From high drug prices to tough regulations, the Swiss pharma industry has its share of obstacles, says Thierry Mauvernay, president of Debiopharm. In part two, he points out some of Switzerland’s biggest hurdles, including the country’s fear of risk and the weak link between academia and industry, both of which Mauvernay says are impediments to innovation.WATCH MORE
“Switzerland is not a start-up nation,” says Debiopharm’s Mauvernay
From high drug prices to tough regulations, the Swiss pharma industry has its share of obstacles, says Thierry Mauvernay, president of Debiopharm. In part two, he points out some of Switzerland’s biggest hurdles, including the country’s fear of risk and the weak link between academia and industry, both of which Mauvernay says are impediments to innovation.
Debiopharm: We’re more flexible than the Swiss pharma giants
The focus at Debiopharm is on the drugs, says its president Thierry Mauvernay. The Lausanne-based private company says its smaller, less complicated structure is key to producing disruptive drugs, something that Mauvernay says is difficult for larger Swiss pharma rivals. He credits Debiopharm’s business model as the reason the company has some promising new cancer drugs in the pipeline.
Financial historian on Mario Draghi and the ECB’s big misstep
Tobias Straumann, professor of financial history at the University of Zurich, has some harsh criticism of former European Central Bank head Mario Draghi and the policies of the last few years. In part two, he talks about what’s wrong with Europe’s monetary union, the ECB’s “wrong theory,” and why many Swiss don’t really care about negative interest rates.
Forget Brexit: There’s another storm brewing in Europe, says Straumann
While all eyes are on Brexit and trade disputes, Tobias Straumann, professor of financial history at the University of Zurich, is worried—even pessimistic—about the situation in southern Europe, which he compares to pre-WWII, 1930s Germany. “Be very careful about what you’re doing,” Straumann says, directing his comments to the EU.
Employees and leaders are struggling, says SIYLI’s Von der Assen
Currently a USD 1 billion industry and growing, the mindfulness approach is being used by companies to retain employees and keep them engaged, while business leaders are using it to improve their methods. In part two, Angelika von der Assen from the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute explains the methodology but stresses that “this is not a quick fix.”
Can mindfulness help the “massive crisis” in business leadership?
Angelika von der Assen is Switzerland’s first certified teacher from the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI), pioneered at tech giant Google. SIYLI’s neuroscientific approach of mindfulness has been embraced in the U.S. and is gaining traction in Switzerland. Notable Swiss companies like AXA, Credit Suisse and ABB are working with Von der Assen to become “more open and present” and tackle the stresses of the corporate world.
How European airlines get it wrong, according to Helvetic Airways CEO
European airlines could stand to learn from their U.S. counterparts, says Helvetic Airways CEO Tobias Pogorevc. Their business models, he adds, give them more flexibility and reduce complexity. In part two, Pogorevc talks about how Europe can push ahead in the global airlines industry and how Helvetic is leaning more toward a wet lease model.
