Small is beautiful and takes the prize
A small company making micro components and micromoulds, Mimotec of Sion in canton Valais, has taken first prize in this year's Swiss Economic Awards.
The prize goes annually to the most innovative young business and is presented at the Swiss Economic Forum, now on in the town of Thun in canton Bern.
The forum is the largest economic event in Switzerland for small and medium-sized companies, as well as young business people, and has been increasing in size every year.
Mimotec, which employs just eight people and took the first prize among 107 competing small companies, receives SFr30,000 ($17,100). The watchmaking, medical, pharmacological and bio-scientific industries use the company’s micromoulds to produce their plastic components.
The second prize, worth SFr15,000 went to Concepcion Technologies of Sarnen in canton Obwalden for the company’s new method of producing spectacle lenses. The Dartfish company of Fribourg , which produces video software with which sportsmen and women can control their performances, came third (SFr5,000).
The theme of this year’s conference, which has attracted 1,250 people from politics, the economy and science, is “Managing the Speed”.
The two founders of the event, Stefan Linder and Peter Stähli, say that speed is a central factor for innovative and successful businesses.
“What are needed are speed managers who are ready to accept risks and who have the ability to make decisions quickly, to identify new trends, to learn continually, to motivate and lead their own teams, to enter into the right cooperation agreements and therefore set new international benchmarks,” they say.
The forum includes presentations on topics such as high speed in the new economy, high speed in product development, and innovation safeguarding tradition. The conference also includes in-depth analysis of start-up companies.
The event features round tables, a pavilion for participants to explore the technology of tomorrow and knowledge laboratories.
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