Swiss Management Society SMG: Going it alone cannot be the solution

The Swiss Management Society (SMG) invited to its traditional forum for the 58th time on November 16, 2022. Of course, there was no lack of current topics at this event: The current geopolitical upheavals have ruthlessly shown how dependent our society has become on a steady influx of energy and goods, it was said. For Lukas Braunschweiler, President of SMG and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tecan Group, the insights gained at the conference are clear: "The forum impressively demonstrated to us that we can only overcome the difficulties and challenges of our time by working together.

Dr. Detlef Trefzger: "Future scenarios of global trade".

The Corona crisis and the dislocations triggered by the war in Ukraine have thrown global supply chains out of sync. For Detlef Trefzger, this phenomenon, known as the "bullwhip" or whip effect, is just one aspect of why transportation costs will rise in the future. "In addition to a large pent-up demand for infrastructure renewal, it is above all the increasing demand for goods produced and transported in a climate-neutral manner that will have a significant impact on transport costs."

Jonas Dennler: "Mission Based Ecosystems - New Forms of Collaboration to Fulfill a Shared Vision."

Is it already five past twelve or five before twelve? Jonas Dennler, Global Head Sustainability GTM at SAP, fears that the 1.5 degree target of the Paris climate agreement cannot be achieved under the current premises. The example of Norway, where three-quarters of newly registered vehicles are already electric, proves how ambitious targets can be achieved. "Norway shows that it is time for a paradigm shift, away from the shareholder approach to the partnership approach of all interested parties. Because only together can ambitious goals be realized."

Kristine Svinicki: "Creating a global energy future".

In contrast to Europe, nuclear energy seems to be on the verge of something of a renaissance in the USA. For Kristine Svinicki, a TerraPower board member and former chairwoman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the key issue, in addition to improving the use of nuclear fuel, is to better align the electricity mix. "Storing heat generated by nuclear power in sodium containers enables downstream distributed production of electric power. This allows fluctuations in wind and solar energy to be efficiently absorbed," said the American nuclear engineer, explaining the approach.

Focus topic Energy: Renaissance of nuclear power?

1 cm3 of uranium contains the same energy as 1 ton of coal. For Prof. Dr. Annalisa Manera, nuclear energy is therefore a central element for a secure and clean supply. "Thanks to nuclear energy and hydropower, Switzerland's electricity production is now almost CO2-neutral," noted the professor of nuclear energy at ETH Zurich. Hans Hess, long-time president of Swissmem and now chairman of the board of Synhelion AG, sees the recent geopolitical upheavals as a salutary wake-up call that will lead to more innovation. According to Benedikt Loepfe, Director-EWZ Stadt Zürich, suppliers will have to focus more on consumer needs in the future. However, according to Maurice Dierick, member of Swissgrid's GL, this requires a "fractal-autonomous" system instead of the current top-down supply. Together with Monika Rühl, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of economiesuisse, the panelists agreed that a reliable electricity agreement with the EU was indispensable due to the uncertain situation. Monika Rühl also pointed out that the energy crisis was a rather European problem that could quickly develop into a competitive disadvantage.

Focus topic Cyber Security: Good faith as a risk

About 25,000 cases of cyberattacks on Swiss companies are reported each year. Florian Schütz, the federal government's delegate for cybersecurity, estimates that the dark room is quite a bit higher. "Internet attacks, as the Ukraine example shows, have become a geopolitical issue. Companies therefore need to take the protection of their systems seriously." For Steven Neubauer, former CEO of Comparis, which was hit hard by a cyber attack last year, it is now imperative that an experienced expert sits on the board of directors. Sandra Tobler, co-founder of Futurae Technologies, a company specializing in authentication solutions, commented on the problem that the gullibility that still prevails in Switzerland plays into the hands of fraudsters. A trusting error culture that promotes mutual learning could offer a remedy here. For Prof. Dr. Peter Müller, head of the Programming Methodology Group at ETH Zurich, the increase in home offices has led to a greater need for action with regard to the security of data transmission between employees and the company's systems. Here, the SCION solution developed by his institute could make a contribution to network security.

Prof. Dr. Dr. hc. Monika Bütler: "(When) Will Things Pick Up Again?"

After comparing her statements made a year ago on the occasion of the forum, the economist concluded that the rise in inflation feared due to the expansive monetary policy of the central banks has now arrived. However, the professor expressed confidence that the curve will soon flatten out. However, care must be taken to ensure that inflation does not hit the economically weakest too hard: "Inflation is always regressive and has a negative impact on disposable income," she warned.

Ron Pal: "Smallholder farmers and tech, the solution to solving the global food challenge"

470 million smallholder families worldwide produce about 40% of the food needed in developing countries. However, their production is often inefficient and small-scale. With the help of technology, the Swiss-Indian dual citizen wants to better connect producers with buyers. "By digitally connecting producers with buyers, we are creating a cooperative that benefits everyone," Ron Pal said, explaining his approach.

The Swiss Management Association

The Swiss Institute of Business Administration (BWI), which emerged in 1961 from the ETH
Management Gesellschaft (SMG) is the most important association of over 1000 leading
decision-makers in the Swiss economy. Through its network and platform function, the
SMG within the framework of its event as an impulse generator for entrepreneurs, executives from the CLevel-.
Management and board members who deal with strategic and operational management issues.
deal with.

www.smg.ch