Geneva's Competence Centres

Geneva's competence centres

Flavours & Fragrance

Two of the world’s three top flavor and fragrance companies are established in Geneva. Firmenich was founded here in 1895 and has been a family-owned company ever since. Givaudan moved to Geneva in 1898 from its birthplace in Zurich. Together they cover approximately 40% of world market share.

Watchmaking & Luxury

Goods Geneva’s image – elegance, prestige and excellence – reinforces the brands of luxury goods and services based in Geneva. In turn, these luxury companies contribute to the Geneva’s renown. They represent the essence of the luxury industry; exceptional expertise is at the core of their brands.

Banking & Finance

Over the past 200 years, Geneva’s financial sector, most famously its private banks, has built a reputation for reliability and confidentiality. Today, Geneva’s financial sector includes 140 banks, of which 62 are foreign-owned. Geneva is the birthplace and capital of international asset management. The Geneva financial center has become a benchmark of excellence for other financial centers and is a key center with regard to private transnational asset management. 

Commodities Trading & Trade Finance

One of Geneva's leading sector is trading and trade finance. With 400 companies that now handle the majority of global transactions, Geneva is a world leader in trade in oil, sugar, coffee, grains, rice and oilseeds.

Biotech & Medtech

Science magazine has called the Lake Geneva Region the “Number One cluster for life sciences research in continental Europe”. The biotech and medtech sectors in BioAlps are experiencing double-digit annual growth. Geneva’s competence in pharmaceuticals, chemistry, biotechnology, microtechnology, precision instruments and medical devices continues to attract multinational healthcare and life science congresses.

Microtechnologies

Ironically, Switzerland can thank one of its traditional industries – watch-making – for helping it to move ahead in one of today’s hottest sciences: nano- and microtechnology. The technical know-how involved in the precise measurements and materials science needed for making watch movements gave the Swiss a head-start that they have simply taken to an infinitely smaller level.

Cleantech

Geneva is a hub of research, lobbying and planning concerning the environment and sustainability-related issues. In addition to top research universities and labs, key players and innovative companies, international organizations, NGOs and innovation/trade actors such as the UNEP, the WIPO, the WMO, the WTO, the IETA, and the WBCSD all have headquarters or major offices in Geneva.

Information & Communication Technologies

Geneva has become a hub in IT expertise, with over 1'000 companies engaged in researching, developing and marketing advanced new products in software, electronics, logistics, semi-conductors, telecommunication, Internet, computers and peripherals. It hosts the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) as well as international standard-setting organizations such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)