In the middle of the 70’s, a serious economic crisis shook the canton of Neuchâtel and triggered a serious dismantling of the region’s watch-making companies, a field which at the time constituted a crucial part of Neuchâtel’s industrial activities. The political authorities were faced with a dilemma: the economical fabric of the canton had to be rethought.

In 1978, the canton’s Department for Economic Development grasped the importance of the Bonny decree which helps companies set up in the region by offering, for example, an attractive reduction in tax and undertaking of bank interest charges. Companies came flowing in, such as Baxter, Autodesk, Bulgari as well as many others.

After implementing this economic development tool for over thirty decades, the Confederation’s new regional policy has since taken over.