The 2025 IMD World Talent Ranking confirms Switzerland as the world’s leading talent hub for the tenth consecutive year (2016–2025). This year’s top ten also highlights Europe’s strength: Luxembourg climbs to #2, Iceland to #3, Hong Kong SAR rises to #4, with the Netherlands (#5), Sweden (#6), Singapore (#7), Denmark (#8), the UAE (#9) entering the top 10 for the first time, and Austria (#10).
IMD’s factor results put Switzerland #1 in Investment & Development and #1 in Appeal, with Readiness at #4, a combination that continues to attract and retain highly skilled people. Indicator-level strengths include quality of life, employee training, ability to attract foreign highly skilled personnel, very low brain drain, and a strong apprenticeship system.
A core reason for the region’s depth of tech talent is ETH Zurich. In the QS World University Rankings (2026 edition, published June 2025), ETH ranks 7th worldwide and first in continental Europe, with only US/UK universities placed higher. That visibility and academic quality are major magnets for international students, researchers, and R&D-driven companies.
This talent density is precisely why global tech leaders keep building in the Zurich region: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, NVIDIA, IBM, Oracle, AWS, and others maintain significant operations here, creating one of Europe’s most concentrated deep-tech hubs and a strong landing zone for AI, robotics, fintech, and advanced manufacturing teams.
For companies, the Greater Zurich Area concentrates much of this advantage. Alongside a deep talent pool, the region offers immediate proximity to leading universities and research partners, including ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, ZHAW, and others, as well as a collaborative industry ecosystem and international connectivity. That mix makes Greater Zurich an efficient base to staff AI, robotics, fintech, biotech, and advanced manufacturing teams.
IMD also notes longer-term pressure points to watch: female labor force participation, pupil–teacher ratios, labor force growth, and the share of STEM graduates, areas where continued action will keep the pipeline strong.
Thinking about building or scaling a team in Europe? Our expansion advisors can help you assess talent availability, connect with university labs and partners, and plan a fact-finding visit. Learn about our free-of-charge services.
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This whitepaper deep-dives into the availability of talent in Europe, how to recruit for Web3 and AI, pitfalls to avoid when recruiting in Europe, lessons learned growing tech teams in Switzerland, and labor law considerations for hiring.
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