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A hotspot for innovation and technology
Heidi’s home is now a high-tech hub. The Alpine canton of Graubünden has developed into a flourishing location for engineering companies. There are many reasons why.
- Companies located in Graubünden benefit from its central location. The canton shares borders with three countries and lies directly on the north–south transit axis, in the catchment area of many important economic regions and five airports, making it exceptionally well connected to Europe and the rest of the world.
- Room to grow: in Graubünden, there is currently over 300,000 square metres of prime industrial real estate available.
- Newly established companies in Graubünden are entitled to generous tax breaks of up to 100 percent for a period of up to ten years.
- Private individuals also enjoy tax privileges: if they hold at least 10 percent of the capital of an AG, GmbH or cooperative, natural persons resident in the canton benefit from the partial taxation of income from these holdings. In addition, estate assets of spouses and direct descendants are tax-exempt.
- According to a survey by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, labour productivity in Graubünden is 30 percent above the European average - at the same time they are more satisfied and healthier than employees in most other cantons.
- The canton offers excellent educational and training opportunities. Around 60,000 students attend the universities in its catchment area, studying degrees in key sectors relevant to the regional economy. The photonics degree programme at the Graubünden University of Applied Sciences is offered nowhere else in Switzerland. Local companies benefit directly from the opportunity to recruit young specialists for one of the most important future technologies.
- Training with practical relevance: local companies and universities work together closely. The younger generation is highly motivated thanks to secure prospects for future employment – the six largest companies in the region alone have an annual need for 160 new engineers, and the trend is upward.
- Graubünden is an established and globally renowned centre for research in the life sciences and technology sectors. The Swiss Institute for Allergy and Asthma Research, the AO Research Institute in the field of the human musculoskeletal system and the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in the field of natural hazards are just a few examples of research centres in the Alpine canton.
- Multinational corporations such as Hamilton, Würth or TRUMPF have chosen Graubünden as the location for their headquarters – and Swiss companies such as EMS Chemie have grown from start-ups to multinational corporations in the canton.
- The growth rate of the population in the Graubünden Rhine Valley region is above average for Switzerland. Foreigners account for 18.6 per cent of the population, and people from 135 countries make for a cosmopolitan and multicultural region.
- “Work where you love to live.” With its picturesque Alpine panoramas and magnificent natural surroundings, Graubünden boasts stunning excursion opportunities, a wide range of leisure activities, an excellent health system and an above-average number of sunny days in summer and winter. The capital, Chur, has a Mediterranean flair and offers countless sports and leisure activities, with everything from spas to the theatre.
- The Office for Economy and Tourism provides specific advice to companies on all issues related to establishing a branch in the canton of Graubünden and offers local companies support with their innovation and expansion projects.
