SERV is taking over responsibility for the Swiss Government’s major infrastructure projects (GIP) mandate

Zurich, 27 January 2026 – Overall responsibility for the Swiss Government’s major infrastructure projects (GIP) mandate was transferred from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO to Swiss Export Risk Insurance SERV at the start of 2026. As a result, SERV has become the central contact and coordination hub for “Team Switzerland Infrastructure”.

The Federal Council launched the major infrastructure projects (GIP) mandate in April 2021 with the aim of further improving access for Swiss companies to significant foreign infrastructure projects. The focus was on expanding coordination between Swiss industry and the relevant federal administrative bodies and funding instruments. Further aims included the targeted identification of business opportunities and the efficient matching of demand from abroad with services delivered by Swiss providers.

Implementation of the GIP mandate for the Swiss Government

“Team Switzerland Infrastructure” was created for this purpose, which, in addition to SERV, consists of Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), the associations Swissmem, Swissrail and suisse.ing, SECO and further federal agencies. Swiss Export Risk Insurance SERV has played an active role in implementing this mandate since 2022.

Even before the Swiss Government launched the GIP mandate, SERV had identified specific projects for Swiss exporters with its strategic “Pathfinding” initiative, so that especially SMEs are given even better support as sub-contractors in an increasingly dynamic and complex global environment. On this basis, SERV was able to act as a driving force in the GIP mandate and take on a leading role in its capacity as a trade facilitator.

Opening up new business opportunities under SERV’s guidance

SERV facilitates key contacts and identifies and evaluates projects, while also benefiting from the Swiss Government’s AAA credit rating. Building on experience and knowledge gained, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO suggested transferring overall responsibility for the mandate to SERV as of 1 January 2026. SERV has set up a coordination hub for the GIP mandate in response to the transfer of the mandate to SERV. This development paves the way to further strengthening cooperation with international EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) companies for large projects.

New business opportunities with major potential for Swiss companies

In 2025, SERV realised five major infrastructure projects with a total order value of more than half a billion Swiss francs with its “Pathfinding” initiative, and close to 50 Swiss sub-contractors participated in those five projects. As at the end of 2025, SERV’s exposure to all eleven active major infrastructure projects with SERV participation amounted to more than a billion Swiss francs – which is nearly 10 per cent of SERV’s total exposure.
The CEO of SERV, Peter Gisler, welcomes this development: “This vote of confidence by the Swiss Government has been accompanied by excellent feedback from our customers, who are benefiting from new business opportunities as a result of our support with international infrastructure projects. The main aim of this mandate is and will remain the sustainable strengthening of the Swiss export industry’s competitiveness – and enabling the completion of numerous new major infrastructure projects abroad with Swiss involvement.”

Christian Hendriks, who will be the head of the department responsible for the GIP mandate, looks forward to his new role and calls this an important step: “It’s a great honour and also an exciting challenge for me to continue the successful work of Carsten Böhler and his team at SERV – in close and well-coordinated cooperation with the “Team Switzerland Infrastructure” partners, but, of course, also with the existing network of general contractors. Together, we are keeping an eye on current market opportunities and, with this important step, are getting closer to the action – to the benefit of Swiss exporters.”