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Launch of a national initiative to highlight the 200 reasons to believe in Switzerland

Lausanne, Switzerland, 1 November 2019. As part of the celebrations to mark its bicentenary, Mirabaud Bank is launching a major analysis and study on the theme of reasons to believe in Switzerland, now and in the future. To do this, it is joining forces with its scientific partner, the EPFL, which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary as a federal institute of technology. This initiative will take the form of a white paper and several special events.

Landscapes, wildlife, watches, cheeses and banks... Switzerland’s international image often continues to be confined to clichés, despite the Confederation’s efforts to bring it into the modern era. Mirabaud’s executives therefore felt that an appropriate way to celebrate the Bank’s two hundred years of history would be to showcase Switzerland’s many, often little-known strengths, now and in the future.

“Our aim is to present modern-day Switzerland as a progressive, forward-thinking country,” explains Nicolas Mirabaud, Managing Partner of Mirabaud. “We must bridge the gap that exists between the reality of what Switzerland is and the perception held by other nations, or even the Swiss people themselves, who sometimes struggle to define their identity without always seeing our country’s new strengths.”

In view of this, Mirabaud Bank approached the EPFL for support in drawing up 200 good reasons for believing in Switzerland, now and in the future. “We agreed to be scientific partners in this initiative because many of the project’s themes are in line with our researchers’ fields of expertise,” says Martin Vetterli, EPFL President. “We may be a small country on the map, but we are a nation rich in ideas, innovations and education.”

Experts from the great Swiss institutions and the Confederation have also been asked to contribute to the 50 themes selected. They will be supplemented by 200 testimonials from Swiss or foreign personalities from all walks of life, who will sum up in one sentence why we should believe in Switzerland.

Several major conferences will form part of this initiative early next year. In February at the EPFL, we will talk about the future of work and the innovative solutions offered by the major schools for lifelong learning in the careers of tomorrow. In the spring in Zurich, a conference entitled “La Suisse est-elle toujours désirable?” (“Switzerland: is it still a desirable place?”) will bring together prestigious speakers to discuss the attractiveness of our country.

Later in 2020, a major review of this study will be organised with media organisations, on social networks and through the publication of a white paper that will leave a written record of this updated vision of Switzerland.

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