GZA succeeds in attracting 98 foreign companies in 2025

(CONNECT) The Greater Zurich Area AG draws a positive conclusion in its Annual Report 2025. 98 foreign companies have heeded the call of the location marketing agency for the Zurich economic area and have decided to set up a new location in the association of nine cantons as well as the city of Zurich and the Winterthur region. 29 of them conduct research and development, 24 want to set up their headquarters in Switzerland. Together, they are planning 1295 new jobs over the next five years.

The GZA acts on behalf of the Greater Zurich Area Location Marketing Foundation, positions the Zurich economic region internationally and supports companies wishing to relocate here. She works particularly intensively on the focus ecosystems of life sciences, artificial intelligence and robotics. "Innovation determines whether good jobs, entrepreneurial know-how and industrial expertise remain anchored in our region," says Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Balz Hösly in his foreword. "For a high-cost location like the Greater Zurich Area, this is not an option, but a strategic necessity."

Blockchain technology was the strongest focus industry in 2025 with 20 new companies, followed by biotech and pharma (15) and artificial intelligence (8). Many of these projects are in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and food & agritech.

The Israeli food tech company Aleph Farms, for example, has chosen Kemptthal ZH as the base for its European activities. On site, it meets partners along the entire value chain: Givaudan, Migros Industrie and Bühler. Tik Tok opened an office in Zurich, where it is close to brands, agencies, media and people who create content for social media. The Canadian company Blockstream is expanding its Bitcoin infrastructure in Lugano with the establishment of its headquarters there and the acquisition of Elysium Lab. The Beijing-based company Baidu Apollo has chosen Zurich as its first European location for its robotaxis.

International visibility is also the aim of the Zurich AI Festival, which the GZA is jointly responsible for and will continue in 2026. At the same time, the integration of the canton of Aargau by 2027 is being prepared, according to GZA Managing Director Lukas Huber. In general, he emphasizes the role of the associated cantons in the development of the business location: "With their framework conditions, their clusters and their location development, they create the basis for this marketing to be successful. We do promotion - the cantons are excellent product managers." ce/mm