Swiss Stories

SSW

Seedstars, an idea born in Switzerland

Economics

When most people think of emerging markets, they still assume them to be hubs of low-cost manufacturing and unskilled labour.

Alisee de Tonnac

by Alisée de Tonnac

Bern

Wild swimming: a speciality of Swiss cities

Society
A group of people jump into the river and emerge several hundred metres downstream. River bathing is commonplace in Swiss cities and understandably fascinates visitors – where else in the world can you swim wild in the city?
Ursula Keller

Ursula Keller has seen the light at the end of the laser

Science & Education
Ursula Keller, the well-known Swiss physicist, has more than one string to her bow: as the first woman to obtain a professorship in physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, this inventor specialised in ultra-fast laser technology won the 2018 European Inventor Award and was awarded a gold medal in 2020 by the international society for optics and photonics (SPIE). She is also committed to encouraging women to pursue careers in science or engineering.
Bains des Pâquis

Better together : the free spirit of Geneva’s Bains des Pâquis

Society
Ever since 1932, the heart of Geneva's harbour has been home to an odd-looking, reinforced concrete cruise ship that never leaves its spot. Its purpose? To give passengers from all walks of life a warm and friendly place of rest and relaxation. 365 days a year, they flock to it in their thousands from all four corners of the city – to eat, swim or just stroll around this jealously-guarded spot of freedom.

by Miguel Quintana

© Stadler Rail

Export boom for Swiss rail vehicles

Society
An agile and dynamic Swiss engineering company is enabling tram and train companies to offer efficient and environment-friendly transport options across the globe.

by John Durham

Petra

The Swiss discoverer of Petra

History
Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, the scion of a wealthy Basel family, converted to Islam to facilitate his work as an explorer. In 1812, travelling almost alone, he discovered the lost red sandstone city of Petra in the Jordanian desert.
Integrated water resource management of the Gambia River for the sustainable development of the region is a cross-border issue © SDC

Switzerland and Blue Peace

Environment
There’s nothing more essential to life on earth than water. Yet in ever more places on the planet, water is in a state of acute crisis. Due to rapid population growth, changing consumption patterns and rising pollution, clean water is increasingly scarce with direct consequences on peace and stability worldwide. As climate change intensifies pressure on our water resources, increased and innovative collaboration is needed between riparian states.