Our commitment regarding Education, Professionals & Diversity remains vital to transforming Switzerland into a leading digital nation. In 2023, we intensified our efforts to foster partnerships that enhance our educational initiatives.
Empowering Talent for the Digital Era
Since nurturing talent at every career level is an essential part to combat the ongoing shortage of skilled professionals, we have placed a strong emphasis on vocational training and development, which forms the backbone of our ICT workforce. Next to our own initiatives, our ongoing support for ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz aims to further strengthen vocational training as a primary source of skilled ICT professionals.
Fostering Innovation through Diversity
We believe diversity is a key engine of innovation. In 2023, our #herHACK initiative drew more than 450 enthusiasts across 11 events, remarkably, two-thirds of whom came from non-technical backgrounds. This initiative serves as a gateway for diverse individuals into the tech world, broadening the innovation pool and infusing the tech landscape with varied perspectives and fresh ideas.
Additionally, as a premium partner and an active member of the business advisory board for focus50plus, digitalswitzerland played an important role in advancing the platform’s mission – combating age-related stereotypes, and addressing the shortage of skilled workers through inclusive practices.
Building Digital Fluency
A cornerstone of our mission is to enhance digital skills across the board. The Boost Programme, supported by UBS, wrapped up this year, successfully equipping over 340 individuals with crucial digital competencies (you can find more in our impact report). Simultaneously, our Careers in Tech initiative aims to facilitate connections between talent seeking new opportunities and companies eager to adopt lateral hires into the tech sector. Several conducted interviews and workshops as well as the mentoring of a Bachelor’s and a Master’s thesis now form the basis for the development of a “Handbook for Companies”. The handbook is intended to support companies with advice and guidelines on the topic of lateral entry.
Swiss Digital Days 2023: Uniting Communities, Empowering Minds
Swiss Digital Days 2023 showcased the power of collaboration, bringing together digitalswitzerland, partners, cities, and cantons to amplify the digital movement nationwide. Over the course of three months, more than 140 events in 11 cities fostered connections among the population, highlighting themes of digital inclusion, AI, and future skills. The event’s Flagship formats #herHACK, NextGen, and Digital Xchange highlighted the importance of bridging the digital divide, empowering individuals from all walks of life.
Shining a light on the digital landscape
The highlight of Swiss Digital Days, the Lighthouse event at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, drew over 200 participants. With a rich program and partner activities, the event provided a networking platform and insightful pitches by key figures of the Swiss digital landscape. Highlighted by a keynote speech by a German astronaut in the planetarium, the event successfully addressed the pressing topic of artificial intelligence.
NextGen Future Skills AI Experience: Inspiring Tomorrow’s Innovators
Artificial intelligence transcends traditional learning boundaries. Over 1’000 children and young adults participated in our Future Skills AI Experience workshops to gain knowledge about AI, including its associated opportunities and risks. During the workshops, children were able to use AI to create their own images on the theme of the digital future, complementing the slogan of Swiss Digital Days 2023. The 30 most aesthetically pleasing images, as rated by the AI software Aesthetify, were exhibited and awarded prizes at the Lighthouse event.
In 2023, the Digital Health initiative strengthened its footprint and activities within Switzerland through collaboration with all healthcare stakeholders. We released the study, “A Swiss digital healthcare system: What the population thinks”, available in English, French, and German. By the end of the year, the study was viewed over 7’000 times. It spawned 2 panel discussions, caught the attention of the media and was cited in various third-party reports. Based on the results, increasing digital health literacy among the Swiss population became a key focus.
Empowering Innovation
This year, in collaboration with Swiss Healthcare Startups, digitalswitzerland launched the Digital Health Academy, connecting four innovative startups and scale-ups that empower the Swiss population to own and understand their healthcare data. Over the course of six months, participants were invited to two panel discussions, two workshops, and a bootcamp, while profiting from expertise provided by our participating members. The academy concluded with the publication of the report ”The Swiss healthcare system: entering a new digital era”, receiving over 1 ‘000 views within the first two weeks after publication.
Further, we released the Swiss Patient ecosystem map, illustrating digital solutions that improve and enhance the patient journey. At the end of 2023, the map featured 82 solutions; it is updated on a quarterly basis. Within our new “Community Talks” webinar series, we further spotlighted some of these solutions. Lastly, with the help of the Digital Health and Public Affairs committees, we actively contributed to the consultation on the Electronic Patient Record, advocating for citizen-centric healthcare solutions.
Strategic Partnerships for Ecosystem Growth
Strategic partnerships with leading organisations like Day One, Swiss Healthcare Startups, and the Swiss Health Data Space have strengthened the reach and impact of our Digital Health initiative. These partnerships help to drive us toward a more integrated, efficient, and patient-centred healthcare landscape in Switzerland.
In 2023, digitalswitzerland prioritised three key areas within infrastructure and cybersecurity: digital identity (eID), data ecosystems, and cybersecurity. These efforts are aimed towards building a stronger digital foundation for Switzerland.
Enabling a Digital Identity for Switzerland
We intensified our involvement in enabling the eID and associated trust infrastructure by collaborating with expert groups like DIDAS as well as staying in close contact with the Federal Administration’s eID team. Our proactive advocacy in legislative and technical frameworks have positioned us as a thought leader in the field. digitalswitzerland is committed to enable a digital identity and digital credentials ecosystem for Switzerland.
Facilitating Data Ecosystems in Switzerland
We have facilitated discussions on digital sovereignty, digital self-determination and the strategic use of data during crisis. We closely align our activities in this area with the Swiss Data Alliance and federal authorities. These common efforts resulted in the development of a code of conduct for trustworthy data spaces as well as collaborations with reputable international bodies such as New York’s GovLab and the International Data Space Association.
Increasing Switzerland’s Cybersecurity Resilience
Our role in increasing cybersecurity in Switzerland has expanded. We advise on foresighted policy and strategies to increase Switzerland’s cybersecurity resilience. Our national cybersecurity committee has grown to include 40 leading cybersecurity experts from a diverse set of industry sectors. digitalswitzerland co-hosted a cybersecurity seminar in Israel with the Alliance Digital Security Switzerland, thereby enabling dialogue between the Swiss and Israeli cyber ecosystems. Our cybersecurity awareness study, enabled by strong digitalswitzerland members and partners has been downloaded over 500 times and received extensive media coverage. digitalswitzerland also supported national initiatives such as the Global Cyber Conference in Zurich and promoted actionable tools such as the CyberSeal and the CyberNavi to enhance cybersecurity awareness and resilience in Switzerland.
Promoting sustainability through digital innovation was one of the core topics for digitalswitzerland in 2023, with a strong focus on biodiversity and emissions reporting.
Biodiversity Digital Academy
This year, we launched the Biodiversity Digital Academy with our startup cohort to combat one of the most pressing issues related to climate change: biodiversity loss. We selected ten leading startups from the Swiss ecosystem and paired them with experienced mentors from our network. This initiative supported and enabled the scale-up efforts of these startups.
WISER: Advancing Emissions Reporting
The team has continued to shape the Innosuisse Flagship project WISER. This collaborative project features five prestigious academic institutions and ten implementation partners from both the private and public sectors. The project’s goal is to create a unique open source digital ecosystem for accessing and verifying scope 3 emission factors and greenhouse gas (GHG) data. This initiative aims to simplify trustworthy and comparable scope 3 reporting in Switzerland. With 50% of the project completed, the WISER solution is paving the way for enhanced accessibility and accountability in environmental reporting.
Community Talks and Sustainability Lunch Bites
We hosted the first edition Sustainability Lunch Bites under the umbrella of our Community Talks webinar series, co-hosted with economiesuisse and ewz. This event provided valuable insights into recent developments in Swiss climate legislation and discussed how organisations could contribute towards achieving Swiss Climate Neutrality by 2050.
In 2023, digitalswitzerland focused on strengthening the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) community. Our flagship event took place in Bern in June, where our members discussed digital assets and the tokenization of company shares. This event filled with learnings gathered 50 participants. This event helped enhance expertise and facilitate networking within our community. Our dedicated website attracted 1,556 visits, highlighting the growing interest in DLT. Additionally, our LinkedIn group expanded to 148 members, further establishing our presence and influence in the online community.
Creating a self-sustaining community
As we move into 2024, digitalswitzerland will shift its focus towards other emerging technological themes, confident in the 4T-DLT initiative’s ability to “fly on its own”. This transition is a testament to the robust ecosystem we have nurtured, enabling the initiative to continue driving innovation independently. Revisit the initiative’s history and its milestones here.
digitalswitzerland’s Public Affairs Team initiated its 2023 agenda with a strategy workshop that defined its focus on four areas: AI, EU/Global Connectivity, eGovernment, and the Future of Work in the context of other strategic topics (see B2B).
Advancing AI and Legislative Frameworks
Activities in 2023 kicked off by supporting a postulate by Marcel Dobler, Vice President of digitalswitzerland and National Councillor, calling for the federal government to analyse Swiss law’s response to AI challenges and identify legislative gaps. This groundwork contributed to the digitalswitzerland AI discussion paper and announcement of the Swiss AI Alliance at Digital Gipfel Schweiz 2023, with preparations underway to make the Alliance operational by 2024.
Policy Engagement and New Initiatives
Across all focus areas, digitalswitzerland formed working groups to address regulatory and policy challenges through four principle-based discussion papers. These papers not only presented ideas for Switzerland’s future positioning, but also laid the groundwork for further Public Affairs activities, such as the new eGovernment programme at digitalswitzerland.
Election Year Dynamics and Broader Engagement
In 2023, federal elections were held in Switzerland. The Public Affairs team participated in policy and civil society forums, such as the Internet Governance Forum, Plateforme Tripartite and Parldigi, connecting with digitally minded parliamentarians. Three parliamentary election events held by digitalswitzerland in November addressed critical digital issues like Digital Health, Digital Sovereignty, and Cybersecurity.
Responsive and Proactive Policy Influencing
In 2023, The Public Affairs team has not only built up a proactive, forward-looking approach to digital policy, but has also been able to react to new developments in parliament in an effective, ad hoc manner. It utilised the Public Affairs Committee’s expertise to deliver policy stances on several major legislative initiatives, including the Electronic Patient Record and the new Information Security Law. In 2023, a total of nine policy statements have been submitted to the federal government and parliament, contributing to national policy discussions.
During 2023, digitalswitzerland worked diligently to expand its nationwide presence, particularly in the French and Italian-speaking regions, fostering greater engagement and outreach.
AI in Action at Locarno
In August, we hosted the “AI in Action” event at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival. Attracting 80 guests, the exclusive event provided a platform for discussing the impact and potential of AI technologies in the creative and film industries, enhancing our visibility and interaction with regional stakeholders.
Digital Competitiveness Forum in Lausanne
The Digital Competitiveness Forum, held in partnership with IMD and EPFL in November, drew 100 attendees to explore the themes of AI and Switzerland’s competitiveness. The forum also marked the release of IMD’s World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2023. Alongside this, the partners issued a white paper titled “Charting the Future”. This document and the discussions at the forum contribute to shaping the strategic direction for Switzerland’s digital landscape.
We take pride in our network, which includes 170+ members and partners, along with 500+ CXOs from various sectors within the Swiss business, political, and educational ecosystem. Additionally, our VIP events have attracted 340+ guests.
Connecting and Empowering
In 2023, digitalswitzerland hosted several high-profile events that brought together leaders from across the Swiss business, political, and educational sectors, and even garnered international interest. These gatherings, such as the WEF Breakfast & Lunch, the Swiss Digital Days Lighthouse event, and the 5th Digital Gipfel Schweiz, highlighted critical topics like digital solutions for climate change, the AI revolution, the Metaverse, and innovation trends.
Enhancing Connections Through the Community Platform
This year also saw the launch of the “Community Platform,” an exclusive hub designed to enhance interactions among our members. This platform facilitates connections, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge, providing members access to the latest research, best practices, events, and sources of inspiration.
In 2023, the Foundation worked towards fostering increased engagement from its 25+ partners within the digitalswitzerland ecosystem. This resulted in greater impact for our various private-public initiatives, underscoring the importance of bringing together diverse and complementary stakeholders from the association and the foundation. Leveraging various expertise, resources, and perspectives, we effectively addressed digital challenges and drove meaningful outcomes.
Fostering Dialogue and Addressing Public Concerns
Throughout the year, the Foundation intensified efforts to engage the public in an open dialogue about digitalisation. Through the ‘Digital Xchange’ project, we offered a platform for citizens to voice their hopes and fears regarding digital technologies. In collaboration with SRF, we organised a landmark event on Artificial Intelligence in the summer, which drew a large audience during a peak period of interest and concern about this technology. The Foundation also worked closely with the Association on several projects, including the Swiss Digital Days, where it hosted five Digital Xchange events across locations like Schwyz and Biel, capturing public feedback which helped our partners tailor their responses to the community’s needs.
Laying the groundwork for the future
Building on the ongoing efforts since 2022 towards advancing digital inclusion in Switzerland, the Foundation has been working towards the launch of the Alliance for Digital Inclusion in Switzerland, slated to happen in 2024. This new venture will foster collaboration among key stakeholders in civil society, government, and academia, focusing on e-accessibility and basic digital competences. The Alliance aims to create a cooperative space that supports Switzerland’s journey toward digital inclusivity, ensuring that digital tools and resources are accessible to all.
digitalswitzerland will focus on qualitative growth to provide substantial value to both current and prospective members. As a nation-wide initiative, strengthening our presence across the nation is paramount. Hosting four major national events is one of the measures planned for 2024: the digitalswitzerland Village in Davos, The Digital Gipfel Schweiz in Central Switzerland, engaging activities at the Locarno Film Festival, and the Digital Competitiveness Summit in Lausanne. The Swiss Digital Days movement, initiated in 2017, evolves into a self-sustaining format led by local partners, cities, and cantons, enhancing community-driven innovation. While pushing forward our current programmes and initiatives, we must also adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape. New initiatives include the official launch of the AI Alliance and a strategic partnership with the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne to make digitalisation more accessible, reinforcing Switzerland’s position as a leader in innovation and digital transformation. This approach aligns with our current strategy, aiming at impact in society in clearly defined areas of action.
Annual Report 2023 
