Promotion

Marketing and communication activities

© Violaine Martin

Geneva Blockchain Congress

Event

In January 2020, the second edition of the Geneva Blockchain Congress gathered more than 100 speakers and 1,000 participants from around the world. Capitalizing on this exceptional concentration of experts, GGBa filmed 24 #BlockchainStories, each presenting a different aspect of Western Switzerland’s thriving blockchain ecosystem. The videos, produced in partnership with the conference organizers, feature local and international specialists, such as EPFL’s Bryan Ford and Don Tapscott of the Blockchain Research Institute.

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GGBa in the news

Media

GGBa’s presence in the media included a number of interviews with Executive Director Thomas Bohn. In a video interview with French business channel B SMART TV, he elaborated on the recipe for Switzerland’s innovation success. Interviewed by The Place Brand Observer, he outlined what makes Western Switzerland such an attractive location to live and do business in. He also talked about how the life sciences industry in the region has continued to perform well despite the covid-19 pandemic with Pharma Boardroom and Technology by Bilan magazine.

© Lonza Ltd

Showcasing Switzerland’s expertise across the biologics value chain

Webinar

The webinar “Scaling global biologics production: partnerships across the value chain” highlighted Western Switzerland’s leading role in biologics manufacturing. At a time when demand for biologics production is rising faster than capacity growth, Switzerland provides flexible, efficient solutions to address this market gap across the value chain. The virtual presentation included the case study of pharma company Lonza, which is manufacturing Moderna’s active vaccine ingredients in the Swiss canton of Valais.

Fintech Swiss Made

Event

GGBa joined forces with Finance Innovation, France’s innovation cluster for the financial sector, to host the Fintech Swiss Made conference. The event focused on the strengths of Western Switzerland as a fintech hub and the opportunities for French companies in the region. It was held on January 27 at the Swiss Embassy in Paris, on the sidelines of the Paris Fintech Forum.

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What’s new?

DIGITAL & SOCIAL MEDIA

To promote Western Switzerland as a dynamic business location and investment destination, GGBa regularly produces articles and newsletters. Topics can range from new investments, to R&D breakthroughs, to notable stories from local companies or start-ups. More than 120 news items were published in 2020, both on the GGBa website and on the news ticker of Switzerland Global Enterprise. Follow GGBa on LinkedIn and Twitter for constant updates and compelling stories!

Promoting the Health Valley in partnership with BioAlps

Partnership

BioAlps – Western Switzerland’s life sciences cluster – is a powerful ally in promoting the region. The platform regularly organizes events, which give its member companies the opportunity to showcase their expertise. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, only two such events took place in 2020: GGBa filmed them both. Watch the video on CSL Behring to learn more about the company’s 300 million franc expansion project in Bern, and the one on Fribourg’s Marly Innovation Center for insights into 3D bioprinting.

Virtual Swiss Drone Industry Tour

Webinar

GGBa organized a series of webinars covering the many facets of the Swiss drone ecosystem, in partnership with Greater Zurich Area, the official investment promotion agency for the Zurich economic region. Each of the four webinars provided in-depth perspectives and real-world cases, with a distinct focus on topics such as integration, innovation, testing, partnering and deployment.

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#StaySafeWithGGBa

Giveaway

Doing business in Switzerland means quality, reliability, and innovation – even in challenging times. Throughout the pandemic, GGBa has been gifting its prospects and partners a Swiss‑made, antibacterial, reusable facemask, 3D‑knitted by Valais company Steiger. A testament to Swiss ingenuity, these practical masks also symbolize the constant support we offer international companies on their investment journey.

Members of the GGBa committee (and a Charlie Chaplin statue) wearing the #StaySafeWithGGBa mask at a meeting in Vevey, Switzerland, in October 2020.

Collaboration with JETRO, Japan External Trade Organization

Webinar

GGBa and JETRO co-organized two webinars in 2020. Through these virtual events, Japanese companies learned about the Swiss cybersecurity and blockchain ecosystems and discovered inspiring initiatives such as the Trust Valley. They were also introduced to potential partners from industry and academia.

Change and adaptability

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

In normal times, GGBa organizes an annual training week bringing together our representatives based abroad, as well as the directors and project managers of the cantonal economic development agencies. In 2020 we could only gather virtually, from the comfort – and isolation – of our home offices. E-meetings were organized regularly to keep our network engaged and informed.

Do as the Chinese do

TAILORED COMMUNICATION

The GGBa China team develops communication tools and initiatives tailored to the Chinese audience. In 2020, these included over 40 posts on microblogging platform Weibo, 20 articles on WeChat, 12 newsletters, and 50 news items published on the Chinese version of the website. On the event front, two webinars were hosted in partnership with PwC, and BioAlps and Biopôle respectively. Live events also took place in the second half of the year: three roadshows were organized in collaboration with other European investment promotion agencies in Zhuhai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.