Welcome to the Enterprise Observatory

The Enterprise Observatory is an initiative of the Enterprise Institute of the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).  The overall objectives of the Observatory are to improve our understanding of the ways in which Small and Medium Enterprises perceive and experience the environment in which they do business as well as to develop approaches and instruments that can improve their ability to be internationally competitive.

The privileged position of the Enterprise Institute allows it to function as a hub that connects the worlds of academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs and managers.  It provides a platform to bring together the leaders of today with the younger generation who represent our future, in addition to being able to harness a significant level of cultural diversity, given the highly international mix that makes up the participants of our flagship Masters in International Business Development.

The initiative also benefits from the longstanding international experience of a wide range of aspects of entrepreneurship and small business development possessed by key team members. Their know-how, accumulated over more than two decades, encompasses direct experience on all five continents, gained in working with national and regional governments and institutions and well as international organizations. At the same time, their private sector experience permits a direct insight into the concerns of SME trying to compete in an ever more complex and fast paced world.

Due to its strategic importance, IPR (Intellectual Property Right) is one of the key themes of our work and to this end we have entered into a strategic partnership with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation).