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What economic lessons can Switzerland learn from the pandemic?

Entrepreneurs discuss how we can overcome the COVID-19 crisis and what Switzerland’s economic future will look like in a collaboration between IMD and the Swiss Economic Forum.

September 2020

What lessons can Switzerland learn from the coronavirus pandemic? How has its economy performed? What can policymakers and business leaders do to navigate a safe and prosperous path into the future?

Switzerland’s economy has weathered the COVID 19 pandemic relatively well so far, but it could emerge even stronger and better equipped to deal with future crises if companies embrace greater agility and speed alongside a flexible, strong but non-invasive state.

While each sector has been impacted in different ways, Swiss entrepreneurs are cautiously optimistic about the economic outlook. However, they warn a second lockdown could prove catastrophic and argue that Switzerland cannot go it alone.

Further investment in education, digitization and new business models is required to reinforce the Swiss economy against shocks, alongside executives who have the courage to empower their employees while fostering trust with customers and teams.

At the same time, the state must ensure that the cost of navigating the pandemic does not become a heavy burden for future generations.

This summer, more than 200 SEF participants joined online to share ideas about how Switzerland’s economy could emerge from the pandemic. This white paper, available to download below in English, French and German, explores the main conclusions, covering:

The resilience of the Swiss economy
Business leadership in a crisis
The role of the state
The strengths of family businesses
The importance of speed and agility
Beyond COVID-19 – what next?

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