extraordinary musical geniuses, masterly composers, through my con-certs.”

Which of your concerts stand out as particularly special in your memory?“During a concert in Cyprus I suddenly heard a loud, inexplicable snoring noise. It was only later that I found out about the family of five owls nesting in a window of the Romanesque church I was playing in.”

Do you have a favorite composer, or even a favorite piano piece?“I love listening to Ligeti or Bartók while I am driving, but I don’t have a particular fa-vorite. Every time I interpret a composer’s

FaCTS & FIGURES

Jeremy Menuhin grew up near San Francisco, in Gstaad, Florence and London and started playing the piano at the age of six. In 1984 he won the world-renowned Young Concert Artists’ Piano Competition in New York and went on to give his first concerts with the Berlin Philharmo-nic Orchestra shortly afterwards. He and his father Yehudi won the Grand Prix du Disque for their recording of Bartók’s Sonatas for Violin and Piano. Other recordings include works by Schubert, Mozart, Debussy, Beetho-ven and Dvorák. Jeremy Menuhin has performed with many of the world’s top orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, the Salzburg Mozarteum, and the Zurich, St Peters-burg, Prague and English Chamber Orchestras. When Jeremy Menuhin is not on tour he lives with his second wife Mookie and his daughter in the mountains above Montreux.

THe BReaTHTaKING BeaUTY OF THe SaaNeNLaND MaKeS THe MeNUHIN FeSTIVaL GSTaaD Be-YOND COMPaRe. THe LaNDSCaPe aND THe CLaSSICaL MUSIC aRe IN PeRFeCT HaRMONY WITH ONe aNOTHeR. THeY eNHaNCe ONe aNOTHeR; BOTH aRe PRO-FOUND aND POWeRFUL.

work I realize just how amazing each one of these works is. No matter whether it’s a Brahms intermezzo, a Bach fugue or a Chopin waltz.”

Precision, diligence and discipline are essential qualities for a successful musician. Are you a perfectionist?


Do you have a personal connection with Gstaad? What does the Saanenland region mean to you?“ I went to kindergarten in Gstaad as a four-year-old, and I learned to ski here later on. Gstaad was a wonderful place in the 1950s. And it still is today. Although in those days people would be more likely to wear traditional costume than Gucci or Prada.”

What is your favorite place in the Canton of Berne, and why?“I love the little hamlet of Oberthal in Em-mental, the place my Swiss nanny came from. For me, the gentle hills and the tradi-tional farmhouses exude a natural grace and a sense of security. Everything is so timeless and unchanging there.”

What job do you think you would be doing if you had not become a musician?

“In music competitions it is not perfection that counts but mechanical precision, er-ror-free accuracy. Anyone who claims to be a perfectionist is suffering from an in-flated ego, I believe.”

Do you have traits that you would de-scribe as typically Swiss? And do these traits play a role in your great success?“That is difficult to say. I lived in different countries when I was young. But I was lucky enough to be looked after by a won-derful Swiss nanny until I was 10. My Em-mental nanny helped me become the per-son and the musician I am today.”

When did you perform at the Menuhin Festival Gstaad for the first time? “I have been taking part in the Menuhin Festival Gstaad just about every year since I was 13. So this is roughly my 40th time.”

If you were to compare the Saanenland to a musical composition, which piano piece do you think represents or illustra-tes this region best?“Although it is difficult to say whether a composer’s surroundings actually influ-ence their work, Saanen always reminds me of Béla Bartók. It was here that he wrote his Divertimento.”

“I have a soft spot for astronomy and cos-mology. If I had had enough time to study physics or math, I may well have been an astronomer instead of a musician.”

Where is your best place to get away from it all and recharge your batteries?“At home in Switzerland with my Korean wife and our daughter. We have lived near Montreux since 2007. Or in our chalet, an old converted Alpine hut in the mountains above Gryon, where it’s wonderfully iso-lated and quiet.”

What do you like doing best up there?“Reading, cooking, going for walks and looking for mushrooms.”

Do you have a musical goal? “I dream of playing the Diabelli Variations and the Goldberg Variations one day.”

What are your wishes for the future?“A healthy mind and an alert spirit.”

Informationwww.jeremymenuhin.comwww.menuhinfestivalgstaad.ch

JeReMY MeNUHIN & FRIeNDS: IN 2011 JeReMY MeNUHIN BROUGHT TOGeTHeR HIS FRIeNDS DONG-SUK KaNG (VIOLIN), YOUNG-CHaNG CHO (CeLLO) aND HaRMUT RHODe (VIOLa) TO PLaY a CHaMBeR MUSIC CONCeRT aT SaaNeN CHURCH aT THe MeNUHIN FeSTIVaL GSTaaD. He PLaYeD FOUR-HaNDeD PIaNO WITH HIS WIFe MOOKIe.

FaCTS & FIGURES

The Menuhin Festival Gstaad was established in 1957 by Jeremy Menuhin’s father, violinist and composer Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Today the Menuhin Festival Gstaad is one of Switzerland’s top classical music events. With almost 50 concerts spread over seven weeks, it brings thousands of music lovers to the Saanenland every summer. The 56th Festival will be taking place from July 20 to September 8, 2012.

“ My Swiss nanny helped me become the person and the musician I am today.”

Learning for the WorldInternational School of Berne & K12 Inc

At the heart of a region that many expats have made their home, thanks to International School of Berne (ISBerne) there is a school that is tailored perfectly to the needs of young citizens of the world. The curriculum has recently been boosted by an astute partnership.

A babble of voices, footsteps, the sound of chairs being pushed back. Then, as if with one voice: “Good morning, Mr. Page!” For 280 students from 40 countries, being taught in English is a matter of course at the International School of Berne. “We have opted for the International Baccalau-reate curriculum because changing schools is the rule rather than the excep-tion for most of our children,” explains di-rector Kevin Page. “Our students stay with us for between three and four years on av-erage. When their parents’ work takes them to another country, they can switch seamlessly to a new IB school.” Familial and EnrichingThe IB curriculum is divided into three stages: the IB Primary Years Program for pupils aged 3 to 11, the IB Middle Years Program for students aged 11 to 16, and

the IB Diploma Program for young adults from 16 to 19 preparing for university en-trance. “The fact that our multinational stu-dent community can thrive so well is not only down to the international IB curricu-lum with its interdisciplinary project and group work, but also to our excellent envi-ronment: the quiet, safe and easily acces-sible Gümligen,” Page affirms. “More than 60% of our students come to school by public transport, on foot or by bicycle. And we are within easy reach of both the city of Berne and the wonderful countryside and

mountain lakes of the Bernese Oberland.” Extracurricular activities open to all class-es, like skiing days and theater and concert outings, create a family atmosphere at IS-Berne. After school, students can choose from a varied enrichment program: extra-curricular activities include extra math tui-tion, chess, music, various arts, and sports including basketball, volleyball and uni-hockey. Students can also take part in the student council and the Model United Na-tions. “Our students can make good friends here – close friendships that will often last for decades, even across na-tional borders.” The dynamic New Zealan-der, who moved to Switzerland to teach at the International School of Geneva back in 1976, loves interacting with people from different nations, cultures and languages. “I have always been a globetrotter; I have traveled on several continents. Now the

FaCTS & FIGURES

The International School of Berne teaches the International Baccalaure-ate (IB) curriculum to pupils and students aged 3 to 19 from more than 40 nations. The ISBerne, which recently became an AG (joint stock company), was established in 1961 and offers 280 students a creative, English-language learning community in Gümligen near Berne. Originally from New Zealand, director Kevin Page has worked at six different international schools during the course of his career. His three children also attended the ISBerne. A passionate skier, photographer and rugby fan, he has lived in the Canton of Berne for the past eight years.

INTeRNaTIONaL FOR 50 YeaRS: CHILDReN FROM eXPaT FaMILIeS LIVING IN THe CaNTON OF BeRNe aND NeIGHBORING CaNTONS HaVe BeeN TaUGHT aT THe ISBeRNe SINCe 1961.

“ I have always been a globetrotter.”


FaCTS & FIGURES

K12 Inc is a leading provider of educational programs for children from pre-school to high-school age. Online teaching, high-quality educational materials, professional teachers and state-of-the-art technologies – thanks to K12 Inc, children can now learn anywhere there is an internet connec-tion. Since it was established in 2000, the company has provided more than 1.5 million courses for schoolchildren all over the world. Its new headquar-ters in Thun provide K12 Inc with facilities for product research and development, customer service, teacher training, administration and sales.

HaLCYON DaYS: DIReCTOR KeVIN PaGe HaS FOND MeMORIeS OF HIS OWN SCHOOL YeaRS. HIS FaVORITe SUBJeCTS WeRe GeOGRaPHY aND SPORT.

world comes to me at my school. Isn’t it perfect that I can interface directly with people from so many different places at my workplace without having to set foot abroad?”

Flexible and Individual Learning OnlineThe new partnership with K12 Inc. fits in well with the special unifying and multicul-tural spirit of the school. Thanks to a joint venture with a leading provider of educa-

tional programs, initiated in early 2011, ISBerne students can benefit from state-of-the-art web-based educational mod-ules. “We are working together to build an international online education program that provides students with flexible, tai-lored knowledge in English and prepares them thoroughly for exams. The great thing about this is that this high-quality

program can also be used by children and young people who cannot take part in per-son. The learning units can be accessed from anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection!” The courses are accompanied by textbooks and study ma-terials tailored specifically to online tuition. “We find that this teaching method pre-pares our students perfectly for university, where they will increasingly find web-based lectures,” says Kevin Page. “K12 Inc.’s online courses are internationally comparable and are recognized by lead-ing high schools and universities in the USA. Our teachers also very much appre-ciate the fact that they build on traditional teaching methods while enhancing the students’ knowledge in a playful way. Eve-ry teacher is also free to input their own ideas to enhance the K12 online courses.” International learning, worldwide teach-ing: at the ISBerne that is not just a vision but is something we are already achieving today.

Information www.isberne.chwww.k12.com

“ The learning units can be accessed from anywhere in the world.”

Working for BusinessesSupport from the Berne Economic Development Agency

Our region is the perfect place to do business. The Berne Economic Development Agency is on hand to help with advice, support and business grants and a wide network of contacts.

What are the key aspects of the tailored help you provide for companies relocating to the Canton of Berne or investing in it?“For us, the sustainability of a project is key. In addition to that, we are looking to attract projects that are a perfect match for the innovative industries in the Canton of Berne. The Canton of Berne’s strengths lie in the precision industry, medical technol-ogy, ICT, energy and environmental tech-nology, and the business consultancy sec-tor. Naturally we also look at every project from the point of view of its strategy and aims, for example in terms of the number of jobs it will create and the level of invest-ment required.”

What specific help do you give international companies considering relocating to the Canton of Berne?“As part of the consulting and support services we provide for companies, we es-tablish important contacts for them and we see to it that everything is in place to ena-ble them to bring their projects to a suc-cessful conclusion in the shortest possible time. We have a wide network of contacts and can put companies in touch with the right partners from the outset - for every-thing from personnel matters, tax advice, banking and real estate to knowledge and technology transfer, contact with authori-ties or any other contacts. We also offer companies attractive grants and tax holi-days. For all of this you need only one ad-dress: ours.”

How has international competition in terms of choosing a company location changed over the past few years?“Competition between locations has toughened significantly all over the world. Around 10 to 15 years ago only a few des-tinations were professionally active. Today there are large numbers of cities and re-gions actively competing for company re-locations in the international arena. All of

DeNIS GRISeL, DIReCTOR, BeRNe eCONOMIC DeVeLOPMeNT aGeNCY

CONTaCT

Berne Economic Development Agency Denis GriselDirector, BEDAMünsterplatz 3CH-3011 Berne, SwitzerlandTelephone: +41 31 633 41 20

Robert-Walser-Platz 7CH-2503 Biel, SwitzerlandTelephone: +41 32 321 59 [email protected]

these locations have optimized their infra-structure, such as universities, technology parks or their real estate offer. We are also seeing public authorities playing an in-creasingly active role in promoting their destinations and including location mar-keting in their political programs. In this highly competitive environment it is vital that the Canton of Berne keeps on improv-ing its location (conditions, infrastructure, etc.), present it professionally and raise awareness of the benefits of the location internationally, for instance in our investor seminars in London from August 8 to 9, 2012.”

BerNe ecoNoMIc DeVeLoPMeNt ageNcy :

Region Goes from Strength to StrengthNew companies in the Canton of Berne

The Berne Economic Development Agency helps innovative international companieswith their decision to move to the Canton of Berne. Companies that have recently made themove include Exactech International Operation AG and ZTE Switzerland AG.

FaCTS & FIGURES

Exactech Inc. was founded in Florida in 1985 by orthopedic surgeon Bill Petty, his wife Betty and biomedical engineer Gary Miller. Today, patients in more than 30 countries benefit from innovative solutions like the Optetrak® comprehensive knee and the Equino-xe® shoulder implant system, which is Exactech’s fastest growing product line.

Exactech is a global company specializ-ing in the development and marketing of orthopedic, artificial implants, surgical in-struments, biological materials, and serv-ices for hospitals and medical profession-als. Its orthopedic products are used worldwide for restoring joints and bones that have deteriorated as a result of injury or disease, such as arthritis. Since January

Canton’s expertise in medical technology, specifically in the field of orthopedics.

Information www.exac.com

FaCTS & FIGURES

The ZTE Corporation was esta-blished in Shenzhen, China, in 1985 and is now one of China’s biggest providers of telecommunications equipment. Listed on the Hong Kong and Shenzhen stock exchanges, the company has been successfully expanding into foreign markets since 1996. ZTE Corporation has a work-force of more than 85,200, about 20,000 of whom work in its 100-plus foreign branches. It has more than 500 network operators in over 140 countries on its books.

ONe OF THe BIGGeST CHINeSe TeLeCOMMUNICaTIONS eQUIPMeNT MaNU-FaCTUReRS, ZTe, HaS LOCaTeD ITS SWISS HeaDQUaRTeRS IN BeRN-BÜMPLIZ

The ZTE Corporation develops and sells state-of-the-art telecommunications tech-nology and network solutions. With a com-prehensive product range and a wide spec-trum of services, it meets nearly all the needs of the telecommunications market. ZTE has had a presence in Europe for the past ten years and has more than 30 branches in key markets like Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Scandi-navia. ZTE Switzerland AG opened its Bern Bümpliz offices handling marketing and sales, administration, service and opera-tions in Berne in early 2011. It currently employs around 30 people here, and plans to extend its workforce to 100. Its decision to open offices here reinforces the Canton of Berne’s status as an attractive location for the ICT sector. ZTE is the second Chi-nese telecoms company to locate to the region besides Huawei Technologies Swit-zerland AG.

Information www.zte.com

2011 the Florida-based company’s inter-national business has been conducted from its Berne office. After a series of eval-uation visits to various cantons, Exactech decided in November 2010 to base itself in Berne. Key factors that helped to make the decision were the medical technology ex-pertise on hand in the Canton, the network of contacts available here and the proxim-ity to suppliers, specialist institutions and the University of Berne.

Exactech is one of the fastest-growing companies in the sector and a pure play orthopaedic competitor that is gaining market share in the rapidly expanding glo-bal biomedical device industry. Worldwide, the listed company (Nasdaq: EXAC) has a workforce of about 600 people. Its Swiss office started out in Schauplatzgasse in Berne with a projection of ten employees. Exactech International Operation Ltd per-fectly complements and enhances the


IT IS eSTIMaTeD THaT THeRe aRe NeaRLY ONe MILLION KNee RePLaCeMeNT PROCeDUReS PeRFORMeD WORLDWIDe eaCH YeaR. TO HeLP MeeT THIS DeMaND, eXaCTeCH CONTINUeS TO DeVeLOP NeXT GeNeRaTION SYSTeMS aND INNOVa-TIVe PRODUCTS.


Fly the Easy Way From Bern Belp airportThe Fast, Practical and Flexible Way to Travel

“Flying from Bern Belp – the smart way to fly!” That’s especially true of business flights and flights to London, which is particularly quick and easy to get to from Berne.

FaCTS & FIGURES

Why Flying From Bern Belp is the Smart Way to Travel:– worldwide flight network– shortest check-in times in Switzer-

land (just 20 minutes for scheduled flights)

– cheapest airport parking in Switzer-land

– Park, Fly & Drive parking service at the airport: www.parkandfly.ch

– public transport right up to the terminal: Bernmobil AirportBus runs between Berne Central Station and Bern Belp Airport: www.bernmobil.ch

– take the S-Bahn from Berne to Rubigen, Münsingen or Belp, then pick up the Tangento bus straight to the airport: www.sbb.ch

– the airport is just 10 minutes away from the Rubigen exit of the A6 expressway. The city of Bern is just a 15-minute drive away, Interlaken 40 minutes, Gstaad 70 minutes, Fribourg and Biel 30 minutes, and Solothurn 45 minutes.

– new flight destinations from Novem-ber 5: Amsterdam, Belgrade, Vienna, Palma de Mallorca and Madrid

– new flight destinations starting with the 2012 summer timetable: Cologne, Catania, Nice and Split

– for up-to-date timetables and new flight routes, visit www.flughafenbern.ch.

Since December 2011 Bern Belp Airport, which forms an EU external frontier, has had separate Schengen and non-Schengen terminals: with the new Schengen compliance all flights from non-Schengen countries, including scheduled and charter flights from and to the UK, can be operated in accordance with the strict regula-tions of the Schengen Convention.

A total of 26,449 passengers used Bern Belp Airport in September 2011. “That is more than twice as many as last year – a new passenger record despite the fact that there were fewer flight movements overall,” says Daniel Steffen, Head of Marketing, Communications and Route Network. The most popular city destinations were Lon-don City, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Paris, with Greece, Italy and Spain attract-ing the most holiday passengers. “We offer non-stop flights to Europe’s biggest cities, as well as worldwide Star Alliance flights with a stopover in Munich and other French destinations via Paris Orly with Air France Sky Team. We pride ourselves on the fact that the check-in time on all our scheduled flights is no more than 20 minutes.”

From London to the Bernese Oberland“Inghams Travel ‘ski flights’ to Bern Belp from London Gatwick and Southampton are extremely popular with British winter sports fans. They can be booked via the airlines’ websites or through any travel agency, with a direct ski bus transfer to In-terlaken, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen,” Steffen reports. “Upper Valais, with Brig,

Zermatt and Saas Fee, is another very popular destination with our customers; since the opening of the Lötschberg Tun-nel it is quicker to get there from Bern Belp Airport than from Geneva Airport.”

Best for Business FlightsBesides scheduled flights with SkyWork, Cirrus Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France and Helvetic Airways, Bern Belp Airport is also an extremely attractive option for business travelers. “Our airport has excellent facili-ties for business jets of all sizes and is very easy to access. We have large parking ar-eas for business jets and high-quality VIP services such as limousine transfers,” Daniel Steffen says. “All business class passengers can also use our exclusive Sky Lounge.”

DISCOVeR THe WORLD FROM BeRNe: SCHeDULeD FLIGHTS LeaVe BeRN BeLP aIRPORT FOR eUROPe’S MaJOR CITIeS aLL YeaR ROUND (BLUe), WITH PLeNTY OF OTHeR aTTRaCTIVe DeSTINaTIONS IN THe SUMMeR (YeLLOW) aND WINTeR SeaSONS (LIGHT BLUe).

BerNe ecoNoMIc DeVeLoPMeNt ageNcy : seIte 41

Win a Feel-good Weekend in BerneWelcome to the Design and Luxury Schweizerhof Bern: www.schweizerhof-bern.ch

Take part in our prize draw and win a dream weekend for two (two nights in a double room with half-board) at the newly refur-bished Hotel Schweizerhof Bern. The Swiss capital got its legendary Hotel Sch-weizerhof back in 2011: the completely renovated 5-star superior hotel situated at the heart of the city is a sumptuous blend of grand tradition, modern flair, elegant de-sign and world-class service. Discover 99 stylishly furnished rooms and suites, the unique ballroom, the 800 square meter Conference and Business Center, Jack’s Brasserie and the chic Lobby Lounge Bar, and, from 2012, our Wellness Oasis with its fitness and wet areas, pamper pool, sauna, hamam and massage rooms. Wel-come to the brand new Hotel Schweiz-erhof Bern!

Taking part could not be easier. Simply find the answers to the clues and enter them in the appropriate places in the grid to find the mystery word. Send the mystery word along with your completed entry form to the address below by August 31, 2012. You can also enter online at www.bernein-vest.com /chance2012. Tip: Every word relates to a subject cov-ered in this issue of bernecapitalarea. Good luck!

1. Location of the International School of Berne

2. Jeremy Menuhin’s instrument3. Fabian Cancellara (30) is Switzerland’s

most successful …4. Nanometer-thin surfaces are studied

and produced here5. Location of CSL Behring AG in

Switzerland

Which article in this issue of bernecapitalarea did you enjoy most?

How did you receive your copy of bernecapitalarea?

The winner will be drawn by lots and notified in writing. Employees of the Berne Economic Development Agency and Denon Gruppe are excluded from entering the competition. The judges’ decision is final. There is no cash alternative to the prize.

Tear out this page and send it to this address by August 31, 2012: Berne Economic Development Agency, Münsterplatz 3, CH-3011 Berne, Fax +41 31 633 40 88

Thank you for taking part.

Name: Address:Tel. no.: E-mail:

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Many congratulations to Anne-Catherine Bise from Neuchâtel, Switzerland, the winner of our competition in bernecapitalarea 2011.

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Events in the Canton of Berne

2012

JANUARY

Beatenberg: January 1 – March 17 Starlit sledging on the Niederhorn www.niederhorn.ch Grindelwald: January 18 - 23 29th World Snow Festival www.myswitzerland.com Frutigen: January 1 - March 31 Special exhibition at the Frutigen Tropic House: “Why is the earth warm?” www.tropenhaus-frutigen.ch Grindelwald: January 16 - 21 30th International Snow Festival www.jungfrauregion-events.ch Grindelwald: January 28 22nd Swiss Company Ski Challenge in Grindelwald www.swiss-csc.ch

FEBRUARY

Kandersteg: February 4 Kandersteg Nordic Day www.kandertal.travel Grosse Scheidegg – Schwarzwaldalp: February 18 Horn Sledge Race Grosse Scheidegg www.schwarzwaldalp.ch Berne: February 23 – 25 Bärner Fasnacht (Berne Carnival) www.fasnacht.be Berne: February 24 Berne Expat Breakfast at the World Trade Institute Berne www.berneinvest.com/expatbreakfast

MARCH

Berne: March 5 – 9 Berne InfoSocietyDays www.infosocietydays.ch Basel: March 9 Canton of Berne reception at BASELWORLD 2012 BASELWORLD 2012 – World Watch and Jewelry Show: March 8 – 15 www.berninvest.com/baselworld Thun: March 9 – 10 7th Politforum Thun www.politforumthun.ch Berne: March 13 Berne Cleantech Conference, BERNEXPO www.berneinvest.com/bck12 Berne: March 13 – 15 Cleantec City, BERNEXPO www.cleanteccity.ch Berne: March 16 Museum Night www.museumsnacht-bern.ch Kleine Scheidegg: March 31 SnowpenAir Kleine Scheidegg www.jungfrau.ch

APRIL

Interlaken: March 24 – April 8 52nd Interlaken Classics Music Festival www.interlaken-classics.ch Berne: April 27 – May 6 BEA/Pferd 2012 www.beapferd.ch

MAY

Moutier: May 8 – 11 SIAMS, Trade Fair for Microtechnology www.siams.ch Berne: May 12 Grand Prix of Berne www.gpbern.ch

Berne: May 15 Berne Cluster Day, BERNEXPO www.berneinvest.com/bcd12 Bigenthal: May 20 Emmental Wrestling Festival www.bigenthal2012.ch

JUNE

Thun: June 2 – 23 Schlosskonzerte Thun www.schlosskonzerte-thun.ch Interlaken: June 6 – 7 Swiss Economic Forum www.swisseconomic.ch Biel: June 7 – 9 Biel Running Days www.100km.ch Schwarzenburg: June 15 – 17 Bernisch-Kantonales Jodlerfest (Canton of Berne Yodeling Festival) www.jodlerfestschwarzenburg.ch Interlaken: June 19 – September 7 Tell Open-Air Theater www.tellspiele.ch Biel: June 28 Berne Expat Breakfast at Armin Strom www.berneinvest.com/expatbreakfast Interlaken: June 30 – July 7 Jungfrau Music Festival www.jungfrau-music-festival.ch

JULY

Thun: July 10 – August 30 Lake Thun Plays www.thunerseespiele.ch Berne: July 12 – 15 Gurtenfestival www.gurtenfestival.ch Gstaad: July 14 – 22 Crédit Agricole Suisse Open www.ca-suisse.com


Gstaad: July 20 – 8 September Menuhin Festival Gstaad www.menuhinfestivalgstaad.ch Biel: July 21 – August 3 International Chess Festival www.bielchessfestival.ch

AUGUST

Interlaken/Brienz: August 1 August 1 Festival with Fireworks www.interlaken.ch

Berne: August 9 – 11 9th Buskers Street Music Festival www.buskersbern.ch Grindelwald: August 12 Eiger Bike Challenge www.eigerbike.ch

SEPTEMBER

Berne: September 4 – 6 Sindex Technology Fair www.berneinvest.com Niederbipp: September 7 Berne Expat Breakfast at Galenica www.berneinvest.com/expatbreakfast

Interlaken: September 7 – 9 20th Jungfrau Marathon www.jungfrau-marathon.ch La Neuveville: September 7 – 9 Wine Festival www.feteduvin.net Biel: September 7 – 30 Biel Photographic Days www.jouph.ch Sumiswald: September 9 7th slowUp Emmental-Oberaargau www.slowup-emmental.ch Berne: September 12 – 15 Swiss Energy and Climate Summit www.climateforum.ch

OCTOBER

Berne: October 3 – 7 Suisse Toy – Toy Fair www.suissetoy.ch Berne: October 12 – 21 Berne Wine Fair www.bernerweinmesse.ch

NOVEMBER

Langenthal: November 3 – 4 Designers’ Saturday www.designerssaturday.ch

IMPRINT

Publisher and Concept: Berne Economic Development Agency (BEDA), Denis Grisel (Director), Virve Resta (Manager Communications), Münsterplatz 3, CH-3011 Berne, tel.: +41 31 633 41 20, website: www.berneinvest.com, email: [email protected] Produced by: Denon Gruppe, Hauptplatz 5, CH-8640 Rapperswil-Jona, tel.: +41 55 220 81 88, website: www.denon.ch Editor: Daniel Bütler, Christoph Hämmig, Julia Weber Design: Corinne Lüthi Translation: lingua-communications www.lingua-communications.ch Proofreader: Irène Fasel Printed by: Jordi AG, Aemenmattstarsse 22, 3123 Belp. Printed on FSC certified paper. Circulation and Publi-cation Method: bernecapitalarea – Magazine on business, science and living in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland is published annually in German, French and English and has a circulation of 10,000 copies. BPicture credits: Daniel Rihs (p. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37), Solar Industries p. 16, 17), Armin Strom AG (p. 27 Picture bottom right) , Keystone (p. 31), House of Switzerland/Presence Switzerland z (p. 32), Graham Watson (p. 33), Simon Opladen (p. 38), Exactech (p. 39), ZTE Corporation (p. 39), Flughafen Bern-Belp (p. 40), Hotel Schweizerhof Bern (p. 41), Istockphoto (p. 42, S. 43) All rights reserved. Articles and pictures may only be reproduced with the express consent of the publisher and the chief editor.

Berne: November 26 Zibelemärit (Onion Market) www.marktkalender.ch Berne: See website for date International Business Cocktail Berne www.berneinvest.com/ibc12

DECEMBER

Interlaken: December 2012 Christchindli-Märit (Christmas Market) www.christchindlimaerit.ch Berne: December 2012 Berne Christmas Market www.weihnachtsmarktbern.ch Biel: December 2012 Biel Christmas Market www.weihnachtsmarkt-biel.ch

INFORMaTION

www.berneinvest.comwww.be.chwww.bern.chwww.bern.com www.biel-bienne.chwww.wibs.chwww.emmental.chwww.emmeweb.ch www.jurabernois.chwww.cep.chwww.oberaargau.chwww.thun.chwww.wrt.chwww.volkswirtschaftbeo.chwww.beaexpo.chwww.ch-innovation.chwww.swiss-venture-club.ch

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BUSINESS :“Enriching Life through Communication”Huawei Technologies Switzerland AG

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT :Micro and Nano Writ LargeThe Empa Laser Center in Thun

LIVING :Learning for the WorldThe International School of Berne and K12 Inc

COVER STORY :“Konolfingen is synonymous with quality, innovation and technology” bernecapitalarea talks to Eugenio SimioniGeneral Manager of Nestlé Switzerland

CANTON OF BERNE – INTERNATIONALLY CENTRAL

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MAGAzINE ON BUSINESS, SCIENCE AND LIVING IN THE CANTON OF BERNE; SWITzERLAND 2012 Edition

bca-magazin 2012 e

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