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Keeping Swiss Finance
great

#NextGen

What sets the Zurich Financial Centre apart from others and what megatrends will shape its future?  In an ever-changing interconnected global economy it is essential to continually keep pace with the newest trends and shifts. Traditional banks are adapting to these shifts in the industry and are observing changes in their clients’ behaviour and outlook. Trending themes such as sustainability or DeFi (decentralised finance) are proving to be mainstay topics and are adding new dimensions to the finance sector. In all this, the financial hub of Zurich serves as an ideal setting from which the next generation of talent, innovations and ideas can emerge. To keep a finger on the industry's pulse, this page offers readers an overview of different areas that are or will be part of the financial discourse.

Financial Centre Zurich

Zurich is one of the world's leading financial centres. It has earned this reputation through consistently producing top financial specialists, through fostering political stability and security, as well as by maintaining an excellent infrastructure. Furthermore, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ranks Switzerland as the most innovative country in the world according to the Global Innovation Index. Forbes estimates that around 10% of all European FinTech businesses are located mainly in Zurich. Indeed, the metropolitan area of Greater Zurich has established itself as an ideal location for startups and fintech companies due to a business-friendly regulatory environment and a good supply of valuable human capital. Explore further what makes Zurich and Switzerland a leading financial centre.

Sustainable Finance

Climate change and other environmental threats are challenges that face current and future generations. Sustainability in the financial sector is gaining in significance and is seen as the next trend that has to be tackled. The Swiss financial centre is one of the pioneers in sustainable finance and is on its way to becoming a leading international hub. The development of sustainable investing has seen a sharp rise in recent years, and as of 2019, sustainable investments make up 30% of all investments in Switzerland. Governments and companies are committing to binding agreements through various treaties such as the Paris Climate Agreement. Moreover, companies are increasingly pledging to reduce their emissions and are adopting sustainable behaviour and practices along their supply chain. Learn more about sustainability and how it is shaping the Swiss financial sector.

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Crypto Finance &
FinTech

Decentralised Finance – or DeFi for short – is currently the talk of the town and has gained great momentum over the past few years. This is in part due to acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a novel asset class as well as the recognition of its underlying blockchain technology as a tool that can reinvent the finance space. Being a fintech hotspot, Zurich and UZH (ranked 3rd World-wide and 1st in Europe in the CoinDesk "Best Universities for Blockchain 2022") are in the forefront of the newest developments in the DeFi and crypto space. In fact, many successful blockchain companies are located in Zurich or Zug and are constantly expanding and attracting new talent. Want to know more on DeFi and FinTech in Switzerland?

Another emerging topic is the Metaverse. Goldman Sachs estimates that the metaverse could be a $8 trillion opportunity. 

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«Impressed by the enthusiasm for sustainable investing and the tricky questions! Always a pleasure to present at my alma mater as part of the collaboration between the BlueOrchard Academy and the Finance Club!»

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Philipp Müller, CEO BlueOrchard Finance Ltd.

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