The immediate factor that led us to Switzerland was the basic
competence in mechatronics and microtechnology. We have some processes
for producing lifelike passively articulated silicone prostheses[0] and
are developing active systems[1], and so it was very instructive when
we were in California and looked at technology coming out of Sandia and
LLNL only to discover that they were building upon Swiss components.[2]
Furthermore, there's a strong bias towards technical progressivity
here. The Swiss were pretty poor back when they relied on traditional
occupations. Later, having made a reputation in horology, they got
their clocks cleaned by the Japanese[3] (hang around long enough and
you're bound to hear the story that some Swiss lab or other invented
the quartz watch, but, like with the web, failed to commercialize the
discovery) so now they seem pretty determined that when any other
disruptive technologies come along, they'll definitely be in the
game.[4] (like the web story, it is somewhat customary to trot out the
Nobel prize winner per capita figure here.)
Couple all that with transparency and lack of bureaucracy and a
relatively familiar legal system[5], and it was a fairly quick
relocation.
There were some personal factors as well: I spoke some German[6], my
wife some Italian, and so it was a natural choice for us. We enjoy the
mountains, and can take a ski day even in July[7], although today we
were only at 2000 meters doing some short rock scrambles and enjoying
the view from a local alp.[8] Art Basel and the Venice Biennial are a
convenient train trip, and a few touring pieces of the Hermitage and
the Met have made their way up here as well.
Finally, there's the stereotype that Eugen mentioned, that the average
Swiss has money and has a job. That stereotype may be true on average,
but not for everybody[9], of course, and is probably a subject for a
much lengthier post, but it is interesting (and, we hope, eventually
useful!) to see the differences between here and our home country, and
to speculate on how important these differences may be in implementing
that stereotype.
-Dave
:: :: ::
[0] A doctor remarked to us the other day that they were "just like in
the movies" -- which was very perceptive, considering that many of the
materials and techniques are shared between the two domains -- but
whereas one sees more and more digital effects in cinema, everyday life
among atoms still requires practical devices.
[1] to be sure, there's plenty of money for this sort of thing floating
about the States now -- but I am thankfully at a stage in my career
where I need not dream up "warfighter applications" (nor tolerate those
who do) to drum up funding.
[2] look up Jaquet Droz to see what Swiss technology was up to almost a
quarter of a millenium ago. Sure, the automata were analog, and had to
be carefully tuned according to temperature and humidity, but none too
shabby for a couple of centuries before the transistor.
[3] I met a Japanese team in Zermatt recently who had a leg-assist
device which was a bit of a cross between anime mecha and "The Wrong
Trousers", with which they were attempting to summit a 4000 with a
handicapped team. The Japanese have now the demographic issues that
Europe will shortly have, and it'll be interesting to see what can be
done if the power issues can be solved.
[4] from the startup point of view, a disadvantage is that the local
grad students are therefore well taken care of, and hence relatively
expensive.
[5] based on the Napoleonic code -- but as I have yet to be surprised
by anything, I'm not sure where the differences may lie.
[6] then again, the local spoken german is a very high-alemannic, which
probably makes it even more nonstandard than bairisch.
[7] we don't live at that altitude, of course. We're down among the
vineyards, where the climate is a little milder.
[8] in keeping with the general Swiss attitude that goods and services
should come to you, rather than you having to go to them, the rule "if
there is a view, there'll be a restaurant" is true more often than not.
In this case, "not", but there was a gîte downslope on the
backcountry side of the mountain. "Ultralight hiking" in this country
might involve no more than packing in a wallet in place of provisions.
[9] when Alexis de Tocqueville visited the USA in the 1830's, he found
it striking that while, as always, some were more equal than others,
the poor were not so obviously poor as in his home country.
- [silk] why switzerland? Dave Long
-
