Discovering Swiss Research and Innovation in 48 hours
2025 was an important year for education, research and innovation relations between Switzerland and the European Union. After concluding negotiations on an EU-Programme Agreement in December 2024, the year saw the signature of the Agreement in Berne on 10 November and marked the return of Switzerland to Horizon Europe, Euratom and the Digital Europe Programme.
These recent events offered the perfect setting to show EU-Member States and countries of the European Economic Area the opportunities for cooperation Switzerland and its research and innovation actors offer in fields of strategic importance for the continent. The Mission of Switzerland to the EU together with Presence Switzerland thus organized a working visit for a group of 30 research attaches from diplomatic representations based in Brussels. The trip took the group in two days from Zurich along the west-flank of the country all the way to Geneva and offered insights into institutions, infrastructures and Swiss research policy.
On the first day, ETH Zurich offered insights into the open Swiss Large Language Model Apertus at the AI Centre and a glance at how students and researchers turn their findings into businesses at the Entrepreneurship Lab. After vivid discussions over lunch the groupendeavored on a bus trip to rural Villigen to discover the high tech of the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source. Neutron sources are scarce in Europe and the Center at PSI thus offers a platform for experiments to many international users. To crown a day full to the brim, SERI hosted a dinner at Casino Bern introducing Swiss research policy and offering ample time for bilateral exchanges. Of course pictures in front of the Federal Palace were a must on the way.
The second day was dedicated to French speaking Switzerland. In Neuchatel CSEM introduced its unique concept of bringing science to the market with the examples of watch technology and semi-conductors sparking the interests of many in the light of European efforts to become a leader in chips development. The Montreux Jazz Café then offered a cultural refreshment before again taking a deep dive into innovation on the EPFL campus. Despite all the interesting presentations and visits, the highlight of the trip was its grand finale, when after two greyish days the sun showed up over Lac Leman to accompany a boat trip with an apéro. The guests headed back to Brussels tired, but full of ideas for new joint projects and good memories.
