Glasses will be raised high again on 1 August, when Switzerland celebrates its national holiday. According to legend, in 1291 the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden swore what is known as the "Rütlischwur" oath to provide each other with mutual assistance, thereby laying the foundation for the Swiss Confederation. Nevertheless, it took almost another six centuries before the starting signal for Switzerland in its current form was given when, in 1848, a loose association of states became a federal state with a federal parliament. The last day's session on 12 September saw the new federal constitution approved by the people and the cantons. In a few weeks this great day will thus be celebrated for the 173rd time.
As they were more than 100 years ago, so the "Swiss virtues" such as diligence, quality workmanship and entrepreneurship are still being passed on to the next generation today. Even now, for instance, there are many cheesemakers who earn their living on alpine pastures. The dairy product, though, is not the only export mainstay with a long history: Swiss chocolate has been enjoying the very highest reputation around the world since as long ago as the 19th century. One of the pioneers is Sprüngli, which opened its first chocolate factory back in 1848. A few years later, Lindt then developed a unique conching process that created a new kind of chocolate through the even combination of cocoa mass and cocoa butter. This process remains in use throughout the world today. In 1899 the two companies embarked on a partnership – and thus Lindt & Sprüngli, a sweet group still enjoying global success today, was born.
The example shows that research in Switzerland has always been valued highly. The same applies today: according to the Global Innovation Index 2020, the country is one of the top developers in the world. And that's not just in Europe – the alpine nation heads the innovation ranking alongside Sweden and the USA. Research spending relative to gross domestic product is around three per cent. This inventive spirit is also reflected in the country's economic competitiveness, where Switzerland is likewise in the front ranks on an international comparison. To ensure this remains the case, significant amounts are being invested in education and training. The latest "Global Competitiveness Report" produced by the World Economic Forum comes to the conclusion that Switzerland is one of the top four best prepared countries in terms of keeping the school curriculum up to date.
There's a good reason why politicians and businesses attach particular weight to a high-quality educational institution. That's because a good labour force with sufficient skills and expertise, known as human capital, makes a critical contribution to the success and prosperity of a country. On the subject of prosperity, an analysis by Credit Suisse indicates that, with average per capita wealth of USD 564,653, the Swiss actually lead the world. But that's not all: Switzerland is also the front runner when it comes to the distribution of money. Median wealth, i.e. the mid-point of the distribution curve, comes to USD 227,891. This generally fair distribution is probably one of the reasons why people here are also particularly happy. The World Happiness Report 2021 comes to the conclusion that Switzerland is number 4 on the list of the happiest countries in the world. There is thus plenty to suggest that the alpine country will continue to be more successful than the average in the future and that there is no end yet in sight to its success story.
Source: Global Innovation Index 2020
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