The Swiss Tech & Innovation ecosystem - #SwissTechSeries
We are thrilled to kick off this Swiss Tech ten-part series with an overview of the Tech & Innovation ecosystem in Switzerland. We’ll take you through various aspects, including human capital, business infrastructure, and driving forces of this ecosystem. In constant movement, the Swiss Tech and Innovation ecosystem is for sure one to watch closely for the years to come.
Talent
Switzerland is host to many world-renowned universities, including the EPFL in Lausanne and the ETHZ in Zurich, both producing tomorrow’s Tech leaders. Their rigorous and extensive programs have proven time and again that they were playing in the same league as MIT, CalTech, or Stanford when it comes to Technology. Harnessing the power of academic research as a magnet for talents, funds, and innovation.
Switzerland is also a fertile ground for Human Capital, through its quality of life, stability, safety, diversity of skilled labor, and ideal location in the heart of Europe. Such factors help attract and retain talents from around the world. The discretion of the country, its strict laws, also attracts companies to host data centers (i.e. Facebook and Google in Zurich) as well as R&D departments (in Biotech and Watchmaking notably, but also IBM and Walt Disney), creating additional opportunities for skilled workers to come work in Geneva, Zurich, St Gallen, or Lausanne.
Furthermore, Swiss Tech workers and entrepreneurs have many opportunities to network locally – at events such as Swiss VC, Fintech Investor Day, Start St. Gallen, and many more, as well as professional clubs such as the ETH Entrepreneur Club.
Swiss Tech companies also have the opportunity to showcase their work - and thus attract clients and talents - at international events such as the CES in Las Vegas where each year the Swiss pavilion attracts visitors from around the world. Information about the Swiss booth at CES 2022’s edition can be found on the Switzerland Global Enterprise website.
Business Infrastructure
Both the EPFL and ETHZ have developed startup incubators on their campuses, empowering their brightest minds to start their activity during or immediately after their studies. Incubating these companies locally are a key driver for the tech environment in Switzerland.
Many co-working spaces, dedicated to tech startups have been created across the country, empowering entrepreneurs to start their activity at limited costs, and potentially meet partners or clients within the co-working.
The Swiss Tech Convention Center offers state-of-the-art facilities to host large events, providing complete services from full event management to catering and exceptional video and audio-visual equipments.
We don’t have to present the Swiss banking industry, of course, but it is still important to note that it helps fuel the ecosystem, through funding and start up programs.
The private company VentureLab, have been supporting Swiss startups and promoting them globally since 2004. You might be using Doodle regularly, without knowing it is a Swiss company, one -of many- that is part of the VentureLab’s startups. VentureLab runs multiple programs in Switzerland and abroad.
Additionally, many Venture Capital firms and business angels actively operate in Switzerland, supporting and promoting publicly and behind the scenes. Most of the larger companies in Switzerland also dedicate funds to encourage innovation and technology startups through competitions, grants, and other programs.
Promoters & Driving Forces
Since 1989, the IFJ Startup Support platform has been supporting entrepreneurs, notably in tech, start and grow their activity. Connected to many established businesses, they provide valuable advice, and organize regular opportunities to network and learn.
Digital Switzerland is a key actor, promoting digital technologies in and out of Switzerland. Their mission is to Make Switzerland a leading digital innovation hub. Actively engaging its members around various activities, Digital Switzerland notably organizes the Swiss Digital Days aimed at educating Swiss companies and individuals about digital technologies. Digital Switzerland also runs many other programs, from public dialog to younger generation education, networking to collaborative innovation.
The nation-wide Swiss.Tech campaign - which Lumax Digital’s Swiss Tech Series of blog posts is not an official or affiliated part of - is a public-private partnership supported by Presence Switzerland, Innosuisse, the Swissnex network, Digital Switzerland and Switzerland Global Enterprise. Actively promoting Switzerland as a hub, and organizing events, they foster creativity through many exciting programs and initiatives.
SeedStars is great Swiss- grown international competition for tech startups in emerging markets. Bridging the gap between innovators and capital, SeedStars not only organizes the pitching competitions, they have also built a complete ecosystem accompanying the startups in their development, from coaching to funding. Proving that innovation does not only take place in developed countries, that great talent resides in every country. Helping these innovators have a worldwide stage and access to global funding and expertise is one of the many positive effects brought by Seedstars to the ecosystem.
There are also various Swiss companies helping you keep abreast of all the innovation coming out of the country, such as startup.ch and startupticker.ch.
Specific cantons like Vaud have taken on a promotional role, actively supporting and nurturing their innovation ecosystem to become one of Europe’s leading innovation hubs, across many industries, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, digital health and education technology.
Finally, Swiss Label, an association by whom we are accredited, also participates to the ecosystem, through the management of the world-renowned and recognized Swiss Made logo, empowering Swiss companies to distinguish themselves.
Wrapping Up
All of the above, and many more contribute to the vibrant Swiss Tech & Innovation ecosystem! Stay tuned for the upcoming articles which will feature some of the most innovative companies in Switzerland in Fintech, Biotech, Education, hospitality and more.
Next up: Business solutions & services
Editor’s note: Our aim is to highlight key initiatives, we encourage you to use this as a starting point in your information journey, hopefully igniting your curiosity towards the topic. If you feel we have misrepresented something, or missed a key element, please do use the comments section, or get in touch, we will be happy to amend or complement. This article doesn’t have the pretension to be exhaustive, as it would be much – MUCH – longer if it was. The Swiss Startup Ecosystem Map developed by Sictic and Digital Switzerland illustrates very well the large breadth of actors.
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