Switzerland remained a destination of choice for foreign investments in 2023. In total, 1,781 positions were created in this context, a figure which quadrupled over one year, according to a study by the firm EY published Thursday.
IMAGO/Panthermedia
Switzerland is going against the trend in Europe. The number of investment projects jumped by 53% to 89 projects, compared to a decline of around 4% at European level (5,694 projects). Pre-pandemic levels are therefore still far from being reached (-11% compared to 2019) in Europe.
Among the countries with the most foreign investment, Great Britain and Turkey are the only ones to record an increase in the number of projects recorded, unlike France, Germany and Spain, which suffered a decline.
Conversely, Switzerland has been less inclined to invest in Europe. In total, 12,122 new positions were created in Europe thanks to Swiss companies, i.e. 11% less over one year. Around 10% of the positions were created in Germany.
Despite a sharp decline, American companies remain the most active in Europe, with more than 1,000 projects and the creation of 71,000 positions in 2023. They are followed by Germany (47,690 positions), France (21 424 positions) and China (16,010 positions).
“American companies tend to invest more significantly in their own country and more rarely in Europe,” explains André Bieri, head of Switzerland and Liechtenstein for EY. Europe has not yet given its response to the law on reducing inflation in the United States, which has strengthened the country’s competitiveness.
The automotive industry generated the greatest number of job creations, followed by IT and software as well as the electronics industry and transport and logistics.
The EY study takes into account the creation of sites in Switzerland and the resulting new positions. It nevertheless excludes mergers and acquisitions projects.
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