The Swiss region Fribourg can be reached by 1.5 million people in less than 45 minutes. 46,000 of the 267,000 inhabitants are foreign nationals, with 63% of the population speaking French and 29% speaking German.
Fribourg is one of only three of Switzerland's 26 cantons that are officially bilingual (German/French). Labor costs are typically as much as 15% - 20% lower than in Switzerland’s main urban centers (i.e. Geneva, Zurich, Basle), while real estate costs are on average 50% lower.
Fribourg’s main exports are ICT services, precision instruments, watches and jewellery, pharmaceutical and chemical products, machines and electronics, dairy food products. In addition to its numerous Swiss-origin companies, Fribourg is home to many leading companies from around the world who are drawn to the area for its labor skills, geographic location, tax planning opportunities, academic environment, low costs, collaboration opportunities, ancillary industries, government support and fiscal opportunities.