Insights into 2019 with Innosuisse
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DIS Insights into 2019 with Innosuisse CO V ER
Innosuisse is the Swiss Innovation Agency. We fund science-based innovation in the interest of the economy and society with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups in Switzerland.
Here is what you will find in “Discover 2019”: 2019 as seen by the Chairman and the CEO 4 Women in start-ups 7 The year in brief 12 The promotion of innovation in specific terms: selected projects from 2019 15 Innosuisse guide: funding activities at a glance 22 Facts and figures: here is how we promote innovation 30 Organisational structure 40 Schedule: 2019 Financial Statements Cover photo: Dr Olga Dubey, CEO of AgroSustain SA (see article on page 10)
2019 as seen by the Chairman and the CEO
The funding business picked up strongly in 2019, and the impending legislative
changes promise more leeway in the dynamic environment of innovation.
A review of the year and a look ahead with Innosuisse Chairman
André Kudelski and CEO Annalise Eggimann.
André Kudelski, the second year of
operations as Innosuisse is now over.
“We also have a To achieve our mission, we con-
tinue to apply the bottom-up princi-
As Chairman what were your priorities?
Kudelski: At strategic level, the
great appetite for ple. This allows projects to be selected
on the basis of their particular attri
main aim is promoting innovation in major projects butes, ensuring that the best ones have
Switzerland by enabling companies –
whether start-ups, SMEs or already with a volume an opportunity. As well as taking the
bottom-up approach, we also seek to
established players – to benefit from
the outstanding scientific research in
of up to several support projects in areas of strategic
importance to our nation. These include
Switzerland. In this way, we aim to make million Swiss biotechnology, digitalisation, artificial
a contribution to the innovation ecosys-
tem beyond the awarding of funding francs.” intelligence and energy management.
In the first year of operation,
and to provide innovation players with André Kudelski, our initial task was to ensure a smooth
services offering great added value. Chairman Innosuisse transition from the Commission for
4
Technology and Innovation (CTI) to Another key role that Inno
the new Innosuisse agency. Once this suisse plays is enabling SMEs or start-
transition was completed, we were able ups to take risks that they cannot as-
to focus more on our new mission, sume alone. What is high risk for a
namely the future development of the small company is not necessarily a risk
legal framework governing Innosuisse, at national level. This is precisely where
a more differentiated approach to Innosuisse acts as a catalyst.
project evaluation based on risk pro- Innosuisse’s true success be-
file, the provision of new innovation- comes apparent when an invested
related services and greater interna- franc is multiplied by a factor of X as a
tional cooperation. result of the dynamism generated by
the innovation funded.
What is the new approach to project
evaluation? Annalise Eggimann, the funding business
Kudelski: Instead of assuming developed extremely well in 2019.
that all projects must fit into the same Eggimann: That’s right. The fund-
mould, we wish to foster diversity. This ing business for innovation projects
also means that a successful, low-risk picked up strongly from May onwards.
project may have a lower return on in- At the end of the year, we had about
vestment than a disruptive one, where 800 applications for innovation pro-
there must be high potential return on jects, which is about one and a half
investment to compensate for the in- times more than in the previous year.
creased risk of failure. We also have a The funding business for our coaching
great appetite for major projects with programme for start-ups and the
a volume of up to several million Swiss vouchers for mentoring services for
francs, provided the prospects of suc- SMEs also developed well.
cess are sufficiently favourable.
“The fact that we What do you put this impressive
development down to?
proactively sought Eggimann: Several factors cer-
tainly played a role. The fact that we
direct contact proactively sought direct contact with
with the appli- the applicants throughout the year
was important. We met them at our
cants throughout road shows, presented our funding
opportunities at various events and lis-
the year was tened to what they had to say. Our
important.” efforts are now paying off. We will
obviously also continue to optimise
Annalise Eggimann, our existing solutions. But we’re also
CEO Innosuisse starting to implement new measures.
What do you have in mind in specific
terms?
Eggimann: Innosuisse promotes
science-based innovations across the
entire disciplinary spectrum. But as we
continually find, there are huge chal-
lenges for the successful implementa-
tion of projects which do not focus
primarily on technology. In this respect,
5
2019 as seen by the Chairman and the CEO
we are looking for solutions – together which entered the consultation pro-
with players in these areas – to harness cess last autumn – Innosuisse should
the existing expertise in the “soft” dis- have greater leeway in future to per-
ciplines even more effectively. We’re form its funding tasks in the dynamic
also gearing up for the 2021–2024 environment of innovation.
contribution dispatch period and are
planning the flagship projects. We aim
to ensure they give research and im-
plementation partners the opportunity
to develop sustainable solutions to
major social, economic and environ-
mental issues in larger consortia across
disciplines and based on a systemic
“Innosuisse approach.
would like to be Let’s take a closer look at the future:
able to manage in 2019, Innosuisse published the
2021–2024 multi-year programme.
the level of What are its key elements?
the implementa- Kudelski: Our priority over the
coming years is to find solutions to the
tion partners’ major challenges of public innovation
funding. In this respect, we are focusing
own contribution mainly on the opportunities presented
more flexibly in by the digital transformation, the sus-
tainable use of our resources, increas-
future.” ing the innovative capacity of SMEs
and creating a competitive start- up
Annalise Eggimann,
culture. That is why we are directing
CEO Innosuisse
our funding towards generating major
economic and social benefits. To this
end, we must proactively align our
funding to changing needs and be
able to assist companies with support
tailored to the level of risk.
What does that mean?
Eggimann: Innosuisse would like,
for example, to be able to manage the
level of the implementation partners’
own contribution more flexibly in future
depending on the situation and in cer-
tain cases to award a direct contribu-
tion to the implementation partners.
In particular, it would like to be able to
support start-ups with direct project
Annalise Eggimann is Chief Executive Officer
contributions before they enter the
of Innosuisse.
market. The current legal framework
André Kudelski is Chairman of the Board of does not permit this. With the partial
Directors of Innosuisse. He is Chairman and revision of the Federal Act on the Pro-
CEO of Kudelski SA. motion of Research and Innovation –
6
Women in start-ups
“What we now need
is action.”
Trudi Hämmerli, member of the Innosuisse Board
W
hen it comes to the proportion of women stands both sides of the ecosystem. “Women often lack
in tech companies, Switzerland is at the self-belief, whereas men are more confident and immediately
bottom of the league by international seize the opportunity,” adds Hämmerli. “In contrast, women
standards. Whereas there are seven tend to be reluctant until they’re absolutely certain they can
female entrepreneurs for every ten male do it.” However, this in itself is not necessarily a bad thing in
ones on average, the figure is just five business – on the contrary. “Women often run companies
in Switzerland, as the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor more successfully than men. Particularly because they take
2018/2019 reveals. Analysis of Innosuisse’s start-up coaching more considered risks.”
shows a similar picture: it found that on average women In the experience of Innosuisse coach Paola Ghillani,
accounted for 14 per cent of members of the founding teams new female entrepreneurs often face a tougher time than
at the coached start-ups. their male counterparts. “Women launching start-ups some-
A gender difference is to be expected as MINT subjects times feel they are not being taken seriously. The main reason
are still male-dominated. But it does not explain why women is that experts and investors tend to be men from older gen-
lose interest in launching their own company during the erations, and some – whether consciously or not – work less
start-up process. This is exactly what the impact analysis of constructively with women owing to paternalistic attitudes.”
Innosuisse’s start-up training reveals. It looked at the distribu- In the worst-case scenario, a woman can be demotivated by
tion of the genders on the training courses in 2016 and 2017 this in the early stages of setting up a business.
(at that time still under the CTI and called CTI Entrepreneur- Much has been done to rectify this in recent years
ship). On module 2 for people interested in starting up their though: Trudi Hämmerli believes these differences are already
own business (“Business Concept”), 30 per cent were women, much less evident for younger women. “They have grown
while on module 3 (“Business Creation”) 25 per cent and on up in a more emancipated world and have a new self-image
module 4 (“Business Growth”) just 12 per cent were female and modern understanding of their roles. They experience
participants. these explicit differences between the genders to a much
“Innosuisse is determined to increase the number of lesser extent.”
participants. That’s why we must look more closely at why Paola Ghillani thinks another reason for the lack of
women lose interest between training and launching a female entrepreneurs is the difficulty in reconciling family life
start-up,” says Trudi Hämmerli. The Innosuisse Board mem- and a career. “Children come along at the very time when you
ber is both an entrepreneur and a business angel and under- usually have the energy to set something up.”
7
Women in start-ups
Both entrepreneurs agree on one point: one lack the connections needed. “It’s important for
of the main reasons why there are so few female women to realise that there are others like them
entrepreneurs is the lack of female role models, and that they’re not alone.” This is why Innosuisse
especially in the world of technology. As a result, supported the Female Innovation Forum as a part-
Innosuisse launched a call for the accreditation of ner in 2019, for example. This event gives female
female coaches and seven women in total were innovators, investors, company founders, network-
accredited in 2019. “We need and indeed have ers and business angels the opportunity to meet
Trudi Hämmerli
great women who inspire others,” says Dominique and share their knowledge.
Entrepreneur,
Gruhl-Bégin, Head of the Start-ups and Next-Gen- member of the Innosuisse plans to extend its support to
eration Innovators Division at Innosuisse. “We must Innosuisse Board and other target groups in future. For example, middle-
get women to ask themselves: What’s actually business angel aged women. “Many experienced professionals feel
holding me back?” the desire to pursue a new path for the remainder
Female start-up founders fare better when of their careers. Not only are they highly motivated
they work with other women. This is illustrated by the exam- to do so, but they also possess a great deal of relevant expe-
ple of Ireland: in 2012, out of 100 applicants in total, only rience,” according to the multi-year programme 2021–24.
seven were female. “The Irish authorities then organised a Awareness of entrepreneurship should also begin at an earlier
pitch event exclusively for women,” Trudi Hämmerli recounts. stage – at secondary school level. “We are keen to get young
All of a sudden, 50 women came forward with their business women interested in entrepreneurship,” says Dominique
ideas. “Among themselves, women seem to have greater Gruhl-Bégin. “I firmly believe that Generation Z and the Mil-
self-esteem and courage.” lennials, with their self-confidence, can bring about changes
Another measure is the set-up of networks dedicated in society, the economy and politics.”
to women: in Hämmerli’s view many female entrepreneurs
Paola Ghillani
Female entrepreneur,
board member of
several companies
and accredited
Innosuisse coach
INTERVIEW
Paola Ghillani, why are there still so few As well as greater female self-confidence, just affect women. Men who focus more on
women starting up their own companies are more empathetic experts and more the purpose than on the high-tech aspect
in Switzerland? female experts needed too? also have to listen to negative comments
It is still difficult for women to survive as en- Women need understanding, but also role during pitches. This is no longer in keeping
trepreneurs. When dealing with mostly male models – other women who exemplify entre- with the times in light of the current climate
experts and investors – who are often much preneurship to them. As a young woman, I movement.
older than them – female founders of start- opposed quotas on boards of directors and
ups unfortunately still often have to listen to in top management positions, but after 30 How do you boost the self-confidence of
comments about their appearance or justify years in the business world, I believe that the women you coach?
themselves because they are more softly nothing will ever change without quotas. I often talk about my own experiences. I also
spoken or have a different way of tackling However, a rethink of how we support inno- had less self-confidence at the beginning of
problems and finding solutions. Olga Dubey, vation is also required. Innosuisse has recog- my career than my colleagues. On various
who founded AgroSustain, summed it up in nised this by introducing a funding group bodies, I was the only woman and had to go
a nutshell in a recent interview: “As a woman, under the heading of social sciences and the extra mile to gain the trust of investors.
you have to tick like a man.” Women are business management. This is because women You have to work on how you come across
generally less confident and usually more focus more than men on social and societal as a female entrepreneur: you need to show
sensitive than men. Founding a start-up is innovations and solutions, especially in the determination, achieve results, position your-
emotionally draining. For example, it doesn’t field of sustainability, which has enormous self well and communicate in a targeted and
help when an investor tells a woman launch- economic potential and merits more atten- clear way. This is vitally important. Self-belief
ing a start-up that she is not the right person tion. Instead of measuring a start-up solely in can be developed – just like in elite sport –
to be CEO of her own company. A man might terms of profitability, it is also important to through training, meditation, breathing ex-
find that less hurtful. It is the end of the judge it by its purpose or social and environ- ercises and coaching.
world for some women though. mental significance. But the issue does not
8
“It’s a marathon,
not a sprint.”
Three women who launched
start-ups tell their story
“
Three of us founded our
company in 2016. I met
my co-founders at a cyber-
security conference in the
USA. Before that, I’d spent 12 years
working in the IT industry and found it
difficult that the issue of IT security
was so overlooked in the digital world
that products were static and not
geared to the needs of end-users.
In everyday life it has become normal
for me to be the only woman taking
part in projects and meeting clients.
I find the cultural differences more of
an issue: some people we advise MY TIP
on IT security matters have outdated
You’re never alone as a business founder –
knowledge and quickly go on the
defensive. It is a cultural problem if it helps to find an environment with like-
you perceive change as a threat rather minded entrepreneurs who are in a similar
than as an opportunity. situation to you. It’s equally important to
draw on the experience of others.
It would be wonderful if there were
more women in my industry, greater Sandra Tobler, 40, CEO of Futurae Technologies AG
diversity in general and more varied
career paths. That would create new
role models and alleviate the fears of
female career starters.
has arisen. Launching a start-up is not
Entrepreneurship is generally less a lifestyle, it’s hard graft. More honest
firmly established in Switzerland. Many stories should be put out there. The
people still think that start-ups are failure of an idea or company is also
founded by young men wearing hood- part and parcel of it. Entrepreneurs also
ies who like playing table football. have to realise that it’s a marathon, not
In our case, it tends to be someone a sprint. The topic or problem you’re
who has worked in a bank and wants working on must hold your interest for
to solve a particular problem that years to come.”
9
Women in start-ups
“
Innosuisse’s Business As a female company founder you
Concept course opened have to believe in what you’re doing.
the door for me. There As a woman you may be treated
is very little publicity differently to a man. That’s why it’s
about entrepreneurship at university. vitally important that you respect
For me it was a completely new world yourself. And gain the respect of
and all very inspiring. others.
When founding a start-up, it’s not If a woman has a great idea and
gender that should matter but instead believes in it, she should definitely
the idea. The fact that there are still start a company.”
few women entrepreneurs may be due
to the fact that women often have Watch the video
less self-confidence than men. But it’s www.innosuisse.ch/agrosustain
also a question of education.
Based on the research results of my
doctoral thesis on plant biochemistry,
I founded the start-up AgroSustain –
which produces biological products to
combat mould fungus in agriculture –
together with a molecular biologist.
We now have ten employees.
To successfully set up a start-up and
drive it forward, it’s vitally important to
work with people who complement
each other in terms of their knowledge
and experience and on whom you
can rely. Starting a company is a roller
coaster ride. You only find that out
once the journey has started. Fresh
obstacles that have to be overcome
keep popping up. But that’s not a
bad thing. It means your business is
making progress.
MY TIP
The key thing is to work out what kind
of role you want to play in the company.
You can’t do everything all at once, but
it’s good to try everything out.
Dr Olga Dubey, 29, CEO of AgroSustain SA
10MY TIP
As women we should filter out what
others say and not take everything to
heart. U
ltimately, everyone’s trying
to set themselves apart.
Dr Anna Beltzung, 29, co-founder of Dimpora AG
new to me and I find it absolutely fas-
cinating. It’s amazing how little people
know about the material they wear on
their bodies day in day out.
I often visit Swiss manufacturers and
raw material suppliers. The technicians
who work there are often from a dif-
ferent generation. They’re not used to
seeing a woman in a senior role. At
first, they preferred to talk to Mario.
They didn’t know how to deal with
me. I always had to actively engage in
the conversation and prove myself
first. In contrast, with younger people
I have to show what I can do immedi-
ately – they have studied with women
and expect a lot.
“
In the beginning I was quickly impressed
I never planned to start a by certain people. I’ve learned to put
business. After studying what I’ve heard into perspective and
chemical engineering, I not to take everything at face value. I
actually wanted to work tend to come across as affable and
in applied research. I was looking for polite, and this could be perceived as
a job, but, dishearteningly, companies a sign of weakness. My aunt also runs
often failed to even acknowledge a business. I often seek her advice.
receipt of my application. Then my
colleague Mario, whom I knew from I don’t like the notion of a power
university, asked me if I wanted to woman who is strong and aggressive
found a start-up with him. I insisted and must not show any vulnerability.
on a three-month trial period. We As a woman, you can also be success-
worked really well together and de- ful if you adopt a diplomatic approach
cided to set up our company. We and find good solutions more quickly.”
produce sustainable membranes for
functional clothing.
My role is highly varied, but recently
it’s been all about strategic develop-
ment and customer care. I’ve learned
so much over the past two years.
The textile industry was completely
11THE YEAR IN BRIEF
January February
International programmes come to 2nd “Forward Forum de l’innovation
Innosuisse pour les PME” conference attracts almost
Innosuisse takes over responsibility for the innovation-led 1,000 participants
European partnership programmes with the EU and the Slogan:
market-oriented research and development initiative
EUREKA on behalf of the State Secretariat for Education,
Research and Innovation (SERI).
CES in Las Vegas
As an institutional partner of Presence Switzerland,
Innosuisse works with it to enable eight Swiss start-ups
to participate in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES),
the largest event of its kind in the world.
March April
Digitalisation Impulse Programme Study on low application level
1st call: 27 projects approved The transformation of the organisation from CTI to
They cover a very wide range of innovation Innosuisse unsettled research partners in relation
topics in the field of industry 4.0/modern to procedures, funding conditions and the evaluation
manufacturing technologies, e.g. collabora- process. Innosuisse responded above all by improving
tive robotics. the application process and communication.
Newsletter is launched
Since the end of March 2019, Innosuisse has
been sending regular newsletters on important
topics relating to its funding opportunities.
End of 2019: around 2,000 newsletter subscribers!
1st “Public Innovation Promotion in
Switzerland” conference
Innosuisse and SECO, together with the Conference of
Cantonal Directors of Economic Affairs, are organising
the first conference on “Public Innovation Promotion in
Switzerland”.
12May June
Digitalisation Impulse Programme 6 June 2019: Innosuisse is a partner at
2nd call: 17 projects approved the Swiss Medtech Day and the Swiss
Of the 29 applications for 12-month projects submitted Nano Convention
in the second call for proposals, Innosuisse approved 17
– including, for example, one that seeks to eliminate
broken satellites in space.
Impact studies are published
participants at the
Companies and start-ups rate the support of Innosuisse
Swiss Medtech Day
as being very useful overall. In addition to the purely
financial benefits, firms particularly appreciate the
improvement of knowledge and technology transfer
and the increase in research expertise.
www.innosuisse.ch/impactanalysis
July August
Record for Eurostars call Roadshows
In the call for proposals in July, 28 projects with Swiss At the two roadshows at the ETH Zurich and EPF
participation are funded – more than ever before L ausanne, Innosuisse presents its opportunities to
in a single call. researchers and receives feedback.
The Board of Directors Tour de Suisse
discusses the future strategy The SNSF and Innosuisse jointly
of Innosuisse provide information about their
“
around 160
To achieve our mission, we apply the participants funding opportunities at universities
bottom-up principle. At the same in Basel, Geneva and Ticino.
time, we regard it as vital to support around 130
projects in areas of strategic participants
importance to our nation.
André Kudelski, Chairman ”
Innosuisse
Innosuisse Innovation Council retreat:
“How can Innosuisse respond to market needs in the
promotion of innovation in Switzerland?”
13September October
Scale-up Coaching starts Record number of applications
The new service supports start-ups in achieving for Innosuisse
sustainable growth (see page 23). Over 100 applications for innovation projects are
submitted in one month.
Innosuisse Meeting Day
Around 50 representatives from universities and Three projects with South Korea
business associations held discussions with Innosuisse Innosuisse and its Korean partner organisation approve
about challenges and priorities in innovation funding three bilateral innovation projects.
and the role of the funding agency.
New start-up coaches
Female Innovation Forum 22 out of 95 interviews for the accreditation of new
Innosuisse is a partner of the 2nd coaches are held in October. Innosuisse’s pool of
Female Innovation Forum. Presentation accredited coaches for start-ups grows to a total
of the “Female Innovator Of The Year” of 132.
award.
November December
“NTN Innovation Boosters” call for
proposals innovation projects
NTN – Innovation Boosters are intended to give SMEs a approved
competitive edge by cooperating with partners along the
value chain and by incorporating knowledge, skills and
technology from the universities. start-ups in Core Coaching
at end-2019
Cooperation with Brazil
At the beginning of November, Innosuisse and its Brazilian
“
partner agency EMBRAPII sign a declaration of intent to
Our priority over the coming years is to find solutions
”
step up cooperation on innovation.
to the major challenges of public innovation funding.
Swiss Innovation Forum André Kudelski, Chairman Innosuisse
Innosuisse is the main partner and holds a breakout
session with Sparks Work on design thinking.
Order a booklet at media@innosuisse.ch
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14The promotion
of innovation
in specific terms:
selected projects
from 2019
15Selected projects from 2019
SMART CLOTHING
TO COMBAT PRESSURE
ULCERS
If pressure prevents the skin or underlying tissue from receiving
sufficient oxygen, pressure ulcers can form. This primarily affects
people with restricted mobility. “The only way to prevent pres-
sure sores is to get the patient to move, restoring tissue perfu-
sion,” says Prof. Ursula Wolf, Director of the Institute of Comple-
mentary and Integrative Medicine at the University of Bern.
Supported by the BRIDGE “Discovery” funding opportu-
nity, Wolf is working on the development of a textile sensor
system that raises the alarm in the event of danger. Sensors
woven into clothing will continuously measure the oxygen con-
tent of the tissue using infrared light. This requires a special
light-conducting fabric fibre developed by Empa. The University
of Applied Sciences Buchs NTB is providing the electronics
which convert the measurements into readable data.
The project’s main aim is to develop a final prototype. In
collaboration with a clothing manufacturer, the fabric will then
be further developed and incorporated into clothing. Wolf be-
lieves the technology could also be used in both the sportswear
and healthcare sectors: “The textile sensors are a major step
towards smart clothing.”
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE
• BRIDGE Discovery
Special light-conducting fibres are
required to measure the oxygen content
in the tissue. Ursula Wolf testing the
first prototypes in the laboratory.
16AN APP HELPING PEOPLE
FIND THEIR VOICE AGAIN
Watch the video
www.innosuisse.ch/aphasie
Many survivors of strokes suffer from a language disorder
called aphasia, which impairs speaking, reading and writing.
The Bern Aphasia App is designed to help them relearn the
basic principles of language. This mobile platform, the brainchild
of speech therapists, neurologists, psychologists and develop-
ers at Bern’s Inselspital hospital, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital and
the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research at the
University of Bern, enables patients to train their language skills
independently.
Personalised
exercises allow
patients to improve
their language
skills at home.
“Treatment by a specialist speech therapist is resource-
“
intensive, which means patients often do not get enough time
with them. Adding extra speech training via the app allows
practice time to be increased. App-supported training is also
an attractive option for people with limited mobility or who live
The development of small in remote areas,” explains PD Dr. Prabitha Urwyler, Senior Re-
searcher and Project Manager. “Our app lets patients work on
sensors that can be woven
their exercises at home, and therapists can tailor these to each
into fabric is one of the individual’s progress.”
major challenges involved The prototype includes more than 30,000 exercises. The
in the project.” app is due to be launched in 2022, once the clinical validation
Prof. Ursula Wolf, Director of the process has been completed. The project’s implementation
Institute of Complementary and partner, the software developer Definition12 AG, intends to roll
Integrative Medicine at the University out the personalised speech therapy system at 200 to 400 hos-
of Bern pitals throughout Switzerland, Germany and France, and sub-
sequently to market it worldwide.
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE
• Innovation project
17Selected projects from 2019
30 August 2015: Today I went fishing near Samedan Airfield. The
river Inn was flooded – despite it not having rained for a long
“
time. The heat is melting the glaciers. The fact that our children
won’t ask us if we didn’t notice that the glaciers were melting,
but instead what we did about it was going through my mind
as I waited for the fish to bite. Why don’t we keep the melt-
water up there in summer and then turn it back into ice when
THE IDEA CAME TO ME the temperatures drop? The more I look into it, the more I like
WHILE FISHING” the idea of recycling meltwater.
Dr Felix Keller, glaciologist 12 September 2015: I asked my friend, the glaciologist Johannes
Centre for Applied Glaciology of the University of Applied Sciences of Oerlemans, for advice. Now we have the solution to stop the
the Grisons and Academia Engiadina
melting: artificial snow is to be used to protect the glacier from
solar radiation during summer. Matthias urged me to present
29 August 2015: We discussed the desperate state of the glaciers my “fishing idea” to the Pontresina municipal council. It is now
over lunch with the CEO of Academia Engiadina. “We must find investing 17,000 Swiss francs in a study.
a way of stopping the melting of the Morteratsch Glacier,”
remarked Matthias Steiger in response to the incredible news 15 August 2017: It’s exasperating! Our calculations indicate that
about the Diavolezza Glacier: the thickness of the ice layer was we would have to produce 30,000 tons of snow per day on the
increased by 10 to 15 metres by covering it with fleece in sum- Morteratsch Glacier for the glacier tongue to grow again. This
mer. My response was that this kind of project was impossible would require around 300 snow lances. The fact that the gla-
with the much larger Morteratsch Glacier. But Matthias was cier moves about 90 metres a year rules out snowmaking from
adamant. He called for action. the ground. I was at the point of giving up hope. But today, the
PROTECTING GLACIERS THROUGH
SNOWMAKING
Every summer, several million tons of ice melt on the Mor
teratsch Glacier in the Engadine. The thinner the protective
snow cover on the glacier is, the faster the ice melts, as
snow reflects sunlight very effectively. If there were enough
snow on the glacier throughout the entire warm season,
the melting of the glacier could be stopped. This is what
calculations carried out by glaciologist Johannes Oerlemans
indicated.
The project, supported by Innosuisse, aims to use technol-
ogy to create snowfall on the Morteratsch using a complex
snow cabling system. Cables with snow lance heads are ex-
tended across the glacier. Meltwater is used to create snow
and the compressed air required is produced solely from the
energy of the water pressure of a neighbouring glacier –
another former CTI project.
18technical manager of the Oberengadiner Bergbahnen gave me
the idea of combining cable car and snowmaking technology
in the form of a snow cable system, which means snow would
not have to be made on the ground.
“I AM A
21 January 2018: Last week our research team met for the first FACILITATOR AND
time. It included Bächler Top Track AG, which can produce
snow without electricity, and the cable car specialist Bartholet
A NETWORKER”
Maschinenbau AG. We are all highly motivated and have got Innovation mentor
the following partners on board: the Lucerne University of Ap- Daniel Portmann
plied Sciences and Arts, the University of Applied Sciences
Buchs NTB and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern
“Claus Dangel from the snow-
Switzerland.
making specialist Bächler Top Track
AG, whom I know from the past,
30 May 2019: With support from our mentor, we submitted an
asked me for help with the project
innovation project to Innosuisse. It’s incredible just how much
he was working on with Felix Keller
Daniel Portmann helped us. He asked ruthless questions and
and Bartholet Maschinenbau. As
really tested our mettle. It paid dividends: our application was
someone who enjoys winter sports,
approved!
the idea of above-ground-level
snowmaking on glaciers immedi-
17 January 2020: Working together as a team is extremely enjoy-
ately appealed me.
able and we learn so much from each other. We are currently
testing a snow head prototype in Lucerne. The aim is to build a
Lots of questions have to be ad-
600-meter-long test facility in summer 2020. We now know
dressed before a project can be
that the water supply of over 200 million people in the Himalayas
submitted, for example, what kind
depends on the melt water from the glaciers. It is important
of team is required – the glacier
that we achieve our goal.
project did not have a climate expert.
As an innovation mentor, I see my
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE role as a mediator and networker. I
• Mentoring help to structure a project to ensure
• Innovation project with more than it’s successful. When everything is
one research partner in place, I help with the project
• Innovation cheque application, give advice and do the
editing.
The snowmaking project is very
close to my heart – not least
because it aims to resolve a major
problem. While the debate in
Switzerland is mainly about the
future of skiing, elsewhere the
melting of the glaciers is threaten-
ing human lives: many people
around the world depend on the
water reserves in the ice.”
As part of tests on the snowmaking head prototype on the
roof of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts,
the performance of the individual nozzles and the snow
quality on the ground are being checked. 19Selected projects from 2019
A research assistant at Topadur is investigating
EYE DROPS TO COMBAT
the effects of a new active ingredient. GLAUCOMA
Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness after
cataracts. In Switzerland, more than 100,000 people suffer from
glaucoma. The figure is over 64 million worldwide. The damage
to the optic nerve cells is caused firstly by interruption in the
“
supply of blood to the eye, leading to a lack of oxygen and
nutrients, and, secondly, by insufficient elimination of harmful
dietary fibres. “There is an urgent need for more effective treat-
ment for this group of eye diseases which can cause irreversible
damage to nerve fibres,” says Dr Paola Atzei, Project Manager
We’re a small company in an at Topadur Pharma AG.
international environment – Existing drugs used to treat glaucoma are aimed at reduc-
that’s why it’s vitally impor- ing intraocular pressure. But less than half of glaucoma patients
tant that we drive our actually have high intraocular pressure, at least in the early stages
of the disease. The neuroimmunologist explained that blood
research forward quickly.”
circulation also plays a major role in glaucoma. The two factors
Dr Paola Atzei, Project Manager at
then interact. “If the microcirculation in the vessels of the eye
Topadur Pharma AG
can be regulated and blood circulation improved, intraocular
pressure also decreases. The eyes will then remain healthy.”
20With the support of Innosuisse and in collaboration with THREE CAMPS,
the University of Zurich and the Institute of Molecular and
Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, the Swiss start-up Topadur is THREE DIFFERENT
conducting research into a new active ingredient that improves EXPERIENCES
microcirculation in the eye and removes fibre. Eye drops are set Fabian Graf, CEO of Faitron
to be launched on the market in 2026.
CHINA
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE “Our visit to Shanghai confirmed that
• Innovation project Chinese people love lunch boxes. We met
with a Chinese manufacturer that already
sells an electric lunch box. While this
solution is cheap and looks good, it’s not
sophisticated enough technically. Our
smart heating technology fits perfectly in
their boxes, and we will work together
in future.”
INDIA
SWISS TECHNOLOGY “The visit to India also gave us an in-
depth understanding of what the people
CONQUERS THE WORLD there need. We met several potential
business partners and were also intro-
duced to the company Vaya, which spe-
The start-up Faitron has developed the world’s first smart lunch cialises in high-quality lunch boxes. We
box. It enables meals to be quickly and conveniently reheated noticed that prices in India are also lower
or freshly cooked in the office or while on the move. A first than expected in the premium market.
version of the HeatsBox is already available: it can be controlled The end customer will pay a maximum of
via an app and, because it runs on a 12-volt as well as a 240-volt 60 Swiss francs for our product.”
power source, can even be used in the car.
For its launch on the international market, Faitron has
developed smart heating technology that can be integrated into
lunch boxes of local suppliers. The circuit board can be con- Fabian Graf discusses
trolled via Bluetooth. This allows the Swiss start-up to adapt to applications of the
the local market conditions. “Thanks to Innosuisse coaching and HeatsBox in the baby
our participation in Market Validation Camps in China and India, sector with a Medela
we have discovered that these markets are very price-sensitive China employee.
and that we have to produce at lower cost,” says CEO Fabian
Graf. “We have already found a manufacturer in China. Our
smart heating technology and the app that goes with it – which
we developed in Switzerland – complement the locally manu- UK
factured product.”
“The camp week in London gave us a
Faitron also develops solutions for babies: the self- much better understanding of how the
warming BabyBoo bottle means that parents will soon be able UK market works. We talked to manu
to feed their babies milk warmed to a precise temperature while facturers, retailers and shop owners and
on the move. Support from Innosuisse gave the Swiss entrepre- came across companies that were not
neurs the opportunity to explore the UK market. on our radar. We also met the people
behind the UK baby product brand
Tommee T ippee. We had been looking
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE for an opportunity to speak to them
• Core Coaching for years about our smart self-warming
• Internationalisation Camps (Market Validation Camps) baby bottle. The meeting finally hap-
pened after contact was made via the
in India, China and the UK
Swiss Embassy.”
21Innosuisse
Guide
Funding activities at a glance
The four areas of Innosuisse
Innosuisse supports companies that are seeking to turn an Innosuisse promotes the exchange of knowledge and net
idea into a breakthrough with the “START YOUR INNOVA- working between players in research, business and society
TION PROJECT” funding instruments. We help businesses through the “BE CONNECTED” instruments. SMEs receive
secure easy access to the knowledge and resources of re support in setting up innovation projects, while networks
search institutions. Innosuisse brings science and business and events bring the right innovation partners together.
together and supports joint innovation projects.
Innosuisse helps drive forward innovative business ideas Companies coming to Innosuisse with international ambi
and entrepreneurial thinking among the next generation tions are also in the right place. “GO GLOBAL” funding in
of researchers and businesspeople. Budding entrepreneurs struments help companies to find international business
seeking to turn their concept into a business or gain an in and research partners. Innosuisse also provides advice on
ternational foothold will find the ideal funding instrument global funding programmes and tenders in specific areas
in “START AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS”. and supports international projects with funding.t ie s
rt u n i
O p p o 2 02 1
START YOUR f rom
Energy Funding Innovation projects without Innosuisse and SNSF BE CONNECTED
INNOVATION PROJECT Thematic Specialist Launching innovation ideas
Programme implementation partners funding programme
Events
N EW
NTN Innovation Booster
SCCER BRIDGE
Consulting at the start
Eight Competence Centers for Energy Researchers who still have to convince At the interface between basic re of projects Nonprofit organisations receive up to Teams from research, business and so
Research (SCCERs) unite the forces of potential industry partners of the use search and scientific innovation, the half the cost of their events bringing cial institutions receive financial sup
Innovation Mentoring
industry and academia to work together fulness of their research can apply for SNSF and Innosuisse together support together players from business and ac port to stimulate and test original
Innovation projects with on supplying the energy of tomorrow. financial support for feasibility studies, young and experienced researchers Innosuisse’s mentors support SMEs in ademia to focus on innovation topics (radical) ideas on an innovation topic. Startup Training Scale-up Coaching
Researchers and companies receive prototypes and testing facilities – espe seeking to achieve market maturity and build a community. These ideas can provide impetus for Scaleup Coaching was
implementation partners support for their innovation projects, cially for highrisk projects with strong with their research through two fund
structuring their innovation ideas, find
the introduction of process, product or
Modules 1–4
ing the right research partner and launched in October 2019. It
from the testing and exploration of innovation potential. ing offerings: Proof of Concept and submitting project applications. They service innovations. helps emerging companies
Research institutions can submit joint new approaches to the implementa Discovery. are familiar with the Swiss funding Various practical courses (four modules)
to achieve sustainable growth.
applications with companies and private tion of solutions on the market. landscape and can identify the most and events provide people interested
The programme is aimed at
or public entities for financial support suitable funding instruments. in setting up a company and startups
for innovation projects. Funding is ap with the tools to successfully establish researchbased startups with
proved for projects that promise com and develop their business. at least five FTEs and very
e
mercial success or benefits for society. high growth potential. They
dg
benefit from team coaching,
kn nd
le
networking opportunities and
ow
peer learning, alongside indi
g a
In
Initial Coaching vidual support on interna
in ng
di
Vouchers for preliminary W
vi
tionalisation, financing and
it h
du
s
nd rki
studies
se
t
cooperation with universities
en
pa
al
ur
m
ly
rt
pa o
Innovation Cheques Budding entrepreneurs and startups – and industry associations.
co
ev th
ne
op
ex etw
as
regardless of their stage of develop
al
t d wi
rs
el
tic
a
Innovation cheques enable SMEs to in ment – can apply for individual coach
ec t
International programmes
oj p or
re
ac
obtain up to 15,000 Swiss francs worth Sw ing up to a value of 5,000 Swiss francs.
N
Pr
se
it z Since the beginning of January
p
of research services from a research Together with experienced entrepre
ar
Su
er 2019, Innosuisse has also
ch
partner to test the feasibility of their la neurs, they examine the feasibility
pr
nd been responsible for the inno
er
idea. This funding can be used for pre and market viability of their business
vationoriented European
liminary and idea studies or analysis of
innovation and market potential. Implementation of Innosuisse Founding and Ind
ivi
concept.
partnership programmes with
d the EU – Eurostars, Active
er s
innovation projects Guide establishing a start-up co
ac h ual
in g
and Assisted Living AAL and
al p ar t n Electronic Components and
at i o n Core Coaching Systems for European Leader
In
te rn
te t ne
in
W it h
pa
ship (ECSEL) – and for the
rn r s
r
at e a
In
marketoriented R&D initiative,
te
io
ne
EUREKA. The innovation
na r c h
This coaching, which can be worth up
rn
tw
at
l
to 50,000 Swiss francs and last up to oriented ERANET European
io
or
three years, focuses on business devel networks were also bundled
na
ki
ng
l
opment. Coaches help the startups together at Innosuisse. The
with topics such as strategy develop programmes complement the
ment and implementation, organisa Enterprise Europe Network
tional structure, market entry and legal
(EEN) European programme,
io n io n
a d dit a d dit issues.
N e w os uis s e N e w os uis s e which is already hosted by
n n
at I n at I n Innosuisse, and opentopic
Support for SMEs Innovation projects Innovation projects with N e w t u n it y
r bilateral and multilateral coop
op po
at international level in thematic areas partner countries eration with partner countries.
EUREKA, Eurostars AAL, ECSEL, ERANET Bilateral cooperation
Scaleup Coaching
Find the right opportunity
SMEs that are seeking to develop their Swiss companies, organisations and Innosuisse cooperates with funding for you online
products, processes or services inter research institutions receive support agencies in countries where there is
www.innosuisse.guide Innosuisse supports startups that have
nationally with partner companies or for joint projects with partner compa strong innovation and growth momen
research teams and to increase their nies or research teams at international tum. This gives Swiss innovators easier reached the growth phase and want
competitiveness can submit funding level on specific topics, for example access to new markets. Finding international Enter information and
Internationalisation to significantly accelerate their devel
submit an application International trade fairs
applications in any thematic area. Euro better quality of life in old age, nano partners www.innosuisse.ch Camps
opment through the implementation
stars is a EUREKA initiative. electronics and microelectronics, and EEN Switzerland of scalable processes, modified organ
embedded computer systems. isational structures, networking and
The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Innosuisse gives startups with global Innovative startups enrolled in the financing and internationalisation activ
helps SMEs and startups develop coop ambitions participating in the coaching coaching programme with ambitions ities. The coaching, worth up to 75,000
eration partnerships, implement inno programme the opportunity to attend to go global gain insights into interna Swiss francs, lasts a maximum of two
vation and research projects, and enter international trade fairs as visitors or tional markets in the onsite Market years.
new markets in Europe and beyond. exhibitors. Validation Camps and Market Entry
Camps. Innosuisse runs the camps in
conjunction with Swissnex and Swiss
embassies. START AND GROW
GO GLOBAL
YOUR BUSINESSSelected projects from 2019
“
RECIPE BOOK FOR THE
ETHICAL USE OF DATA
DNA analysis is currently
Read the Code of Conduct available to only a small group
www.data-service-alliance.ch/innovation/ethics
of patients. We are working
on a solution to make genetic
Data is the oil of the 21st century. Companies use it to develop
diagnostics an everyday part
new products tailored to consumers. “A company can only
create sustainable value from data if it is compatible with the of medicine.”
values of our society,” explains Prof. Christoph Heitz, President Dr Claudio Alberti, co-founder of the
of the National Thematic Network (NTN) Swiss Alliance for software company GenomSys SA
Data-Intensive Services.
It was for this reason that more than 40 experts from
seven companies and eight research groups – all members of
the NTN – drew up the Ethical Code for Data-Based Value
Creation. “Using our combined theoretical and practical knowl-
edge, we produced a kind of recipe book for the ethical use of
data,” describes Heitz. The code was published in all of Switzer-
land’s national languages and English at the start of 2020.
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE
• Support by the NTN Swiss Alliance for
Data-Intensive Services
NTN
SWISS ALLIANCE FOR
DATA-INTENSIVE SERVICES
The National Thematic Network was
founded in 2017 and plays a significant
part in making Switzerland an internation-
ally recognised beacon for data-driven
value creation. It relies on cooperation
within an interdisciplinary network of ex-
perts consisting of companies and univer-
sities. Its aim is to combine knowledge
from different areas, such as information
technology, artificial intelligence, business
and psychology, to create marketable
products and services.
Research is being conducted into efficient software
solutions for the processing and distribution of DNA
data at the offices of the Lausanne-based biotech
24 company GenomSys.MAKING GENETIC new MPEG-G standard, which massively simplifies the process-
ing and distribution of DNA data. “With MPEG-G, DNA data is
ANALYSIS MORE EASILY extremely compressed, enabling faster data exchange and
more efficient data analysis,” explains GenomSys co-founder
ACCESSIBLE Dr Claudio Alberti. “Our software also offers easy and secure
access to individual data and a high degree of interoperability.”
After various phases, also funded by Innosuisse, the pro-
Genome sequencing, i.e. the decoding of DNA, is becoming
ject has been supported by Eurostars – a joint funding pro-
cheaper. This is widening the applications of DNA analysis, for
gramme of EUREKA and the EU – since spring 2019. With its
example in diagnosing conditions and in making drug develop-
partners in Spain, France and the UK, who were found thanks
ment more targeted.
to Innosuisse, GenomSys analyses electronic data for everyday
But more analysis also means huge amounts of data,
use and ensures that the software systems link up. The partners
increasing numbers of data formats, storage costs and greater
meet three to four times a year. “The meetings are always very
analytical complexity. With the support of Innosuisse, the Vaud-
dynamic and inspiring.”
based start-up GenomSys is developing software based on the
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE
• Innovation project
• Horizon 2020 SME Instrument
• International partner search within the EEN framework
• International innovation project (Eurostars)
This project received funding from the European Union’s
Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant
agreement no. 827840.Selected projects from 2019
“
DETECTING FAKED
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
Keeping pace with increas-
QUICKLY AND EASILY ingly sophisticated hoaxers
is a huge challenge.”
A video in which Barack Obama berated his successor, Donald Anthony Sahakian, CEO of Quantum
Trump, caused a huge stir. Only it wasn’t actually Obama; the Integrity SA
words were spoken by an actor. Deepfake videos are now so
realistic it is almost impossible to recognise them as fake with
the naked eye. “It still takes a huge amount of effort and exper-
tise to produce high-quality deepfake today,” pointed out
Anthony Sahakian. “But that’s all soon set to change.” Never-
theless, he explains that the methods used by hoaxers are be-
coming increasingly sophisticated, and the consequences
more and more devastating: for instance, faked photos and
videos are being used in insurance fraud, showing damage to
cars that does not really exist or fictitious goods that are re-
ported stolen.
Sahakian’s company Quantum Integrity already provides
software that can detect fake images. Working with EPFL’s
Multimedia Signal Processing Group MMSPG, Quantum Integ-
rity plans to upgrade its deepfake detector so that it can be
deployed more widely. The aim is to set up a website where
videos can be uploaded for review. “We couldn’t develop this
system alone, because the technical issues involved are extremely
complex and costly,” says Sahakian. “Prof. Touradj Ebrahimi and
his team are the best support we could possibly hope for.” The
Swiss start-up is especially reliant on this support, given that
Fictitious inventories are quickly detected
competition in this field is fierce: both Facebook and Microsoft
thanks to intelligent software.
plan to invest 10 million US dollars in deepfake recognition
software over the next few years.
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE
• Innovation project
26CHARGING
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
MORE EFFICIENTLY HOW THE
“
COMPANY BENEFITS
Dr Michael Leibl, BRUSA Elektronik AG
In the European cooperation project Power2Power, which runs
until May 2022, 43 partners from eight countries are jointly Participating in the project enables us to
conducting research and developing innovative power semi- develop in a targeted way new technolo-
gies that would otherwise fall outside the
conductors with higher power density and energy efficiency.
mainstream of our day-to-day activities.
Power semiconductors are required at all stages of energy con-
A medium-sized company like ours does
version: in generation, transmission and use. not have the time and money for that
This is the first time Switzerland has participated in this kind of venture. Compared with products
kind of ECSEL project: BRUSA Elektronik AG and the Advanced that are well established on the market,
Power Semiconductor Laboratory at ETH Zurich are jointly devel- development cycles for electric vehicles
oping a charger for electric vehicles. “At Power2Power, every- are very short, and the financial cost of
one is working on the same problem, but we’re all carrying out new innovations is much higher. This
means our industry is dependent on such
our own sub-projects too,” explains Dr Michael Leibl, Predevel-
support. In addition to product develop-
opment Team Leader at BRUSA. The international meetings ment, we also hope to attract attention
held every couple of months are very important, not least for from outside and within the industry. It
knowledge sharing: “As experts in power semiconductors, we also helps us attract employees.”
all face the same challenges.”
The BRUSA charger, which is already being installed in
cars and commercial vehicles, aims to achieve even higher effi-
ciency in the future – and with a longer lifespan too. This not
only reduces costs, but more efficient semiconductors make a
significant contribution to cutting carbon dioxide emissions
despite growing worldwide demand for energy.
HOW IT BENEFITS
“
THE UNIVERSITY
Test rig for Prof. Ulrike Grossner, ETH
measuring the
Cooperating with the company BRUSA
switching loss
gives us as a semiconductor institute
of power access to real-world applications. But it
semiconductors is also important for us to be part of the
European network. To draw an analogy,
it is as though we Swiss project partners
are working together in a small room,
Collaboration with ETH Zurich as part of the ECSEL pro- but that room is also part of a large house
and we can explore other rooms too.
ject, which Innosuisse is co-financing, is incredibly valuable, says
We feel part of the wider research com-
Leibl. “We couldn’t produce a semiconductor physics model like munity in Europe. In Switzerland we are
the one provided by ETH Zurich ourselves. It provides much more highly specialised; there is no mass pro-
accurate data and takes less time than if we were to character- duction. But it is also valuable to see how
ise the power semiconductor based on measurements.” large semiconductor companies operate.
And I can share this knowledge with
my students, who will later be looking
SUPPORT BY INNOSUISSE for jobs.”
• Financial support within the framework of
an ECSEL project
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