Swiss Stories

© Wildbiene

7 Unexpected Swiss Start-ups

Economics
Switzerland is home to a high-quality start-up environment. In line with the country’s long-standing and traditional strengths in engineering, biotechnology, medical technology and financial services, many Swiss start-ups within those sectors seek to develop creative solutions in the technology sector.
Swiss dogs on Instagram

Swiss dogs on Instagram

Society
Meet the Swiss Instagrammers who share their uplifting pictures of everyday life with their dogs in the incomparable Swiss outdoors.
Scewo Bro

The wheelchair of the future – made in Switzerland

Science & Education
What started as a university project to build a stair-climbing robot turned into a start-up pushing the limits for wheelchair users. Scewo is also the story of three Swiss students who came together to turn their idea into a new business, ready to disrupt an old industry.
Il romancio, quarta lingua nazionale svizzera, è parlato da circa 60 000 persone e ha un suo canale di servizio pubblico, la Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha. © Keystone I Gaetan Bally

Romansh speakers and stories

Society
Bun di, bund de, bien di, bùn gi, allegra! There are five different ways to say hello in Romansh, Switzerland's fourth national language. For some people, Romansh triggers a memory, while for others it's completely new. It's also an integral part of Swiss identity. Despite being a minority language, it rings loud and clear onstage, alongside rap beats heard round the world, on news stations, and in classrooms and parliament. Echoes of Romansh can even be heard from Madagascar to Beijing.
swiss night trains

Night trains – sustainability in style

Society
It's certainly no secret that railways are the most environmentally friendly means of motorised transport. Yet the waning demand for night trains did not start making its comeback until relatively recently, with increasing environmental awareness and concerns about the planet's sustainability. It's easy to see where the travel trends are taking us: more and more people want a clear conscience included when reserving trips like the one from Zurich to Vienna.
Happy Genie

Swiss a-Peel

Environment
Two start-ups born in Switzerland are bringing the concepts of 'cradle-to-cradle' and 'circular economy' closer to home by giving organic waste a new, fashionable lease on life.

by Miguel Quintana

© SWPIX

Equal opportunities for young cyclists from around the world in Switzerland

Society
Biniam Girmay recently became the first African cyclist to win a major racing event. As a young rider, he spent several months at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle, a small town in the Swiss canton of Vaud, learning about pro cycling and its challenges. His success has made him an ambassador for over 1,500 young athletes from developing countries who have taken part in the programme over the past 15 years.

by Bertrand Monnard