313 million Swiss francs in the canton: HSG increases added value once again

With its latest report on its regional impact, the University of St.Gallen (HSG) confirms its role not only as a monetary driver but also as a social and innovative catalyst for the region's economy and quality of life. Every two years the study “Regional Impact of the HSG” assesses the diverse effects that HSG has on the city and canton of St.Gallen. The HSG increased its value added contribution to the canton of St.Gallen's national income to around 313 million Swiss francs in 2023 (compared to 284.2 million Swiss francs in 2021). The economic benefits extend far beyond the campus, with regional businesses, restaurants and hotels benefiting directly.

More highly qualified workers for the region

20% of all students from the canton of St.Gallen chose to study locally at HSG in 2023 – mainly in the field of economics. With new programmes such as the Joint Medical Master and the School of Computer Science, the university is making a targeted contribution to securing skilled workers. The HSG, which is one of the largest employers in the canton, also attracts more graduates to work in the canton of St.Gallen than the number of students who originally come from the canton. Around 5,500 members of HSG Alumni, the official alumni organisation, live in the canton of St.Gallen. Continuing education is also a strong pillar: over 200 courses, also attended by around 1,000 participants from the region of the canton St.Gallen, generated a turnover of 55.8 million Swiss francs in 2023.

Innovation with regional added value

As a platform for new ideas and entrepreneurial thinking, HSG is actively involved in promoting startups in the canton through the HSG START Accelerator, among other things, and offers comprehensive start-up support through HSG Entrepreneurship. The START Summit, the largest student-run startup conference in Europe, attracts over 6,000 participants from all over the world. 151 spin-offs with the University of St. Gallen label are active – one in five of them in the canton of St. Gallen. Research, consulting projects and cooperation formats ensure a lively transfer of knowledge to the region.

Commitment to society and cohesion

HSG sees itself as part of social life in the canton. It promotes exchange, participation and education through publicly accessible events, the regional anchoring of major international events such as the St.Gallen Symposium (in Town), projects such as the Children's University, Open SQUARE, civil society engagement and interdisciplinary formats.

An international beacon with local appeal

The University of St.Gallen contributes significantly to the perception of the canton as an attractive place to study, work and live – both in Switzerland and internationally. Whether through its media presence, partnerships with the St.GallenBodenseeArea or its position in global rankings, HSG stands for excellence, responsibility and regional impact.

Background to the study

HSG has been conducting regular surveys on its regional impact for over 20 years. This makes it the only university to have systematically examined its regional impact for such a long period of time. The findings of the regionalisation report are regularly incorporated into the University's strategy.

This report analyses the university's effects for the year 2023 and thus covers a reference year that was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic for the first time. At the same time, this year marks the start of the university's new performance period from 2023 to 2026 with the Canton of St.Gallen. These two factors must be taken into account when comparing with previous reports. This report on 2023 primarily represents an update of the data and calculations from 2021.
 

Download and further information: The complete study is available at unisg.ch/region.