Switzerland is a country that attaches great importance to innovation, as evidenced by its position at the top of the world innovation rankings for 13 consecutive years.
Switzerland Innovation, the Swiss Innovation Park, helps to maintain this leading position in innovation. It allows technology companies to collaborate with the world’s best universities, including the prestigious Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne). This collaboration enables the development of innovative products and services that can be successfully commercialized.
The objectives of Switzerland Innovation
Switzerland Innovation is committed to several goals to foster innovation and progress in Switzerland. First, the organization aims to establish fruitful collaborations between private companies, Swiss universities, and other research partners to achieve excellence in research and development (R&D). By bringing together the best experts in different fields, the organization facilitates knowledge exchange and technological advances to create new innovative solutions.
In addition, Switzerland Innovation seeks to attract domestic and foreign investment in R&D to stimulate innovation and progress. By creating a favorable investment environment, the organization encourages companies to explore new avenues of development and to invest in ambitious projects that could have a positive impact on society.
Switzerland Innovation also aims to create jobs and develop new marketable products, services, and processes by bringing together domestic and foreign companies and research partners. The organization promotes job creation and economic growth in Switzerland through collaboration and knowledge exchange between the various stakeholders.
The six Innovation Parks of Switzerland
To offer customized services, Switzerland Innovation comprises six regional sites:
- Park Basel area ;
- Park Biel/Bienne ;
- Park Inovaare;
- Park Network West EPFL;
- Park Ost;
- Park Zurich;
The two parks in Western Switzerland are Park Biel/Bienne and Park Network West EPFL (discussed in more detail later in this article). These different technology parks are ideal for research-based companies that want to develop their next innovation or flagship product.
Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne
The Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne has space for future tenants who are looking for an exchange in the fields of digitalization/industry 4.0, additive manufacturing based on AM metal with lasers, interdisciplinary innovation projects in the fields of medical and health technology, or the field of energy storage. It provides laboratories and research services to SMEs and start-ups and supports them in developing and realizing feasible products.
Switzerland Innovation Park Network West EPFL
The Switzerland Innovation Park Network West EPFL aims to stimulate and foster research and private investment in innovations that will revolutionize the industry by creating disruptive technologies. It offers a unique platform for national and international companies from all sectors to develop their research in collaboration with universities and higher education institutions.
Who is eligible for support from one of the six Innovation Parks?
Switzerland Innovation’s strategic position at the heart of global research attracts a multitude of innovative companies. The target groups are :
- medium and large technology companies, which develop new and viable products, services, and processes;
- companies in high-tech industries with high-value-added potential and a strong focus on R&D and innovation;
- research groups, research and development teams, and start-ups.
The services offered by the Switzerland Innovation Foundation
The Switzerland Innovation Foundation plays a key role in the organization of the entire Switzerland Innovation network. As the national organizing institution, it deals with issues that require a foundation-wide approach, covering all sites. The responsibilities of the foundation are many and varied and are essential for the success of the network as a whole.
In addition to its promotional mission, the Switzerland Innovation Foundation also supports individual sites by offering them financing solutions. By creating financial instruments in collaboration with the financial industry and by offering federal guarantees, the foundation enables the sites to benefit from advantageous financing to develop innovative projects. This financial support is essential to stimulate innovation and to enable Swiss companies to remain competitive on the international scene.
Coordination and networking of the various sites is also a key responsibility of the Switzerland Innovation Foundation. By working closely with the federal authorities and encouraging cooperation between the various sites, the foundation helps to strengthen the country’s innovation capacity as a whole. This effective coordination also allows the sites to share their knowledge and resources to develop new innovative solutions.
Finally, the Switzerland Innovation Foundation ensures that the quality standards of the sites are uniform. It relies on the criteria catalog of the Conference of the Heads of the Cantonal Economic Departments (CDEP) and on its continuous improvement processes to ensure that the sites meet the same quality standards. This uniformity is essential to maintain the coherence and credibility of the network and to strengthen the confidence of companies wishing to engage in innovative projects.
In a nutshell: Switzerland is home to six Innovation Parks, which together form an environment conducive to innovation. This unique ecosystem is a real driver for research and development, making Switzerland an ideal choice for companies seeking to develop innovative products and services. Indeed, thanks to this stimulating environment, Switzerland stands out in the field of innovation and offers unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to create innovative solutions.
