Cutting-edge technology meets quality of life in the Grisons: Switzerland's most popular leisure region attracts not only tourists, but also high-tech companies from all over the world. In Switzerland's largest canton, export-oriented companies find plenty of room to develop and fertile ground for innovation. In the trilingual natural metropolis in the heart of Europe, they benefit from first-class transport links, highly trained specialised workers, political stability and a mild tax climate.

Switzerland is part of the European economic area with 520 million people. In terms of economic output, it is the largest economic zone in the world. Fifty percent of its exports are to EU countries, the rest throughout the world. In addition to the EFTA Convention and the free trade agreement with the European Union (EU), Switzerland currently has a network of 33 free trade agreements with 43 partners which provide direct access to global markets. High purchasing power, innovative capacity, international competitiveness and a unique quality of life contribute to the attractiveness of the location.

Economic Location the Grisons at a glance

• Innovative, globally active companies from knowledge-intensive sectors such as life sciences, medtech, biosciences, ICT, photonics, sensor technology, automation, mechanical engineering and chemistry are based here
  
• Financial support from the canton for entrepreneurial innovation possible
  
• Highly developed industrial zones with over 300,000 m² of industrial land available
  
• Central location on the north-south axis with direct connections to the metropolitan areas of Zurich/Basel, Munich/Stuttgart and Milan/Turin
  
• Moderate tax burden (7.83 %1)) - 14.77 % of net income before taxes)
  
• Up to 25 percent lower labour and real estate costs than in Swiss metropolitan areas
  
• 30 percent higher labour productivity than average in the EU
  
• 1.3 million people live within an hour's drive of the Grisons
  
• Over 108,000 students at thirteen universities, colleges and universities of applied sciences within an hour's drive of the Grisons
  
• Home to internationally networking research institutes
  
• Switzerland's most popular leisure region with over 937 mountain peaks and 615 lakes as well as a variety of holiday destinations and 15 golf courses
  
• A cosmopolitan canton with three official languages (German, Rhaeto-Romanic and Italian) and English as the business language. The Grisons is home to people from more than 130 countries.
  
• Quality of life superior to practically anywhere else in the world
  

1) With 100% tax relief at cantonal level