Unemployment in Liechtenstein fell in December 2019 in the year-on-year comparison. It rose slightly compared to the previous month but remains low on an international level.

The Liechtenstein Blockchain Act came into force at the beginning of the year. The Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority is responsible for registering and monitoring providers offering corresponding services. The registration process has now commenced.

Hilti has inaugurated the third new office building at its campus in Schaan. At the start of the new year, around 200 employees moved into their new workspaces in the Central Office Building.

Vaduz – The location initiative digital-liechtenstein.li has launched the “Cyber Security Liechtenstein” campaign. The aim is to increase awareness of dangers online. The campaign will also be offering support.

The international rating agency Standard & Poor's has once again awarded the Principality of Liechtenstein its top rating of AAA with a stable outlook. Its assessment above all underlined the positive financial situation of public budgets in the country.

With the new “Blockchain Act”, Liechtenstein is assuming a pioneering role in the Token Economy. The law was presented to the public and media on Friday.

The second edition of the Digital Summit was dedicated to the opportunities and risks presented by Artificial Intelligence. The event organizers were able to secure neuroscientist and Starmind founder Pascal Kaufmann as keynote speaker for the conference held on September 25 in Vaduz.

LGT further increased its gross profit in the first half of 2019 in a year-on-year comparison. Net asset inflows were also strong compared to the end of 2018 for the Vaduz-based banking group owned by the Princely House of Liechtenstein. Nevertheless, net profit stood lower than in 2018.

The first 18 participants in the blockchain and fintech certification course run by the University of Liechtenstein have passed successfully. In order to underline the importance of training such as this, the certificates are to be handed out in person by Adrian Hasler, the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein.

The Liechtenstein government is seeking to motivate companies to promote a healthy and harmonious work-life balance for families. To this end, the government will be awarding prizes to particularly family-friendly companies later this year in the fall.

The government of Liechtenstein and consultancy firm EY will be presenting the Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Liechtenstein this August. An independent jury has chosen the eight finalists.

For the second time, Vaduz has been named as an official location for Swiss Digital Day. This year’s event on 3 September is dedicated to the theme of Smart Country Liechtenstein. The program will focus on issues such as the economy, education, transport, tourism and culture.

A delegation from Liechtenstein has reported to the United Nations Forum on Sustainable Development regarding the progress made in realizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It underlined the exemplary role played by Liechtenstein in the areas of solar energy and organic farming.

The Liechtensteinische Landesbank (LLB) expects to achieve a significantly higher net profit in the first half of 2019 compared with the same period in the previous year. Recent acquisitions are contributing to the positive results.

Hilti has won five prizes at this year’s Red Dot and iF design awards. A powder-actuated nailer and a multi line laser won at both competitions, while three other Hilti tools won a Red Dot award.

Last year, the Liechtenstein banking sector recorded a further increase in total assets, equity and assets under management. Ordinary operating profit also increased when compared with the previous year. An additional 200 new jobs were created in the banking sector.

Blockchain company TenX from Singapore is the world’s first ICO funded company to achieve the status of a regulated e-money financial institution. It was granted the corresponding e-money license with conditions in Liechtenstein.

The Hilti Group has again been recognized as one of Europe’s best employers in 2019 by the consultancy and research institute Great Place to Work. The Liechtenstein-based tool manufacturer performed well in particular due to its personnel development opportunities.

The University of Liechtenstein has been chosen by U-Multirank as one of the 25 best universities worldwide for international co-publications. Both the researchers and students benefit from the university’s openness to the world.