 
International Secretariat in Winterthur
The Club of Rome has completed the negotiations and the preparations to establish its International Secretariat in Winterthur in the Canton of Zurich.
Through a five year rental agreement, it has taken possession of modern offices in the centre of the City, 3 minutes walk from the train station from where regular trains reach the international airport of Kloten in 12 minutes and the centre of Zurich in 15/18 minutes. This excellent location is enhanced by the surroundings of the city which include extensive parks, hills and forests.
The offices are modern, convenient and large enough to allow for future expansion as the activities of the Club develop. The work of the Club is principally driven by the activities of its Members and implemented in collaboration with experts and partners throughout the world. The Secretariat will therefore remain small but will have the necessary capacities to ensure that the substantive programmes of the Club and its practical operations are efficiently coordinated and effectively supported.
The decision to establish the secretariat in Winterthur is the result of a generous offer by the Robert and Ruth Heuberger Foundation to provide initial financial support and office space to the Club of Rome over a five year period. On 9th May 2008, a Cooperation Agreement was concluded between the Foundation and the Club of Rome, establishing a solid base for its future activities. The financial support which will be provided to the Club does not imply any direct or indirect conditions on its orientation or its activities.
The Foundation itself was established to stimulate social and economic development with a strong focus on the underprivileged and the needs of young people of the City of Winterthur by Robert and Ruth Heuberger who have developed successful business activities and have been rooted in the city for sixty years.
The offer to the Club was made by Robert and Ruth Heuberger together with the Mayor and the City Council of Winterthur who have engaged their commitment to the Club as it strengthens its international activities to meet the increasingly critical challenges confronting the world community. They consider that the location of the Club in Winterthur will add important new international dimensions to the City. A number of organisations in and around the city will collaborate with the Club as its activities develop and, from this base, cooperation will also develop with key institutions, both public and private, in Zurich.
The City of Winterthur is itself engaged in a major programme of restructuring as it transforms itself from a city based on heavy industry to a sustainable economy principally engaged in services and culture. The City is strongly committed to sustainable development and has recently been awarded a gold medal for improvements in energy efficiency. Winterthur is practically and ethically an ideal location for the Club of Rome.
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