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A Country that takes |
| Basel / Bale. At the junction of Switzerland, France and Germany  An economic tidal wave threatens to sweep over Europe as the EU becomes increasingly uncompetitive; the price of oil rises and the Far East begins to develop substantial economic and manufacturing muscle. Countries are falling over themselves in their efforts to attract inward investment, but some seem to be taking a more modern approach than others. A recent tour arranged by Location Switzerland, called 'Logistics and Transportation', hit the nail on the head; here is an approach, which touches on a keystone for economic success. It was a display of the sort of coordination and organizational skill, which is key to the success of any logistics enterprise. Virtually nothing went wrong, when problems were highly probable. Getting public bodies to cooperate is never easy, even in the best run of places. |
| Far from perfect |
| However, what was shown was far from perfect. Along with the rest of the continent, the general economic picture was not of a boom. At one location, a disproportionate number of women appeared to be having a 'bad hair day' with few signs of happiness from the men... their salaries appeared generous, but these were classic signs of an unsettled workforce. This is typical to the type of business they worked in, so this observation may only indicate Switzerland shares challenges common to many countries. Some companies appeared to be suffering from a fall in demand, and although still healthy, times seem to be changing. Others appeared to be in excellent shape. |
| Impressions |
| Three visits left a particularly positive impression: Geneva Airport, SBB Cargo and Kuehne + Nagel Group. Geneva Airport seems to be doing very well, not only dealing with new business generated by easyJet (now more traffic than Swiss), but the new low cost terminal has great potential... in a similar spirit of 'can-do', it is said the local authorities are capable of processing work permits within the month. (Extreme delays are now a feature of the US scene). SBB Cargo gave an excellent presentation of their position and activities on the Swiss rail network. The company is in profit and handling the Germany to Italy North-South cargo flows with the rest of its work. Kuhene and Nagel were situated in a perfected Head Quarters which is something ParkinsonsLaw warns is liable to be a bad sign. On the contrary, their presentation was easy, confident and highly professional. Quite apart from the presentations themselves, the style and hospitality of these three organizations was faultless. Switzerland appears fully aware of the need to attract foreign investment and invests considerable time, effort and capital in following through, in this case by focusing on logistics. |
| Conclusion |
| Swissmetro - ultra high speed train in partial vacuum  A challenge
cannot be met until it is recognized.The tour was, itself, a successful and complex logistical exercise focusing on the big question of national economy and logistics. It felt you could find someone, who speaks sense in Switzerland. In these respects, Switzerland and several its cantons may have stolen a march in the competition to attract inward investment. |
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| Switzerland at a glance | ||
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