Privacy policy

Based on Article 13 of the Swiss Federal Constitution and the data protection provisions of the Swiss Confederation (Swiss Data Protection Act, FADP), every person has the right to protection of their privacy as well as to protection against the misuse of their personal data. The operators of these pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations as well as this privacy policy.

In cooperation with our hosting providers, we endeavour to protect the databases as well as possible against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or falsification.

We point out that data transmission on the internet (for example when communicating by email) can have security gaps. Complete protection of data against access by third parties is not possible.

By using this website, you consent to the collection, processing and use of data in accordance with the following description. This website can in principle be visited without registration. In doing so, data such as the pages accessed or the names of the files retrieved, together with the date and time, are stored on the server for statistical purposes without this data being directly related to your person. Personal data, in particular name, address or email address, are collected on a voluntary basis wherever possible. The data will not be passed on to third parties without your consent.

Personal data means all information relating to an identified or identifiable person. A data subject is a person about whom personal data are processed. Processing covers any handling of personal data, regardless of the means and procedures used, in particular the storage, disclosure, acquisition, deletion, saving, alteration, destruction and use of personal data.

We process personal data in accordance with Swiss data protection law. In addition, to the extent that the EU GDPR is applicable, we process personal data on the basis of the following legal bases in connection with Art. 6 para. 1 GDPR:

• Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a GDPR): The data subject has given their consent to the processing of personal data concerning them for one or more specific purposes.

• Performance of a contract and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b GDPR): Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, or in order to carry out pre-contractual measures taken at the data subject's request.

• Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c GDPR): Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.

• Protection of vital interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. d GDPR): Processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person.

• Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f GDPR): Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require the protection of personal data.

• Application procedure as a pre-contractual or contractual relationship (Art. 9 para. 2 lit. b GDPR): Insofar as special categories of personal data within the meaning of Art. 9 para. 1 GDPR (for example health data, such as severely disabled status or ethnic origin) are requested from applicants in the course of the application procedure so that the controller or the data subject can exercise the rights arising from employment law and the law on social security and social protection and fulfil their respective obligations in this regard, their processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 para. 2 lit. b GDPR, in the case of the protection of vital interests of applicants or other persons in accordance with Art. 9 para. 2 lit. c GDPR, or for the purposes of preventive or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the employee's working capacity, for medical diagnostics, for care or treatment in the health or social sector or for the management of systems and services in the health or social sector in accordance with Art. 9 para. 2 lit. h GDPR. In the case of a communication of special categories of data based on voluntary consent, their processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a GDPR.

We process personal data for the duration required for the respective purpose or purposes. In the case of longer retention obligations arising from statutory and other obligations to which we are subject, we restrict the processing accordingly.

In accordance with Art. 13 GDPR, we inform you of the legal bases of our data processing. If the legal basis is not stated in the privacy policy, the following applies: The legal basis for obtaining consent is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a and Art. 7 GDPR, the legal basis for processing for the performance of our services and the implementation of contractual measures as well as the answering of enquiries is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR, the legal basis for processing in order to fulfil our legal obligations is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR, and the legal basis for processing in order to safeguard our legitimate interests is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. In the event that vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person make the processing of personal data necessary, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. d GDPR serves as the legal basis.

In accordance with the statutory requirements and taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing, as well as the varying likelihood and severity of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, we take appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

The measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as the access to them, their input, their disclosure, the safeguarding of their availability and their separation. Furthermore, we have established procedures that ensure the exercise of data subjects' rights, the deletion of data and responses to threats to the data. Moreover, we take the protection of personal data into account as early as the development or selection of hardware, software and procedures, in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through privacy-friendly default settings.

In the course of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data are transferred to other bodies, companies, legally independent organisational units or persons, or that they are disclosed to them. The recipients of these data may include, for example, service providers entrusted with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we observe the statutory requirements and in particular conclude appropriate contracts or agreements with the recipients of your data that serve the protection of your data.

If we process data in a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)), or if the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this only takes place in accordance with the statutory requirements.

Subject to express consent or transfer required by contract or law, we only process the data in third countries with a recognised level of data protection, with a contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, where certifications exist or where there are binding internal data protection regulations (Art. 44 to 49 GDPR, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_de).

This website uses cookies. Cookies are text files that contain data from visited websites or domains and are stored by a browser on the user's computer. A cookie primarily serves to store information about a user during or after their visit within an online offering. The stored information may include, for example, the language settings on a website, the login status, a shopping basket or the place where a video was watched. We also include under the term cookies other technologies that fulfil the same functions as cookies (for example when user information is stored using pseudonymous online identifiers, also referred to as 'user IDs').

The following types and functions of cookies are distinguished:

• Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offering and closed their browser.

• Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the browser is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, the interests of users that are used for reach measurement or marketing purposes can be stored in such a cookie.

• First-party cookies: First-party cookies are set by us ourselves.

• Third-party cookies: Third-party cookies are mainly used by advertisers (so-called third parties) to process user information.

• Necessary (also: essential or strictly required) cookies: On the one hand, cookies may be strictly required for the operation of a website (for example to store logins or other user input, or for security reasons).

• Statistics, marketing and personalisation cookies: Furthermore, cookies are generally also used in the context of reach measurement and when a user's interests or behaviour (for example viewing certain content, using functions, etc.) on individual websites are stored in a user profile. Such profiles serve, for example, to show users content that corresponds to their potential interests. This procedure is also referred to as 'tracking', i.e. following the potential interests of users. Insofar as we use cookies or 'tracking' technologies, we will inform you separately in our privacy policy or in the context of obtaining consent.

Notes on legal bases: The legal basis on which we process your personal data with the help of cookies depends on whether we ask you for consent. If this is the case and you consent to the use of cookies, the legal basis for the processing of your data is your declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies are processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (for example in the commercial operation of our online offering and its improvement) or, if the use of cookies is necessary, in order to fulfil our contractual obligations.

Storage duration: Unless we provide you with explicit information on the storage duration of permanent cookies (for example in the context of a so-called cookie opt-in), please assume that the storage duration may be up to two years.

General information on withdrawal and objection (opt-out): Depending on whether the processing is based on consent or statutory permission, you have the option at any time to withdraw consent you have given or to object to the processing of your data by cookie technologies (collectively referred to as 'opt-out'). You can initially declare your objection by means of your browser settings, for example by deactivating the use of cookies (which may also restrict the functionality of our online offering). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared by means of a variety of services, above all in the case of tracking, via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/. In addition, you can receive further objection notices in the context of the information on the service providers and cookies used.

Processing of cookie data on the basis of consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure in the context of which the consents of users to the use of cookies, or to the processing operations and providers named in the cookie consent management procedure, are obtained and can be managed and withdrawn by the users. The declaration of consent is stored so that it does not have to be requested again and so that consent can be proven in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (a so-called opt-in cookie, or with the help of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following applies: The duration of the storage of the consent can be up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored together with the time of consent, information on the scope of the consent (for example which categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as the browser, system and end device used.

• Types of data processed: Usage data (for example websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (for example device information, IP addresses).

• Data subjects: Users (for example website visitors, users of online services).

• Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f GDPR).

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as the enquiries you send to us as the site operator, this website uses SSL/TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from 'http://' to 'https://' and by the padlock symbol in your browser line.

If SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

This website may use Google Maps for embedding maps, Google Invisible reCAPTCHA for protection against bots and spam, and YouTube for embedding videos.

These services of the American company Google LLC use cookies, among other things, and as a result data are transferred to Google in the USA, although we assume that no personal tracking takes place in this context solely through the use of our website.

Google has committed itself to ensuring an adequate level of data protection in accordance with the American-European and the American-Swiss Privacy Shield.

Further information can be found in Google's privacy policy.

If you send us enquiries via the contact form, your details from the enquiry form, including the contact data you provide there, will be stored by us for the purpose of processing the enquiry and in case of follow-up questions. We do not pass on these data without your consent.

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Ireland Limited. If the controller for the data processing on this website is based outside the European Economic Area or Switzerland, the Google Analytics data processing is carried out by Google LLC. Google LLC and Google Ireland Limited are hereinafter referred to as 'Google'.

Through the statistics obtained, we can improve our offering and make it more interesting for you as a user. This website also uses Google Analytics for a cross-device analysis of visitor flows, which is carried out via a user ID. If you have a Google user account, you can deactivate the cross-device analysis of your usage in the settings there under 'My data', 'Personal data'.

The legal basis for the use of Google Analytics is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f GDPR. The IP address transmitted by your browser in the context of Google Analytics is not merged with other Google data. We would like to point out that on this website Google Analytics has been extended with the code '_anonymizeIp();' in order to ensure anonymised collection of IP addresses. As a result, IP addresses are processed in shortened form, so that any link to a specific person can be excluded. Insofar as the data collected about you can be linked to a person, this link is therefore immediately excluded and the personal data are deleted without delay.

Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transferred to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide the website operator with further services associated with website and internet use.

Google Analytics uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. You can prevent the storage of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser software; however, we would like to point out that in this case you may not be able to use all the functions of this website to their full extent. You can also prevent the collection of the data generated by the cookie and relating to your use of the website (including your IP address) by Google, as well as the processing of these data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser plugin available under the following link: Deactivate Google Analytics.

In addition, you can also prevent the use of Google Analytics by clicking on this link: Deactivate Google Analytics. This stores a so-called opt-out cookie on your data carrier, which prevents the processing of personal data by Google Analytics. Please note that if you delete all cookies on your end device, these opt-out cookies will also be deleted, meaning that you will have to set the opt-out cookies again if you wish to continue preventing this form of data collection. The opt-out cookies are set per browser and computer/end device and must therefore be activated separately for each browser, computer or other end device.

This website uses functions of Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. When you access our pages with Facebook plugins, a connection is established between your browser and the Facebook servers. In the process, data are already transmitted to Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, these data can be linked to it. If you do not wish these data to be associated with your Facebook account, please log out of Facebook before visiting our site. Interactions, in particular the use of a comment function or clicking a 'Like' or 'Share' button, are also passed on to Facebook. You can find out more at https://de-de.facebook.com/about/privacy.

Functions of the Instagram service are integrated on our website. These functions are offered by Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA. If you are logged in to your Instagram account, you can link the content of our pages to your Instagram profile by clicking the Instagram button. This allows Instagram to associate the visit to our pages with your user account. We would like to point out that, as the provider of the pages, we have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or of its use by Instagram.

Further information on this can be found in Instagram's privacy policy: http://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy/

Within our online offering, we use the marketing services of the social network LinkedIn of LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland ('LinkedIn').

These use cookies, i.e. text files that are stored on your computer. This enables us to analyse your use of the website. For example, we can measure the success of our advertisements and show users products in which they have previously shown an interest.

This collects, for example, information on the operating system, the browser, the website you previously visited (referrer URL), which websites the user has visited, which offers the user has clicked on, and the date and time of your visit to our website.

The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is transferred in pseudonymised form to a LinkedIn server in the USA and stored there. LinkedIn therefore does not store the name or email address of the respective user. Rather, the above-mentioned data are only assigned to the person for whom the cookie was generated. This does not apply if the user has allowed LinkedIn to process data without pseudonymisation or has a LinkedIn account.

You can prevent the storage of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser software; however, we would like to point out that in this case you may not be able to use all the functions of this website to their full extent. You can also object to the use of your data directly with LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.

We use LinkedIn Analytics in order to analyse and regularly improve the use of our website. Through the statistics obtained, we can improve our offering and make it more interesting for you as a user. All LinkedIn companies have adopted the standard contractual clauses to ensure that the data traffic to the USA and Singapore required for the development, implementation and maintenance of the services takes place in a lawful manner. Insofar as we ask users for consent, the legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. Otherwise, the legal basis for the use of LinkedIn Analytics is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f GDPR.

Information from the third-party provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; user agreement and privacy policy.

Among other things, tools from companies based in the USA are integrated on our website. When these tools are active, your personal data may be passed on to the US servers of the respective companies. We would like to point out that the USA is not a safe third country within the meaning of EU data protection law. US companies are obliged to hand over personal data to security authorities without you, as the data subject, being able to take legal action against this. It can therefore not be ruled out that US authorities (for example intelligence services) process, evaluate and permanently store your data located on US servers for surveillance purposes. We have no influence on these processing activities.

All information on our website has been carefully checked. We endeavour to keep our information offering up to date, correct in content and complete. Nevertheless, the occurrence of errors cannot be completely ruled out, which means that we cannot guarantee the completeness, correctness and currency of information, including information of a journalistic or editorial nature. Liability claims for damage of a material or immaterial nature caused by the use of the information provided are excluded, unless there is demonstrably wilful or grossly negligent fault.

The publisher may, at its own discretion and without notice, amend or delete texts and is not obliged to update the content of this website. Use of or access to this website is at the visitor's own risk. The publisher, its clients or partners are not responsible for damages, such as direct, indirect, incidental damages, damages to be specifically determined in advance or consequential damages, allegedly caused by visiting this website, and consequently accept no liability for them.

The publisher likewise accepts no responsibility or liability for the content and availability of third-party websites that can be reached via external links on this website. The operators of the linked pages are solely responsible for their content. The publisher thereby expressly distances itself from all third-party content that may be relevant under criminal or liability law or that may offend common decency.

We may amend this privacy policy at any time without prior notice. The version currently published on our website applies. Insofar as the privacy policy forms part of an agreement with you, we will inform you of the change by email or in another suitable manner in the event of an update.

If you have any questions about data protection, please send us an email or contact the person in our organisation responsible for data protection, listed at the beginning of this privacy policy, directly.