They chose the canton of Vaud

The canton of Vaud host a large number of multinationals and corporate headquarters.

Nestlé, the world’s leading food and beverage company, was established in Vevey on the Vaud Riviera in 1867. Logitech, a leader in computer peripherals, was born in Apples in 1981 and has its global headquarters in Romanel-sur-Morges (western Vaud). Not to mention the great names of Swiss watchmaking (Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breguet) who have conquered the global markets from the canton of Vaud. 

Twenty or so companies with foreign roots have even decided to set up their global, European or regional headquarters in the canton of Vaud. These notably include Philip Morris, Adecco, EDF, Honeywell, Beckman Coulter, Cisco, Nissan International and Agilent.

These international companies attest to the competitiveness and the attractiveness of the canton of Vaud as a relocation site: they could just as easily have chosen anywhere else on the planet to set up shop, but they chose to do so here.

Some of the biggest corporations in the world have had operations here for years, and the number is constantly rising: in 57% of cases, European companies choose to relocate their head office to Switzerland.

The multinationals are attracted by the competitive conditions in the canton of Vaud and the presence of skills in the leading edge industries where they operate. Thus they help to reinforce the local economic fabric by creating synergies, with the other multinationals in the region as well.

The list below was established in June 2009.
Worldwide or european headquarters

These international companies chose the canton of Vaud to establish their worldwide or european headquarter.

R&D or production centers

These international companies chose the canton of Vaud to establish a R&D or a production center.

Pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology
Information and communication technology (ICT)
Microtechnology
Watch making
Agribusiness
Machinery and equipment