Only 36.3% of 2,400 Swiss surveyed by Fribourg’s School of Management felt they were capable of creating a new company. This is the lowest level of confidence since 2012, say authors of the report which fed into the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2018/19External link. Only Italians were less confident among the 15 high-income countries surveyed, with Canadians and Americans at the top (little over 55%).
The fear of failure has also increased by 10 percentage points compared to 2017. Overall, only 7.4% of Swiss participated in entrepreneurial activities in 2018 compared to an average of 10.4% across all 15 countries surveyed. Among 18-24-year-olds only 2.2% were involved in entrepreneurial activity, the lowest among countries surveyed and well below the average of 9.5%.
The silver lining in the Swiss startup scene was the quality of the startups. The proportion of companies which were founded as a result of good opportunities was above average (67.6%), while those created out of necessity accounted for only 13.9%.
“This explains why founders tend to have high growth expectations: one-third would like to hire six or more people in the next five years,” says the report.
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First-half investment in Swiss start-ups doubles to more than CHF1 billion
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Venture capital investment in Swiss start-ups doubled during the first half of 2019 to exceed CHF1 billion ($1.01 billion).
Swiss foreign minister backs Berset at Council of Europe
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Cassis described Berset as the "ideal candidate" to help the Council realise its aim of ensuring security and peace in Europe.
Gay conversion therapy banned in Swiss canton of Valais
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On Thursday, the canton approved a new Health Act which includes a ban on therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation or gender identity.
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Some aspects of pro-Palestine sit-ins have gone too far, but the right to protest and debate must be upheld, the student association has said.
Swiss LGTBIQ helpline: attacks more than doubled in 2023
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Three organisations jointly operating a helpline have called for more awareness, action and funding to address discrimination.
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Switzerland's economy grew slightly at the start of 2024, with growth in the service sector contrasting with weak growth in industry.
Swiss employment rate rises in first quarter of 2024
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The number of women and foreign nationals in employment increased particularly strongly, the Federal Statistical Office said on Thursday.
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Swiss start-ups to benefit from multi-million fund
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Start-ups and innovative small and medium-sized businesses are to be encouraged to stay in Switzerland thanks to a new fund.
Fintech and fake cannabis drive record number of Swiss start-ups
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The year 2017 saw a record number of businesses created in Switzerland, many of them centred in the booming ‘crypto valley’ region.
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