Archive – Banking & Fintech

Swiss look to Finland for economic model

This content was published on Feb 12, 2004 The report by the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences examined Finland’s success in promoting innovation and asked what Switzerland could learn from the experience. “Finland has developed a high dynamic in innovation activities,” Beat Hotz-Hart, co-author of the study, told swissinfo. “Switzerland has an interest to understand how this dynamic is produced and what can…

Swiss carnival season starts with a bang

This content was published on Feb 11, 2004 Carnival is a licence for the normally well-behaved Swiss to let their hair down and celebrate the festival in their own unique way. In Lucerne, dozens of costumed brass bands took their signal from a pre-dawn gun salute on Thursday to strike the fist dissonant chords of marches and pop songs, and begin parading through…

Swiss consider joining space project

This content was published on Feb 11, 2004 Switzerland is debating whether to make a belated appearance in the Galileo project, which could generate millions in revenues and offer a vast range of applications. But time is running out for the Swiss, who have to decide by 2006 whether to join. A constellation of 30 European satellites and ground stations is due to…

Syngenta reaps profit harvest

This content was published on Feb 11, 2004 Basel-based Syngenta said its sales were up by six per cent to $6.58 billion, following strong growth in the second half of the year. Announcing its 2003 results on Wednesday, the company said that earnings before restructuring and impairment charges of $95 million rose 37 per cent, lifted also by cost cuts, lower net financial…

UBS denies Parmalat investigation

This content was published on Feb 10, 2004 Tuesday’s statement follows reports that UBS and five other international banks were being investigated for possible market rigging in connection with the Parmalat affair. “We have no knowledge of a formal investigation into UBS or any of our employees,” said Mark Branson, the bank’s chief spokesman. Last week the bank’s Milan offices were raided by…

UBS sails beyond profit expectations

This content was published on Feb 10, 2004 Net profit at the world’s largest asset manager soared to SFr6.385 billion ($5.18 billion) in 2003, up by 81 per cent on the previous year. Fourth-quarter net profit came in at SFr1.86 billion, beating even the most optimistic expectations. “2003 turned out to be a surprisingly good year for financial markets and a terrific year…

Recovery fails to check rising unemployment

This content was published on Feb 9, 2004 However, the economics ministry said it drew some signs of encouragement from the January figures, which fell for the third year in succession. In a statement released on Monday, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said the number of people registered out of work rose by over 5,000 to 168,163 in January. The jobless…

Transalpine rail project exhausts credit line

This content was published on Feb 6, 2004 The news comes as parliament considers granting an extra credit of SFr900 million ($730 million) for the project, bringing the total cost to SFr15.5 billion. On Thursday a parliamentary committee warned that the bill for the tunnels could escalate further, saying the project would require a further top-up of SFr700 million. The electorate approved a…

Swiss technology takes on Chicago’s pit bulls

This content was published on Feb 6, 2004 Eurex, a joint venture of the Swiss and German stock exchanges, is homing in on a market that has not been easy to enter but which is seen as holding great potential. After overcoming a number of hurdles from competitors since applying last September to put its foot in the door, Eurex finally won approval…

SVOX offers mobile telephony for the blind

This content was published on Feb 6, 2004 Mobile phones have mainly been targeted at the young, neglecting a group of users that often has difficulties with the tiny screens and buttons on today’s wireless phones. Now SVOX’s voice synthesis software can read out loud the numbers or character entered on the keypad, including the menu options and all the information appearing on…

Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Swiss look to Finland for economic model

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Swiss carnival season starts with a bang

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Swiss consider joining space project

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Syngenta reaps profit harvest

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UBS denies Parmalat investigation

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UBS sails beyond profit expectations

More

Recovery fails to check rising unemployment

More

Transalpine rail project exhausts credit line

More

Swiss technology takes on Chicago’s pit bulls

More

SVOX offers mobile telephony for the blind

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