More than 28,000 global executives completed IMD learning programs in 2023, according to the Impact in Vaud and Beyond 2024 report, with the institute’s activities generating an economic impact of CHF 440 million, alongside considerable other contributions.
Read the full Impact Report in French.
IMD President and Nestlé Professor of Strategy and Political Economy David Bach said the report not only showcased IMD’s deep local roots but served as a compass for what lies ahead. “We are proud to be a strong pillar of the economy of Canton Vaud, contributing to its ecosystem by creating jobs, supporting local startups and innovation, enhancing executive capacities, and engaging in research activities. Looking ahead, we are committed to strengthening our ties within Vaud’s dynamic ecosystem while advancing our purpose to create a more prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable world.”
Recognition from Vaud leaders
“This report confirms that IMD is a crucial player in our entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said State Councilor Isabelle Moret at a press conference marking the release of the report. “The university institute’s educational and research programs shape the leaders of tomorrow. By collaborating with our institutions and businesses, IMD contributes to the attractiveness and innovation that strengthen our economy.”
Mayor of Lausanne Grégoire Junod said: “With its high-level training programs and its global network, IMD contributes to Lausanne’s reputation as an academic center of excellence. IMD attracts international talent and boosts the economic and cultural life of our city.”
Key findings on IMD’s local impact
Guided by methodologies from the European Foundation for Management Development’s Business School Impact System (EFMD BSIS), the new study analyses the university institute’s impact across the seven multiple dimensions of economic, educational, business development, intellectual, ecosystem, societal, and image impact.
Findings include:
- A total economic impact of CHF 440m – reflecting a 22% increase since the last economic impact assessment in 2018. This growth is driven by CHF 108m in distributions to faculty, staff, and suppliers based in Vaud, which are subsequently re-circulated within the local ecosystem.
- 10,000 visitors were welcomed onto the IMD campus in 2023, primarily for executive learning programs, leading. This led to 52,000 overnight hotel stays – representing 5.4% of Lausanne’s annual totalhotel overnight stays.
- Nearly one- third of the startups on VentureLlab’s Top100 Startups 2024 list have worked with IMD through initiatives, including the Startup Competition, involving the MBA participants and the Executive MBA participants, and the LeadiNNg to Scale-Up program, a partnership with Innovaud.
- Some 3,000 alumni live in Vaud, many of whom hold top leadership positions in organizations from multinationals to tech unicorns, highlighting the transformative impact of IMD’s degree and executive education programs.
- More than 233,000 copies of faculty-authored case studies were purchased in 2023 for use at more than 1,000 universities in 74 countries, underscoring IMD’s role as a leader inof global business education.
- Ecosystem partnerships and sustainability take center stage in the report. The joint Enterprise for Society Center (E4S) between IMD, UNIL-HEC, and EPFL is featured, alongside the Innovaud-IMD LeadiNNg to Scale-Up program that targets the acceleration of Vaud startups to scale-ups.
- Finally, the report showcases the institute’s increasing efforts to integrate sustainability into its campus operations – from the installation of 1,400m2 of solar panels to new connections to Lausanne’s district heating systems.
BSIS label renewed
The study draws upon the BSIS methodologies from the Brussels-based EFMD, one of the world’s premier business education associations.
Following the completion of the study, EFMD renewed IMD’s BSIS label, which the institute first received in 2019. The label is presently held by 90 academic institutions in 25 countries.
IMD holds other labels and accreditations, including the Vaud AMBASSADEUR recognition from Vaud Promotion, accreditation from the Swiss Accreditation Council as a Swiss university institute, and business education accreditations from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), EFMD Quality Improvement System (EFMD EQUIS), and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
