The company's purpose is to establish, acquire, manage and dispose of participations of any kind in Switzerland and abroad, to invest and manage capital and to establish branches. The company may acquire, hold, manage, encumber, utilize and dispose of real estate and intellectual property rights in Switzerland and abroad, as well as finance other companies. The company may provide direct or indirect financing to its direct or indirect subsidiaries and to third parties, including its direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries, and may provide collateral of any kind for its own liabilities and those of other companies (including direct or indirect shareholders of the company or companies in which these shareholders are directly or indirectly involved), including by way of pledges or fiduciary transfers or assignments of the company's assets, or guarantees, sureties, or other forms of security. Furthermore, the company may engage in cash pooling with the aforementioned companies or join such an arrangement, including periodic account balancing. The company may perform all of these activities without consideration, on preferential terms, without interest, without the intention of generating profits, and assuming cluster risks. The company may engage in all commercial, financial and other activities that appear suitable to promote the company's purpose or are related thereto. In pursuing its corporate purpose, the company aims to create long-term, sustainable value.