Swiss

Automotive Industry Switzerland

Industry Analysis 2008    

Latest survey of structure, trends, challenges, and opportunities

Automotive Industry Switzerland — Survey 2008

2

11.09.2008 ETH Zürich ETH swiss Center for Automotive Research

Publisher:

ETH Zürich swiss Center for Automotive Research (swiss CAR) Dr. Anja Schulze Philipp Schmitt, Karl Neumüller ETH Zürich Corporate Communications Zürcher Kantonal Bank

Overall direction: Editors: Layout: Producer:

© Copyright 2008 All rights, including copyright, in the content of this brochure are owned or controlled by the publisher. Reproduction, translation, duplication or storage on data media requires the publisher’s written approval. Phrasal errors or misprints, incorrect information as well as brands or copyrights are excluded from any liability.

3  Automotive Industry Switzerland — Survey 2008

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the many participants who contributed to the  creation of the survey. Particular thanks go to   • the partners at the Zürcher Kantonalbank and the association for eco‐ nomic promotion from Solothurn and the greater Zurich area, without  whom this survey would not have been achievable in this form  all companies who made the time to participate in the written inqui‐ ries  professors Roman Boutellier and Fritz Fahrni, who acted as thorough‐ going support  the many experts who discussed and analyzed the data  all those who have been contracted for layout and text editing 

•

•

• •  

Automotive Industry Switzerland — Survey 2008

4

Foreword

One  of  the  questions  we  were  asked  during  the  last  few  months  was,  Why  conduct a survey on the automotive (supplier) industry in Switzerland? Com‐ plete cars are not produced here, and so the supplier industry could not possi‐ bly be of such eminent importance. After all, the country is known for its bank‐...