Aargau: International location marketing realigned
The canton of Aargau wants to revamp its international location marketing efforts. Joining the «Greater Zurich Area» organization is no longer under consideration.
The cantonal government relies on the Swiss foreign trade and investment promotion organization OSEC and the Basel Area Association. Aargau is to continue the existing service agreement with the foreign trade and location promotion organization OSEC until 2015 for the time being. This is what the cantonal government proposed to the cantonal parliament on Friday, according to SDA.
OSEC's platforms and activities are to be used more intensively for Aargau in target markets such as the USA, India and Japan. OSEC has been running international location promotions on behalf of the federal government and the cantons since 2009. The cantonal government also wants to strengthen cooperation with the BaselArea association. As a regional location marketing organization, the association has a clear industrial focus.
The government council is thus drawing the consequences of its withdrawal from the "Greater Zurich Area" GZA marketing organization as of October 2010. The benefits of the GZA had fallen far short of expectations, it said. The cost-benefit ratio has been repeatedly criticized. Over a period of five years, four companies with twelve jobs had settled in Aargau through the mediation of the GZA. Parliament is to approve a framework credit of CHF 2.4 million for the years 2012 to 2015 so that the canton can implement the realigned international location marketing. The costs for this marketing would be reduced by CHF 400,000 to CHF 600,000 per year.
