Switzerland

Summary
Switzerland displays a stable and moderately high level of digital dependence. The DDI value increased slightly from approximately 0.75 in 2010 to 0.79 in 2023. As in many other countries, ICT patent dependence remained complete (1.0), while platform dependence was consistently very high, remaining close to 0.99 throughout the period. Dependence on trade in ICT goods fluctuated around 0.74 to 0.76, ending close to its initial level. Meanwhile, dependence on trade in ICT services increased steadily, rising from 0.46 in 2010 to 0.53 in 2023, suggesting a growing reliance in this dimension despite otherwise stable trends.

Policies
Switzerland places considerable emphasis on cloud infrastructure and domestic software capabilities. Its “Gesamtkonzeption Cyber” from 2022 establishes a 12,000- people brigade in the military while building protected, self-operated data centres. The “Digital Switzerland”-strategy focusses on building cloud infrastructure and enhancing the country’s position as a digital host state.