Aargau reapplies for membership of the GZA
The canton of Aargau wants to rejoin the Greater Zurich Area (GZA). Membership of the regional location promotion organisation is intended to help the canton to attract companies in innovative sectors. The GZA is now focussed on these.
The canton of Aargau has applied for renewed membership of the GZA. According to the cantonal state chancellery in a press release, rejoining the regional marketing organisation would offer the best effect in terms of presenting Aargau as a business location abroad at the lowest risk. The alternatives considered were the establishment of an own presence abroad and the expansion of existing marketing activities.
The canton of Aargau was already a member of the GZA from 2007 to 2010 as part of a trial membership. However, the membership was not extended as the regional location promotion “focused on tax-optimising companies at the time”, “for which the canton of Aargau was of no interest”, according to the press release. However, the GZA is now “focussing on innovative sectors that are already strongly represented in the canton of Aargau”. The canton of Aargau hopes to attract new companies from sectors such as life sciences, energy technology, mechanical engineering and digital technologies by rejoining the GZA.
“We don’t want growth at any price, but rather to attract companies with high added value, good jobs and innovative products,” said Dieter Egli, Mayor of the Canton of Aargau, in the press release. “For this to succeed, we must be able to address companies directly in the foreign target markets.” To this end, the GZA aims to publicise Aargau as a business location abroad and find companies interested in setting up in Switzerland. The Canton of Aargau’s location promotion organisation will then suggest specific potential locations and clarify further questions.