Vaud International Business Award
The strength of the canton of Vaud lies widely in the diversity of its economy, which has earned recognition far beyond the cantonal and national boundaries. In order to reward companies that have contributed to the image and international reputation of the canton of Vaud, the Department of Economy, Innovation Employment and Heritage (DEIEP), the Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CVCI) and Innovaud have set up the Vaud International Business Award.
The purpose of this award is to highlight the contribution of international companies, the diversification they bring and their positive impact on our economy.
Three distinct prizes are awarded:
- Category "Foreign company": foreign international company based in the canton of Vaud
- Category "Swiss company": Swiss exporting company
- Category "Jury's special prize": additional organization that the jury wishes to reward
The organisation of the Prize is coordinated by International Link, the CVCI's service dedicated to international entities.
Winners 2023
Winners 2023
The winners 2023 are...
Aurélien Demaurex, Board Member, Innovaud - Joseph Castellet, General Manager, POMOCA - Jonathan Brossard, CEO, Conextivity - Aurélien Uldry, Senior Finance Director and Nyon Campus Lead, Haleon - Isabelle Moret, State Councillor, Head of the Department of Economy, Innovation, Employment and Heritage (DEIEP) - Philippe Miauton, Director, Vaud Chamber of commerce and industry
Category "Foreign Company"
HALEON
A former division of GSK, founded in 1917, Haleon was spun off as a separate entity in 2022. Today, 1’100 employees from 50 countries work at the Nyon Prangins site. 300 million units of over-the-counter drugs are produced there each year, among which brands like Voltaren and Otrivin.
Category «Swiss Company»
FISCHER CONNECTORS
A family business founded in 1954, Fischer Connectors provides high-performance connectivity solutions. Today, it is part of the Conextivity group along with Wearin’, the group’s other brand. Globally, Conextivity has 700 employees and 6 production sites, among which 320 in Saint-Prex.
Jury's Special Prize
POMOCA
Present in Denges for nearly 90 years, POMOCA is an expert in self-adhesive ski-touring skins. With some 40 employees in the canton of Vaud, its products are distributed in 35 countries, covering 1/3 of the market worldwide. The opening of a brand new production plant will take place in Chavornay in April 2024.
The three companies featured in the video below, based in the canton of Vaud, are regular partners of the prize-winners. They reflect the ongoing collaboration between SME and international entities.
Jury for the 2024 PVEI
Jury for the 2024 PVEI
CARMELO LAGANÀ Secretary General, Department of Economy, Innovation, Employment and Heritage (DEIEP) | |
FRANÇOIS PUGLIESE President, Vaud Chamber of commerce and industry | |
RÉMI WALBAUM President, Innovaud | |
ALAIN SCHATT Alain Schatt, Professor, Faculty of business an economics (HEC), University of Lausanne | |
BENOIT LELEUX Stephan Schmidheiny Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, IMD | |
AURÉLIEN ULDRY Senior Finance Director and Campus Lead, Haleon | |
JÉRÔME DABONNEVILLE Chief Technology and Operations Officer, Conextivity Group | |
JOSEP CASTELLET CEO, POMOCA |
Partners
Partners
Many thanks to our partners for their contribution to the success of the
Vaud International Business Award.
With the support of
Partners
With over 150 beds, the Clinique de La Source is the biggest private institution offering acute multidisciplinary care (Surgery – Medicine – Maternity) in the canton of Vaud.
The BCV (Banque Cantonale Vaudoise) has been the bank for Vaud residents since 1845. It is the leading bank in the canton, serving both individuals and businesses. It contributes to the development of all sectors of the Vaud economy. As a responsible institution, it is committed to the sustainable development of society.
Retraites Populaires offers individuals, businesses, and institutions a platform of expertise and comprehensive know-how. Specializing in 2nd and 3rd pillar (state and occupational pension), it is also an expert in real estate, loans, and the management of pension institutions.
The Vaud winemakers have gathered under the emblem of the Snail to promote the quality and craftsmanship of their wines. Currently, dozens of Vaud producers offer their Snail-branded wine, available in two ranges (Red and Gold), a Vaud wine that combines tradition and innovation.
Media Partner
In the ever-changing environment that is the canton of Vaud, "24 heures" brings local knowledge to the fore. Through a variety of voices, the newspaper offers complete news coverage as well as an extended dialogue with their readership.
Would your company like to contribute to the promotion and success of the Vaud International Business Award? Do not hesitate to contact us!
Communication
Communication
The Vaud International Business Awards, now in its 10th year, announces its three winners
PRESS RELEASE
Lausanne, 30 November 2023 – The winners of this year’s Vaud International Business Awards are Haleon, a leading global provider of consumer health products, Fischer Connectors, a Conextivity company that develops innovative, high-performance connectivity solutions, and POMOCA, which makes specialty skins for ski touring. The awards, designed to showcase three thriving local businesses that have also made a name for themselves internationally, are handed out jointly every year by the Vaud Department of Economy, Innovation, Employment and Heritage (DEIEP), the Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CVCI) and Innovaud. This year’s awards ceremony took place at IMD in Lausanne on 30 November, with some 300 people attending
Haleon, a former GSK division that was spun off as a separate entity in 2022, was the winner in the Foreign Company category. The company has a large site at Nyon Prangins, where its flagship products like Voltaren and Otrivin – found in most drug stores around the world – are produced. The site is the only one of its kind at Haleon and covers the complete product lifecycle. There, some 1,100 employees from 50 countries develop, manufacture and market around 300 million units of over-the-counter drugs each year. The firm is known for being one of the most innovative and reliable in its industry. Through its Nyon Prangins site, it helps build up Vaud’s reputation and illustrates the exceptional skillset found in the canton. The site itself has been producing pharmaceuticals since 1917
The Best Swiss Company winner was Fischer Connectors, a family business that’s grown substantially since it was founded in 1954. Today part of the Conextivity group, its core business has expanded to include cable assemblies and embedded electronics, so that it now provides high-performance, end-to-end connectivity solutions for locally connected sensors, devices and ecosystems. The other Conextivity company is Wearin’, which makes AI-powered, cloud-operated IoT systems. Globally, Conextivity has 700 employees and six production sites, along with an R&D centre in Vaud backed by regional support hubs. The group’s headquarters and an ultra-modern production plant with 320 employees are in Saint-Prex. Conextivity Group is currently led by the third generation of the Fischer family: Jonathan Brossard, CEO since 2016, and Sabrina Brossard, who became the chair of the board this year
The Special Jury Award went to POMOCA, which has been operating out of Denges for nearly 90 years. The firm is known around the world as an expert in self-adhesive ski-touring skins thanks to its innovative, high-quality products. Today POMOCA has around 40 employees in Vaud and sells its products in 35 countries. It works with 21 ski and snowboard manufacturers and has an approximately one-third share of the global ski-skins market. POMOCA’s products are behind two-thirds of all international medals and the Patrouille des Glaciers time record. It plans to open a new 3,800 m² production plant in Chavornay in April 2024 in order to better serve skiing enthusiasts around the world.
he awards were handed out on 30 November by members of the selection panel and the three sponsor organisations. The ceremony was attended by Vaud State Councillor Isabelle Moret. The selection panel was chaired by Moret and included Aude Pugin, Chairman of the Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CVCI); Rémi Walbaum, Chairman of Innovaud; Benoît Leleux, the Stephan Schmidheiny Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at IMD in Lausanne; and Marianne Schmid Mast, Dean of HEC Lausanne. It also included representatives from last year’s winners: Abdallah Rizki, Operations Director at Dentsply Sirona; Jean-Paul Vionnet, Chief Operations Officer at SICPA; and Patrick Thévoz, Co-founder and CEO of Flyability.
warding local businesses in three categories
he Vaud International Business Awards, which are handed out every fall, were introduced in 2014 to recognise companies that have their headquarters in Vaud and have successfully expanded internationally. The companies must also play a role in boosting Vaud’s image abroad and creating jobs at home. Additional selection criteria for the Best Foreign Company award are whether the company’s goods and services are produced locally, how much it helps diversify the Vaud economy, how many of its suppliers are local, and how well it is integrated into the canton. Additional selection criteria for the Best Swiss Company award are how much the company helps train local workers, whether it has any joint R&D programs, and how much of its revenue is generated internationally. And finally, the additional selection criteria for the Special Jury award are how innovative the company is, how big of a role it plays in the local community, and to what extent it works with other local businesses. We would like to take this opportunity to thank 24 heures, which provided press coverage for the awards.
Contacts
Isabelle Moret
Vaud State Councillor, Head of the Vaud Department of Economy, Innovation, Employment and Heritage (DEIEP), +41 21 316 61 82
isabelle.moret@vd.ch
Philippe Miauton
Managing Director of the Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CVCI), +41 79 277 68 41
philippe.miauton@cvci.ch
Samuel Calani
ommunication Project Manager, Innovaud, +41 21 644 00 60
amuel.calani@innovaud.ch