The economic outlook is mixed. The war in Ukraine, inflation and the approaching recession dim forecasts for the coming year. A clear and diverse strategy is even more important for large companies.
A study by Lausanne VD and the renowned Singapore-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) examines how well international companies are positioned for the future each year and uses this to create the “Future Readiness Ranking”. What matters is not just tangible numbers, but also the degree of diversity, sustainability and digitization among employees.
Roche is number one worldwide
The most interesting for Switzerland is the ranking of pharmaceutical companies. Roche and Novartis and two Swiss companies entered the top five. According to IMD, Roche is the most future-proofed pharmaceutical company in the world.
The most promising pharmaceutical companies:
- Roche (CH)
- Pfizer (USA)
- Astrazeneca (England)
- Bristol Myers Squibb (USA)
- Novartis (CH)
This is particularly surprising for one reason: Roche does not make Covid vaccines. The Basel-based company owes its top spot primarily to its efforts in digitalization and large investments in research and development. According to IMD, the application of computer science and machine learning in current research is especially crucial for the future of pharmaceutical companies.
The IMD study also concludes that the pharmaceutical industry is in a good position even in a recession. The authors of the study, on the other hand, identify problems with reputation. Rising healthcare costs will undermine public confidence in the pharmaceutical industry.
Online trading is the trump card
The study covers 27 companies in the textile and retail industry, from classic clothing brands like Nike or H&M to luxury goods manufacturers and retail chains like Foot Locker.
The most promising textile companies:
- Nike (USA)
- Lululemon (CAN)
- Kering (F)
- Hermes (F)
- LVMH (F)
IMD praised the customer loyalty for Nike, which took the first place. In addition, the introduction of new technology applications and investment in digital supply chains have a positive impact on the future of the group.
The first Swiss group on the list is Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont. It ranks sixth in the rankings, followed directly by German online giant Zalando. Nick Hayek’s Swatch band (68) is ranked 21st.
Computer chips – building blocks of the future
Unsurprisingly, US giants dominate tech groups.
The most promising tech groups are:
- Alphabet (USA)
- Microsoft (US)
- Nvidia (USA)
- Amazon (US)
- apple (US)
Facebook parent company Meta (6th) and text messaging service Twitter (7th) failed to make the top five. Chinese internet group Tencent is the first non-American company to take the 11th place, while Swiss technology companies are not included in the ranking.
The biggest winner was the US chip maker Nvidia. Its clients include Google, Tesla and Meta, among others. In addition to Nvidia, eight more chip makers entered the list of 39 tech companies under review. This is partly because semiconductors have been under-supplied for some time due to supply chain issues and tensions between China and the US, and are therefore more expensive.