Swiss Industry Insufficiently Crisis-Prepared: Study Reveals Significant Gaps in Resilience

Focus on Transparency – but Lacking Deeper Insights

According to the study, Swiss manufacturers still view regulatory changes such as tariffs and sanctions as one of the greatest risks (25 percent). Nevertheless, only 3 percent of companies monitor their complete multi-tier supply chain. Simultaneously, Switzerland is pursuing the most ambitious nearshoring strategy in the region: 78 percent of surveyed industrial companies plan to relocate most or all of their supply chain closer to the home market.

'Swiss industry companies want to understand with whom they are collaborating in their supply chains, yet often lack an overview of how reliable and compliant their supplier structures actually are,' explains Björn Gerster, Head of Manufacturing at Dun & Bradstreet. 'Transparency is the first step, but without reliable data on dependencies, risks, and scenarios, it remains a look in the rear-view mirror.'

Technology and Data Gap Hinders Progress

The study also reveals: Only just under a third (29 percent) of Swiss companies can use the existing data in its current form to make informed decisions. The majority of companies continue to work with manual processes, especially in supplier assessments, risk analyses, and customer data. Only about 10 to 15 percent of these core processes are fully automated. Furthermore, there is often a lack of integrated data access: Only about a third of Swiss companies possess information on tariffs (28 percent), sanctions and compliance risks (30 percent), or sustainability metrics (28 percent) of their business partners.

This puts Switzerland significantly behind other markets such as the USA (51 percent with tariff data) or the United Kingdom (40 percent). This fragmentation makes it difficult to identify risks early and to build data-driven resilience strategies.

Between Transparency and True Resilience

The results make it clear that Swiss industry companies place great value on transparency in their supply chains, yet this visibility is too rarely translated into robust resilience strategies. Lack of data integration and low automation hinder progress – especially in an environment increasingly shaped by regulatory and geopolitical risks.

'"Transparency is not a beginning, but rather an outcome,' Gerster continues. 'A solid data foundation enables companies to recognise, anticipate, and manage risks strategically, and therein lies a decisive competitive advantage for export-oriented companies.'

About the Survey

In a primary study, Censuswide surveyed 2,000 professionals and executives on behalf of Dun & Bradstreet in the five core markets of Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the USA. The survey examined the following areas:

- Regulatory challenges - Supply chain structures, transparency, and supplier relationship challenges - Focus areas and investments - Data, AI, and automation

The aim was to understand how manufacturing companies are dealing with risks and resilience and what priorities they have in the coming years. The participating executives came from various functional areas, including supply chain and procurement. The study was conducted in August 2025.

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Press Contact

Dun & Bradstreet Switzerland AG
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