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Brought to you by the same country whose people have chosen last week to limit the right of free movement of European citizens. This is not a good time to start

Brought to you by the same country whose people have chosen last week to limit the right of free movement of European citizens. This is not a good time to start a technology business in Switzerland.

patrickaljord 13y ago
It is still a million times easier to establish a business and get residency in Switzerland than in the US for Europeans. So by that standard, it would be an even worse time to start a technology business in the US. And the limits that were voted last week are minimal and temporary.
- DrJokepu 13y ago
  In the United States, businesses have access to a workforce market of 340 million people educated to a high standard. In the European Union, businesses have access to a similar workforce of over 507 million people. Without access to the EU workforce, Swiss businesses have access to a workforce market of 8 million people.
  - _delirium 13y ago
    The overall technical/scientific ecosystem of Switzerland also looks like it will be at least somewhat damaged by this closure. US startups often start off as university spinoffs from NSF or DARPA-funded research (Sun Microsystems, Google, etc.), or as partnerships between universities and industry (a number of machine-learning/data-mining startups fit that category). The same is often true in Europe, just replace NSF/DARPA with the EU research framework (keeps changing names, but essentially the same). It gives large grants to multi-national consortia of universities and companies. Switzerland was part of the 2007-2013 "FP7" program, but they're being suspended from the 2014-2020 "Horizon 2020" program, at least for now. Existing funded projects will be allowed to complete (funding is usually for 3 years), but Swiss institutions and companies won't be allowed to be part of 2014 applications. That's causing a bit of turmoil around here (not Switzerland) right now because people had planned to submit proposals with Swiss partners who are suddenly ineligible. It's possible Switzerland will cover some of the damage by pulling the money they would've contributed towards the EU research framework, and using it to increase domestic research funding instead. Will have to wait and see how that goes.
    - chli 13y ago
      Too bad EU is playing that card since it's obviously a lose/lose situation. "Switzerland's contribution to the total budget of Horizon 2020 of about EUR 81.6 billion sums up to around CHF 4.4 billion, over a seven-year period. The corresponding budget appropriation was approved by the Federal Assembly on 10 September 2013." http://www.sbfi.admin.ch/themen/01370/01683/index.html?lang=en http://www.sbfi.admin.ch/themen/01370/01683/index.html?lang=...
  - chli 13y ago
    Except businesses still have access to EU / US workforce.
    - DrJokepu 13y ago
      Only via a tedious visa sponsorship process. Thanks, but no thanks.
parennoob 13y ago
Silicon Valley is not much better -- it chooses to keep immigrant engineers from specific countries employed at the same job for 10-15 years at an almost fixed wage by utilizing the broken immigration policies of the US, which have country-specific quotas. The only reason most of these people (myself included) don't speak out is that they have been schooled to be grateful for the fact that they have a job in a "developed" country. ["If you don't like it, just leave!"] Which is, admittedly, our situation -- so we STFU. It feels like one of those dreams when you want to open your mouth and scream...but no sound comes out. I'd rather work in Switzerland any day, even with their proposed system (which is supposed to come into play after 3 years, and has quotas).

Brought to you by the same country whose people have chosen last week to limit the right of free movement of European citizens. This is not a good time to start a technology business in Switzerland.

patrickaljord 13y ago

It is still a million times easier to establish a business and get residency in Switzerland than in the US for Europeans. So by that standard, it would be an even worse time to start a technology business in the US. And the limits that were voted last week are minimal and temporary.

DrJokepu 13y ago
In the United States, businesses have access to a workforce market of 340 million people educated to a high standard. In the European Union, businesses have access to a similar workforce of over 507 million people. Without access to the EU workforce, Swiss businesses have access to a workforce market of 8 million people.
- _delirium 13y ago
  The overall technical/scientific ecosystem of Switzerland also looks like it will be at least somewhat damaged by this closure. US startups often start off as university spinoffs from NSF or DARPA-funded research (Sun Microsystems, Google, etc.), or as partnerships between universities and industry (a number of machine-learning/data-mining startups fit that category). The same is often true in Europe, just replace NSF/DARPA with the EU research framework (keeps changing names, but essentially the same). It gives large grants to multi-national consortia of universities and companies. Switzerland was part of the 2007-2013 "FP7" program, but they're being suspended from the 2014-2020 "Horizon 2020" program, at least for now. Existing funded projects will be allowed to complete (funding is usually for 3 years), but Swiss institutions and companies won't be allowed to be part of 2014 applications. That's causing a bit of turmoil around here (not Switzerland) right now because people had planned to submit proposals with Swiss partners who are suddenly ineligible. It's possible Switzerland will cover some of the damage by pulling the money they would've contributed towards the EU research framework, and using it to increase domestic research funding instead. Will have to wait and see how that goes.
  - chli 13y ago
    Too bad EU is playing that card since it's obviously a lose/lose situation. "Switzerland's contribution to the total budget of Horizon 2020 of about EUR 81.6 billion sums up to around CHF 4.4 billion, over a seven-year period. The corresponding budget appropriation was approved by the Federal Assembly on 10 September 2013." http://www.sbfi.admin.ch/themen/01370/01683/index.html?lang=en http://www.sbfi.admin.ch/themen/01370/01683/index.html?lang=...
- chli 13y ago
  Except businesses still have access to EU / US workforce.
  - DrJokepu 13y ago
    Only via a tedious visa sponsorship process. Thanks, but no thanks.

parennoob 13y ago

Silicon Valley is not much better -- it chooses to keep immigrant engineers from specific countries employed at the same job for 10-15 years at an almost fixed wage by utilizing the broken immigration policies of the US, which have country-specific quotas. The only reason most of these people (myself included) don't speak out is that they have been schooled to be grateful for the fact that they have a job in a "developed" country. ["If you don't like it, just leave!"] Which is, admittedly, our situation -- so we STFU. It feels like one of those dreams when you want to open your mouth and scream...but no sound comes out. I'd rather work in Switzerland any day, even with their proposed system (which is supposed to come into play after 3 years, and has quotas).