latively small size of its domestic market - a totalpopulation of just over 7,000,000 - is another factor which has encouraged Swissmanufacturers to look abroad: they need foreign markets in order to make investment inresearch and development worthwhile. Switzerland imports bulky raw materials andexports high-quality goods. In 2000 the value of 1 tonne of exported goods was aboutthree times more than that of the same amount of imports.Research and developmentThe Swiss economy is not built on mass production, but on highly-qualified work andwell-trained workers. Many businesses have followed what they call a "niche strategy,"concentrating on a small range of high-quality products. As a result even some smallenterprises have been able to corner the world market in their own speciality. Thechemical industry is a particularly good example, with 90% of its total product rangeconsisting of specialities. A spin-off of this policy is to make the industry highlydiversified, with more than 30,000 products. Overall, the important areas for Swissexports are micro-technology, high technology, biotechnology, the pharmaceuticalsindustry and banking and insurance know-how. Swiss products can command high pricesin world markets because consumers are ready to pay for high quality. But with such astrategy, Swiss companies cannot sit back on their laurels. There has to be a strongemphasis on research and development. In Switzerland, a higher percentage of peoplework in research and development than in other industrialized countries. 2.75 % of thegross national product was spent on research in 1996. This is also very high incomparison with other countries. The bulk of the finance - 71% - came from the privatesector.Work ethicThe Swiss work a lot, an average of 42 hours a week. Full-time employees are entitled toleave of only 20 working days per year. Public holidays vary from canton to canton, butthere are generally 8 or 9. In 1986, the Swiss rejected a g...
