Starting last week of April, Saab teams are visiting ten locations in Switzerland, including three in the French region, and Lugano. The aim is to inform regional manufacturers on opportunities to cooperate and find new business partners. At the same time, experts are visiting Saab selected companies, to strengthen existing relationships and develop new ones.
In accordance with armasuisse tender requirements, Saab will deliver a Swiss Industrial Participation Programme (SIP) valued at 100 percent of the Gripen contract value. The Saab SIP shall support the regional distribution of industrial participation business that is built on strong commercial foundations.
The Gripen Industrial Cooperation road show aims explaining SIP and canvassing Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) from all Swiss regions. The SIP programme will be conducted within a time frame of ten years after signature of the Gripen contract. The SIP will develop closer economic, industrial and cultural ties between Switzerland and Sweden.
The tour made its first stop on the 24th afternoon, the Chamber of Commerce in Zurich. Segndo Henry Johansson, vice president of Swiss Gripen, says that what is sought is “commercial partnerships with viable long-term, sustainable impact. This is a criterion of armasuisse,” says a report in Air Power.
Pius Drescher, who represents defense contractors in the industry association Swissmem, confirms the importance of the SIP program: “The generation of business volumes for the Swiss industry should always happen in an effective and sustainable. This counts especially for the defense industry and security. ”
