Swiss Economic Forum 2025

On 5 and 6 June 2025, the 27th edition of the Swiss Economic Forum took place in Interlaken. Under the motto “Earn it.”, 1,700 leading figures from business, politics and academia discussed how to strengthen Switzerland’s success model in an increasingly uncertain world. At the heart of the discussions were self-responsibility, entrepreneurial courage, and the question of how resilience has become the most valuable currency of our time.

Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter opened the Forum with a powerful appeal to politics and business not to be paralysed by global uncertainty: “This uncertainty should not lead us into paralysis or activism.”
Rory Stewart, President of GiveDirectly and Professor at Yale University, painted a clear picture of geopolitical upheaval and called for flexibility and the ability to recognise opportunities amid uncertainty: “Please be proud of Europe. Be proud of Switzerland.”

Further highlights included ABB CEO Morten Wierod, who described the global race for AI and technology as “a race for the future”, and Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber, who praised the Swiss entrepreneurial spirit as a perfect blend of precision and innovation. Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate and Professor at Columbia University, warned of the risks of a second Trump presidency – yet saw in it an opportunity for Europe to demonstrate greater independence and innovative strength.

Equally inspiring were the personal stories of polar explorer Karen Kyllesø, Smiling Gecko founder Hannes Schmid, and conductor Lorenzo Viotti, who reminded the audience that true leadership is not about control but about listening.

The Forum concluded with the Swiss Economic Award, which honoured Kyan Health, DePoly and Lumvin as outstanding young companies, as well as a series of dynamic breakout sessions and the SEF.Founder Conference, bringing together start-ups and established entrepreneurs.