High demand for new Innosuisse promotion initiatives
Swiss SMEs have submitted 224 projects for “Innovation Capabilities Switzerland” and 33 consortia are involved in the “Flagship” operation
The launch of the two Innosuisse promotion initiatives launched at the beginning of 2021 was very successful. Within the framework of the impulse program “Swiss innovation capacity”, together with research institutes, SMEs have already submitted 224 innovation projects.
With the Flagship initiative, after an initial evaluation Innosuisse recommended that 33 consortia submit a complete application by mid-August. Innosuisse’s regular promotion activities continue in parallel at a high level.
The promotion agency Innosuisse has a positive balance sheet
Satisfaction of Director Annalise Eggimann
Annalise Eggimann, Director of Innosuisse, is pleased with the launch of the two promotion initiatives: “Swiss companies continue to innovate, even in times of crisis – something we observed last year. I am pleased to see that this willingness to innovate is also present this year.
She emphasizes that there is also an urgent need for this, as she believes that the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has considerably accelerated the need for structural changes and especially for the digitization of the economy.
Innosuisse and the SNSF will strengthen their collaboration
Positive interim results after only six months
It took only six months to see that the impulse program meets a great need of Swiss companies. With this program, the Federal Council intends to specifically stimulate science-based innovation projects carried out by SMEs with up to 500 full-time positions in times of pandemic from COVID-19.
In the first half of 2021, the Innovation Council of Innosuisse approved 72 innovation projects from the impulse program for a total of 33.1 million Swiss francs.
Particularly popular so far has been the first special measure, which provides for a reduction in the SME’s own contribution as an implementing partner from 50% to 30% and possible exemption from paying the cash contribution.
Innosuisse is promoting the development of a “Sharing Potential Accelerator” in the field of social sciences and business management, for example, which uses analyses to identify individual objects that are temporarily unused and then seeks to rent them out.
The “VocalHUM” project in the ICT sector is developing an intelligent system that improves communication between caregivers and bedridden patients by increasing their language intelligibility in real time.
Switzerland will have an ad hoc ambassador for… science
226 million Swiss francs reserved for the entire project
The second measure has been less popular so far. With this measure, Innosuisse aims to promote innovation projects of SMEs that are dealing with pandemic-related structural changes or that have the potential for disruptive or radical innovations. In addition, these innovation projects should require the expert knowledge of a specialized third-party provider.
More flexibility in promoting Swiss innovation
Maximizing the potential of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines
In the Life Sciences area, Innosuisse has, for example, approved a project to maximize the potential of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines by developing a new vaccine vector to improve efficacy, stability, and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation projects can be submitted under the Pulse Program until the end of 2022. A total of 226 million has been reserved for the promotion of the impulse program.
Switzerland will focus on strengthening competence in SMEs
As many as 78 pre-applications for Flagship projects submitted
The Flagship initiative is also generating a lot of interest. Innosuisse created this program in January 2021 to boost systemic innovations in view of Switzerland’s current economic and social challenges.
In the first call, 43 pre-applications were submitted for the thematic focus “Addressing the acceleration of the digital transformation induced by COVID-19” and 35 for the thematic focus “Improving resilience and sustainability and reducing the vulnerability of society, infrastructure and processes” (details in the factsheet graphic).
After an initial evaluation, the Innovation Council recommended that 33 consortia submit a full application by August 13, 2021. A final decision will be made in early October. The first Flagships can then be launched.
Switzerland is the country with the greatest capacity for innovation
Regular promotion activity is on track
Innosuisse’s regular promotion activity also continues at an excellent level in the first half of 2021.
The current figures for national and international innovation projects, the start-up coaching program and the mentoring offer can be found in the factsheet.
impulse programme Swiss Innovation Power
Impulsprogramm Innovationskraft Schweiz
Programme d’impulsion Force d’innovation Suisse
Programma d’impulso Capacità d’innovazione Svizzera
