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Molecular biologist wins top science prize

This content was published on Oct 25, 2006 The award, worth SFr100,000 ($79,000), is one of the most renowned research accolades in Switzerland and is presented each year by the National Science Foundation (SNF). Hengartner’s work revolves around a worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, which he has been studying for nearly 20 years. The creature is a nematode worm, a parasite which lives in…

Expert highlights untapped migrant resource

This content was published on Oct 24, 2006 Manuel Carballo claims that far from being “charity cases”, the majority of unofficial migrants in Europe represent a valuable economic and social resource that is largely going to waste. The comments by the executive director of the Geneva-based International Centre for Migration and Health (ICMH) come hot on the heels of a similar warning last…

Tunnel stop

This content was published on Oct 24, 2006

New barometer shows small businesses booming

This content was published on Oct 24, 2006 Switzerland’s largest bank UBS said the barometer filled a major void in the range of economic policy instruments. The bank joined forces with the Swiss Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to create the new tool. More than half of SMEs registered higher sales in the third quarter of 2006 and ten per cent raised…

Lonza expands biopharmaceutical business

This content was published on Oct 24, 2006 The deal to purchase the units, Research Bioproducts and Microbial Biopharmaceutical, will strengthen Lonza’s biopharmaceutical business. The Basel-based group said the purchase, together with the upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of its Polynt SpA polymers unit, would lead to a better financial performance in coming years. “These acquisitions and the IPO of Polynt accelerate the…

Safety remains the rule at Gotthard

This content was published on Oct 23, 2006 Swiss authorities are now hoping that with improved security, the chances of another catastrophic accident are now reduced, even if it cannot be totally ruled out. The fire on October 24, 2001, in which 11 people died, was caused by a head-on collision between two trucks and resulted in major structural damage to the tunnel.…

“Migrant-friendly” handbook helps hospitals

This content was published on Oct 23, 2006 The Federal Health Office said that if people from different cultures and linguistic backgrounds received better treatment, overall costs would go down. Thomas Spang, head of equal opportunities and health at the Federal Health Office, said on Monday that migrants do not have the same opportunities regarding health as locals. He said migrants were overrepresented…

Nestlé backtracks on Cailler packaging fiasco

This content was published on Oct 23, 2006 Sales of Cailler confectionary plummeted after a disastrous rebranding exercise in February that fell foul of environmental groups, retailers and customers. The media speculated at the weekend that the blunder may cost the boss of Nestlé Switzerland, Nelly Wenger, her job. However, Nestlé told swissinfo they would welcome back Wenger, who is currently off work…

Swiss look to free trade after WTO failure

This content was published on Oct 22, 2006 The head of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), Jean-Daniel Gerber, said in a newspaper interview on Sunday that the agreements would have to be considered the “second best solution”. The Doha Round of world trade talks collapsed in July after the breakdown of negotiations in Geneva between the six leading members of the…

Melting mountains

This content was published on Oct 21, 2006

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