Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern

What Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern does

The Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern (HIV Bern) is a private membership-based chamber of commerce and industry association representing approximately 3,500 corporate members across trade, industry, services, and skilled trades in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. Operating through seven regional sections (Bern, Biel-Seeland/Berner Jura, Emmental, Lyss-Aarberg, Wirtschaft Thun Oberland, WVO Oberaargau, and the newly consolidated Berner Oberland), the association provides political advocacy on cantonal economic policy, export services, and a portfolio of member services including an in-house AHV compensation fund, legal advisory, arbitration and mediation, insurance framework contracts, and external secretariat services. Its primary revenue streams are annual section-level membership fees (set independently by each regional section under its own statutes), fees for export document services (reduced for members), and ancillary service fees.

The organization's technology stack centers on two digital export platforms: certify.ch for online legalization of trade documents and ATASwiss for digital Carnet ATA/CPD management, with e-safety ATA available in partnership with SwissCaution since February 2024. The Berner Handelskammer export counter integrates with Switzerland's new federal Passar customs goods traffic management system operated by BAZG since March 2024. The chamber is authorized by the Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security to issue official certificates of origin, Carnet ATA/CPD, and CITES documentation. It also serves as a Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) partner for export consulting in the Mittelland region and is affiliated with the national umbrella organization economiesuisse. The association will rebrand to Industrie- und Handelskammer Bern (IHKB) effective January 1, 2027, aligning its identity with national German-language chamber naming conventions.

Name

Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern

Legal name

Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern

Website

https://bern-cci.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern is a membership-based chamber of commerce representing approximately 3,500 businesses across seven regional sections in the Canton of Bern, providing political advocacy, BAZG-authorized export document services, and ancillary member services including an AHV compensation fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees collected through 7 regional sections. Each section sets its own membership fees and has its own statutes. Membership is primarily corporate (firm membership), with individual memberships available under specific conditions (partners, executives, senior members).
2. Export Services: Fees for issuance of certificates of origin, legalization of export documents, Carnet ATA/CPD issuance, and export consulting. Members benefit from reduced fees and lower customs guarantee requirements for Carnets ATA/CPD.
3. Additional Member Services: Fees for supplementary services including address sales/mailing, AHV compensation fund, external secretariats, legal advice, arbitration/mediation, insurance frameworks, customs documents, and export training seminars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern is a member-based chamber of commerce and industry association representing approximately 3,500 companies in the Canton of Bern. Its core activities are corporate membership representation and political advocacy for Bernese businesses, combined with authorized export document services (certificates of origin, Carnet ATA/CPD legalization, CITES documentation) and complementary member services such as legal advice, arbitration, insurance frameworks, and AHV compensation fund administration.

Product overview

The Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern (HIV) operates as a Chamber of Commerce organization offering a diversified portfolio of services primarily focused on export facilitation, business advocacy, and member services. The core offering is the Exportdienst (Export Service), which provides certifications of origin, Carnet ATA/CPD processing, CITES documentation, and export consulting. Supporting offerings include vocational education initiatives (tunBern.ch, 1000 Chancen), economic publications (Berner Wirtschaft magazine, Wirtschaftsupdate quarterly reports), political ratings (Gemeinderating, Grossratsrating), and member benefits such as AHV-Ausgleichskasse administration. The organization also offers legal advisory, arbitration, insurance, and customs services. Seven regional sections serve localized membership needs across the canton. From January 1, 2027, the organization will rebrand to Industrie- und Handelskammer Bern (IHKB).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Berner Wirtschaft: Magazine publication of the chamber
• Berner Steuermonitor
• tunBern.ch
• 1000 Chancen / Berufswahlagenda

Products and services

• Export Service (Exportdienst) Comprehensive export service for companies in the Canton of Bern, covering certificates of origin, Carnet ATA/CPD processing, CITES documentation, export consulting, and training seminars. Functions as the export consulting hub for the Mittelland region in partnership with Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE).
• Certificates of Origin (Ursprungszeugnisse) Attestation and certification of certificates of origin and commercial invoices for export-oriented companies, available through the certify.ch online platform and in-person at the Bern export counter. Issued under statutory mandate on behalf of BAZG.
• Carnet ATA/CPD Temporary export and import carnet services enabling customs clearance of commercial samples, trade fair materials, and professional equipment. Issued via the ATASwiss digital platform with e-safety ATA digital customs guarantee option via SwissCaution.
• Export Training (Exportweiterbildung) Educational seminars and training programs for export-oriented companies covering Incoterms, origin calculation, preferential origin, export basics, and authorized exporter certification. Includes offerings from the Swiss School for International Business (SSIB).
• Export Consulting (Exportberatung) Consulting services for export-oriented Bernese companies including export information, in-company export training, and country-specific advisory services, delivered in partnership with Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE).
• AHV Compensation Fund (AHV-Ausgleichskasse) Own social security compensation fund offered to members, providing AVS/AHV contribution administration services at preferential rates for member companies.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIV/IhKB Bern serves as a partner of Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) in providing export services to Bernese companies. The organization acts as an export consulting hub for the Mittelland region, facilitating international trade with support from S-GE.
• economiesuissecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn national (entirely Swiss) economic policy matters, HIV/IhKB Bern works closely with its umbrella organization economiesuisse. This partnership enables coordination of Bernese business interests with national economic policy positions.
• Verband Berner ArbeitgebercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe WVO (Wirtschaftsverband Oberaargau), a section of HIV, is a member of the Verband Berner Arbeitgeber (Bern Employers Association). This connects Bernese employers' interests at the cantonal level.
• Bundesamt fuer Zoll und Grenzsicherheit (BAZG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Berner Handelskammer serves as an authorized issuing body for official customs documents on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG), including certificates of origin and Carnet ATA/CPD documents.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Handelskammer beider Basel: Cantonal chamber of commerce for the Basel region, operating under the same Swiss chamber-of-commerce model: corporate membership, political advocacy, export document issuance, and member services. Directly comparable in scale, mandate, and service portfolio to HIV/IhKB Bern.
• Industrie- und Handelskammer Thurgau: Cantonal chamber for Thurgau operating under the same IHK nomenclature and service portfolio — export documentation, political advocacy, networking, and member benefits — directly comparable in scope.
• Wirtschaftskammer Baselland: Business chamber for Canton Basel-Landschaft, providing corporate membership, political representation, and member services. Operates alongside Handelskammer beider Basel in the same bilateral Basel economic region, making it a near-structural twin of HIV/IhKB Bern.
• Handelskammer und Industrieverein des Kantons Zürich: One of the larger Swiss cantonal chambers, representing businesses in Canton Zürich. Closely comparable in mandate, structure, and revenue model, though larger in scale and member base.
• Chambre de commerce, d'industrie et des services de Genève (CCIG): Geneva's cantonal chamber of commerce with the same dual mandate of business advocacy and export-document issuance. Comparable mix of corporate membership and member service offerings in a Swiss cantonal context.
• Chambre vaudoise du commerce et de l'industrie (CVCI): Cantonal chamber for Vaud, providing membership, lobbying, and export services to member companies. Structurally identical to HIV/IhKB Bern and serves a comparable-sized French-speaking Swiss economy.
• Handelskammer Schaffhausen: Cantonal chamber serving Schaffhausen with a comparable mix of export services, advocacy, and corporate membership. Closely analogous mid-sized peer to HIV/IhKB Bern.
• Aargauische Industrie- und Handelskammer (AIHK): Industry and commerce chamber for Canton Aargau, also adopting the IHK naming convention and providing analogous export, lobbying, and member services to a comparable corporate member base.

Others

• Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE): Official Swiss export promotion agency and HIV/IhKB Bern's strategic partner for export services in the Mittelland region. Tangentially related as an enabler/distributor of export services rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• economiesuisse: Swiss umbrella organization of the economy that HIV/IhKB Bern works through on national policy. Functions as a broader-incumbent platform that aggregates cantonal chambers including HIV Bern for federal advocacy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/handels-und-industrieverein-des-kantons-bern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Handels- und Industrieverein des Kantons Bern