Switzerland – Zurich Represented by: Economic Development Department Canton of Zürich

The Metropolis in the Countryside

Zurich is the driving force behind Switzerland’s economy, but at the same time it offers the highest quality of life in the world - a power center in the countryside. The mix of international flair, a multicultural society, short distances, intact environment, high concentration of financial service providers and a pulsing night-life make Zurich a metropolis.

The densest public transport network in the world and countless direct flights to global destinations guarantee easy access to Zurich and within the metropolis. Renowned academic addresses such as the University of Zurich, the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and IBM’s Research Laboratory, mean that Zurich has an adequate supply of qualified specialists at the cutting edge of science. Such achievements can only be made in a stable country. However, the cost of it all is still relatively modest: Zurich’s taxes are among the lowest in Europe. More Information

Economy

As the center of the most important economic region in Switzerland, Zurich is one of the most attractive European economic and investment areas. Zurich has a sophisticated economic structure, central European location, efficient and reliable infrastructure, and qualified and highly motivated workforce.  It has a lot of potential in development areas as the transformation from the old to the new economy progresses, and ranks highest in quality of life. As a financial center and seat of numerous headquarter operations, Zurich is an international city and is well known as a scientific and cultural center.  It is a marketplace for innovative and creative ideas of the highest quality.

Zurich is a major banking metropolis not only for Switzerland or Europe, but also for the entire world. In addition to the banking powerhouses UBS and Credit Suisse Group, there are also many highly specialized private banks with long-standing reputations in the financial industry. All the major international banks have a presence in Zurich.

Zurich is one of the top destinations in Switzerland for companies to locate their headquarters. Insurance companies add to the already strong financial sector with the top three being Zurich Financial Services Group, Rentenanstalt/Swiss Life, and the Winterthur Gruppe. Also of great importance are traditional machine industries such as ABB, Sulzer, and Rieter.
 
International Trade

Zurich has many high service industries such as banking and insurance, and as a result, its international connections are wide. The most important trading partners are Germany, France, Russia, Italy, and the USA.

Demographics

In 2003, Zurich has a population of 340,000. There are 1.23 million inhabitants in the Canton of Zurich, up from 1.18 million in 1990 and 1.12 million in 1980.

For regularly updated information on Doing Business in Switzerland, specifically in the Canton of Zurich, please consult: http://www.location.zh.ch/internet/vd/awa/standort/en/wirtschaft/einleitung.html about quality of living, legal structures for companies, taxation, the labour market, real estate, education, and technology transfer.

Contact Information

Stephan Kux
Department of Public Economy
of the Canton of Zurich
Walchestrasse 19
Ch-8090 Zurich
Switzerland
+41-(0)43-259-4987 Tel
+41-(0)43-259-5171 Fax
www.location.zh.ch