The new Switzerland Innovation has a hub in western Switzerland
© 2016 EPFL
With today’s launch of the nationwide initiative called Switzerland Innovation, Switzerland affirms its position as a global leader in innovation. Switzerland innovation’s hub in the French-speaking part of the country is called Switzerland Innovation Park Network West EPFL and comprises six entities in five cantons: Campus Biotech (Geneva), Bluefactory (Fribourg), Microcity (Neuchâtel), EPFL Innovation Park (Vaud), Biopôle (Vaud) and Energypolis (Valais).
Switzerland Innovation was launched today in Bern in the presence of Swiss President Johann N. Schneider-Ammann. Switzerland Innovation is designed to give Swiss and foreign companies with significant research activities the opportunity to be present in one of five innovation hubs across the country: Park Basel Area, Park innovaare, Park Zurich, Park Biel/Bienne and Park Network West EPFL. Switzerland Innovation Park Network West EPFL is unique in that it is made up of six sites from five cantons: Campus Biotech (Geneva), Bluefactory (Fribourg), Microcity (Neu-châtel), EPFL Innovation Park (Vaud), Biopôle (Vaud) and Energypolis (Valais).
To maintain its place at the forefront of global innovation, Switzerland must be proactive and take initiatives. This was the message conveyed by Swiss President Johann N. Schneider-Ammann in his introductory remarks: “We want to position Switzerland among the best of the best in terms of research and innovation. That’s how we will maintain our global competitive-ness, our economic prosperity and our strong jobs market.” Hence the need for spaces in which Switzerland's specialized schools and universities can work closely with companies and together create an innovation-friendly environment. Switzerland Innovation now provides these spaces to Swiss and foreign companies through five high-tech sites that are close to the specialized schools and designed to support their ambitions.
“Five cantons in French-speaking Switzerland have joined forces around EPFL, which is a driving force in the area of innovation. The six sites that together form Switzerland Innovation Park Net-work West EPFL all have links to EPFL-related entities, which means they will operate side by side with academia and the labs. The goal is to replicate the success of EPFL Innovation Park and promote the transfer of innovation into tomorrow’s leading products,” said Adrienne Corboud Fumagalli, Vice-President for Innovation and Technology Transfer (VPIV), the EPFL office that oversees Swiss Innovation Park Network West EPFL.
The six entities in the western Swiss hub cover a wide range of innovation-related fields: com-puter science, extreme environments, life science, advanced manufacturing, smart building and energy management.