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On 2 and 3 June 2022, the 24th edition of the Swiss Economic Forum took place in Interlaken under the motto ‘Reaching Out’. The conference focused on cooperation and overcoming geopolitical divides. President Ignazio Cassis opened the forum, which brought together 1'350 leaders from the worlds of business, politics and science.

Current political and economic challenges were discussed in inspiring keynotes and varied breakout sessions. The event concluded with an appearance by former Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who emphasised the importance of cooperation and shared responsibility.

‘We cannot remain indifferent to such a massive violation of the law and the values that are also ours,’ emphasised President Ignazio Cassis in his opening speech at SEF.2022 with regard to the war in Ukraine. The head of the FDFA explained that Switzerland was pursuing the path of ‘cooperative neutrality’ by adopting the EU's sanctions against Russia.

‘If you want to defend your place in the market, you have to move away from fossil fuels’ Christiana Figueres, former UN Climate Chief, told the entrepreneurs and business leaders at the SEF. The climate crisis poses a material risk for companies, for example by jeopardising many supply chains.

Johannes Teyssen, the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alpiq Holding AG, spoke at the SEF with moderator Carolin Roth about the looming electricity supply crisis in Europe. The German economist and doctor of law emphasised that tackling this challenge is a task for society as a whole.

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Summary SEF 2022