Swiss Manufacturing Survey and Award

The Swiss Manufacturing Survey 2026 General Report is now available for download

Between early April and the end of June 2026, the Chair of Production Management at the Institute for Production and Supply Chain Management conducted the annual Swiss Manufacturing Survey, designed to provide detailed insights into Switzerland's current strengths as an industrial location. In 2026, the survey was completed by 404 respondents from 388 companies, including 78% SMEs and 22% large companies with more than 249 employees.

The survey contributes to the early identification of future developments, providing companies, in-dustry associations, policymakers and researchers with a basis for decision-making to strengthen Switzerland's position as a business location. Among other aspects, the 2026 edition examined the innovativeness of Swiss manufacturing companies and their competitiveness in a shifting geopolitical environment.

For participating companies, the results serve as a benchmark, enabling them to evaluate their own development and compare their position with industry peers. Furthermore, the findings support companies in preparing for future challenges and adjusting their strategies to remain competitive in an international environment.

Based on the survey results, a whitepaper titled "Innovation Leaders – How Swiss companies excel through innovation in times of crisis" was published in collaboration with Noventa Consulting. The whitepaper examines how Swiss manufacturers use innovation to excel in times of crisis and provides an in-depth analysis of the characteristics that distinguish high-performing companies from the Swiss industry average. It further discusses managerial approaches that support the transition towards stronger innovation performance within the manufacturing sector.

Swiss Manufacturing Award

In 2019, we complemented the Swiss Manufacturing Survey with the Swiss Manufacturing Award. The award honors one company each year that has made an outstanding contribution to manufacturing in Switzerland during the previous year. The winner is announced and celebrated at the annual St.Gallen Production Management Conference.

The Swiss Manufacturing Survey forms the basis for selecting the award winner through a two‑step process.

• First, a quantitative pre‑selection takes place: we calculate each company’s contribution to Swiss manufacturing based on its self‑assessment in the survey. Financial, manufacturing, and market performance indicators, as well as responses regarding investments in manufacturing capacity and technology in Switzerland, form the core of this evaluation.
• Second, a qualitative final selection follows: based on interviews and case studies with the five top‑performing companies from the quantitative phase, an independent jury selects the winner of the Swiss Manufacturing Award. This step validates the survey self‑assessment and provides a deeper understanding of each company’s contribution to Swiss manufacturing.

The Swiss Manufacturing Award 2025 and 2026 is presented by Noventa Consulting.

Winner of the Swiss Manufacturing Award 2025: Burckhardt Compression AG