One of the institutes at the ETH Zurich with the highest public profile carries out business research. The Swiss Economic Institute is respected nationwide for its forecasts and business studies.
How will the Swiss labour market develop over the next 12 months? What impact is an increasingly strong franc having on export business? These questions are typical of those asked at the Swiss Economic Institute (KOF) at the ETH Zurich by politicians, associations and companies. The Institute is known throughout the country for its economic barometer and its forecasts. It also publishes an annual KOF Index of Globalisation, which measures economic, social and political integration worldwide.
This comprehensive package of services and well-founded, independent research into questions of relevance to society has made the KOF into one of the most respected voices in economic policy and business in Switzerland today. Its opinion is sought beyond the country’s borders.
Politically independent position
The Institute is funded by the ETH Zurich and the Swiss Economic Research Society SGK. It is thus grounded in both science and business and can take a politically independent stance in debates. The KOF was set up in 1938 as part of the Institute of Economic Research at the ETH Zurich. It is networked worldwide and employs about 35 people. The KOF has three centres of excellence in research: Swiss business cycles, international business and structural change.
