Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden

What Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden does

Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden is a Swiss non-profit economic think tank and foundation (Stiftung) established in 1997, headquartered in Chur, canton of Graubünden, with 11 employees. The organization produces independent economic research, policy analysis, and data-driven decision support for cantonal and municipal governments, tourism and hospitality industry associations, and trade bodies in Graubünden. Its mission is to create foundational analysis and new ideas for the economic development of the canton, covering topics including decarbonization, taxation, tourism, labor markets, electricity, housing, industry, transport, healthcare, regional strategies, and demographic change.

The organization's core products are delivered through the WIFO Datenportal (WIFO Data Portal), a knowledge platform built on Microsoft Power BI/Fabric. Key offerings include the Dashboard Gemeindefinanzen, an interactive tool for cross-municipality comparison of financial metrics across all Grison communes; the Bevölkerungsszenarien, a population projection tool modeling 20-year demographic development under net-zero migration assumptions; and the integrated data portal combining HESTA hotel statistics with individual hotel operational data for tourism analysis. The organization distributes research outputs as downloadable annual reports (25+ published since 1997) and interactive dashboards accessible via the website. It has produced notable policy outputs including the 2018 AlpTraum report, COVID-19 situation assessments (2020-2021), and the joint 'Aktionsplan Alpenraum' with the Regierungskonferenz der Gebirgskantone (RKGK), which was referenced in the Swiss Ständerat.

Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden operates as a foundation funded through institutional support, commissioned studies, and project-based consulting mandates from cantonal government, tourism associations, and trade bodies. There is no commercial product pricing; all research outputs and dashboards are distributed free to institutional audiences. The go-to-market is relationship-driven: expert presentations at association board meetings (HotellerieSuisse Graubünden, Bündner Gewerbeverband), guest lectures at ETH Zurich, the annual Zukunftstag event, a subscription newsletter, and earned media coverage in regional press. Geographic scope is restricted to Graubünden canton with occasional federal-level policy engagement.

Name

Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden

Legal name

Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden

Website

https://wirtschaftsforum-gr.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden is a Swiss non-profit economic think tank (est. 1997, 11 employees) that produces independent economic research, policy analysis, and interactive data dashboards (WIFO Datenportal) for the cantonal government, municipalities, and industry associations of Graubünden, Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Policy Research

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Economic policy research
• Regional economic analysis
• Think tank services
• Economic consulting
• Policy advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chur

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. Institutional Funding & Support: The organization operates as a foundation (Stiftung) funded through institutional support and commissioned studies. Revenue is derived from project-based consulting mandates, commissioned research for cantonal government and industry associations, and annual support contributions. No public pricing is disclosed as the organization does not sell commercial products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden operates as a regional economic think tank and foundation producing independent economic research, interactive data dashboards, and policy analysis for the canton of Graubünden. Its core deliverables include the WIFO Datenportal combining HESTA hotel statistics and operational data, the Dashboard Gemeindefinanzen for cross-municipal fiscal benchmarking, municipal-level population scenarios, and commissioned research reports on tourism, labor markets, housing, energy, and regional development. The organization also delivers expert presentations to government, industry associations, and academic institutions.

Product overview

Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden is a research and consulting organization (Economic Forum) focused on economic policy analysis for the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. The organization operates primarily through its WIFO Datenportal (WIFO Data Portal), a knowledge platform providing interactive statistics and analysis tools. Key offerings include the Dashboard Gemeindefinanzen for municipal finance comparisons and Bevölkerungsszenarien for population projections. The organization publishes research reports on strategic topics including tourism, labor markets, healthcare, housing, energy, and regional development, and provides expert presentations to various stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dashboard Gemeindefinanzen (Municipal Finance Dashboard) Interactive Power BI dashboard presenting key financial metrics for all municipalities in Graubünden, enabling direct year-over-year and cross-municipality comparisons for fiscal policy analysis. Audience: cantonal and municipal government planners.
• Bevölkerungsszenarien (Population Scenarios) Power BI-based interactive tool projecting population development in Graubünden municipalities over a 20-year horizon under net-zero migration assumptions, linked to employment and housing demand forecasts. Audience: cantonal and municipal planning authorities.
• WIFO Datenportal (WIFO Data Portal)

Quantifiable outcome

• Interactive municipal finance dashboard enabling direct comparison across all Bündner municipalities.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HotellerieSuisse Graubünden (HSGR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden delivered a joint presentation on the WIFO data portal at the HSGR board meeting in Fläsch (12 June 2026). The organization supports the Graubünden hotel industry by processing and analyzing HESTA and individual hotel operational data to generate actionable industry insights. This is an ongoing collaboration where WIFO provides data analysis services to inform HSGR's strategic planning.
• Bündner GewerbeverbandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2026Peder Plaz delivered a presentation on 'Distanzierte Arbeitsmärkte' (distant labor markets) at the Bündner Gewerbeverband Cantonal Board Meeting in Klosters (January 2026). The collaboration addresses regional labor market and transport policy issues affecting Graubünden's artisan and trade sector.
• ETH Zürich (Regionalökonomie)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2023Brigitte Küng (Co-Geschäftsführerin) delivered a guest lecture on regional economics at ETH Zurich on 5 May 2023, presenting the Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden, the canton's economic structure and dynamics, and key challenges and opportunities facing Graubünden. The collaboration enhances the organization's academic credibility and reach.
• Regierungskonferenz der Gebirgskantone (RKGK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden and the RKGK jointly authored and published the 'Aktionsplan Alpenraum' report, presenting strategic directions and concrete proposals for the further development of Switzerland's national mountain area policy. The report was referenced in the Ständerat debate on motion Egger (Aktionsplan Berggebiete), indicating its direct policy influence at the federal level.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Denknetz Schweiz: Independent Swiss policy think tank producing research on economic, social, and political topics. Directly comparable as an independent foundation-style research organization publishing analysis for Swiss policy debate.
• Avenir Suisse: Switzerland's leading independent economic policy think tank. Highly comparable to Wirtschaftsforum Graubünden in function (independent policy research and analysis) though operating at national rather than cantonal scale.
• BAK Economics: Swiss economic research institute producing regional economic forecasts, sector analyses, and policy studies. Closely comparable in providing data-driven economic analysis for Swiss regions and policy stakeholders.
• Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI): Swiss independent think tank focused on economic and consumer trends research. Directly comparable as a foundation-style policy research outfit publishing influential reports and managing proprietary datasets.

Broad incumbents

• Schweizerischer Tourismus-Verband (STV): Swiss tourism federation conducting national tourism policy and market research. Adjacent peer given WIFO's substantial focus on Alpine tourism competitiveness analysis, though operating at industry-federation level rather than as a think tank.
• SIAW – Universität St. Gallen: Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economic Research at HSG. Comparable in conducting regional economic research and policy-relevant studies, but embedded in a university with broader academic scope.
• KOF Swiss Economic Institute (ETH Zürich): Academic economic research institute at ETH Zürich producing macro and regional economic forecasts. Comparable research function but operates at national/international scale with substantially larger resources.
• economiesuisse: Swiss business federation representing industry interests and conducting economic policy research. Comparable think-tank-style policy and research output but from a nationwide business association perspective rather than a regional one.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wirtschaftsforum-gr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 →

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