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20 23

Annual Report

Foreword

Michel M. Liès, Chair of Board of Trustees (left), Daniel Daeniker, Chair of Support Foundation (right), Jürg Müller, Director Avenir Suisse (center)

2023 was a year of change for Avenir Suisse. In August, Jürg Müller took over as the fourth director of the think tank. This new management led to numerous changes. But before talking about these, we want to highlight what will never change: Our organization will keep its commitment to classical liberalism focused on Switzerland.

On this premise, Avenir Suisse has been developing innovative solutions to economic and socio-political challenges for almost a quarter of a century. Last year, our researchers once again developed a variety of new ideas, be it on the healthcare system, government growth or the faltering energy transition. This annual report presents the diverse activities of 2023.

In the coming years, Avenir Suisse will continue to fight inactive agitation, political symbolism and ultimately authoritarianism. Everyone at Avenir Suisse, from the President to the intern, is committed to this mission. In order to ensure the highest scientific standards, the Program committee with high-ranking representatives from the academy will continue to support us. This consistency in content is counterbalanced by a permanent change in format.

We constantly adapt the way we spread our knowledge and ideas. Whereas in 2000 the publication of a study was enough to trigger a public debate, today it is necessary to go the extra mile. In times of information overload, the battle for attention has intensified. All the while, zeitgeist (German for “spirit of an era”) has changed. Many debates today follow distinct positions. This new environment requires our think tank to renew itself.

As this annual report shows, Avenir Suisse has already responded to the changing environment in recent years with new formats such as podcasts and videos. A change of director is the perfect opportunity to continue this transformation with fresh energy. It is clear that these evolutions must never become an end in themselves. Rather, the aim is to fulfill Avenir Suisse’s long-standing mission in the best possible way: As an independent think tank, we aim to offer a constructive contribution to make Switzerland a prosperous, liberal, and livable country.

Impact

Patrick Dümmler

Senior Fellow and Head of Research Open Switzerland
Open Switzerland

“Renationalization and isolationism are the wrong path for our highly connected country. Openness is one of the cornerstones of prosperity, so Switzerland needs preferential trade relationships with Europe and the rest of the world.”

Mario Bonato

Senior Researcher Open Switzerland
Open Switzerland

“Avenir Suisse didn’t just adopt freedom as a key tenet with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. In our freedom index we reveal and compare the consequences of limiting freedom in the cantons every year.”

Sonia Estevez

Researcher Sustainable Welfare Policy
Sustainable welfare state

“The aging of the population is putting pressure on the three-pillar system. The major challenge will be to ensure adequate retirement benefits while preserving the pension system in the long run.”

Laurenz Grabher

Senior Researcher Infrastructure and Markets
Effective infrastructure and markets

“In March 2023, the USA was struck by a number of bank failures. In Switzerland, Credit Suisse merged with UBS. We covered the events and wrote numerous articles to highlight the challenges of digitization for banking regulation.” 

Theresa Hug-Alonso

Senior Researcher Open Switzerland
Open Switzerland

“The pandemic showed how important it is to have open borders. Our publication on the free movement of persons demonstrates that this doesn’t just apply on a personal level, but also for the prosperity of Switzerland.”

Eveline Hutter

Researcher Smart Government
Smart Government

“It is very common to consider the government as the only solution to problems. In our publication, we highlight the extent to which the government’s footprint has already grown significantly.”  

Jürg Müller

Director since August 1
Effective infrastructure and markets

“One year after the start of the pandemic, Avenir Suisse analyzed government growth and the healthcare system. As a result, we developed new ideas for reforms and introduced them into the social debate.”

Samuel Rutz

Senior Fellow and Head of Program Planning and Research
Effective infrastructure and markets

 “Subsidies have recently been making a come-back. But we often underestimate the risks and harmful effects they entail. Few really benefit from them, even though their costs are borne by everyone.”

Jérôme Cosandey

Director for French-speaking Switzerland, Head of Research Sustainable Welfare Policy
Sustainable welfare state

“We shouldn’t think of healthcare costs solely as expenses, but as investments in our health. The aim here is not to justify increasing expenses, but to encourage us to think about the return on investment and whether the cost-benefit ratio is interesting.”

Diego Taboada

Senior Researcher Sustainable Welfare Policy and Avenir Jeunesse for French-speaking Switzerland
Sustainable welfare state

“Health policy is caught between demands to expand services and those to keep costs down. To resolve this impasse, the healthcare system needs to focus on the value of its services.” 

Lukas Rühli

Senior Fellow and Head of Research Smart Government
Smart Government

“With real bracket creep, the state secures disproportionate growth in tax revenues, without having to justify itself to the population. Thanks to a widely-quoted publication, Avenir Suisse has made the general public aware of this phenomenon.”

Lukas Schmid

Fellow Smart Government
Smart Government

“Industrial policy is back in vogue. However, Switzerland should avoid the subsidy race for microchips, batteries or electric vehicles. State-led investment is detrimental to competitiveness.”

Marco Salvi

Senior Fellow and Head of Research Equal Opportunity Society
Equal opportunity society

“Politics is full of half-baked ideas on how to combat the anticipated housing shortage. The effect of these proposals can be summed up in one sentence: stimulate demand, reduce supply.” 

Patrick Schnell

Researcher Equal Opportunity Society
Equal opportunity society

“Technological innovations are linked to investment in education. We highlight how funding tertiary education can improve equal opportunities.”

Urs Steiner

Co-Head Communication
Communications

“We’re constantly extending our range of communication channels in an attempt to get the insights from our research to as wide an audience as possible.  We love meticulously produced books just as much as addressing our audience directly via electronic media.”

Marc Lehmann

Head of Communications and IT
Communications

“The ‘headphone generation’ demands a feast for the ears, and podcasts are an excellent way for the think tank to reach them with its high-quality content.”

Jelena Apelt

Digital Marketing Specialist and Project Coordinator
Communications

“Social media have revolutionized the way we consume knowledge. They’re a gateway to our research and enable us to address a broad audience via diverse multimedia formats.”

Patrick Leisibach

Fellow Equal Opportunity Society
Equal opportunity society

“The polarized discourse on immigration is not based on solid facts and figures. We want to shed some light on this debate. In a preliminary analysis, we have shown how much foreigners contribute to Switzerland’s innovative power.”

Elena Gerbershagen

Digital Marketing Specialist and Web-Manager
Communications

“In the digital age, data must serve as our compass. By developing data analysis, Avenir Suisse aims to create a basis for well-founded decision-making.” 

Florence Mauli

Fellow Equal Opportunity Society
Equal opportunity society

“Swiss dual education is a strength. The permeability of training paths means that no choice is a dead end. This promotes social mobility within the country.” 

Ernie Ernst

Visual Communications
Communications

“With new formats such as the Essentials and a new color scheme, we are strengthening Avenir Suisse’s branding and broadening the appeal of our content to a wider audience.”

Simon Stocker

Researcher Open Switzerland
Open Switzerland

“Calls for the energy supply security are obstacles to the net zero goal. Our detailed study shows how to counter them.” 

Tanja Rösch

Head of Avenir Jeunesse
Communications

“Avenir Jeunesse, the platform for young adults, promotes the development of critical thinking skills, both online and on site. We enable them to actively shape the future of Switzerland.” 

Fabienne Reiter

Chief Operating Officer
Corporate Services

“To be able to work efficiently and enjoyably, you need optimal structures, quick decision-making and a team that approaches challenges from different angles, but together. As a small organization with offices in Zurich and Lausanne, Avenir Suisse offers exactly that.”

Kenza Vionnet

Responsible for French translation and editorial content in French
French-Speaking Office

“Translation is like multiplication. That is why we translate our content into German, French, Italian and English to make it accessible to all language regions.”

Nicole Bernhard

Event management
Communications

“During our events, the emphasis is not only on exchange, but also on the opportunity to benefit from Avenir Suisse’s latest findings and studies.” 

Proofreader and Administrative Assistant
French-Speaking Office

“The podcast ‘La parole aux Romands’ serves two purposes: to bring together business specialists in French-speaking Switzerland, and to offer our listeners a platform for exchanging views on Switzerland and its future.”

Olivia Vilarino

Graphic design
Communications

“We prepare our content using memorable visuals and animated images. This makes complex content easy to understand.” 

Patricia Hanselmann

Office Assistant Corporate Services
Corporate Services

“Thanks to our donors, we stand for a liberal, open and innovative country. We strive for prosperous relationships and are open to inputs and ideas.”

Sibille Hartmann Kälin

Office Assistant Corporate Services
Corporate Services

“We strive every day to create a pleasant working environment that works well for all employees. This is an important foundation for building new ideas.” 

Key Figures

Finances

The 2023 financial year saw Infrastructure and operating expenses decrease year on year from CHF 886,048 to CHF 731,750 francs. The main reason for this is primarily due to non-recurring effects in 2022. Expenses related to programs and research were lower, at CHF 307,301 (year: CHF 332,340), as the increase in the number of digital publications allowed us to avoid printing costs. Expenses regarding communication amounted to CHF 82,414 in 2023, a decrease compared to the previous year due to lower external expenditure. Personnel expenses rose from CHF 4,008,721 to CHF 4,197,717. Overall, we kept to our CHF 5.5 million budget. 

Communications

The new version of our website has had the desired effect on traffic: both the number of pages viewed and the number of users increased by 38% in 2023. Meanwhile, our podcasts, which we have published regularly since the end of 2022, are growing in popularity. Although we have slightly reduced their number, plays have doubled and our followers on Spotify and Apple have increased by 84%. We are particularly proud of the Impactful Plays’ record 82% rate, which refers to plays equal to at least 75% of an episode. 

Our strong and continuous presence on social media also bore fruit. In 2023, we doubled the number of contributions on all channels, reaching over 26,000 followers. Our LinkedIn page performed particularly well, growing by 25%. Regarding our impact on younger audiences, our efforts have also paid off. Not only did we record a steady increase in the number of our followers on Instagram, but we were also able to address our content to a wider audience (+131% impressions) and increase interactions with our content (+68%). Finally, Twitter, that has seen a general declining popularity after the switch to X, remains of strategic importance to Avenir Suisse. Despite the stagnation in the number of followers, interaction with Avenir Suisse’s content has increased. 

Support Foundation

The Support Foundation is charged with securing sustained funding for Avenir Suisse by way of active fundraising. In 2023, 3 new donors were acquired, and 35 existing donors renewed their commitment. A total of 136 companies and private individuals support our activities and thus help us maintain our balanced industry distribution. The members of the support group support the think tank with considerable one-time or recurring contributions. 

Chronology

https://www.avenir-suisse.ch/en/annual-report-2023