Q&A Session for Digital Day Partners

We are excited to announce that in 2021 we will host Digital Day for the 5th year in a row. It will take place on 10 November with a variety of events both in the digital and physical space.

Since digitalisation is such a multifaceted topic that can’t be possibly covered in a single day, we have decided to use the 6 weeks leading up to Digital Day to foster a nationwide discourse around digital topics, focusing on two main topics, learning and co-creation of the future.

We invite you to explore past events on digitalday.swiss, the same space we will use to publish our programme highlights when the time comes.

In early March we hosted a Digital Day kickoff event with over 200 attendees interested in shaping Digital Day 2021. We revealed our concept, talked about changes we made to improve digital day to make it even more accessible and inclusive for the Swiss population and discussed ways to create an even bigger impact for everyone involved.

Are you interested in shaping this national event with global attention? We are still welcoming new partners who are ready to make an impact. Book a call with us now to see how you can get involved.

This year’s Digital Day is not until 10 November but there are plenty of opportunities to get involved starting today. We are curious to hear your answer to our guiding question – What kind of digital future do you wish for? – and welcome all of your thoughts here. 

This is one of many ways we listen to those living with the consequences of an increasingly digital world. After all, Digital Day is an event for the public created to spark the biggest, most meaningful conversation around all things digital with all citizens of Switzerland. 

For more information regarding the programme, speakers and information on last year’s event please visit digitalday.swiss. The 2021-programme will be released soon.

The NextGen Hero award category at the Digital Economy Awards honours exceptional talents under 25 years of age. These personalities show the inspirational potential of the young generation to actively shape the digital future of Switzerland.

The category was launched last year, through a collaboration between swissICT and digitalswitzlerland. One of the key elements to the NextGen Hero award is to inspire young people to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics to secure Switzerland’s role as a leading digital hub. Candidates can apply online themselves, or can be nominated. There is the choice to send a short written recommendation, or a 90-second video in German, French or English. Participation is free of charge and applications are open until July 30.

Adding further excitement to the awards celebrations this year, NextGen Hero is integrated into the Digital Economy Gala Night, with winners announced at the Hallenstadion in Zurich on 11 November 2021, as the closing event of Digital Day.

David Yenicelik, Co-Founder of SkillLab and Chloé Carrière, a Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship student at the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne and host of The Galactic Chloé Show were crowned the winners at last year’s Digital Day.

David Yenicelik

Before SkillLab, David Yenicelik was a key member of Swissloop, which made it into the top three at Elon Musk’s International Hyperloop Pod Competition twice. At SkillLab, he uses deep tech, including artificial intelligence and machine learning to benefit society. His team works to empower people to progress their careers by uncovering hidden skills. We asked David how the company is continuing to innovate and about changes to the digital landscape.

“The rapid digitization of society triggers tectonic shifts in labour markets. An inclusive economic recovery is crucial to empower people to acquire digital skills and find new pathways to employment.”

For David, this mission pushes SkillLab to connect people to the training and education that closes their personal skill gap to a job. He concludes that the Digital Economy Award accelerates such projects at large, not only as a quick and scalable response to the novel environment created through pandemic, but also to societal issues at large long thereafter.

Chloé Carrière

It has been another year of pushing boundaries for Chloé Carrière. Describing herself as a ‘space leader’, Chloé combines her passion for astronomy and incorporates multiple disciplines and science formats, such as physics, ICT and maths into engaging activities that make science accessible.

In her opinion, digital trends challenge us to innovate and develop new opportunities. With the Galactic Chloé Show, she wishes to welcome more guests from the scientific community and develop her journalistic skills. Chloé has also been busy with new innovations since winning last November.

“We will propose a new virtual SciComm tool to be presented at the Japanese Olympic Games and the Dubai Universal Exposition. We are very excited to present this new digital project to the world!”

Chloé is also the creator of the EPFL student association Space@yourService, which is currently working on ‘Mission Asclepios’, a simulated analogue student-led space mission on another celestial body, due to take place this summer. Chloé wishes to be one of the first women to step on the moon and to contribute to the future of space exploration.

The task of choosing the NexGen Heroes is no mean feat and the awards rely on the expertise of jury members who spot the considerable achievements and unique contributions of nominees. Here is a snapshot of what made Chloé and David stand out.

Danièle Castle, Senior Director Education & Skilled Workforce at digitalswitzerland was a member of the jury in 2020. She tells us what she was looking for when she evaluated entries last year.

This year, both Chloé and David will join the jury panel and have a say in who takes home the coveted prize. Who better than these two inspirational digital leaders to choose the most deserving winners of 2021? Joining Chloé, and David on the jury is Chair, Dominik Grolimund, serial entrepreneur and board member of swissICT, Ulrike Liebert, Head of the swissICT Smart Generations Expert Group and Kathrin Theurillat, Director Education & Skilled Workforce digitalswitzerland.

All that’s left to do now is to help us find this year’s NextGen Heroes. Submit an entry here and shine a light on the young people who are paving the way for Switzerland’s digital future.

If you are interested in the other award categories, read this blog for a brief overview. And if you still have questions, take the opportunity to get expert advice on your Digital Economy Award application for free. Book your 15-minute, no-obligation consultation with Christian Hunziker, Managing Director of swissICT and Head of the Jury Process at the Digital Economy Award.

You can also sign up to the next swissICT application webinar briefing on 26 May on how to prepare the best application possible. We wish all applicants the very best of luck!

Do you know a Swiss company pushing the boundaries of digital innovation? Is there a digitally mature company that deserves global recognition for its outstanding achievements? Help us find this year’s most deserving winners and nominate until 23 June. 

The Digital Economy Award honours and celebrates the most digitally mature companies in Switzerland and the most innovative digital projects. The awards have been highly influential in the future development of awarded organisations.

Simon Dössegger is CEO of Modum, the proud winners of the 2018 Digital Innovation of the Year Award. Simon explains what the significance of the award win meant for Modum and its employees.

In total, more than 40 jurors will examine the ideas, projects and companies at the Digital Economy Award. In each category,  specialists are involved in the analysis and evaluation of the entries. A jury president chairs the group of experts for each category. Lukas Bär, Jury President of Digital Innovation is looking forward to nominations in his category.

Our jury of prominent experts from the digital economy will judge ICT projects, disruptive ideas, IT competence, and digital maturity in the five following categories.

This category is all about the near-global future. What are the most groundbreaking, disruptive projects and startups still in their formative stages? The most promising digital approaches are sought out in a year-round scouting process.

Companies compete for the swissICT certificate in one or more of the six subject areas. The subject areas of the certificates are: data, innovation management, customer experience, corporate and leadership culture, process automation, ICT. The subject group representatives determine who will be awarded the corresponding certificate. The best candidates are then nominated for the award. 

Honours the most innovative digital project in Switzerland. Project managers from both ICT providers and users send their best projects and products of the year into the race for the title.

The jury feels the digital pulse of companies in the categories “SME,” “Large Enterprise,” and “Gov & NPO.” It honours companies and organisations that have made particular digital maturity progress and therefore significantly increased their competitiveness.

This award category honours personalities under 25 years of age. They represent the potential of the young generation to actively shape the digital future of Switzerland. We asked David Yenicelik, Co-Founder of SkillLab and one of the two NextGen Hero award winners at The Digital Economy Award 2020, how his company is continuing to innovate in the current landscape?

The submission period will start slightly later for NextGen Hero and commence 5 May 2021 and run until 30 July. Find out more here.

In the category The Next Global Hot Thing, an application isn’t possible. Instead, seven scouting partners put forward their best candidates into the race. Companies and start-ups that participate in a programme, or offer provided by the scouting partners have a chance to win at the awards. The scouting partners are from the following organisations:

CV Labs, ETH Zurich – Entrepreneurship, Fachhochschule Graubünden, Impact Hub Zurich, The Swiss ICT Investor Club, Trust Square and Universität St. Gallen – Startup@HSG.

The Award Gala Night will take place at the Hallenstadion in Zurich on 11 November 2021, as the closing event of the Swiss Digital Day.

In this webinar on 5 May 2021, you will get an entry guide if you are interested in submitting a project for the Digital Economy Award. You will hear essential information per category, explained compactly by Christian Hunziker, managing director of swissICT and head of the jury process at the Digital Economy Award.

We very much look forward to your participation. Visit the Digital Economy Award website where you will find the latest news, newsletter sign up and awards information.

Be an integral part of this year’s Digital Day by co-creating it with our members, partners and the Digital Day team. We are looking to fill the following two roles:

• Project Management Digital Day 80%
• Intern Digital Day 80%

Incoming applications will be considered on an ongoing basis until end of March 2021. We look forward to receiving your application as soon as possible.

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For the organizers of the Digital Days, inertia would be fatal for Switzerland as a center of innovation. Since the digitalization push intensified by Corona, there is an even greater need for action.

We look back on a successful kick-off, where more than 200 people (former and new potential partners) signed in from all over Switzerland, representing academia, corporates, NGOs, politics, SMEs, schools, associations and many more! It is true proof that Digital Day is more important than ever and that together we are stronger and can really go along with the population with regards to digitalisation.

All participants got the opportunity to receive first-hand information of the new concept planned for this year’s Digital Day, happening on 10 November. 

Have you missed the kick-off event but are interested to shape Digital Day and its pre-phase? Have a look at the handout of the presentation and book a call with one of our account managers to see how you can get involved. 

Get inspired by our highlight video from last year’s event where, despite difficult times, we were able to mobilise a big part of Switzerland, together with over 100 partners. 

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