National airline in focus for business
The business week will see interest focused on the country's new airline, which is being constructed around the Swissair subsidiary, Crossair.
Crossair’s board meets on Monday to discuss possible names for the new airline. Several suggestions have been put forward from “Air Switzerland” to “Swiss Airlines” to more abstract ideas such as “Mountain Air”.
The Crossair board has been advised by several advertising agencies over the new identity. Most analysts expect the name to include some reference to Switzerland.
The crucial decision will be taken this week.
On Monday, the Crossair board will also be discussing the result from Sunday’s vote in the canton of Zurich, where voters decided whether to invest SFr300 million ($181 million) in the new company.
Roche payment
On the markets, Roche is likely to remain in the spotlight after a US court last week ordered the drugs and diagnostics group to pay $505 million in damages in the licensing dispute with IGEN.
The award against Roche was somewhat less than expected and caused the share price to rise on Friday. However, the court’s ruling that IGEN is now entitled to access some of Roche’s technologies may weigh on the share price once people have had more time to think about it.
Roche is appealing the decision.
Other business events this week include a UBS seminar on strategies of global wealth management – that’s in Zurich on Wednesday. On Thursday, Ciba specialty chemicals chairman, Armin Meyer addresses the Basel business club and in Geneva, Bank Sarasin, holds a news conference on the economic outlook for 2002.
By Michael Hollingdale
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