History
“To safeguard and promote the general interests of the Swiss engineering industry”. This was the stated objective when the Swiss Association of Machinery Manufacturers (VSM) was founded in 1883. It remains relevant to this day.
The beginning of the 20th century was a time of rising social tensions in Switzerland. Consequently, the engineering industry employers established the Association of Swiss Engineering Employers (ASM) from the ranks of the VSM in 1905. The ASM’s purpose was to safeguard its members’ interests in the area of social policy.
As a consequence of the Great Depression, in the 1930s the Swiss Federal Council became keen to act as an arbitrator in collective, nationwide wage disputes. The ASM and trade unions were opposed to this state interventionism. They sought a solution which would enable them to meet calls for social peace while maintaining autonomy in collective pay bargaining. This gave rise to the “Agreement in the Engineering Industry” (VMI). This brought a mechanism for settling differences of opinion between the social partners and therefore industrial peace. After that, the VMI – or collective employment agreement (CEA) in the MEM industries – was renewed time and again, and its content expanded.
Since the beginning of July 1999, the ASM/VSM associations have been amalgamated under one management, while nonetheless maintaining their legal independence. They have been operating under the Swissmem brand since 1 October 1999. In September 2006, the ASM and VSM members voted in favour of continuing integration. From 1 January 2007, the VSM changed its name to Swissmem and took over the activities previously undertaken by the ASM. However, the ASM remains in place as the body responsible for the CEA of the MEM industries.
2021 to today
Martin Hirzel became President of Swissmem in January 2021 and has worked in Swiss industry for more than 25 years. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Bucher Industries AG, Dätwyler Holding AG and three privately owned SMEs. He is also President of the Regional Economic Council of the Swiss National Bank and chairs the Advisory Board of ZHAW School of Management & Law.
He was CEO of Autoneum Holding AG for nine years up to the end of 2019. Prior to this, he managed the market region South America, Middle East & Africa for four years, mainly from its headquarters in SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil. Between 2000 and 2007 he lived in Shanghai, China, where he was responsible for establishing the local presence of Rieter Holding AG.
A native of Zurich, Martin Hirzel started his career by doing a vocational apprenticeship before going on to study business management with a focus on industry and international production at ZHAW. He then completed the GMP at Harvard Business School.
Hans Hess, born in 1955, is a Swiss engineer and manager. After studying materials engineering at ETH Zurich and completing an MBA at the University of Southern California, he began his career at Sulzer AG. He subsequently held management positions at Huber+Suhner and Leica Group. From 1996 to 2005, he was CEO at Leica Geosystems AG.
During his term as President of Swissmem from 2010 to 2020, he was committed to free trade and stable relations with the EU in particular, in order to safeguard the competitiveness of Swiss industry. Moreover, he emphasized the key role of well-trained workers for the competitiveness of Swiss industry and was involved in various initiatives to promote technical professions.
In addition to his work at Swissmem, Hans Hess was and still is active on a number of boards of directors, including as Chairman of Reichle & De-Massari and Synhelion, and Vice-Chairman of dormakaba Holding AG. His commitment was rewarded with honorary titles, including an honorary doctorate at Ferris State University.
Johann Schneider-Amman, born in 1952, is a Swiss entrepreneur and politician. After studying electrical engineering at ETH Zurich and completing an MBA in France, he joined the Ammann Group in 1981. Under his leadership, the company developed into a successful international provider of construction and road construction machinery.
As President of Swissmem from 1999 to 2010 he was particularly committed to free trade and to strengthening the innovativeness of Swiss industry. He specifically promoted Switzerland as a centre of technology and research by advocating cooperation with universities and research institutions. During his term in office, Swissmem was increasingly perceived as a key player in debates on economic policy.
In 2010, Johann Schneider-Ammann was elected to the Federal Council and headed the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research until 2018. In this role he successfully concluded a free trade agreement for Switzerland with China. He was also committed to good framework conditions for economic success and jobs and to promoting innovation and vocational training.
Edwin Somm (*1933) is a well-known Swiss industrial manager who made a substantial contribution to shaping the Swiss tech industry. After studying mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich, he began his career in 1958 at BBC (Brown, Boveri & Cie) in Baden. He advanced to the position of Director and played a key role in the merger of BBS with the Swedish company ASEA to form the current ABB in 1988.
During his term as President of Swissmem from 1995 to 1999, he worked intensively on behalf of a reform of vocational training. He viewed education as a strategic investment and consistently emphasized its importance for the competitiveness of Swiss industry. His commitment made a major contribution to modernizing training in industry and promoting young talents.
Edwin Somm won several awards, including the recognition prize of the Hans Huber Foundation. Even after retiring from professional life, he maintained his connections to Swiss industry and continued to support the promotion of skilled workers.