Switzerland and the UK have a long-standing relationship with common political and economic values, which form the basis for successful cooperation in many fields. Our two countries share a number of strengths: both are world leaders in innovation, research and education, and home to international financial centres and world-leading cultural institutions. #WeAreSwitzerland is an initiative by the Embassy of Switzerland in the United Kingdom to forge new synergies between Switzerland and the UK across innovation, science, culture, economy and politics.We are innovative. We are creative. We are sustainable. We are committed. We are connected.We are Switzerland.
Intro
Switzerland and the UK have a long-standing relationship with common political and economic values, which form the basis for successful cooperation in many fields. Our two countries share a number of strengths: both are world leaders in innovation, research and education, and home to international financial centres and world-leading cultural institutions. #WeAreSwitzerland is an initiative by the Embassy of Switzerland in the United Kingdom to forge new synergies between Switzerland and the UK across innovation, science, culture, economy and politics.We are innovative. We are creative. We are sustainable. We are committed. We are connected.We are Switzerland.
How far are we willing to go to optimise the management of the entire Earth? That’s the question asked by the collective Fragmentin with ‘G80’, an installation commissioned by mudac, the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts in Lausanne.
Fragmentin and mudac at the London Design Biennale
How far are we willing to go to optimise the management of the entire Earth? That’s the question asked by the collective Fragmentin with ‘G80’, an installation commissioned by mudac, the Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts in Lausanne.
Adaptive Quantum Materials & Quantum Technologies: Towards a Roadmap for British-Swiss Collaboration
UK – Swiss Quantum Workshop
Adaptive Quantum Materials & Quantum Technologies: Towards a Roadmap for British-Swiss Collaboration
The current UK-Switzerland bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered into force on 1 January 2021 after existing agreements were rolled over to avoid a cliff-edge situation following Brexit. On 15 May 2023 Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin met with his UK counterpart, Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, in Bern to launch negotiations on a new UK-Switzerland free trade agreement (FTA) to boost trade between Switzerland and the UK as two services superpowers. The current trade agreement provides for duty-free bilateral trade in industrial goods and for a partial liberalization of trade in processed agricultural products. It is time for a modernisation of the bilateral FTA that allows us to expand the agreement to new areas of trade, particularly in services.
Switzerland and the UK launch negotiations on modernised free trade agreement
The current UK-Switzerland bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered into force on 1 January 2021 after existing agreements were rolled over to avoid a cliff-edge situation following Brexit. On 15 May 2023 Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin met with his UK counterpart, Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, in Bern to launch negotiations on a new UK-Switzerland free trade agreement (FTA) to boost trade between Switzerland and the UK as two services superpowers. The current trade agreement provides for duty-free bilateral trade in industrial goods and for a partial liberalization of trade in processed agricultural products. It is time for a modernisation of the bilateral FTA that allows us to expand the agreement to new areas of trade, particularly in services.
Film director Yasmine Bahechar came to Leeds to present her short film Oldschool, screened as part of In Short, Europe, an annual European short film festival. We asked her a few questions. Don't miss the London edition of In Short, Europe on 12 and 13 May at Cinélumière, Institut Français UK.
Yasmine Bahechar at In Short, Europe: Awakening
Film director Yasmine Bahechar came to Leeds to present her short film Oldschool, screened as part of In Short, Europe, an annual European short film festival. We asked her a few questions. Don't miss the London edition of In Short, Europe on 12 and 13 May at Cinélumière, Institut Français UK.
On Thursday 20 April Federal Councillor Viola Amherd visited London for a meeting with her counterpart in the UK, Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace MP.
Switzerland and UK sign declaration of intent on security policy
On Thursday 20 April Federal Councillor Viola Amherd visited London for a meeting with her counterpart in the UK, Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace MP.
On 19 April 2023, the Embassy of Switzerland in the UK hosted an event on Central Bank Digital Currencies: Cash settlement in a tokenized asset ecosystem, with a keynote speech by Ambassador Markus Leitner. The discussion was moderated by Mrs Izabella Kaminska, Senior Finance Editor at POLITICO Europe, with Mr Matthias Jütter, SNB, Mr John Jackson, BoE, Mr Hyder Jaffrey, UBS and Mr Kunal Jhanji, BCG/ Payments Association. The discussion was followed by a lively Q&A with the audience.
Central Bank Digital Currencies: Cash settlement in a tokenized asset ecosystem
On 19 April 2023, the Embassy of Switzerland in the UK hosted an event on Central Bank Digital Currencies: Cash settlement in a tokenized asset ecosystem, with a keynote speech by Ambassador Markus Leitner. The discussion was moderated by Mrs Izabella Kaminska, Senior Finance Editor at POLITICO Europe, with Mr Matthias Jütter, SNB, Mr John Jackson, BoE, Mr Hyder Jaffrey, UBS and Mr Kunal Jhanji, BCG/ Payments Association. The discussion was followed by a lively Q&A with the audience.
Following our successful #WeAreSwitzerland tour of the UK last year, we are pleased to announce that we will be visiting Glasgow for a new leg of the tour!
Tour of the UK - Glasgow
Following our successful #WeAreSwitzerland tour of the UK last year, we are pleased to announce that we will be visiting Glasgow for a new leg of the tour!
For Wales Week 2023, we had the pleasure of being joined by the Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies, for an event to highlight the mutual interest between Switzerland and Wales in learning from and investing in each other. And, though it may not seem so at first, our languages create some commonalities as well and we welcomed some outstanding speakers to raise awareness of the efforts by Switzerland and Wales to preserve and promote minority languages.
Wales Week 2023
For Wales Week 2023, we had the pleasure of being joined by the Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies, for an event to highlight the mutual interest between Switzerland and Wales in learning from and investing in each other. And, though it may not seem so at first, our languages create some commonalities as well and we welcomed some outstanding speakers to raise awareness of the efforts by Switzerland and Wales to preserve and promote minority languages.
In March, the 88 members of the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF) celebrate the French language they share and the cultural and linguistic diversity they represent. We are proud to be part of this celebration and to collaborate throughout the year with the Groupe Francophonie UK to promote the French language and French-speaking cultures in the UK.
Mars, Mois de la Francophonie
In March, the 88 members of the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF) celebrate the French language they share and the cultural and linguistic diversity they represent. We are proud to be part of this celebration and to collaborate throughout the year with the Groupe Francophonie UK to promote the French language and French-speaking cultures in the UK.
The end of 2022 was quite busy for our Science and Innovation team, with ten of the best Swiss fintech startups coming to the UK for a full week of immersion into London's fintech ecosystem!
Switzerland to London - Fintech Venture Leaders 2022
The end of 2022 was quite busy for our Science and Innovation team, with ten of the best Swiss fintech startups coming to the UK for a full week of immersion into London's fintech ecosystem!
In our #CabpoolAmbassador series, Ambassador Leitner interviews a range of personalities from different fields in the back of our electric-powered Swiss cab!
Cabpool Ambassador Episode 2 - Anton Mosimann
In our #CabpoolAmbassador series, Ambassador Leitner interviews a range of personalities from different fields in the back of our electric-powered Swiss cab!