Success stories

Start at the Top

Fly&Film is a startup and resident of Technopole technological park, located in the town of Sierre, Valais. A company that manufactures and operates drones for agricultural and industrial needs and manages a school for drone pilots was looking for a region with a highly developed agricultural sector: geographical proximity to potential customers would be beneficial.

Fly&Film SA
Start at the top: For a company that is planning to run innovative hi-tech business, Switzerland is an ideal place to start. There are business-hubs, industrial parks, business-incubators and accelerators in all of the largest cantons of the country.

Healthy climate for startups

Fly&Film is a startup and resident of Technopole technological park, located in the town of Sierre, Valais. A company that manufactures and operates drones for agricultural and industrial needs and manages a school for drone pilots was looking for a region with a highly developed agricultural sector: geographical proximity to potential customers would be beneficial.

When choosing a canton, business activities of the administration of Valais – namely, support from a representative at the Economic Development Office in Valais – also played a role. The government subsidises wages of one of the company's employees hired on the local market.

Status of a resident at an industrial park also provides startups with a number of benefits: subsidized office rent, access to mentors and coaches, advice on business organization and management, assistance in solving technical questions. In the nearest future, the company plans to create anti-avalanche drones, as well as devices that are going to be able to evaluate
technical conditions of solar panels and buildings and check them for heat leakages.

Openness to innovations

For a company that is planning to run innovative hi-tech business, Switzerland is an ideal place to start. There are business-hubs, industrial parks, business-incubators and accelerators in all of the largest cantons of the country. For instance, in Valais there are seven structures of such kind, all of them are focused on a certain industry or certain kind of support for startups in their early stages. High level of education in Switzerland makes it easier to hire highly qualified employees. Since the Swiss government guarantees protection of business and its intellectual property, assuming a proper approach to running business processes, risks for investors and entrepreneurs are minimal. One of the key arguments for Valais was its bilingualism: both French and German are widely spoken, and both are the official languages of the canton.

For a start-up the 'Made in Switzerland' brand may serve as a catalyst for business growth, as it is traditionally perceived globally as an assurance of high quality products.

Oleg Sharonov
Managing Director, Fly&Film SA

Documents

Links

Share

Official program