Switzerland

ICT, EMBEDDED SOFTWARES & ELECTRONICS

OECD member countries agreed in 2002 to define the ICT sector as a combination
of manufacturing and service industries that capture transmit and display data and
information electronically.
It is subdivided in five sub-sectors: production, wholesale, retail, telecommunication
and services.
An increasing number of global ICT companies relocate to Western Switzerland,
such as IBM, Cisco, HP, Nokia, Yahoo, CA Technologies and Microsoft. Low
taxes, a stable political and economic environment, high quality of life, good
education and a well trained workforce as well as technological excellence are the
main drivers.
Strengths of Switzerland for the ICT industry:

High quality of living

Stable environment (political and social)
Relatively low taxes
Good education
Well-trained workforce
International financial centre

The description of the geographical ICT-Cluster Western Switzerland is due to data

accessibility split into the two ICT sub-sectors telecommunication and IT services.
Threecenters are identifiable regarding ICT services: the cantons Bern (BE), Geneva
(GE) andVaud (VD) (in descending order of importance).

Four areas of excellence with ICT trends:

Cloud Computing
Cloud computing customers do not own the physical infrastructure, thus
avoiding capital expenditure by renting usage from a third-party provider.
This helps them boost liquidity and rebalance short and longer term financial
commitments
Green IT
Environmentally sustainable computing or IT. It will play a significant role in
companies efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and includes the practice
of designing, manufacturing and using ICT efficiently and effectively with
minimal or no impact on the environment

Mobile Services
Browser-based access to the Internet or web applications using a mobile
device.
Social Media and Networks
Media that is based on conversation and interaction between people online

Green IT corresponds with Hardware & Man/Machine Interaction and Mobile Services
corresponds with the area Mobile Services & Communication. There is evidence that
both these trends are covered in the ICT innovation system of Western Switzerland
through the presence of global players whose core competences lie in those fields.
Where cloud computing is concerned, the global player T-System has its core
competence in this field. But Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Dell, Google and HP also
deliver cloud services. Also worthy of a mention, Swisscom IT-Services, a
strong national player, and CloudSigma AG, a newcomer with a strong value
proposition based in Zurich. Similarly in the social media and social network areas,
even though it is not their core competence, players like Cisco, IBM and
Microsoft also provide social media solutions.
Among the top 100 European ICT companies published by Red Herring in 2009,7
there are 14 Swiss companies, 5 of which originate from Western Switzerland.

ICT In Switzerland
Besides the acute shortage of specialist personnel (according to the ICT professional
association, the country will be short of some 90,000 specialist ICT staff by 2022)
rapid technological change is a major challenge.Companies are tasked with
maintaining a rapid rate of innovation, quickly making products ready for the mass
market and training their employees in the latest, most promising technologies at
all times.
IT services recorded a rise in sales in 2014 thanks to higher ICT spending. In 2015,
the sector is likely to feel the effects of the significantly weaker development of the
Swiss economy. Nevertheless, a rise in sales once again is expected in 2015.
The number of ICT employees grew by around 65% between 2005 and 2014.
However, the number of female employees fell by around 11% in the same period.
Altogether the ICT sector generates about USD 27.8 billion, accounting for
approximately 8% of the gross domestic product.
The Swiss ICT market has increased by 1,4 % in 2013. IT industry which includes the
ICT sector reported a gross value added of CHF 12.3 bn in 2014 and as a share of
2.0% in the Swiss gross value added.
Research Institutes in the field of ICT

The most reputed institution in the region is the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne.
University of Berne, Institution of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics IAM
in the Canton of Berne and Center for Engineering and Technology Transfer of the
HEIG-VD and Institute for Information and Communication Technology IICT in the
canton of Vaud.

KEY PLAYERS

Nexton Consulting, Lausanne

SmartEcoCity, Geneve
1-COMPUTER, Sion
3BAYSOVER S.A, Geneve.

International Business
Global businesses are a catalyst because they attract other companies in the same
industry and drive the cluster. Some of the major foreign companies are:

Ascom, Bern: Core competencies being Wireless Solutions, Network Testing

and Secure Communication.
Cisco, Vaud: Core competency being network.
Dell, Geneva: Key domains being computing hardware and End user devices.
IBM, Bern and Geneva: Core Competencies being Computing hardware and
Data storage / Information Systems

EVENTS

The Swiss ICT Award ceremony 2014: The industry rewards its
outstanding players. The winning companies serve as role models and
motivators for the entire ICT industry. The companies also benefit from the
jurys detailed evaluation and the high media presence.
Usability EngineeringSchlieren-12.03.2015
Lean Innovation Training , Zrich- 25.03.2015

Embedded Software
Embedded Software Market size was valued at USD 10.46 billion in 2015 and is
anticipated to grow at over 7% CAGR from 2016 to 2023. Rising demand from

automotive and consumer electronics sector is forecast to propel (RTOS) real time
operating system market growth over the forecast timeframe.
Automotive sector was valued at USD 1.24 billion in 2015 and is expected to
witness substantial growth prospects over the forecast period. The segment is
predicted to grow over 8% CAGR from 2016 to 2023. Rising demand for in-vehicle
infotainment systems is predicted to justify embedded software market growth, over
the forecast period. Furthermore, it provides wide range of features such as
entertainment, navigation, internet based services, external communications and
safety & security.
Consumer electronics sector is forecast to exceed USD 4.0 billion by 2023 and is
estimated to grow at 7.7% CAGR from 2016 to 2023. Growth in the segment can be
attributed to rapidly growing adoption of electronic devices such as tablets and
smartphones.
Europe embedded software market size was over USD 3 billion in 2015, with
steady growth expectation over the next few years
Industry participants include Advantech, Altera, ENEA, Express Logic and Green
Hills Software. Other prominent industry partners are IBM, Infineon, Intel, Xilinx, LG
CNS, Microsoft, Mitsubishi Electric, NXP Semiconductors, RadiSys etc.

Electronic Trade Association in Switzerland:

International Electro Technical Commission:

o Set up in 1906, IETC is a national body that represents the collective
interests of manufacturers, providers, distributors and vendors of
electronic components
Electrosuisse:
o Electrosuisse is a professional trade body consisting of over 4000
professionals and 1750 companies serving electrical, energy and
information technology sectors
International Organization for Standarization:
o It is a non-governmental organization comprising of 157 countries
whose main mission is to provide standardization for variety of
products and services
Swiss Telecommunications Associations:
o This is a neutral federation formed in 1974 to serve the professional
and commercial interests of telecommunication users throughout the
country. The main aim of this organization is to promote and advance
free and fair competition in Swiss telecommunications market
Swiss Association for Information, Communication and organization
Technology:
o SWICO is a voluntary association comprising of more than 400
providers and manufacturers active in the information, communication
and organization technology. It is an umbrella organization that gives a

perfect platform for the exchange of their experiences and provides

non-members with a wide range of services
Swiss Electronic Companies:

Logitech
Saitek
Studer
Revox
PocketBook International
Enics
Elma Electronics