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Publication of the Swiss Canadian Chambers of Commerce Ontario and Quebec
Publication des Chambres de Commerce Canado-Suisse de l’Ontario et du Québec
June/July juin / juillet 2014
Feature/Reportage
eature/Reportage::
Green Technology / Technologies vertes
www.swissbiz.ca
www.cccsqc.ca
Créez votre café préféré avec
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Publication of the Swiss Canadian Chambers of Commerce Ontario and Quebec
Publication des Chambres de Commerce Canado-Suisse de l’Ontario et du Québec
FEATURE / REPORTAGE
Green Technology
Technologies vertes
4
6
6
8
10
12
Les CleanTechs – Des opportunités pour bâtir des partenariats verts
Energy Efficiency: Bright Prospects for LED
Switzerland Cleantech Sector
How “Green” is Canada Compared to Switzerland?
Getting Something Back from Carbon Dioxide
L’AECG arrive – L’AELE est déjà là: profitons-en!
BUSINESS AND OTHER NEWS
ACTUALITÉS ÉCONOMIQUES ET D’AFFAIRES
16
19
24
25
26
28
Tribeca Insights: Da svidaniya, Crimea
100 Years – Swiss National Park – Region for Health Tourism
Can an Employer Unilaterally Change its Pension Plan
Business News
Bruno Gideon: The Secret of Success
Trade Fairs
CHAMBER NEWS
INFORMATIONS DE VOTRE CHAMBRE
2
3
15
17
19
20
22
23
26
26
28
President’s Message SCCC/Upcoming Events
Message du Président CCCS / Événements à venir
Quote of the Month
Scholarship Fund
Travel News
Member Profile / Portrait d’un Membre
SCCC Annual General Meeting on April 23, 2014
Présentation du Swiss Business Hub
Canada aux membres de la CCCSQ.
SCCC New Members
Nouveaux Membres – CCCS
SCCC Group Health Plan
CONTENTS / INDICE
^c[dhj^hhZ
Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce (Ontario) Inc.
756 Royal York Road • Toronto, Ontario M8Y 2T6
Tel: (416) 236-0039 • Fax: (416) 236-3634 • E-mail: sccc@swissbiz.ca • www.swissbiz.ca
BOARD OF DIRECTORS • 2014 – 2015
President / Director:
Ernst Notz
Nacora
2 Hunter Avenue, Toronto ON M6E 2C8
Tel: 416-784-2872
Email: ernst.notz@rogers.com
1st Vice-President/Director:
Julien Favre
UBS Bank (Canada)
154 University Avenue, Toronto ON M5H 3Z4
Tel: 416-345-7033
Email: julien.favre@ubs.com Website: www.ubs.com/1/e/canada
Treasurer/ Director:
Monica Stevens-Wyss
Trowbridge Professional Corporation
25 Adelaide St. E.; Suite 1400; Toronto, ON M5C 3A1
Phone: 416-214-7833 ext.104
Email: monica.stevens@trowbridge.ca Website: www.trowbridge.ca
Secretary & Legal Counsel:
Bernard Lette
Lette LLP
20 Queen Street West, #3300, P.O. Box 33, Toronto ON M5H 3R3
Tel: 416-971-4898
Email: blette@lette.ca Website: www.lette.ca
Past President / Director:
Philipp Gysling
Mesh Innovations Inc.
174 Hallam Street, Toronto ON M6H 1X5
Tel: 416-871-8159
Email: philipp.gysling@meshinnovations.com
Website: www.meshinnovations.com
Directors:
Brett Berman
IMD Alumni Club of Canada
107 Cottingham Street, Toronto, ON M4V 1B9
Tel: 416-464-9422
Email: b.berman@intifin.com
Rudi Blatter
Lindt & Spruengli (Canada) Inc.
181 University Avenue, Suite 900, Toronto ON M5H 3M7
Tel: 416-351-8566
Email: rblatter@lindt.com Website: www.lindt.com
Heidy Lawrance
WeMakeBooks.ca
238 Willowdale Ave., North York ON M2N 4Z5
Tel: 416-733-1827
Email: heidy@wemakebooks.ca
Website: WeMakeBooks.ca
Sandra Leuba
RBC Wealth Management
CINEBOXX Film & Television Inc.
136 Curzon Street, Toronto ON M4M 3B5
Tel: 416-616-4251
Email: leubasandra@yahoo.ca
Marianne Mian-Krenger
Re/Max Legacy Realty Inc. Brokerage
2485 Taylorwood Dr., Oakville, ON L6H 0E1
Tel: W: 905-272-5000 Tel: H: 416-820-2003
Email: mariannemian@gmail.com
Ronnie Miller
Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
2455 Meadowpine Boulevard, Mississauga ON L5N 6L7
Tel: 905-542-5522
Email: ronnie.miller@roche.com Website: www.rochecanada.com
Christoph Oehy
Swiss Reinsurance Company
150 King Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 1J9
Tel: 647-775-2443
Email: christoph_oehy@swissre.com
Website: www.swissre.com
Daniel Oehy
Swissmar
35 East Beaver Creek Rd, Unit 6, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1B3
Tel: 905-764-1121
Email: danielo@swissmar.com Website: www.swissmar.com
Urs Uhlmann
Zurich
400 University Avenue, 25th Floor, Toronto ON M5G 1S7
Tel: 416-586-2959
Email: urs.uhlmann@zurich.com Website: www.zurich.ca
Honorary Director:
Kathy Utigard
Honorary Consul of Toronto
193 Riverview Street, Oakville, ON L6L 5S3
Tel: 905-845-1259
E-mail: kathy.utigard@gmail.com
Dear Members,
Our AGM and the corresponding April 2013 to April 2014 year are
behind us and it was a very active and profitable year! I would like
to start this message by thanking all the members/supporters for
their loyalty and my colleagues on the board for their dedicated
work. Please see the article about the event and the dedication
of the retiring board members. The list of the new board can be
found next to this message. I would like to welcome our new
board members Marianne Mian-Krenger and Brett Bermann.
Ottawa just published a report by their Chamber of Commerce
stating “Canada will squander the vast promise of recent free trade deals if it doesn’t do a
much better job of promoting Canadian exports. Ottawa should overhaul and reinvest in its
trade promotion efforts if it is serious about fixing the country’s export problems”. I am not
sure – and this is my personal opinion – that our inward focused Swiss government is doing
much better by helping the many international involved companies in various business
fields. In contrast, we believe our small SCCC organization is on the right track helping to
promote Switzerland and its exporting companies. In our last issues we informed you about
our increased involvement in some exciting projects and we explained our cooperation
with Switzerland Global Enterprise (SGE) and their Swiss Business Hub in Canada. We also
gave the economic affairs/promotions of the cantons Aargau, Zug and Fribourg a forum to
present themselves in our publication; there will be more cantons to follow.
This issue’s focus is on the vast topic of “Green Technology” and the content is by no
means totally encompassing but it is an attempt to reflect some of the opportunities green
technologies can offer our economies. Many pages could deal with topics like Carbon
dioxide, greenhouse gases, global warming, climate change, however we focus more on
opportunities green technologies can offer to our economies. Through wind, hydro and
solar power and other means of biofuels. I encourage the readers to get back to us by
email (sccc.swissbiz.ca) should you have any questions or comments and we will connect
you with the experts at hand.
We all hope to see you at the many events that take place especially in June (golf/soccer
etc.; see coming events below).
Have a great summer!
Yours sincerely,
Ernst Notz, President
2014 COMING EVENTS
June 10
June 15
June 20
June 24
June 25
July 8
August 19
November 15
Golf Tournament at King’s Riding Golf Club
World Cup Soccer Event: Switzerland – Ecuador
World Cup Soccer Event: Switzerland – France
Joint Event with IMD at SwissRe
World Cup Soccer Event: Honduras – Switzerland
Swiss Night on the Patio
Pub Night with the British Chamber
Gala Dinner Dance
Executive Assistant:
Patricia Keller Schläpfer – SCCC
756 Royal York Road, Toronto ON M8Y 2T6
Tel: 416-236-0039 Fax: 416-551-1011
E-mail: sccc@swissbiz.ca Website: www.swissbiz.ca
Typesetting and Assembly: Nancy Raitt @ corptype
Printed by: J. B. Deschamps
2
INFO SUISSE
Further Information can be found on www.swissbiz.ca/upcoming_events
Dates above are subject to change
La Chambre de commerce canado-suisse (Québec) Inc.
Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce (Quebec) Inc.
1572 Avenue Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Qué. H3G 1C4 • Tél: (514) 937-5822 • Fax: (514) 954-5619 • E-mail: info@cccsqc.ca • Web site: www.cccsqc.ca
CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION / BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2013 – 2014
Chères et chers membres,
Président / President
La rédaction de ce message aux membres de la Chambre de
commerce canado-suisse est un moment important et un peu triste
pour moi. En effet, ce sera la dernière fois que je vous écris; lorsque
vous recevrez ce numéro d’info suisse, j’aurai quitté mes fonctions
de président du conseil d’administration.
Mr. Jean Serge Grisé
Directeur, Communications et Affaires publiques
Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon
Tel: 514.380.2001, # 1058
E-mail: Grisejs@fondationchagnon.org
Secrétaire / Secretary
Me Monica Schirdewahn
Avocate / Lawyer
Lette & Associés
Tel: 514.871.3838, # 213
E-mail: mschirdewahn@lette.ca
Vice-présidents / Vice-Presidents
Mr. Bruno Setz
Consultant
Tel: 514.767.5123
E-mail : brunosetz@videotron.ca
Mr. Olivier Rodriguez
Gestionnaire de portefeuille
Mirabaud Canada Inc.
Tel: 514.393.1690
E-mail : olivier.rodriguez@mirabaud.ca
Trésorier / Treasurer
Mr. Othmar Widmer
Consultation Widmer
Tel: 450.973.2864
E-mail: widmer.aviation@gmail.com
Directeurs / Directors
Mme Mina Cicale
Directrice Générale
Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.
Tel: 514.954.5600
E-mail: mina.cicale@swiss.com
Mr. Christian G. Dubois
President
Onix International
Tel: 514.624.5740
onixi@videotron.ca
Me Jean-Marc Ferland
Avocat
Ferland, Marois, Lanctot
Tel: 514.861.1110
E-mail: ferland@fml.ca
Mr. Moritz Gruber
Consultant
Tel: 450.264.6278
E-mail: mfgruber@live.ca
Mme Marie-Josée Loiselle
Présidente
Nuno ID
Tel: 514.574.6641
mariejo@nuno-id.com
Mr. Jean-Aymeri de Magistris
Directeur Ventes et Marketing
Stambac International
Tel : 514.564 6798
E-mail: jmagistris@stambac.com
Mr. Paul Wieser
PDG pour le Canada
Busch Vacuum Technics Inc.
Tel: 450.435.6899
E-mail: pamawi@busch.ca
Directeur honoraire / Honorary Director
Mr. Beat Kaser
Consul général de Suisse
Tel: 514.932.7181
E-mail: beat.kaser@eda.admin.ch
J’ai passé de très belles années à la Chambre tant à titre de membre
et, par la suite en tant que membre du CA, avant d’avoir l’honneur
de présider cette organisation qui veut développer les relations
économiques entre le Canada et la Suisse.
Mon message en sera donc un de remerciements :
MERCI à vous toutes et tous membres de notre Chambre qui soutenez notre organisation et
m’avez donné des opinions et des idées qui m’ont aidé à orienter notre travail.
MERCI à mes collègues du Conseil d’administration, pour le temps qu’elles et qu’ils
consacrent à la Chambre. Leur travail est important. Un MERCI particulier à notre ami Olivier
Rodriguez, qui a « tenu le fort » alors que j’étais absent et qui m’aide à terminer mon
mandat. Le CA est formé de bénévoles qui acceptent de passer de nombreuses heures à la
gestion de la Chambre et à l’organisation des divers événements présentés durant l’année.
MERCI à l’équipe de Suisse au Canada. MERCI à l’Ambassadeur, Ulrich Lehner, qui a
été un bon ami de notre Chambre et qui mettra encore une fois ses compétences au
service de son pays en devenant Ambassadeur à l’OCDE. MERCI au Consul général, Beat
Kaser, ainsi qu’au groupe du Consulat général de Montréal; monsieur Kaser est un très
grand collaborateur de la Chambre et un ami. On peut compter maintenant sur un autre
collaborateur qui s’ajoute depuis peu à cette équipe, Markus Reubi du Swiss Business Hub.
J’ajoute aussi un message d’avenir. Comme vous le savez, nous avons entrepris, il y a
quelques mois, ce que j’appelle « le virage affaires » de la Chambre, dans le but d’accroître
les occasions de rencontres pour nos membres et de leur donner de meilleurs services. Ce
« virage » est en marche et vous pourrez voir bientôt les améliorations qui sont à être mise
en place. Je suis assuré que mes collègues du Conseil d’administration continueront cette
démarche et je leur souhaite le meilleur succès pour l’avenir de notre Chambre.
Je vous dis « au revoir » et j’espère avoir plaisir de vous voir bientôt lors de nos prochains
événements.
Jean Serge Grisé
Président du conseil d’administration de la Chambre de commerce canado-suisse
du Québec
ÉVÉNEMENTS / UPCOMING EVENTS 2014
19 juin / June 19th
Liaison au Consulat général de Suisse
Mr. Paolo Bezzola
Consul
Tel: 514.932.7181
E-mail: paolo.bezzola@eda.admin.ch
Conseiller juridique / Legal Counsel
Lette & Associés
Tel: 514.871.3838, # 213
E-mail: mschirdewahn@lette.ca
Responsable de l’administration / Administration Officer
Mme France Nadeau
Tel: 514.937.5822
E-mail: info@cccsqc.ca
10 septembre / September 10th
19 novembre / November 19th
Assemblée Générale Annuelle /
Annual General Meeting
Cocktail d’ouverture / Opening Cocktail
Soirée Fondue / Fondue Night
Des événements supplémentaires seront ajoutés au fur et à mesure
Additional events will be added as soon as the dates will be known
Dates sujettes à changement / Dates are subject to change
INFORMATION et détails/and details : www.cccsqc.ca ou/or (514) 937-5822
J U N E /J U LY 2014
3
Green Technology
Technologies vertes
LES CLEANTECHS – DES
OPPORTUNITÉS POUR BÂTIR
DES PARTENARIATS VERTS
Denis Leclerc,
président et chef
de la direction,
Écotech Québec
Signé en 2009,
l’accord
de
libre-échange
entre la Suisse
et le Canada
(AELE)
facilite
les
échanges
commerciaux entre la Suisse et le Québec.
Dans cette conjoncture favorable, les cleantechs, ou technologies propres, peuvent
devenir des opportunités de partenariats
4
INFO SUISSE
qui joueront un rôle déterminant dans le
verdissement de nos économies.
Les technologies propres représentent
une grande diversité de sous-secteurs dont
l’importance est maintenant largement
reconnue : énergies renouvelables, efficacité
énergétique, chimie verte, réhabilitation et
traitement des sols, traitement de l’eau,
assainissement et contrôle des émissions,
traitement et valorisation des matières résiduelles, écomobilité. Il s’agit d’un secteur en
effervescence et en forte progression tant au
niveau de l’offre que de la demande, et ce, à
l’échelle mondiale.
Au Québec, près de 1000 organisations
sont liées aux technologies propres, dont
plus de 500 entreprises innovantes essentiellement concentrées dans la grande région
métropolitaine de Montréal. Ces entreprises
sont majoritairement des PME (94 %) et sont
actives à l’international (70 %). Elles comptent plus de 30 000 emplois et des revenus
totaux de 10,7 milliards de dollars en 2011.
Le secteur des technologies propres s’appuie
également sur plus de 200 organisations de
recherche, développement ou de transfert
technologique, réparties dans les différents
sous-secteurs des technologies propres. À
cela s’ajoute un immense territoire riche
en ressources naturelles, un leadership fort
dans la lutte aux changements climatiques,
des choix énergétiques propres et verts,
des initiatives concrètes pour soutenir
l’écomobilité et une importante communauté d’investisseurs.
Avec 28% du capital de risque investi
au Canada (485 M$) et 44 % au Québec
(246 M$), le secteur des technologies propres
est un marché fort prometteur (source :
Thomson Reuters). Ainsi, tous les éléments
nécessaires pour relever les défis en matière
de productivité ou d’environnement sont au
rendez-vous pour que le Québec devienne
un modèle en innovation accélérant la transition vers une économie verte.
Première organisation du genre au Canada,
Écotech Québec rassemble l’ensemble des
décideurs du secteur des technologies propres
québécois, soit les entreprises innovantes, les
centres de R&D et transfert technologique, les
grandes entreprises utilisatrices, les milieux
financiers, les institutions d’enseignement, les
centrales syndicales et les associations industrielles et regroupements en technologies
propres. Écotech Québec vise la conception, le
développement, l’adoption, la commercialisation et l’exportation de technologies propres
du Québec.
Dans cet objectif, Écotech Québec,
la grappe des technologies propres, est
membre d’un réseau international des
grappes de technologies propres, le Global
Cleantech Cluster Association (GCCA) dont
Swisscleantech est un des principaux
partenaires, et de l’International Cleantech
Network (ICN).
Afin de développer des partenariats
entre la Suisse et le Québec qu’Écotech
Québec participera au (CleanTech Investing
Seminar – The Road Map to Successful
Cleantech Investment) à Lausanne, les 3 et
4 décembre prochains.
■
Your
in-depth
knowledge
Our
risk
assessment
His
quality of life
Who will provide the healthcare that our ageing populations need, and the quality of life they expect?
You know the issues better than the back of your own, elegantly ageing hand. And so do we. For example, right now in
the US we’re working with clients to combine their expert market knowledge with our risk assessment capabilities. The
result? Affordable private insurance that will not only provide retirees with comprehensive medical cover for the rest of
their lives – but peace of mind for everyone concerned. Especially him. We’re smarter together.
www.swissre.com/info1
J U N E /J U LY 2014
5
Green Technology
Technologies vertes
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND
RECOMMENDATION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY: BRIGHT
PROSPECTS FOR LED
Sundeep Gantori, CFA, CAIA, analyst, UBS AG
Alexander Stiehler, CFA, analyst, UBS AG
In this theme, we highlight opportunities
in LED lighting, a global market worth EUR
13.8 bn in 2014 and projected to grow to
roughly EUR 60 bn by 2020. From an energyefficiency perspective, LED lighting is a lowhanging fruit for energy savings.
We believe the LED market is at an
inflection point, driven by a perfect confluence of both supply and demand factors.
After an extended period of over-supply,
we believe LED players are prudent to add
new capacity resulting in only 17% supply
growth in 2014, while attractive pricing and
favorable regulations should drive nearly
30% growth in LED chip demand in 2014.
Against this backdrop, we expect the industry’s excess supply (as defined by supply/
demand adequacy) to reduce significantly,
from nearly 30% as seen in the last few
years to only 4% in 2014. We believe the
tight supply should result in a better pricing
outlook and a strong rebound in profitability
across the supply chain, given the industry’s
high operating leverage. Based on consensus estimates, we expect industry net profits
to increase 22% in 2014 and 22% in 2015.
A risk to our investment case is higherthan-expected oversupply. We are fairly
confident about our demand projections
as we believe LED adoption will increase
significantly in the coming years. However,
a strong operating profitability could encourage smaller players to aggressively expand
capacity sooner than expected. At the
moment, we do not see this as a risk for the
industry in 2014, as any new capacity would
take at least 6-9 months to appear. Even on
a medium-term basis, LED companies will be
prudent to add excess new capacity given
their recent memory of overcapacity and
weak profitability.
6
INFO SUISSE
Besides the structural demand drivers and
tight supply, the valuation of LED stocks
also looks attractive relative to historic
levels despite strong recent performance.
We have a positive view on the global LED
value chain, we like both the “down- and
upstream” part. Therefore, we recommend
investors select a well- diversified investment vehicle that offers global exposure to
cover the entire LED value chain.
•
•
•
•
AT A GLANCE
•
•
•
An energy-efficient lighting system is
the need of the hour to not only control
electricity costs but also reduce the
carbon footprint.
In our view, LEDs are a perfect solution
to the problem and we expect the
industry to take a leap forward from
a niche backlight unit market to the
broader general lighting market.
This is based on the improving
economics of LED lights, favorable
regulations and an overall improving
macro outlook.
■
SWITZERLAND CLEANTECH
SECTOR
Excerpt from market report: Overview of
Environmental Industries – Switzerland,
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service,
August 2013.
DEFINITION OF CLEANTECH
Cleantech generally means following an
eco-friendly and sustainable way of economic activity. It comprises technologies,
procedures and services that contribute to
the protection and conservation of natural
resources and systems. All stages of the
value chain are included, i.e. from research
to development, production and export
of goods. Cleantech spans the following
sub-sectors:
• Renewable energies, energy efficiency,
energy storage
• Renewable materials, efficient use of
•
resources and materials, including waste
management and recycling
Sustainable water management
Sustainable mobility
Sustainable agriculture and forestry
White, Green and Yellow biotechnology
• White biotechnology: applications
in the fields of pharmaceutics, bio
plastics and bio fuels;
• Green biotechnology: applications in
agriculture and food production (e.g.
fermentation processes, breeding,
and genetics);
• biotechnology: applications in
the environment sector (e.g. soil
decontamination).
Environmental engineering (e.g.
measuring technology, remediation of
contaminated sites, filter technology).
THE SWISS CLEANTECH MARKET
In Switzerland, the Cleantech sector employs
around 155,000 to 160,000 people. This is
roughly 4.5% of all jobs in Switzerland. With
an annual gross value of approximately
CHF 18-20 billion (CAD 19.6-21.3 billion),
the Cleantech sector contributed 3%–3.5%
to Switzerland’s GDP in 2008. In terms of
employment and gross value, the Cleantech
sector can be compared to Switzerland’s
tourism sector. All things considered, the
Cleantech sector is expected to generate a
global market volume of around EUR 2.21
trillion (CAD 3.04 trillion) by 2020. This corresponds to 5.5%-6% of total worldwide
economic activities. Today, this share stands
at about 3.2%. Some Cleantech sub-sectors
are expected to grow at a rate from 3% to
8% between now and 2020 (Source: Federal
Department of Economic Affairs, Swiss
Cleantech Masterplan).
CLEANTECH TRADE
Cleantech exports have registered some
growth in the period 1996 to 2008. They
increased, however, less than Swiss exports
in general. In the same period, approx. 15%
in average on Swiss exports were related
to Cleantech.
Switzerland’s foreign trade position is
particularly strong in energy storage, waste
management and resource efficiency,
environmental technologies and energy
efficiency; export surpluses in these areas
are significantly higher than in export goods
overall.
TOP PLAYERS
Apart from some world ranking companies
who supply plants and equipment for the
renewable energy sector (ABB AG, Meyer
Burger AG, Bopp AG) the Swiss Cleantech
industry is mostly represented by SME’s.
Although not large in size, they often represent world leading technologies and market
positions in their respective niche.
quality products. As a result even some
small enterprises have been able to corner
the world market in their own specialty.
OPPORTUNITIES
Switzerland applies very high standards in
terms of emissions limits in air, water and
soil etc. These limits are imposed by the
government on the federal level however
implementation and control remains in the
responsibility of the cantons.
The Swiss market is open to the best
technologies. There are no statutory provisions that could represent an obstacle for
companies that would like to access the
market.
It is however advisable to co-operate
with a local partner who knows the cultural
and legal settings. Swiss companies are in
general open to cooperation. A partnership with Canadian companies might be of
particular interest to them as it provides
access to the NAFTA market. The existing
Free Trade Agreement between Canada and
Switzerland (CEFTA) offers advantages for a
co-operation between Canadian and Swiss
companies.
Canadian companies have a good number
of excellent technologies for the processing
of natural resources. The technologies used
for the processing of waste are similar to
MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
With a population of 7.5 million people,
Switzerland is a relatively small market but
one of the wealthiest countries in the world
and one that offers good opportunities for
Canadian companies. Swiss companies have
shown a strong interest in purchasing new
or innovative technologies and there is a
high demand for technologically advanced
products and processes.
Recognized as a leading international
location for innovation, Switzerland is an
excellent location for the development and
marketing of Cleantech products and services in the global marketplace. Switzerland
benefits from its image as a country long
committed to environmental protection and
which values its natural heritage.
Switzerland’s centralized location is an
attractive point from which foreign companies can launch European operations. It
is known for its strong infrastructure, and
foreign companies will find a solid legal
and regulatory environment. The market is
advanced, with a demand for cutting-edge
and high-quality products, with the most
technologically advanced products likely to
find the best prospects.
The Swiss economy is not built on mass
production, but on high-quality work and
well-trained workers. Many businesses have
followed what they call a “niche strategy,”
concentrating on a small range of high-
Vacuum applications
in Aeronautics
— Composite materials applications
— Machining applications
— Heat Treatment applications
New generations of airplanes are gradually replacing
aluminium parts with composite materials
Busch Vacuum Technics Inc.
1740, boul. Lionel Bertrand | Boisbriand, Québec J7H 1J8
1 800 363-6360 | 450 435-6899 | info@busch.ca | www.busch.ca
J U N E /J U LY 2014
7
Green Technology
Technologies vertes
those developed for the processing of raw
materials. Synergies exist for Canadian and
Swiss companies for the common development of leading-edge technologies on a
worldwide level.
MARKET-ENTRY CONSIDERATIONS
Numerous global players have relocated
their European Headquarters to Switzerland.
High quality of living, a stable political
and economic environment, and low taxes
are the principal drivers. Furthermore,
Switzerland has adopted most EU standards
and regulations and enjoys almost full access
to the European Union thanks to its bilateral
agreements. Switzerland is the ideal location for headquarter functions, sales, customer service and research activities. With
regards to R&D, companies in Switzerland
benefit from the proximity to renowned
universities and research institutions, and
as a consequence, enjoy the availability of a
highly qualified workforce.
With relatively few raw materials or
natural resources, Switzerland relies on
the skills and expertise of its work force to
remain competitive in the global marketplace. As such, Canadian companies seeking
to form a joint venture or open a local office
in Switzerland can expect a high level of
industry knowledge. Canadian companies
are advised to engage the services of a local
agent or distributor to facilitate entry into
the market. A knowledgeable local contact
should have both industry and regulatory
contacts and can help minimize difficulties
in navigating the market.
For more information:
http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/
document.jsp?did=122226
■
HOW “GREEN” IS CANADA
COMPARED TO SWITZERLAND?
by Kurt Schläpfer,
Switzerland
In
this
context,
“green” does not
mean the color of
nature, but the image
a country has regard8
INFO SUISSE
ing the use of so called green energy. The
term “green energy” has many synonyms.
Most often it means that the produced
energy is environmentally clean and renewable. Renewable energy is mainly derived
from four resources: water, sun, wind and
organic material. Renewable resources can
be used to produce electricity and biofuels
as well as to provide heating. Renewable
energy is considered clean, if it does not
produce pollutants that are harmful to the
environment.
HYDROPOWER
The energy from falling or moving water has
been used for thousands of years. Primary
advantages of this renewable energy are
that no fuel is required and that the running
costs are low. However, as each hydropower
plant represents a significant impact on
nature, plans for a further expansion of this
technology mostly fail due to objections from
environmental organizations. Canada is the
world’s third largest producer of hydroelectricity (after China and Brazil). Both Canada
and Switzerland generate the majority of its
electricity from hydroelectricity (63 % and
59 % in 2012). Some provinces and territories, such as British Columbia, Manitoba,
Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and
Yukon produce over 90% of their electricity
in this manner. As hydropower plants attract
industrial structures in natural settings
leading to local environmental pollution,
this technology does not belong – in the
opinion of many environmentalists – to the
“very green” energy forms.
WIND POWER
Among tourists, Canada is considered to be a
“windy” country. This however is a benefit, if
wind is used as energy source. Wind power
needs no fuel, generates no emissions and
is a truly renewable energy. Environmental
concerns are the noise of the turbines and
the potential interaction with birds. Often,
there is local opposition against wind farms,
primarily from residents who are concerned
about a perceived “optical pollution of the
environment”. Wind energy is a fast growing
source of electricity in Canada and contrib-
utes more to the national energy production
than solar power and biofuels. Canada has
about 200 wind farms, among them 88
operating with more than 10 turbines, compared to Switzerland, where only one wind
farm has more than 10 turbines. As a result,
wind power in Canada produces almost 25
times more electricity than in Switzerland.
SOLAR POWER
Solar power can be used to produce energy
for heating or for electricity (using photovoltaic panels). Although Canada has one
of the world’s largest photovoltaic power
stations with 1.3 million installed panels,
solar electricity reaches only an inferior
percentage of the totally produced electricity. The percentage value is 33 times smaller
than the value attained with wind power. In
contrast to this, Switzerland generates more
solar power without any large photovoltaic
power station. The reason fort this is that
many small installations on rooftops add
up to an output surpassing the capacity of
larger power stations.
Solar energy for thermal heating is
mainly produced by means of solar collectors and heat pumps. Due to the rising costs
of heating oil, heat pumps are becoming
increasingly popular, although the installation of underground pipes is expensive.
Switzerland produces about twice as much
solar thermal energy than Canada.
BIOENERGY
Canada is one of the major producers of
bioethanol, but far ahead of Switzerland,
which produces only 0.3% of the amount
produced in Canada. Liquid biofuels, such
as ethanol and biodiesel, have been criticized for impacting food prices and causing
deforestation.
TIDAL POWER
Tidal power generates electricity by using
the energy contained in moving water
resulting from high and low tide. There is
only one small tidal power station in Canada
(located on the Annapolis River immediately
upstream from the town of Annapolis Royal,
Nova Scotia). It is the only tidal power station
in North America. According to reports, the
project has had mixed results, because
increased river bank erosion occurred.
The installation is also known as a trap for
marine life.
WHICH COUNTRY IS “GREENER”?
To compare Canada and Switzerland, it is
useful to calculate the green energy production per capita. The table below compares
7 criteria. For a thorough comparison, far
more criteria would be required, but the list
below gives a quick answer to the question
raised in the title of this article. The answer
is given in terms of “green energy scores”
(term invented by the author). As can be
seen, there are some considerable differences in certain forms of energy production,
but on the whole, both countries show a
comparable picture in terms of their efforts
to produce green energy.
Green energy production per capita (for the year 2012):
Energy form
Unit
Canada
Switzerland
Green energy
scores for
Canada
(compared to
Switzerland)
Electricity from water power
KWh
10,832
4,963
++
Electricity from renewable fuels
(wood, biomass, waste)
KWh
184
190
+/o
Electricity from wind power
KWh
252
11
+++
Electricity from solar power
KWh
8
40
oo
Energy from solar collectors
KWh
9
64
oo
KWh
41
54
o
million
liters
76
1
+++
Energy from heat pumps
Production of biofuels
+++
++
+
o
oo
far greener
considerably greener
greener
less green
considerably less green
J U N E /J U LY 2014
9
Green Technology
Technologies vertes
CO2. “We aim to de-carbonize some parts of
the transportation sector such as aviation,
which accounts for single-digit global CO2
emissions,” said Christoph Gebald, one of
the company’s founders.
Aviation is responsible for around 3.5%
of anthropogenic (man-made) climate
change and has a 13% share of all the transport sector, according to the United Nations’
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
So far, Climeworks has been testing a socalled direct-air capture unit that can collect
one ton per year of CO2, filtering around two
million cubic metres of air, to demonstrate
the validity of its approach.
GETTING SOMETHING BACK
FROM CARBON DIOXIDE
by Scott Capper, swissinfo.ch , April 11, 2014
Carbon dioxide is often considered the big
bad wolf of greenhouse gases, a major
cause of climate change and global warming
according to specialists. But what if it could
be used to produce energy and mitigate
some of its impact? Two Swiss projects are
considering just that. One, private, is looking
at how to suck up CO2 with its own version
of a giant vacuum cleaner, while the other,
10
INFO SUISSE
public, wants to use it to produce methane
thanks to small minerals known as zeolites.
At Zurich-based Climeworks, the aim
has been for the past five years to develop
a technology to continuously extract
atmospheric CO2 that can then be used to
produce synthetic fuels or applied for other
purposes. Carbon dioxide is collected by
passing air through a specially-treated cellulose filter placed inside an extractor unit.
Once it has reached its maximum capacity,
the filter is heated using waste energy or
renewable power to release extremely pure
The direct air capture process (Climeworks)
The result has been sufficiently interesting to attract the attention of German
carmaker Audi, which sees the technology
as one potential element of its strategy to
develop vehicles running on synthetic fuels.
“What they need is a sustainable carbon
dioxide source,” pointed out Gebald. “It can
be either biogenic or atmospheric.” However
the first source, which results from combus-
tion or decomposition of biologically-based
material, is insufficient to meet the requirements of a single carmaker according to the
young entrepreneur.
A test plant is now on the cards to see how
the technology can be scaled up to provide
enough CO2 for Audi’s production of synthetic
fuels at its e-gas facility in Germany. The
technology is also on the fast-track to wider
exposure. The company is one of 11 finalists
in the Virgin Earth Challenge, a competition
with a $25 million prize for the development
of “an environmentally sustainable and economically viable way to remove greenhouse
gases from the atmosphere.”
with a boost from an outside source of ideally renewable - energy to kickstart the
reaction is relatively straightforward, with
water as a by-product. The process is known
as the Sabatier reaction and was discovered
early in the 20th century.
Doing this economically and quickly is a
challenge though, as is separating the water
molecules from the methane. Adding a catalyst, an element that speeds up the process,
can help overcome some of the hurdles,
but also carries the risk of producing toxic
carbon monoxide (CO) and often low yields.
CHALLENGES
ZEOLITES CAN IMPROVE THE CHEMICAL
REACTION NEEDED TO PRODUCE
METHANE (EMPA)
Extracting and purifying CO2 is just one step
of the process towards producing synthetic
fuels. In theory, producing methane that
could be injected into the natural gas network
by combining carbon dioxide and hydrogen
At the Federal Laboratories for Materials
Science and Technology (Empa) near Zurich,
researchers have been looking for a process
that works at low temperatures and turned
to zeolites, which are microporous miner-
als. “Nickel-coated zeolites absorb the
water generated by the process, almost
no CO is produced and the gas at the end
is methane,” said Andreas Borgschulte, the
lead scientist on the project. The result is far
from perfect though. “It’s still experimental
and the amount of water a zeolite can
absorb is limited, so it has to be ‘dried out’,
regenerated,” explained the researcher.
NO SILVER BULLETS
Little more than a chemical reaction in a
laboratory reactor at this stage, turning
it into an viable process will require more
work. While zeolites are easy for scientists
to produce in small quantities, it would be
necessary to find a cheaper way of producing them on an industrial scale.
There are also engineering challenges
according to Borgschulte, such as upsizing
the reactor, managing large volumes of gas,
power and capital requirements. And to be
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J U N E /J U LY 2014
11
Green Technology
Technologies vertes
carbon neutral, the process would ideally
rely on CO2 from biomass, not from fossil
fuels. “Gas prices are very low, so it would
be hard to compete,” Borgschulte said.
“Synthetic gas would be more expensive by
a factor of five.” Pricing is also the challenge
for Climeworks. Scrubbing CO2 from the air
can cost up to CHF600 per ton according to
one study from Zurich’s Federal Institute of
Technology.
The company hopes to reduce this to
around CHF100 in the coming years, making
its system more competitive. Its method is
headed in that direction as the heat needed
to recover the collected carbon dioxide has
a much lower temperature - less than 100
degrees Celsius - than that used for other
systems, which traditionally operate above
the 300-degree mark.
Even if these technologies reach full
maturity and become part of the mainstream, no one expects them to solve the
problem of global warming. “It’s not a silver
bullet, and shouldn’t be considered as such
but only as part of a portfolio of technologies
that will become important in the medium
to long-term,” said Gebald.
BIG BAD CO2
Carbon dioxide plays a major role in shaping
climate and temperatures. Under ideal
circumstances, CO2 is part of the so-called
carbon cycle, a neutral process over the
longer term. But humans have upset that
cycle by using fossil fuels and cutting trees
and research has shown that higher CO2
concentrations tend to warm to warm the
Earth’s surface.
Carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas, and others such as methane,
nitrous oxide and different aerosols also
make their way into the atmosphere.
Relatively speaking though they are far
less important than carbon dioxide, whose
emissions are huge compared to other
agents. Its effects can be seen in the atmosphere for much longer as well. Of the total
amount emitted now, scientists reckon that
20% will still be in the atmosphere in 1,000
years’ time.
CAPTURING CO2
Direct air capture (DAC) concerns technologies that can capture large amounts of CO2
from atmospheric air. The other main
technological option for CO2 capture is pointsource carbon capture and storage (CCS),
which used on flue stacks that emit higher
concentrations of carbon dioxide.
The obstacle for DAC is the cost-factor,
which needs to drop to be competitive with
CCS. According to some studies, the cost is
up to ten times higher for DAC. The technology is still largely experimental and some
way off from full-scale industrial application,
although CCS itself has not been widely
implemented so far.
Besides Climeworks, a number of companies are working on DAC, including Carbon
Engineering, Global Thermostat, Coaway and
Terraleaf to name a few. Many of these firms
are start-ups building on earlier academic
research. Scientists at Columbia University,
the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the
University of Southern California are also
carrying out further research.
■
L’AECG ARRIVE – L’AELE EST
DÉJÀ LÀ: PROFITONS-EN!
André Bégin
abegin@lette.ca
Avocat au Barreau
du Québec depuis
1980, il détient une
maîtrise en droit
commercial international de l’Université
McGill et accompagne
depuis une trentaine
d’années les entreprises européennes,
notamment françaises, sur le marché
canadien à titre d’associé du cabinet Lette
(Montréal et Toronto).
1 800 874-1071
514 631-6565
www.amjmontreal.com
DÉMÉNAGEMENTS
12
INFO SUISSE
I N T E R N AT I O N A U X
Marie Habre
mhabre@lette.ca
Avocate au Barreau
du Québec depuis
1998, elle conseille
les entreprises européennes, notamment
françaises,
dans
le cadre de leurs
échanges commerciaux et de leurs projets
d’implantation au Canada.
Ils ont participé à titre de conférenciers à
de nombreux colloques et ateliers en Europe
et au Canada portant sur l’investissement au
Canada.
LE CANADA, L’UE ET L’AECG: TOUT LE
MONDE EN PARLE!
L’Accord économique et commercial global
(AECG) entre le Canada et l’Union européenne représente tout un exploit, suscite
beaucoup d’intérêt et fait couler beaucoup
d’encre, mais il n’est pas encore tout à fait
là. L’accord de principe a été signé le 18
octobre 2013 et doit encore être ratifié des
deux côtés de l’Atlantique. Avec son entrée
en vigueur, le Canada se trouvera dans la
position enviable d’être en mesure d’offrir
aux entreprises un ensemble d’accords de
libre-échange qui en font un important
centre d’intérêts !
ET LA SUISSE? L’AELE, L’ACCORD SUR
L’AGRICULTURE ET LES CONVENTIONS
FISCALES !
L’Accord de libre-échange entre le Canada
et les pays de l’Association européenne
de libre-échange (AELE), soit la Suisse,
l’Islande, le Liechtenstein et la Norvège, est
en vigueur depuis déjà près de 5 ans.
Cet accord porte essentiellement sur
l’élimination des droits de douane ayant
trait au commerce des marchandises et des
produits agricoles transformés.
Il est complété par l’accord sur
l’agriculture conclu en 2008 entre le Canada
et la Suisse, un accord connexe à l’accord de
libre-échange avec l’AELE.
LAWYERS – AVOCATS – RECHTSANWÄLTE
For over 50 years, many of Europe’s largest
corporate groups, as well as numerous small and
medium-size companies, have counted on Lette
to provide them with practical, sophisticated
and cost-effective legal advice in Canada.
CONTACT
BERNARD LETTE
BLETTE@LETTE.CA
WWW.LETTE.CA
TORONTO – LETTE LLP
MONTRÉAL – LETTE & ASSOCIÉS S.E.N.C.R.L.
PARIS – LETTE ALÉRION
MUNICH – LETTE & KNORR
Également, le Canada, est signataire
d’une convention fiscale avec la Suisse, visant
notamment à éviter la double imposition.
la portée à d’autres domaines, notamment
les services, l’investissement et la propriété
intellectuelle et les marchés publics.
SAVIEZ-VOUS QUE…
AU-DELÀ DU MARCHÉ CANADIEN, L’AELE
PERMET AUX ENTREPRISES SUISSES QUI
S’IMPLANTENT AU CANADA D’AVOIR
ACCÈS À DES MARCHÉS IMPORTANTS
Les investissements suisses génèrent
environ 11 000 d’emplois au Québec,
surtout dans des secteurs de haute
technologie comme l’industrie pharmaceutique (Novartis), le secteur minier
(Xstrata), le secteur de l’énergie (ABB),
de l’électronique, des matériaux composites et autres (Clariant, Holcim, Barry
Callebaut). Pour leur part, les entreprises
québécoises, dont Bombardier, génèrent
plus de 1 000 emplois en Suisse.
L’AELE ÉVOLUERA…
L’AELE a certainement vocation à évoluer, car
les parties se sont déjà engagées à en élargir
Le Canada est déjà perçu, à juste titre, par
nombre d’entreprises étrangères comme
une porte d’entrée sur l’ensemble du marché
nord-américain. L’accord de libre-échange
nord-américain (ALÉNA) conclu en 1994
permet effectivement aux entreprises canadiennes de vendre leurs produits en franchise de droits de douane sur les marchés
américain et mexicain. Le Canada est par
ailleurs l’un des participants aux négociations du Partenariat Transpacifique (PTP), qui
est en cours de négociation avec l’Australie,
J U N E /J U LY 2014
13
Green Technology
Technologies vertes
Brunéi, le Chili, les États-Unis, le Japon, la
Malaisie, le Mexique, la Nouvelle-Zélande,
le Pérou, Singapour et le Vietnam. Ces pays
représentent près de 40% de l’économie
mondiale.
Les entreprises suisses bénéficient déjà
d’un certain nombre d’accords de libreéchange. Toutefois, le fait de s’implanter
au Canada et d’y fabriquer localement
leurs produits leur permet d’avoir accès à
l’ensemble du marché nord-américain en
franchise de droits de douanes. Une base
canadienne leur permettra également de
bénéficier du PTP lorsqu’il sera en vigueur
et d’accéder aux marchés des pays membres
dans des conditions favorables.
Au-delà de ces considérations stratégiques, le Canada est généralement
bien perçu par les investisseurs suisses en
raison de son système juridique stable et
du respect de la règle de droit. Le Canada
offre par ailleurs une main-d’œuvre instruite
et diversifiée, une fiscalité des entreprises
avantageuse et des coûts d’exploitation très
concurrentiels.
Toutes ces considérations tendent à faciliter et encourager l’implantation de sociétés
suisses au Canada.
COMMENT ?
A. IMPLANTATION PAR LA CRÉATION
DE FILIALE
La méthode d’implantation la plus courante
est celle de la création d’une filiale sous
forme de société par actions (à responsabilité limitée). Celle-ci présente les avantages
suivants :
• La société-mère n’est pas responsable
des dettes et des engagements de la
filiale canadienne, cette dernière étant
une entité juridique autonome.
• L’utilisation de la filiale est
•
généralement recommandée au niveau
fiscal.
Les sociétés par actions sont régies par
un régime juridique souple, notamment
en ce qui a trait à la responsabilité
limitée des actionnaires, à l’absence
d’exigences de capital minimum et aux
critères de sélection des administrateurs
et dirigeants.
FORMALITÉS ET DÉLAIS DE CRÉATION
D’UNE SOCIÉTÉ :
Le processus de création d’une société est
simple et rapide. Les formalités nécessaires
à la création de la société sont complétées,
sans que l’investisseur n’ait à se déplacer
au Canada et la création de la société ne
prend que quelques jours à compter de la
date du dépôt des statuts d’incorporation
auprès des autorités compétentes.
Bringing high-quality products to the world.
It’s a Swiss tradition.
There’s comfort in high-quality products. We should know. We export them. As the
airline of Switzerland, we translate high quality into comfort on every Ðight by oøering
service and hospitality you can count on. For daily Ðights from Montreal to Zurich,
with connections to over 70 worldwide destinations, contact your travel agent or visit
us on swiss.com
14
INFO SUISSE
B. EXPORTATION SANS IMPLANTATION :
CONTRATS COMMERCIAUX
Une entreprise suisse peut également opter
pour la commercialisation de ses produits
au Canada sans implantation directe. Elle
nouera alors des accords commerciaux
(distribution, agence ou licence) avec des
acteurs locaux. Ceux-ci sont souvent des
personnes originaires de la Suisse ou des
personnes entretenant des liens étroits avec
la communauté d’affaires suisse au Canada.
S’agissant d’un contrat international,
les parties auront intérêt à bien définir les
obligations du vendeur et de l’acheteur,
notamment au regard du transport des
marchandises, des assurances, de la livraison, du lieu de transfert des risques, de la
date du transfert de propriété et de la loi
applicable. Le choix de l’Incoterm approprié
sera particulièrement important.
CONCLUSION
AECG : UN NOUVEAU SOUFFLE, UN
RENOUVEAU POUR L’AELE
Les principaux intéressés s’entendent sur
l’importance d’étendre la portée des accords
entre le Canada et les pays de l’AELE. La
signature du protocole d’accord de l’AECG
a aussi généré une vague d’enthousiasme
et beaucoup d’intérêt pour les accords de
libre-échange. Avec la mondialisation de
l’économie et des échanges commerciaux,
il s’agit de la voie de l’avenir. Les pays qui
se positionnent déjà bien aujourd’hui auront
une longueur d’avance car ces accords sont
complexes et requièrent plusieurs années
de négociation, avant de franchir la ligne
d’arrivée. Le Canada et la Suisse sont tous
deux bien positionnés. Si le vent qui souffle
en faveur des accords de libre-échange
permet d’élargir la portée des accords en
place, cela favorisera certainement les
investissements étrangers, et profitera aux
entreprises suisses et canadiennes.
Du point de vue de la communauté
d’affaires suisse au Canada, cette libéralisation des échanges commerciaux entre les
deux pays et, entre le Canada et ses principaux partenaires commerciaux, se traduira
par des occasions d’affaires avec des entreprises suisses. Concrètement plusieurs de
ces entreprises devraient s’appuyer sur des
concitoyens helvétiques résidant au Canada
pour faciliter l’accès au marché canadien et
aux marchés des partenaires commerciaux
du Canada. Le Swiss Hub, nouvellement
installé à Montréal, aura également un rôle
déterminant à jouer, en collaboration avec
la CCCS, pour conseiller et assister les entreprises suisses souhaitant investir au Canada
ou nouer des accords avec des partenaires
commerciaux.
Le cabinet LETTE assiste les entreprises
européennes, notamment suisses, à s’implanter
au Canada et à réaliser des acquisitions
stratégiques. LETTE est présent à Montréal et à
Toronto, et a conclu un accord de partenariat
avec le cabinet français Alérion et avec le
cabinet allemand Lette Knorr. La clientèle
du cabinet est composée majoritairement
d’entreprises œuvrant dans plusieurs
secteurs d’activités dont les technologies de
l’information, l’aéronautique, le domaine
médical et pharmaceutique, la défense, les
énergies renouvelables, la construction ainsi
que la fabrication et la commercialisation de
produits industriels et de consommation.
http://www.lette.ca – +00 1 514 871 3838
■
Quote of the Month
I am more concerned with the return
of my money than the return
on my money
Mark Twain
J U N E /J U LY 2014
15
Tribeca Insights
D a sv i d an i ya , Crimea
DA SVIDANIYA, CRIMEA
By: Beat J. Guldimann, LLD
On March 16, Russian
President Vladimir Putin
took Western leaders
for a ride. The secession
vote on the Crimean
peninsula was a thinly
disguised provocation of the international
community. This was a farcical referendum
with a dictated outcome, wrapped in a
pseudo-democratic vote where over 96%
of people chose Russian annexation over
staying with Ukraine.
A truly astonishing result, considering
that the ethnic Russian contingent on the
peninsula only counts for 60% of the population. Nobody in their right mind could possibly believe that only 1 out of 10 nationalist
Ukrainians and Tatars voted for Crimea to
remain a part of Ukraine while the other 9
chose to join Mother Russia.
The Russian government was quick to
recognize Crimea as an independent country
soon to be annexed while U.S. Vice President
Joe Biden called it what it is: a simple, calculated “land grab”.
Western leaders stand united in their
outrage at what just happened. The heads
of the world’s leading democracies had to
make some noise in the face of Russia’s
threat against the territorial integrity of a
neighboring state. International law was
broken and Putin’s incursion into territorial
Ukraine cannot just be shrugged off.
However, the sanctions imposed by the
West hardly impress anybody in the Kremlin
or elsewhere. Issuing travel bans and asset
freezes against a couple of dozen actors in
the Russian and Crimean government looks
awfully like desperate parents grounding
a disobedient teenage child. The “punishment” by Western states is more symbolic
than effective, as is the Kremlin’s refusal to
allow a group of Canadian and U.S. politicians
entering Russia to attend some conference.
Years of service at the KGB taught Mr.
Putin how to stare down empty threats. This
time is no different. Russia has deliberately
16
INFO SUISSE
chosen a path of aggression and alienation
and accepted its consequences, diplomatic
isolation via exclusion from the G8 and a
diving ruble among them.
“Tsar Vlad” is not going to back down
in the face of the POTUS waving his index
finger, particularly not in a critical case like
the Ukraine. While Putin’s reaction to the
protests on Kiew’s Maidan must not be
condoned, it was highly predictable. Former
U.S. President Jimmy Carter called Putin’s
annexation of Crimea “inevitable”. The West
should have seen this coming for a long
time.
The current confrontation is a paranoid
dictator’s response to the West’s political
ambition on the eastern fringe of Europe
before the dawn of the 21st Century. It is
best exemplified by NATO bringing in Poland
as a new member state in 1999, less than a
decade after the fall of the USSR, followed
by the Baltic Troika and Romania in 2004.
It is not hard to imagine that these
former USSR member nations crossing over
to the Cold War enemy left a bitter aftertaste in the Kremlin. But Yeltsin’s Russia was
weak politically, militarily and economically
and the West used this weakness after the
TANT D’HORIZONS À EXPLOR R
MIRABAUD ÉLARGIT SON HORIZON, AUTANT
POUR LA GESTION PRIVÉE QUE L’ASSET MANAGEMENT
ET L’INTERMÉDIATION.
S’ENGAGER AUTREMENT POUR ALLER PLUS LOIN.
www.mirabaud.com
MIRABAUD Canada Inc. - Olivier Rodriguez / MIRABAUD Gestion Inc. - Yves Erard
1501, avenue McGill College - Bureau 2220 - Montréal (Québec) H3A 3M8 - T +1 514 393-1690 - F +1 514 875-8942
MIRABAUD Canada Inc. est membre de l’Organisme canadien de réglementation du commerce des valeurs mobilières inc. et du Fonds canadien de protection des épargnants.
fall of the Iron Curtain to expand NATO. The
exploitation by the West came with the side
effect of increased Russian paranoia.
No wonder then, that the newly selfconscious Russia of 2014 seized the moment
to show the West that it would not allow
Ukraine to become the next Poland or
Romania, throwing itself into the arms of an
E.U. thirsty for more people and territory, all
of it protected by NATO.
Crimea has been part of Russia for centuries before Nikita Krushchew decided to give
it away to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic in
1954. With the new cabinet in Kiew cozying
up to Berlin and Washington, Moscow
saw itself forced to protect not only ethnic
Russians but also its Navy port in Sevastopol.
Mother Russia wants its children back and its
warships under control.
All this said, the E.U. and the U.S. need
to be careful in their support of Ukraine. In
its current state, democracy in Ukraine is a
mirage. Kleptocracy is a more appropriate
description of Ukraine’s form of government.
Whether the country will find its way to a
democracy worthy of the label after the May
elections will depend on what distance it will
manage to establish from the ridiculously
corrupt Ms. Timoschenko and her powerful
oligarch friends.
The best the West can do is to assist
Ukraine getting on the long road to democratic renewal and then wait, and see before
formally making the country an E.U. or NATO
member.
As for the United States, Saber rattling is
misplaced as an instrument to find a diplomatic solution to the highly complex situation in Eastern Europe. Even more so since
everybody seems to agree that military confrontation is not a viable option. President
Obama understands this and his reluctance
to revive the Cold War rhetoric should not be
misunderstood as weakness.
Some say the dovish stance of Western
leaders against Putin’s aggression looks
awfully like Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler in 1938. The analogy is
understandable as there is an undeniable
similarity between Putin’s move on Crimea
and Hitler’s grab of Sudetenland. Comparing
Putin to Hitler though is an unwarranted
stretch that contributes little to dealing with
the crisis.
It’s really quite simple: The U.S. needs a
functional working relationship, not a new
arms race, with Moscow in order to deal
with the developing mess in the Middle East,
the new ambitions of Iran and the pariahs
in Pyongyang. For Europe things are even
simpler: it needs Russia to supply energy.
Heated rhetoric was justified in the
lead-up to the farcical Crimean vote, but
it now needs to make room for smart
diplomacy, probably best led by German
Chancellor Merkel who, among Western
leaders, seems to have the best connection
with Mr. Putin. Plus the two are fluent in
each other’s language so nothing should get
lost in translation.
Beat Guldimann, owner of Tribeca Consulting
Group, holds a Doctorate in Law from the
University of Basel; he was legal counsel at
the former SBC (86-96), President and CEO
of UBS Canada (97-01), Head of Global Private
Banking at CIBC (01-04) and Vice-Chairman at
Hampton Securities (05-07).
■
R e stau r a n t, bar
et douc e s fo l i e s
426, RUE SAINT-GABRIEL
M O N TREA L Q C
T 514.878.3561
A U BE RG E S A I N T- G ABR I E L . C O M
J U N E /J U LY 2014
17
Discover 8 Swiss
mountain peaks.
With the new Swiss Peak Pass you discover 8 of the most fascinating Swiss mountain peaks.
Available only in combination with a Swiss Pass 4-days or 8-days. Book now on www.raileurope.com
100 Years – Swiss National Park – Region for Health Tourism
100 YEARS
SWISS NATIONAL PARK
REGION FOR HEALTH TOURISM
Contributed by Swiss Tourism,
www.myswitzerland.com
BÜRGENSTOCK: NEW RESORT ABOVE
LAKE LUCERNE
Read more on
http://www.engadin.com/wellnessgesundheit/gesundheit/gesundheitsferien-inder-nationalparkregion/?R=1&S=1
http://www.nationalpark.ch/go/en/about/
about-us/centenary/
■
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
SWISS NATIONAL PARK!
2014 is a special year for the Swiss
National Park (SNP) – it turns 100 years old.
Established in 1914, it was the first national
park in the Alps and the largest protected
Area in Switzerland that extends over 65
square miles.
HEALTHY NATIONAL PARK REGION
The National Park Region is placing emphasis on the megatrend of health tourism: The
development project «National Park Region
– Health Region» envisages a symbiosis
between health and tourism. The project
aims at linking the content of tourism,
health and wellness offerings in innovative
ways and jointly marketing them.
The project is beginning to bear fruit:
since the project’s beginning, several
innovative products in the area of «Health
Tourism» have been developed. For instance,
vacations for guests with food intolerances,
wellness and preventive offers, series of
excursions guided by health experts, minor
medical conferences, and much more. Also
planned is an offer based on the topic
«Vacations for guests with homecare needs»
which is aimed at senior citizens.
The National Park Region is the first region
in Switzerland that promotes and supports
a collaboration of restaurants, hotels, and
vacation apartments to ensure a carefree
vacation for guests with food intolerances or
allergies. To enjoy an «agreeable» vacation,
the guests choose from among numerous
controlled offers, and are able to recuperate
with totally gluten and lactose-free meals
while enjoying in various ways the beauty
of the stunning environment they are surrounded with.
TRAVEL NEWS
Completion is planned for late 2014 or early
2015. The resort will be car-free and feature
three hotels with 400 rooms and 800 beds
as well as 68 residence suites and 12 restaurants and bars, all set in a breathtaking
mountain landscape. A large selection of
recreational options completes the picture.
This project involves total investments of
■
485 million Swiss francs.
CYCLE THE BASEL REGION YOUR WAY
New April 2014 launched routes between
the towns of Olten, Liestal and Laufen are
a cyclist’s dream come true. They traverse
idyllic byways amid delightful countryside
with plenty of sweeping views. Both routes
are real treats for leisure cyclists who seek
a sporting challenge as they ride through
the tranquil countryside, but also for those
who like to dismount from time to time to
sample the regional specialties.
SCHILTHORN/PIZ GLORIA: NEW
BREATHTAKING PERSPECTIVES
As of June, the new Skyline Walk platform
near Birg station offers some totally new
perspectives! It crosses the vertical precipice
and extends the panoramic view to include
the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, reaching
almost to infinity. Visitors can admire the
Swiss skyline and enjoy total relaxation as
they recline on the new relaxation loungers
at Skyline Chill on the Allmendhubel above
Mürren.
MONTREUX: ROYAL MUSICAL INSIGHTS
Queen fans can now visit the «Mountain
Studio» at the Casino Barrière in Montreux
for free. The band recorded seven of its
albums here. There are photos and many
items belonging to the band members
on display, but, most of all, the public can
go into the «Control Room». This is where
Freddie Mercury sang dozens of songs.
Nothing has really changed since, except the
mixing table, which has been replaced by a
less complex version so visitors can use it to
remix Queen’s hits.
J U N E /J U LY 2014
19
Member Profile
Portrait d’un Membre
ON LIGHT
OR LIGHT WITHOUT GLARE
Felix and Sandra Bertschinger met more
than 20 years in Switzerland’s northern
canton of Aargau where they both worked
for the same company. Felix, a high current
panel builder and Sandra an accomplished
draughtsman, quickly became inseparable.
In 1998, Felix was offered a job as sales
manager in the western part Switzerland,
for one of the largest European lighting
fixture manufacturer. Without him knowing,
he had just found his way, his passion for
lighting. Felix held on to that instrumental
position for 12 years, through which he had
to relocate near Yverdon in the canton of
Vaud, with his wife Sandra and their 4 sons.
This is how this innovative Montrealbased LED lighting fixture manufacturer
came to be.
According to Felix’s vision of his new
company, ON LIGHT’s mission was all about
doing things differently, without compromises. No compromises on lighting fixture
design, on components being used, or on
its sustainable solutions approach as well
as its commitment towards its customers.
ON LIGHT would only offer the very best to
its customers. The company slogan « Light
without glare» appeared shortly after and
it launched the company on the North
American market.
DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
During 2009, the idea of ON LIGHT took
shape in Felix’s mind while he was debating
what his new challenge would be for the
next few years. After much consideration,
the whole family set on an exploration
trip to Canada in order to see if the possibilities were as limitless as rumour as it.
What followed is now family history for the
Bertschingers: move to Canada (summer
of 2010) and establishing ON LIGHT in the
summer of 2011.
20
INFO SUISSE
North Americans are known for their appetite
for low prices and great deals. Unfortunately,
low prices often translate into poor quality/
performance and products manufactured
in Asia or South America. Despite the
risks behind a no-compromise-on-quality
approach in such a competitive market, Felix
decided to go ahead, to take the bull by the
horns and do things differently. Doing things
differently is why ON LIGHT offers product
designs that are not limited by the North
American lighting industry approach, but are
pushing the envelope with bold concepts and
innovating technologies including the very
first closed-loop temperature monitored and
IC-controlled fan cooled luminaires in North
America. This revolutionary and exclusive
technology, known as COOLED™, enables ON
LIGHT luminaires to yield one of the highest
luminous flux available on the market, thus
reducing the number of lighting fixtures to
buy, install and maintain.
NO COMPROMISES ON QUALITY
In a market where competition is as ferocious
as North America, it is often a challenge not
to compromise on quality. Nonetheless, ON
LIGHT took the gamble to only use the very
best components and offer a durable lighting solution that yields a life expectancy of
50000+ hrs. Here are a few examples of this
no-compromise approach:
• Die-cast aluminum components for a
more roughed construction and better
heat dissipation than their sheet metal
counterparts
• LED chips that offer up to 97 Colour
Rendering Index
• COOLED™ proprietary closed-loop
temperature monitoring driver
• 17 dBA zero-friction brushless MagLev ®
fan (nearly inaudible)
• 95 % reflectivity pure aluminum
reflectors
• Baked polyester textured paint finish
(roughed scratch-resistant finish that
•
offers great camouflage for fingerprints
unlike glossy paint finishes).
A no lens approach to maximize lighting
fixture performance (yields more light
than conventional lensed products
and no dusty lenses that alters beam
spread/light output & yellow through
time)
SAVING THE PLANET ONE LIGHTING
FIXTURE AT A TIME™
Doing its part to save the planet while
serving the North American market through
sustainable solutions is also part of ON
LIGHT’s mission. That’s why ON LIGHT’s luminaires are manufactured in North America
and why ON LIGHT offers Back2LifE™, an
exclusive luminaire End-Of-Life reconditioning system. Back2LifE™ provides luminaire
reconditioning once the luminaire reaches
its End-Of-Life and ensures that all wornout components are being recycled in the
process. It offers LED chip, brushless fan &
LED driver replacement and substantially
reduces our customer’s carbon footprint
while helping save the planet one lighting
fixture at a time.
IMAGINEZ
UN GESTIONNAIRE
DE PATRIMOINE
Imaginez un gestionnaire de patrimoine à la convergence des gestions
traditionnelle et alternative.
Imaginez un gestionnaire de patrimoine à la recherche de réelles performances
et non d’indices à battre.
Imaginez un gestionnaire de patrimoine dont les collaborateurs ont la latitude
nécessaire pour donner le meilleur d’eux-mêmes.
Imaginez un gestionnaire de patrimoine capable de diversifier véritablement les risques.
Imaginez un gestionnaire de patrimoine qui façonne l’avenir de la gestion de fortune.
Bienvenue chez Lombard Odier.
FOCUS ON US EXPANSION
ON LIGHT is the official lighting fixture supplier for the following brands for Canada:
Rogers/Fido, Swatch AG, Metro, Sport
Experts & Lugaro jewellers.
For 2014, ON LIGHT is focusing on its US
expansion to increase its brand awareness
south of the Canadian border and increase
its market share in North America.
For us at ON LIGHT, lighting is all about
LIGHT WITHOUT GLARE.
ON LIGHT luminaires are available everywhere in North America.
Lombard Odier Gestion (Canada) Inc., commandité pour Lombard Odier & Cie (Canada), société en commandite
1000, rue Sherbrooke Ouest · Bureau 2200 · Montréal (Québec) · H3A 3R7 · Canada
Téléphone 514 847 7748
www.onlight.ca
For more information or to get ON LIGHT
product samples, please contact
FRANÇOIS-XAVIER MORIN, VP Sales & Marketing
fxmorin@onlight.ca
T : (450)813-4833
M : (514)358-5184
J U N E /J U LY 2014
21
Chamber News
Informations de votre Chambre
SCCC ANNUAL GENERAL
MEETING ON APRIL 23, 2014
Our AGM, which took place on April 23, 2014,
was once again held at the King Edward
Hotel in Toronto. The SCCC welcomed Pierre
Ouimet, Senior Investment Strategist at UBS,
as a guest speaker. He gave an interesting
talk on the macro-economic view of the
world with a focus on the US and Canadian
markets. The presentation was followed by
the Annual General Meeting, chaired by
Ernst Notz, who was elected President for
a 2nd year. Ernst gave a brief status report
on the SCCC activities and thanked departing
directors Mirko Capodanno, Babette Baars
and Connie Camenzind for their contributions
to the board. They all received a Inukshuk as
a gift of appreciation. The AGM was followed
by a reception with delicious hors d’oeuvres
created by Swiss master chef Daniel Schick,
which was a great networking opportunity
for members and guests.
Departing board members (from left to right):
Connie Camenzind, Mirko Capodanno, Babette Baars
Ernst Notz (left), SCCC President, thanks guest speaker
Pierre Ouimet, Senior Investment Strategist at UBS
Offrir au monde ce qu’il y a de mieux.
Une tradition suisse.
Les produits de haute qualité sont synonymes de confort. Nous sommes bien placés
pour le savoir. Nous les exportons. En tant que transporteur aérien de la Suisse, nous
traduisons la haute qualité en confort sur chaque vol, en vous oørant un service et
une hospitalité jamais démentis. Pour les vols quotidiens de Montréal à Zurich, et des
correspondances vers plus de 70 destinations à travers le monde, contactez votre
agent de voyage ou visitez swiss.com
*
*Notre emblème est notre promesse.
22
INFO SUISSE
PRÉSENTATION DU SWISS
BUSINESS HUB CANADA AUX
MEMBRES DE LA CCCSQ.
Par Olivier Rodriguez
Le 24 avril dernier, c’est au Consulat Suisse
que Markus Reubi, directeur nouvellement
nommé du Swiss Business Hub Canada, est
venu faire une présentation devant une
trentaine de membres de la Chambre et
invités.
Mr. Jean-Serge Grisé
Mr. Markus Reubi of SBH Canada
enchainé sur les immenses possibilités que le
Canada offre aux entreprises suisses comme
débouchés tels que la stabilité, l’accord de
libre-échange conclu en 2009 ainsi que le
potentiel de développement et de croissance. Il a rappelé que plus de deux cents
compagnies suisses font affaire avec succès
au Canada et que le Canada était la porte
d’entrée pour le marché Nord-Américain.
Les membres de la chambre sont considérés comme des partenaires importants et
privilégiés pour le Hub et peuvent contribuer
aux échanges d’informations et de contacts.
Certains membres peuvent également agir
et s’inscrire en tant qu’experts auprès du
Hub en raison de leurs compétences et leurs
champs d’activité.
Christian Dubois a pris ensuite alors la
parole en tant que principal organisateur
de cet rencontre et a remercié Markus
Reubi pour sa présentation et souligné le
grand intérêt qu’elle a soulevé auprès d’un
auditoire visiblement très attentif. Une
période de questions a suivi cette dernière.
Par la suite, les conversations se sont
poursuivies lors de la réception offerte par
le SBH et qui a conclu cet événement très
apprécié.
Vous trouverez un article très complet en
français et en anglais dans l’édition précédente de l’info suisse. De plus, vous pourrez
parcourir/visionner cette présentation du
SBH Canada par Markus Reubi sur notre site
internet.
■
Nous avons eu le plaisir d’y retrouver
Jean Serge Grisé en pleine forme après son
absence. Il a pris la parole en souhaitant la
bienvenue aux personnes présentes et en
remerciant le Consulat et le SBH de nous
inviter à cette présentation ainsi qu’au cocktail qui suivra.
Il a mentionné que la Chambre est
ravie du déménagement du SBH Canada à
Montréal et de sa proche et enrichissante
collaboration
Markus Reubi a par la suite débuté sa
présentation, commençant par décrire
l’organisation des Hub dans le monde et de
Switzerland Global Entreprise (ex OSEC) ainsi
que les raisons d’opérer un SBH au Canada,
qui fait partie des vingt-et-un Business Hub
dans le monde.
Il a parlé des différents services que le
Hub offre et de ses principales tâches. Il a
J U N E /J U LY 2014
23
Business and Other News
Actualités économiques et d’affaires
CAN AN EMPLOYER
UNILATERALLY CHANGE ITS
PENSION PLAN FROM A
DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN TO A
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN
IN THE UNIONIZED CONTEXT?
By David Chondon
In recent years, most employers who have
Defined Benefit pension plans (“DB” plans)
are looking for ways to contain rising costs
associated with the DB plan and to maintain a level of predictability with respect
to contributions made to the plan. In order
to achieve this, employers are increasingly
switching to Defined Contribution pension
plans (“DC” plan) in an effort to achieve
more predictable funding costs. However,
a unilateral change from a DB plan to a DC
plan made by an employer is not without
risk in the unionized setting.
In virtually all pension plan documents, a
clause exists which gives the employer the
unilateral right to amend, modify or make
changes to the pension plan, provided that
the change does not result in a reduction of
accrued benefits to plan members. Often
times, employers in a unionized setting
mistakenly believe that this gives them
the “green light” to go ahead and make
revisions to the plan, without union involvement, negotiation or consultation. While
there is arbitral jurisprudence to support the
position that in some cases, an employer will
be entitled to unilaterally amend plans from
24
INFO SUISSE
a DB to a DC plan without union consent,
case law confirms that before an employer
makes such changes, the language of the
pension plan document must be reconciled
with collective agreement language.
The case of St. Mary’s Cement v. United
Steelworkers, Local 9235 (Pension Plan
Grievance), [2010] O.L.A.A. No. 152 (“St.
Mary’s”) is a good example that highlights
the issues entailed when an employer
seeks to unilaterally switch its DB plan to
a DC plan, without union consent. In this
case, the Company froze the defined benefit
portion of its employee’s DB pension plan
and introduced a DC plan that would take
effect a couple of months later. Notice was
given to the Union and employees of the
change a couple of months before it was to
take effect.
The Union objected to the changes proposed on the basis of language contained in
the collective agreement which stipulated
that the Pension plan formed part of the collective agreement. It further maintained that
the inclusion of this language prohibited the
Company from adopting unilateral changes
to the plan because the pension plan was
incorporated into the collective agreement
and effectively secured the “defined benefit
promise”. The Company, on the other hand,
agreed that the Pension plan was incorporated into the agreement, but maintained
that it had the unilateral right to amend
or modify the plan, as provided for in the
pension plan.
In reviewing the arguments put forth by
the parties, Arbitrator Hunter agreed with
the Company and found that there was no
express provision in the collective agreement that conflicted with the pension plan
text giving the employer the unilateral right
to amend. Not only was there no conflicting
language, there was language in the collective agreement which expressly stated
that “the Company intends to maintain
the Plan indefinitely, but reserves the right
to amend the Plan or discontinue the plan
either in whole or in part at any time”. In the
arbitrator’s view, if it were to find in favour
of the Union, it would effectively have to
“read out” this language from the collective
agreement. On this basis, the Company was
able to unilaterally amend the DB plan to a
DC plan.
Although this case is favourable to
employers, a word of caution is warranted.
The result in this case is limited to the specific
facts presented to the arbitrator, and turned
on the specific language of the collective
agreement. It is clear from a review of the
case that the collective agreement language
specifically permitted the employer to
amend the plan. This may not be the case in
the context of other collective agreements.
Before deciding to make any unilateral
changes to a pension plan in the unionized
context, employers should carefully assess
the language of the collective agreement,
pension plan text, and consult with its actuaries to determine whether any change to
the pension plan will result in a reduction of
accrued benefits to plan members. Given the
complexity of pension language contained
in many collective agreements and pension
plan documents, it is also advisable to seek
legal advice before an employer unilaterally
makes any changes to its pension plan. In
this regard, the lawyers at CCPartners can
assist employers in navigating through this
complex area of the law.
For more information on above or other
topics visit their website at www.ccpartners.
ca or contact David Chondon by e-mail at
■
dchondon@ccpartners.ca.
OTHER BUSINESS NEWS
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH CHINA
COMES INTO FORCE ON 1ST JULY
It is now certain: the free trade agreement
between Switzerland and China will come
into force on 1st July 2014, almost exactly
one year after it was concluded on 6th
July 2013.
This is the first free trade agreement of
its kind that the People’s Republic has concluded with a Western industrial nation and
Switzerland Global Enterprise has set out
the benefits to Swiss companies in detail in
«Potentialeinschätzung».
NORTH AMERICAN HIGH-TECH COMPANY
SETTLES IN ZUG
Monetas is building the world’s first universal
transaction platform. It enables all types of
financial and legal transactions on a single,
integrated global platform.
According to Monetas, the highly centralized nature of the world’s financial and legal
systems makes them inherently vulnerable
to abuse and failure. So Monetas is building the world’s first decentralized system
for financial and legal transactions. Its
decentralized nature has no single points
of failure, making it highly resilient and—in
Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s terms, “antifragile”.
The company was attracted to
Switzerland and in particular the Greater
Zürich Area through the availability of high
quality technical talent, the competitiveness
of the IT sector, and the business-friendly
environment. Other attractive factors include
Switzerland’s political and economic stability, excellent infrastructure, and proximity to
global markets.
SWITZERLAND MAKES TOP 5 OF
“SUPERENTREPRENEURS”
Switzerland ranks fourth globally for the
number of “SuperEntrepreneurs” per
capita, according to a recent report by U.K.based think tank Center for Policy Studies
(CPS). Thus, 1.229 Swiss per million or 9
individuals in Switzerland are so called
“SuperEntrepreneurs”.
CPS
identified
nearly
1,000
‘SuperEntrepreneurs’ from 53 countries by
analyzing Forbes’ list of the world’s richest
people from 1996 to 2010. Accordingly, a
“SuperEntrepreneur” is a business person
that has earned at least 1 billion USD.
Inheritances excluded.
The goal of the report was to identify the
government and policy infrastructures that
best support these superstars of entrepreneurship. After all, they are valuable for the
countries where they run their businesses,
often creating millions of jobs.
SWITZERLAND AMONG TOP 10
COUNTRIES FOR EMBRACING IT
The Networked Readiness Index (NRI)
assesses which economies are best prepared to benefit from new information and
communication technologies, bridge the
digital divide and extract value from big
data. Switzerland made the top 10, ranking
6th. Finland, Singapore and Sweden top the
ranking for the second consecutive year.
The Networked Readiness Index (NRI),
part of the “2014 Global Information
Technology Report: The Risks and Rewards
of Big Data”, ranks 148 countries for the
quality of their digital infrastructure and
ability to use information and communications technologies ( ICTs) to generate
economic growth, foster innovation and
improve the well-being of their citizens. It
is released by INSEAD, the leading international business school, in partnership with
the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the
Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of
■
Management at Cornell University.
STEIGER, ZUMSTEIN & PARTNERS AG
B U S I N E S S
A N D
M A N A G E M E N T
C O N S U L T A N T S
• Establishment and management of Swiss corporations
CONTACT:
• Accounting services
Nauenstrasse 49, P.O.Box,
• International Tax Planning for companies and individuals
CH-4002 Basel
• Management functions in Finance and Administration for
Phone +41 61 270 99 10, Fax -19
Swiss- and international companies
• Services provided in English, French and German
E-mail: brd@steiger-zumstein.ch
www.steiger-zumstein.ch
MEMBER OF:
J U N E /J U LY 2014
25
Business and Other News
Actualités économiques et d’affaires
THE SECRET OF SUCCESS
By Bruno Gideon
A year ago, a friend of mine, over 50 years
old, lost his job out of the blue. When I tried
to comfort him, he just told me that he was
confident he would find another job and I
was impressed by his positive attitude in
spite of what had happened to him. He
went on the hunt, moved from interview
to interview and from rejection to rejection,
never losing the belief in himself. Finally he
found a job. In fact, I just learned that he has
been promoted to a higher level.
If you are going through Hell,
keep going! – Winston Churchill
I shouldn’t have been surprised when
my friend landed his job. History is replete
with examples of people who succeeded
because they never gave up. Consider Elvis
Presley. In 1954, after just one performance,
he was told by the manager of the theater:
“You ain’t going nowhere, son. You ought
t’go back to driving a truck.” Or think of the
novelist Stephen King who was rejected
and rejected and eventually sold millions of
books. And then there’s the man who was
defeated at almost everything: a job, business, legislature, congress, U.S. senate and
26
INFO SUISSE
vice-presidency… but in 1860 he became
president of the United States. What
about you? Are you about to give up? Take
Churchill’s advice – and be as determined as
Abraham Lincoln was!
■
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
SCCC (ONTARIO) INC.
New Personal Member:
Edilson Camara
Egon Zehnder International Inc.
Brookfield Place, Bay-Wellington Tower
181 Bay Street,
Suite 2930
Toronto, ON M5S 2T3
Tel: 416-364-0222
Email: edilson.camara@egonzehnder.com
Web: wwww.egonzehnder.com
Vladimir Orovic
RedPort International/ITG
88 Redpath Ave.,
Suite 405
Toronto, ON M4S 2J8
Tel: 416-897-5713
Email: vladimir.orovic@gmail.com
Web: www.redportinternational.com
How to become a member of the SCCC:
Sign up online at
www.swissbiz.ca/memberships
or contact our office at sccc@swissbiz.ca or
416-236-0039
BIENVENUE AUX NOUVEAUX MEMBRES
CCCS (QUÉBEC) INC.
Corporate Members
Logistec Corporation
Mme Madeleine Paquin
Présidente et chef de la direction
360, rue Saint-Jacques
Montréal, QC, H2Y 1P5
Tél. : 514.844.9381
e-mail : mpaquin@logistec.com
www.logistec.com
Isoelectric Energie Inc.
Membres additionnels / additional members:
M. Jean-Raymond Bourgeois
e-mail: jr.bourgeois@isoelectric-energie.com
M. Daniel Chagnon
e-mail: dchagnon@beaverequip.com
M. Stéphane Lepine
e-mail : slepine@thibaultavocats.com
Mme Lynes Rivet
e-mail: lynes.rivet@gestavie.ca
Tél: 450.633.1414
Switzerland Cheese Marketing:
Membre additionel / additional member:
M. Deken Chenn
e-mail: deken@switzcheese.com
Tél: 514.745.8885
Individual members / Membres individuels
Réflexologue – Relation d’Accompagnement
Mme Marine Augustin-Normand
4950 Queen Mary, Suite 330
Montréal, QC, H3W 1X2
Tél. : 514.816.5044
e-mail : marineaugustin-normand@videotron.ca
M. Giancarlo Pellegrino
1 Ave. Baffin, Candiac, QC J5R 5P6
Tél : 514.892.6533
e-mail : giancarlopellegrino@me.com
chartered accountants | tax advisors
trowbridge.ca
Andrea von Moeller
Director, Business Development
We take the complication out of tax
•
•
•
•
•
Corporate and Expatriate tax services
Full cycle accounting services
Business and corporate structure consulting services
Managed payroll services
Multilingual−English, German, French
Monica Stevens-Wyss
Manager, Accounting & Business Services
monica.stevens@trowbridge.ca
25 Adelaide St. E., Suite 1400, Toronto, ON M5C 3A1
2Market International
B2-125 The Queensway, #131
Toronto, Ontario M8Y 1H6
Canada
Phone:
Mobile:
Fax:
Fax:
+1-416-907-8012
+1-416-505-1870
+1-866-407-0719
+1-647-439-0831
andrea@2marketinternational.com
77 Foster Crescent
Mississauga, Ontario L5R 0K1
ernst.notz@rogers.com
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The only inspirational newsletter of its kind. First published
in Switzerland, now in Canada and read worldwide.
Interested in personal growth? Subscribe at
www.brunogideon.com.
It is absolutely free.
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J U N E /J U LY 2014
27
SWITZERLAND CENTRE FOR
TRADE FAIRS/ LA SUISSE –
PLACE DE FOIRES
VOLTA10
16–21 Jun 2014
Basel, Switzerland
The VOLTA10 is going to be organized from 16
June to 21 June in Basel.
Environnement Professionnel
Microtechnologies
17–20 Jun 2014
Geneva, Switzerland
Si je savoure si souvent ces si purs suisses-ci de la Suisse, c’est parce que ces si purs
suisses-ci de la Suisse sont si savoureux. Pourquoi ces si purs suisses-ci de la Suisse
sont-ils si savoureux déjà? Ces si purs suisses-ci de la Suisse sont si savoureux parce
qu’ils sont faits comme seule la Suisse sait les faire. Si vrai, si pur, si Suisse. Si, si.
Découvrez-les sur les
authentiques-suisses.com
Environnement Professionnel Microtechnologies
is an extremely successful event.
EPTM
17–20 Jun 2014
Geneva, Switzerland
EPTM – Professional Micro technology
Environment Show is a completely new
proposal to the business world.
Liste 18
17–22 Jun 2014
Basel, Switzerland
Liste is an event that since its inception in
1996 has been engaged with presenting art
galleries that are new and important.
Through your membership in the
SCCC, you can join a
group health insurance plan
The country’s leading benefit program
for small business
•
•
•
•
•
Covers businesses with up to
35 employees, including one
person firms
Is open to all industries
Pools claims for price stability
Never targets an individual firm for
a rate increase or cancellation
Offers a full range of benefits,
including coverage normally
reserved for big businesses
Discover the wide range of benefits
available to you, such as Health and
Dental, Critical Illness coverage, Short &
Long Term Disability income replacement
and more!
For more information, contact
Patricia Keller Schläpfer at the SCCC
or visit www.chambers.ca.
28
INFO SUISSE
Just how pure is this Swiss? Well, it’s so pure and so savoury that every taste is 100%
pure bliss. So when it comes to Swiss, there’s one thing that you should never miss.
Make sure to put authentic Swiss on your list. Because nothing else is this Swiss.
Get the real Swiss on
swiss-authentics.com
Perspective mondiale.
Présence locale.
Forte d’une histoire de plus de 150 ans, et présente au
Canada depuis plus de 60 ans pour servir les familles
fortunées et ultra fortunées, UBS est branchée sur le monde
comme nul autre gestionnaire de patrimoine.
Plus que jamais, nos clients ont besoin de solutions mondiales
pour une stratégie d’investissement optimale à long terme.
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placement multidevises, ainsi que des solutions de garde
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Depuis plus de 150 ans, nous mettons nos vastes ressources
mondiales au service de nos clients. Pour en savoir plus sur
les façons de mettre nos conseils et nos solutions au service
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S’il vous plaît, contactez:
Julien Favre, Dirigeant Régional, Ontario
+1 416-345-7033
julien.favre@ubs.com
Christian Rime, Dirigeant Régional, Québec
+1 514-985-8100
christian.rime@ubs.com
ubs.com/ca
ab
©UBS 2014. Le symbole de la clé et UBS figurent parmi les marques de commerce déposées et non déposées de UBS. Tous droits réservés.
Banque UBS (Canada) est une filiale de UBS AG. 140505-0688_r2

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