Why Switzerland's Patent Office Spends Tens Of Thousands On Nuts

2025-11-17 02:09:19

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) buys nuts for its staff. The reason: to promote a fit mind. This content was published on November 17, 2025 - 11:00 4 minutes Tobias Gasser, SRF

Deutsch de Deshalb knackt das ((Patentamt)) Nüsse für 50'000 Franken Original Read more: Deshalb knackt das ((Patentamt)) Nüsse für 50'000 Fr
Français fr Un institut fédéral dépense plus de 50'000 francs en noix pour ((doper)) les performances de son personnel Read more: Un institut fédéral dépense plus de 50'000 francs en noix pour ((doper)) les performances de son pers
Italiano it L'istituto federale che spende oltre 50'000 franchi per“dopare” il personale... con delle noci Read more: L'istituto federale che spende oltre 50'000 franchi per“dopare” il personale... con delle

Anyone working at the IPI needs a sharp mind – employees there regularly have tough nuts to crack. For example:

Can the Swiss Fruit Association protect its apple logo, or would that infringe on the tech firm Apple's trademark rights? (No – Apple does not have a monopoly on apples.)
Can a food container designed by artificial intelligence be patented? (No – only humans can be considered inventors.)
Can Switzerland's national ice hockey team wear the Swiss coat of arms on its jersey? (Not really, but the IPI was accommodating.)
Can Swiss sports brand On put a Swiss cross on its shoes? (No – although a final court decision on this is pending.)

The IPI oversees patents, trademarks and designs in Switzerland. It fights product piracy, counterfeiting and misuse of the“Swiss Made” designation. Once known simply as the patent office, it is now a federal institute.

The Swiss Federal Audit Office audits the Institute of Intellectual Property's procurement practices Keystone / ANTHONY ANEX From legal fodder to brain food

Plenty of legal“fodder” is handled at the IPI. The institute's leaders may have recalled that Albert Einstein once worked there – the physicist and Nobel laureate was a technical expert at the former patent office from 1902 to 1909.

Their modern-day solution for keeping minds sharp? Trail mix.

Does the image of an apple belong to the American tech company Apple? A tough nut to crack for the Swiss patent office. Keystone / MARTIN RUETSCHI

Earlier this month, the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) published a report revealing that the IPI had a“limit order for nuts” worth CHF52,500 ($56,800) over eight years. Upon review, auditors confirmed the procurement was entirely proper:“no bad nuts”, as it were.

CHF0.40 a week for healthy snacks

The IPI clarified that the“limit order” is an internal release allowing it to spend up to CHF52,500 on nuts over eight years without a separate contract.

When divided across all employees, that comes to roughly CHF0.40 per person per week – peanuts, so to speak. Bowls of almonds, cashews, walnuts and hazelnuts are placed in the institute's break areas. They are considered“brain food”, since nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins are believed to boost mental performance.

The initiative is part of the IPI's workplace health-promotion strategy, a spokeswoman confirmed. In addition to nuts, the institute also provides fresh fruit on every floor. And for anyone worried about taxpayers footing the bill – they're off the hook. The IPI is financed through fees paid by inventors and companies registering patents and trademarks. In short: those with bright ideas pay for those who help to protect them. Nut cracked.

Google and other companies have shown the way. Employees' health matters. The company should be an oasis of well-being where health is promoted or at least not harmed. Many large companies have therefore introduced occupational health management (OHM). The HR-Praxis blog also writes about the key to employee retention.

In Switzerland, companies can obtain a certification if they want to take health promotion seriously. Health Promotion Switzerland (a foundation of the cantons and insurers) awards the Friendly Work Space label. To date, some 110 companies have been awarded the label.

But is it enough to simply serve fruit and nuts in the break room?

Noémi Swoboda, of Health Promotion Switzerland, says in a statement:“Effective occupational health management takes the entire corporate culture into account. The option of healthy snacks is one of many building blocks in a holistic, strategic approach.”

Translated from German using DeepL/amva