Political Monitoring

digitalswitzerland provides comprehensive monitoring of digital policy at federal and cantonal level. We regularly publish an outlook and review of the sessions of the national parliament. The publications are available in the national languages German and French.

Do you have a question or concern regarding the digital policy landscape in Switzerland? The team is available for an exchange. Contact us!

Recent outlooks and reviews of the session

Review of the Autumn Session 2023

Read the review in German (National Council)
Read the review in German (Council of States)
Read the review in French (National Council)
Read the review in French (Council of States)

Outlook for the Autumn Session 2023

Read the review in German (National Council)
Read the review in German (Council of States)
Read the review in French (National Council)
Read the review in French (Council of States)

Review of the Summer Session 2023

Read the review in German (National Council)
Read the review in German (Council of States)
Read the review in French (National Council)
Read the review in French (Council of States)

Outlook for the Summer Session 2023
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Read the review in French
Additional Digital Policy Items in the National Council in German and French
Additional Digital Policy Items in the Council of States in German and French

Review of the Special Session 2023
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Additional Digital Policy Items in German and French

Outlook for the Special Session 2023
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Read the review in French
Additional Digital Policy Items in German and French

Review of the Spring Session 2023
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Additional Digital Policy Items in German and French

Outlook for the Spring Session 2023
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Read the review in French

Outlook for the Winter Session 2022
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Outlook for the Autumn Session 2022
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Outlook for the Summer Session 2022
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Review of the Special Session 2022
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Outlook for the Special Session 2022
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Review of the Spring Session 2022
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Outlook for the Spring Session 2022
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Review of the Winter Session 2021
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Outlook of the Winter Session 2021
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Read the review in French

Review of the Autumn Session 2021
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Read the review in French

Outlook for the Autumn Session 2021
Read the review in German
Read the review in French

Review of the Summer Session 2021
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Read the review in French

Review of the the Special Session 2021
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Review of the Spring Session 2021
Read the review

First conducted in Switzerland in 2020

8 out of 10 SMEs entrust their digital infrastructures to external IT service providers and also seek advice from them in the area of cybersecurity. However, there is hardly any progress in the implementation of measures to protect against cybercrime. The results of the latest study on digitalisation and cybersecurity in SMEs make it clear: the more companies identify themselves as digital pioneers, the more often they implement technical and organisational measures to strengthen cybersecurity in their company. However, while in previous years around one fifth of the SMEs surveyed always saw themselves as digital pioneers, in 2023 this figure is only around one tenth.

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Swiss Mobiliar Insurance Company Ltd, digitalswitzerland, Allianz Digitale Sicherheit Schweiz, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW – Digital Transformation Competence Centre and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW.

Published 21 June 2021

As in other sectors, digitalisation and the ageing of society will be drivers for the decline in labour market supply. The ageing of society means that an increasingly large proportion of the population will no longer be available as a workforce. The overarching goal of the study is to capture the skilled labour potential of the 58 – 70 age cohort in ICT and the opportunities to activate that group.

First conducted in Switzerland in 2015; annually updated.

digitalswitzerland supports the annual Swiss Software Industry Survey (SSIS), the largest study in all of Switzerland to examine the industry’s key performance indicators, which is carried out by the Institute of Information Systems at the University of Bern. The SSIS is a long-term survey and provides information on the latest situation, the newest trends and long-term developments in the Swiss software industry.

The complete study results since 2015 until today:

First conducted in Switzerland in 2010; updated every two years.

The number of people working in information and communication technology (ICT) in Switzerland is growing at twice the rate of the overall economy. Every two years, ICT Vocational Training Switzerland, a subsidiary association of digitalswitzerland, considers how many ICT specialists the country will need in the coming eight years.

The complete study results since 2010 until today (only available in German):

First conducted in Switzerland in 2019

From 25 January to 15 February 2019, the market and social research institute gfs-zürich asked one thousand adults in German-speaking and western Switzerland about online security.

The survey shows that about one million people in Switzerland have already been affected by an attack via the Internet. These attacks resulted in financial damage, needed time and expense to put them right or had a stressful emotional impact. Nonetheless, more than half of those affected believe they are sufficiently well informed to be able to protect themselves against such attacks. This conflicting view, at odds with the reality of the damage caused, shows just how important comprehensive awareness-raising activities are.

First conducted in Switzerland in 2017.

More than a third of all Swiss SMEs are affected by cyber-attacks. Most, however, still feel they are well to very well protected, and only 4% of SMEs’ CEOs consider a cyber-attack a significant or very significant risk to their livelihood. These disturbing findings are from the representative survey carried out by market and social research institute gfs-zürich. Trade associations and the government are being pressed to take action to counteract this nonchalance towards cyber-attacks.

First conducted in Switzerland in 2015.

The study shows that job-seeking IT professionals aged 45 and over are well qualified overall. The fact that job market opportunities fall as applicants get older could be related to recruiting filters. There is a lack of transparency in the IT industry due to the lack of a single language for describing capabilities and requirements. The study proposes specific measures to promote opportunities on the labour market for Swiss IT professionals. The measures and recommendations are aimed at applicants/employees, employers and industry associations, educational institutions as well as politicians and administrators.

An overview of the recent statements, written by ICTswitzerland, can be found here.

5 August 2020 | VREG

Statement on the revision of the regulation on the return, take-back and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment (VREG)

13 March 2020 | BVG/LPP

Statement in response to the proposal by the Federal Council to reform occupational pensions (BVG/LPP) – “We need to find a sensible middle course that does not combine the 1st and 2nd pillars”

26 February 2020 | 16.438-n-Pa.Iv

Statement on parl. Initiative 16.438 “Appropriate remuneration and a stop to wage excesses at federal and quasi-federal companies”.

20 September 2019 | Message on Culture

Statement on the Message on the Promotion of Culture in the Years 2021-2024 (Message on Culture)

28 June 2019 | Blockchain DLT

Statement on Federal law to developments in distributed ledger technology

15 April 2019 | E-Voting

Statement on the transition of electronic voting into regular operation

26 March 2019 |International Taxation: Opinion on the OECD Consultation

ICTswitzerland supports the opinion of economiesuisse on the OECD consultation “Addressing the Tax Challenges of Digitalisation” of 6 March 2019.

You can find further information and opinions here: economiesuisse.ch

14 September 2018 | Taxation of the Digital Economy

ICTswitzerland recognises the need for a debate on taxation in the digital age. However, it rejects quick fixes and unilateral special solutions at all costs. This is a complex issue with wide-reaching consequences. Therefore, there is a need for extensive international dialogue and a solution needs to be found at a multilateral level.

ICTswitzerland intends to contribute the following considerations to the discussion on the topic:

• The tax debate does not only affect the IT sector. Special taxes should be rejected in the interests of the economy as a whole. The so-called “Internet giants” frequently come under criticism during debates about tax. The current challenges faced regarding tax are merely accentuated in this situation; they actually affect the economy as a whole – after all, from manufacturing, to pharmaceuticals and banking, all companies are digitalising their business models. The economy cannot be separated into “digital” and “non-digital” companies. Special taxes damage innovation across the entire economy.
• Quick fixes and special solutions must be rejected. The issue is complicated and the consequences are too opaque and wide-ranging for experiments. We need a multi-lateral and carefully thought out approach within the framework of the work being carried out by the OECD and Post-BEPS. The “Digital Service Tax” interim solution proposed by the EU Commission, however, is completely outside of the current international tax system. It is levied on revenues (3%) and focuses on certain services and companies. This means double taxation and legal uncertainty is inevitable for companies. There is also uncertainty over who will ultimately have to cough up for the digital tax. Large companies will probably attempt to pass on the costs to their customers, while smaller firms in competitive markets will likely have to bear the additional costs themselves.
• Changing from tax on profits to tax on revenues is a radical paradigm shift – and is not in Switzerland’s interests. While large, populous countries will benefit from such a change, small, export-focused countries such as Switzerland will suffer. Switzerland needs to join up with similar countries in order to represent their interests. Companies should continue to pay tax in the place where the added value is generated.
• New approaches, such as “digital establishments” have to be examined in depth and rolled out on a global basis. Value creation processes have fundamentally changed as a result of digitalisation. The tax system has to be adapted to the realities of the 21st century. In this regard, the question of profit distribution and the definition of value-creating factors are key and have to be addressed as a priority. It is only then that approaches such as “virtual establishments” (significant digital presence in addition to a physical presence) can be examined in detail. New models have to be rolled out in a standardised way on a global basis so as to avoid the risk of double taxation.
• Avoiding double taxation is essential for Switzerland. In terms of the new EU regulations, the impact on Swiss companies is significant: Can revenue taxes levied in the EU be deducted from taxable profits in Switzerland? How can double taxation otherwise be avoided? These challenges are being actively addressed by the federal administration and in cooperation with the industry.
• In terms of value-added tax, Switzerland must make improvements when it comes to enforcement. In principle, Switzerland has a modern VAT regime. However, there are problems in implementing it, as many foreign companies are currently able to avoid their VAT obligations. It is not only Switzerland where this is a problem: at the end of 2017, the EU decided to introduce stricter requirements for online platforms to collect VAT and to make them liable in this respect. Switzerland must also be more consistent when it comes to implementing VAT obligations for foreign traders and service providers.
• Digitalisation and the resulting growth cannot be stifled. Digitalisation is a key driver for economic growth. That is why discussions on taxation should promote, and in no way stifle, investment in new business models, new companies and international trade.

3 December 2018 | New working time models: smarter, not harder

ICTswitzerland, the umbrella organisation for the digital economy, is calling for a targeted modernisation of employment law. There is currently a wide gulf between contemporary working practices and the legislation governing them. In future, people must be able to work more flexibly, not for longer. In this respect, ICTswitzerland responded to the consultation period held by the Council of States Committee for Economic Affairs and Taxes with regard to making employment law somewhat more flexible.

10 July 2017 | Digital test by ICTswitzerland – excessive special legislation is harming the digital economy

ICTswitzerland, the umbrella organisation for the ICT industry, has put the regulatory framework conditions in Switzerland to a “digital test” at the request of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). In the concluding expert opinion to SECO, ICTswitzerland identified an urgent need for action in the areas of electronic ID, the framework conditions for handling of data, and the proposals for expanding digital infrastructure. The members of the ICT umbrella organisation see the greatest obstacles to the digital transformation in the numerous political demands for new rules and regulations and excessive special legislation.

29 May 2017 | E-ID

ICTswitzerland is calling for a rapid, nationwide introduction of a government-recognised electronic identity

As part of the recently concluded consultation on the e-ID law, ICTswitzerland is supporting the federal government’s objective of putting in place the legal and organisational framework conditions required for the introduction of a government-recognised electronic identity for private individuals. An electronic identity forms the basis for many digital applications, whether private or government-related, from online shopping through to e-banking and e-voting. If Switzerland does not want to miss the digitalisation boat, it is high time to quickly push forward with the Swiss e-ID.

All Swiss citizens should be able to identify themselves electronically on the Internet with the same degree of validity as a passport or ID card in the physical world. To achieve this overarching goal, the ICT sector believes that the following core strategic values are required when drafting a new e-ID law:

• Nationwide introduction: All residents of Switzerland should have the opportunity to obtain a recognised and secure e-ID. Exclusion criteria, such as restricting it to Swiss citizens, higher costs for users or it being complicated to use, should be avoided wherever possible. To introduce an e-ID nationwide, interoperability between various solutions and services must be ensured.
• Quick introduction: After many years of political debate, it is now finally necessary to have a clear legal framework, which will allow the e-ID to be introduced quickly.
• Sensible mandatory applications for the e-ID: The government-recognised e-ID should be mandatory when dealing with authorities and be accepted on equal terms to an identity card or passport. In general, for all identification and authentication processes that require a passport and/or ID card, the e-ID must have equal recognition.

However, should the government be responsible for issuing the e-ID or should this be delegated to private companies? It is not only in our association that there are disputes over which concept for a Swiss e-ID would be the most successful. For this reason, ICTswitzerland has opted not to issue a response to the consultation and instead refers to the opinions issued by its members.

5 March 2017 |DSG

Opinion on the preliminary draft of the Federal Act on the Total Revision of the Data Protection Act (VE-DSG)

Further information and contact
Andreas W. Kaelin Deputy Managing Director digitalswitzerland andreas@digitalswitzerland.com

Meet 11 of the 100 Digital Shapers of 2020 through short interviews.

You were heavily involved in the new laboratory for experimental museology (eM+) at EPFL. What is your mission there?

I established the laboratory in 2017 as a transdisciplinary initiative at the intersection of immersive visualisation technologies, aesthetics and cultural (big) data. eM+ occupies a large warehouse as part of EPFL. We build uniquely configured fully-immersive systems that are benchmarks in the realms of virtual, augmented and mixed realities for the arts, humanities and sciences. We have a number of major platforms including a 6m diametre fulldome and a 10m diametre x 4m high panoramic screen. All systems are stereo-enabled with spatial sound. The applications we develop derive from the research we conduct and are deployed in major exhibitions and installations throughout the world.

As museums and physical spaces continue to adapt their traditional roles, what are you most excited about for museology in 2020 and beyond?

2020 has been a defining moment in the development of museums. While under significant stress right now, Covid-19 has led to renewed commitment to innovation, collaboration and accessibility among museums. The pandemic has highlighted the fundamental importance of our diverse audiences. I believe we are now entering a new age where the voice of the visitor will define the future of engagement!

Many would argue that the emphasis on the digital for the arts and cultural sector has never been more important. There are ~95,000 museums in the world according to the latest ICOM/UNESCO figures, a 60% increase on 2012. When audiences return to the physical space of museums, they will have changed appetites and will want to participate in the cultural sphere in new ways. 

What is your favourite exhibition that you have ever curated?

My favourite is always the one I’m building now! There are two exhibitions for 2021 that are very important to me:

Deep Fakes? Art & its Double was conceived before the pandemic but it certainly feels like the exhibition for our time with its emphasis on new digital technologies and experiences of world art. 

The Atlas of Maritime Buddhism is the culmination of 5 years of research in 12 countries across Asia to tell the previously untold story of the spread of Buddhism from India to China from 2nd C BCE to 14th CE.

«When audiences return to the physical space of museums, they will have changed appetites and will want to participate in the cultural sphere in new ways.»

You successfully build bridges between Switzerland, Europe and the US. Can you tell a bit more about your approach at DART Labs and how you do this?

We incubate and invest in early-stage Swiss and European technology startups. We have an office in Zurich, led by my co-founder Arijana Walcott and an office in San Francisco, where I’m based. Next to the financial investment, we help the startups test and enter the US market and scale internationally.

What is the biggest opportunity for growth of Swiss startups right now?

Switzerland is often listed as the most innovative country in the world. We have excellent universities, conduct high-quality research, development and money. It’s all there, but the talents lack access to larger markets, industry players and bold investors to really grow the companies. We can offer them a fast-track with our local Bay Area and international network. Especially in times where nobody can travel, startups need a ‘warm’ introduction. Otherwise, where would you even start?

We see the opportunity for the entire Swiss ecosystem. Today’s internet giants are coming from the US and China. If the Swiss don’t want to just stay technology providers and users, but play an active role, we have to think big. On the other hand, we have in Switzerland and in Europe a much higher awareness around questions of quality, sustainability, ethics and privacy. We want these approaches to win.

Your goal is to humanise technology, but also to humanise venture capital. What are the biggest challenges in this area?

The pandemic and the current fires on the US West Coast show how fragile and closely linked humans and our planet are. When we say we invest in teams that build technologies for a more human future, we mean: technologies that improve the way we live, learn, work and treat our environment. Our current investments are in health-tech, education-tech, XR and sustainable materials.

I shiver when I hear venture capitalists talk about “deploying capital” – that sounds and is passive. We’re often among the very first investors. We’re hands-on and see ourselves as an extension of a startup team helping them grow. Additionally, we continue to explore new models in order to make our investment process ever more participatory and democratic.

«We can offer startups a fast-track with our local Bay Area and international network. Especially in times where nobody can travel, startups need a ‘warm’ introduction. Otherwise, where would you even start?»

For those new to checkout.com. Can you explain this technology?

We help innovative global brands like Grab, Revolut, Careem, Glovo, Robinhood, Farfetch, Klarna and Remitly manage their digital payments – empowering them with tailored solutions that allow them to drive more value and better customer experiences, starting with their payments.

Your sales figures have rocketed since the Covid-19 pandemic. How are you keeping pace with this transformation?

The societal shift from offline to online commerce has accelerated, fuelling ongoing business growth. With an exclusive focus on online payments, global lockdowns have further accelerated Checkout.com’s growth as businesses have rapidly pivoted online. In fact, the number of online transactions on Checkout.com’s platform has increased by 250% this year. We’ve built a technical architecture that enables pioneers to reinvent industries and redefine their relationship with consumers. Now more than ever, we are confident in our mission to build the connected payments that businesses deserve.

Checkout.com is now processing payments in over 150 currencies. What’s next for 2021 and beyond?

Building on the success of the past few years, we will continue our mission of building banking services that businesses deserve. We know that the way money moves in and out of businesses is rapidly changing and our focus is on working with merchants to solve financial complexities, starting with digital payments. By doing so, businesses can unlock innovation and crucial revenue. We believe that the future is one of more connected finance and it all starts with payments. That’s our focus for 2021.

«The societal shift from offline to online commerce has accelerated, fuelling ongoing business growth…Checkout.com has seen a 250% increase in online transactions.»

Liip organises itself to the organisational system of Holacracy. Why do you follow this model and how does it impact your company and employees?

Holacracy was the next logical step after having agile development and open source in our DNA for 10 years. After having flat hierarchies and exponential growth in employees, we started to look for another organisation system which makes Liip efficient to the markets and employers needs. That’s why Holacracy was the way to go. The impact is that we are closer to the market’s needs and employees are getting the responsibility and the accountability needed to decide what’s best in their roles. It makes us successful in so many ways – our way to the future of digital progress.

Tell us more about how you have transformed your business digitally?

Digital transformation into a new organisation system was a challenge, especially as the system was brand new. After reading Frédéric Laloux’s book about “Reinventing Organisations”, and researching the best way to represent the trinity of sustainability, we decided to go with holacracy. We had training and some consultancy support in the beginning, but it was a challenge to change the mindset first. To give up power to enable change and the employees on one side, and to take on leadership everywhere in the company on the other side. Within a year we had a solid new organisational structure where all the employees constantly get trained and develop.

What future work trends are you excited about or planning for 2021 and beyond?

We are working on an evolved salary system. The one we have is transparent in all sorts of ways already but there are always ways to make improvements. Furthermore, digital transformation and change management rose to the next level during the Covid-19 crisis. That’s why we’re constantly working on digital HR and digitalisation processes.

«After having flat hierarchies and exponential growth in employees, we started to look for another organisation system which makes Liip efficient to the markets and employers needs. That’s why Holacracy was the way to go.»

How are you feeling right now about Switzerland’s response to Covid-19?

In general, we have taken a programatic approach and have had success with it. On the other hand, the situation is fragile, and may go out of control in some places. But ever the optimist, I hope we’ll continue to manage reasonably well, with innovative solutions, adjusted to local situations.

How satisfied are you with the number of Swiss-Covid app users and what did the test phase reveal?

I am happy with how it started. Now I hope more people will see the benefit of the app, and participate in the system. Switzerland has played a key role in the development of privacy-preserving apps around the world, and we’re also the first to provide epidemiological evidence that it works.

How do you think the winter period will affect Covid-19 cases in Switzerland and across Europe?

In general, it’s very difficult to predict what’s going to happen, because so much depends on how we as a society respond, and how well the testing and contact tracing works. Social distancing and other preventive measures may keep the numbers of all respiratory diseases low, not just of Covid-19, and thus we may continue to focus on the latter. And there may be very positive developments with respect to vaccines and treatments, but it’s impossible to predict exactly when that will happen. I’m hopeful for good news in that regard in the coming weeks and months.”

«Switzerland has played a key role in the development of privacy-preserving apps around the world, and we’re also the first to provide epidemiological evidence that it works.»

The cutting-edge technology you are working on provides high quality results much faster than current techniques in the area of in-situ tissue analytics for cancer research. Can you tell us a bit more?

We’re in the field of tissue analytics, so when a biopsy is performed or we are getting a tissue sample from a human body, we analyse that with biomarkers. Every biomarker is a piece of information on your tissue. It helps to understand how the cancer is evolving or what kind of treatment you could benefit from. We’re developing the instruments, the automation that allow us to make this kind of research in a much faster and precise manner. There’s more and more data so we’re bringing a solution that allows us to first extract all this information and to be able to analyse it through digitalization. 

As technology and digital tools continue to advance at a rapid pace, what are you most excited for in the near future?

It’s very exciting to be able to get more and more information and go towards what we call personalised medicine. To be able to use tools for automating and analysing samples in a more efficient manner. The more data you have from each sample, the more you will be able to have a personalised treatment. Not having one solution for all. Using this data to improve our lives in general, and in this particular case, in treatment of cancer is very exciting. 

You have created a number of exciting products at Lunaphore. What one are you most proud of to date and are there any challenges or blockers to new advances?

I’m very excited about the upcoming product in the pipeline and very proud that although we are not yet on the market with this new product, we already have a huge interest from the potential customers. It’s great to see that what you are building is of interest for users, especially in the field of cancer research. Being able to bring a solution of sample-in data-out is what we’re trying to build in this upcoming product. That’s going to be a great advancement that we can bring to the market. There are, of course, always some challenges linked to it. We are developing innovative products. When innovating, you can be disruptive in a good sense but not be too disruptive, especially when we talk about the diagnostics field. You have to be sure that you have the right timing and not be too early, otherwise people will not be able to see what value you are bringing.

«I think it’s very exciting to be able to get more and more information and in my field to go towards what we call personalised medicine. Not having one solution for all but being able to bring something personalised.»

What is The Futurae Authentication Suite?

At Futurae we secure online services of businesses, be it on the web or mobile. The platform offers flexibility to design secure logins and seamless user interactions. Customers can combine secure and modular authentication and transaction confirmation methods, like novel adaptive or passwordless authentication, anomaly and fraud detection with more traditional software and hardware-based security. Users demand secure logins that always work. This is what the Futurae Authentication Suite offers to its customers.

Cyber security is becoming increasingly important as digitization continues to accelerate. What simple steps can we take to stay safe?

As a company, cloud deployments and subscription-based models offer faster and easier adoption of cyber security products, increasing the speed to address evolving cyber threats. As a user, it’s crucial to have a basic privacy and security hygiene: long and different passwords per login (password managers), keep software up-to-date (also smartphones), and be diligent with information you share. Thinking that you are not an interesting target to cyber criminals is shortsighted. Our online presence is a trove of information that can be used to steal money directly, or indirectly.

User journey or safety? What’s more important?

Balancing the two is the core of the Futurae mission. Businesses expect the highest security, while consumers are impatient and leave a service behind because of bad user journeys. This is where Futurae helps customers in highly regulated markets, enabling customised user onboarding and login flows for very different types of users or applications. The Futurae Authentication Platform enables customers to implement secure and effortless solutions, so they can focus on what they do best: offering a great service to their customers.

«Thinking that you are not an interesting target to cyber criminals is shortsighted. Our online presence is a trove of information that can be used to steal money directly, or indirectly.»

TOSA buses would save 25,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, or 10 million litres of diesel. Tell us more…

If in Geneva city you replaced all of the existing buses, the diesel ones, you would end up with the savings we are speaking about. By increasing electricity consumption by 1.8%, it’s a very good balance between using more electricity but reducing the CO₂ emissions and diesel consumption. This technology enables us to deploy clean mobility within cities. TOSA buses have helped to show the public-private partnership. This technology has been implemented in France, Australia, India and soon China. It’s one of the projects that enabled the market transformation. Moving from diesel technology, hybrid technology to electrical technology.

Tell us more about the hydrogen-based industry opportunities that Switzerland can benefit from?

We’re working in the Swiss-French part of Switzerland on a project named GOH! (Generation of Hydrogen) similar to TOSA, putting partners together who will produce, distribute green hydrogen and use it for sustainable mobility. It will be produced by SIG, distributed in a Migrol station and used by Migros to transport goods. That’s a 40 ton truck with green hydrogen technology developed by GreenGT. Nomads Foundation develops an agile method to upskill the workforce to be ready for hydrogen technologies. What’s fascinating about hydrogen is independence. You can produce, store and use it locally. Since we don’t have oil, gas or the material that’s part of electrical batteries, it’s very important. It’s the energy of the 21st century. It’s also a unique opportunity to develop green jobs. Since the market is developing, as soon as you’re a part of it with the right approach and the right technology, you can take a significant share.

You have said in the past that change does not scare you. How can you help people to adopt the same view?

Change is part of humanity, part of history but it’s accelerating. The best way to share passion for change, is to embark people on projects. I do this for a foundation called Nomads, where we engage people on the areas of mobility, energy, the future of jobs and the next social contract. Through projects, we need to show changes in line with the 17 sustainable goals of the United Nations. We need people to share views, share fears, to identify the difficulties and have ambitious goals. The more you anticipate and structure, the more you reduce fear. It’s a question of mindset. Not to be afraid of changes but to be a part of the changes.

«Change is part of humanity, part of history but it’s accelerating. The best way to share passion for change, is to embark people on projects.»

Tell us more about the possible privacy concerns surrounding contact tracing apps in their efforts to tackle and track Covid-19 in Europe?

There has been significant concern about what kinds of data are collected, by whom, what they are used for and for how long. Beyond the health status of a person, applications were proposed that would collect an enormous amount of other data that could reveal a lot more than what was strictly necessary for managing the pandemic.  Earlier in the pandemic we went through the big debate about centralised versus decentralised data systems. Thankfully the most privacy preserving options were adopted more widely, including here in Switzerland.

As a leading expert in the dynamic and diverse field of health data and ethics. What is your main focus of interest right now?

My main focus is on how to avoid the “either privacy or health” misguided approach that seems to be prevalent amongst many stakeholders. The Covid-19 crisis made this issue more pronounced and demonstrated how much more work we need to do in order to avoid this false binary. With this as my overarching theme, I’m focusing on several aspects of data governance, the role of independent oversight in health data projects and very specifically on a roadmap for ethical digital innovation. I also work on the ethics of Health AI and I am very involved with the World Health Organization’s effort on this issue.

You are part of the taskforce advising the Swiss Government for the tracing application. What are some of the key learnings from working on this force?

It has been a very rich learning experience. Beyond the technical knowledge I personally gained, I also had at least three important take-aways: first, it was humbling to see the commitment of so many amazing colleagues in offering their knowledge, time, experience and networks. In the midst of a crisis, this was a great reminder of the power of our humanity. Second, I was reminded that communicating complex concepts beyond your own small professional circle is an art, and not all of us are talented or trained. Caution is warranted. Third, digital public health tools like the contact tracing app are the new kid on the block. Ideally the kind of task force work we did during the crisis, should have started earlier, anticipating such scenarios and setting processes in place. This type of scientific advice to the government should be of a more permanent nature than an ad hoc one.

«Earlier on in the pandemic we went through the big debate about centralised versus decentralised data systems. Thankfully the most privacy preserving options were adopted more widely, including here in Switzerland.»

Tell us a bit about your role as President of  Women in Digital Switzerland (WDS)?

Women in Digital Switzerland is a non-profit community built on passion and purpose with some 4,000 supporters across 5 Swiss cantons. I work with the most amazing team, drawn to our shared goals to promote digital thought leadership, idea exchanges, and inspire growth and transformation.

Women are vastly underrepresented in the tech sector. How can the dial move forward on this?

The underrepresentation of women in the technology industry is a significant and enduring problem. Concerted effort is required on the part of public, private and not-for-profit actors at the institutional, group, collective and individual level. Efforts need to be developed, nurtured and sustained by both men and women to promote lasting changes in diversity and inclusion. Also, the dialogue must widen to encompass women in leadership during the 4th Industrial Revolution.

More work is needed to empower schoolgirls and young women to acquire coding skills, increasing the number of women in developer communities. Funding is required to democratise access to learning resources, professional peer exchanges, role models, and mentoring, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects along the key touchpoints of a woman’s career journey.

How can more diverse voices be heard in the digital sphere?

We’re learning from ongoing efforts, such as The World Economic Forum’s Closing the Gender Gap Accelerators that seek to create global and national public-private collaborative platforms. Studies led by McKinsey suggest that companies with large numbers of women in leadership roles have 41% higher financial returns. The European Commission found that greater inclusion of women in technology could increase the EU’s GDP by €16 billion annually. These numbers suggest that diversity and innovation make good business sense. Creating more opportunities to expand participation of diverse groups in key visible digital speaking and project opportunities will improve equal representation.

«The European Commission found that greater inclusion of women in technology could increase the EU’s GDP by €16 billion annually. These numbers suggest that diversity and innovation make good business sense.»

What is your mission at Climeworks?

Climeworks’ vision is to inspire 1 billion people to remove carbon dioxide from the air. By providing accessible climate action, we strive to empower as many people as possible.

Tell us about your unique technology solution?

Climeworks develops, builds and operates direct air capture machines. Our machines consist of modular CO₂ collectors that can be stacked to build machines of any size. Climeworks direct air capture machines are powered solely by renewable energy or energy-from-waste. Grey emissions are below 10%, which means that out of 100 tons of carbon dioxide that our machines capture from the air, at least 90 tons are permanently removed and only up to 10 tons are re-emitted.

Our CO₂ collectors selectively capture carbon dioxide in a two-step process. First, air is drawn into a collector with a fan. Carbon dioxide is captured on the surface of a of a highly selective filter material that sits inside the collectors. Second, after the filter material is full with carbon dioxide, the collector is closed. We increase the temperature to between 80 and 100 °C – this releases the carbon dioxide. Finally, we can collect this high-purity, high concentration carbon dioxide. Direct air capture is a form of carbon dioxide removal if it is combined with storage.

In an exemplary carbon dioxide removal project, we have joined forces with Icelandic company Carbfix. We remove carbon dioxide from the air and Carbfix then mixes the carbon dioxide with water and pumps it deep underground. Through natural mineralization, the carbon dioxide reacts with the basalt rock and turns to stone within a few year.

You encourage people to be climate positive. What can each person do to make a difference?

If we want to achieve an inclusive and sustainable future, we cannot solve this alone. We believe in the power of small steps. Each and every one can find ways to include climate positivity in their everyday lives. On top of that, we offer the service of removing historic CO₂ emissions from the atmosphere. People can join us on our journey to reverse climate change by signing up to our service or by spreading the Climeworks message.

«If we want to achieve an inclusive and sustainable future, we cannot solve this alone. We believe in the power of small steps. Each and every one can find ways to include climate positivity in their everyday lives.»

The Scaleup Bootcamp provided our corporate members with high-speed access to leading national and international scaleups, which could help them to accelerate their growth and digital transformation.

At the same time, the Scaleup Bootcamps provided vital business knowledge, rich networking and business opportunities, and got scaleups access to industry leaders and established Swiss Accelerator Programmes.

What was it about?

The possibility to get high-speed access to Scaleups. We matched your company with Swiss and international Scaleups to foster unique business development opportunities, partnerships and investments that helped to scale up your business!

As a participating corporate, you engaged in a curated one-day in-person matchmaking event at the Startup Space, Schlieren. There, you met trending startups and scaleups, and drafted a business plan for how to create a winning collaboration.

Imagine you woke up one morning only to find the entire economical landscape has changed. Welcome to survival mode, a podcast that explores how entrepreneurs navigate the COVID-19 crisis. In this podcast we explore how Swiss startups find new revenue streams, enter unexpected markets and sometimes reinvent their business model entirely.

How to communicate effectively with your team in an constantly changing environment that has never been seen before.

In this episode of Survival Mode Taha Bawa, CEO & Co-founder of Goodwall the career development platform that prepares over 1.5 million young professionals to enter the working world, illustrates how he set up his startup in a fully remote way, the importance of taking decisions even if you do not have all the answers and why transparency is key in times of crisis.

«The first idea of engineering skin started in the 1970s. The idea was grea«We have to be as transparent as possible! If I told you everything is fine, I would surely be lying.»

What would you do if all of a sudden people are too afraid to use your product?

In this episode of Survival Mode Arthur Germain, CEO and Co-founder of OneDoc the biggest online booking platform for doctors in Switzerland elaborates how he built and scaled a completely new service to help their struggling customers in times of Corona.

How do you keep your startup running when your surrounding is going into hibernation mode?
In this episode of Survival Mode Nicolas Durand CEO and founder of Abionic, the most rapid diagnostic platform to detect sepsis explains how he fights to keep his startup funded during a crisis and tackle sepsis, one of the leading causes of death in the world.

«Running a startup is like a rollercoaster, you have good news and bad news almost every day.»

What would you do if 70% percent of your revenue streams disappeared overnight? In this episode of Survival Mode Viktor Calabro, founder of Europe’s largest on-demand staffing platform Coople, explains how he tackles this challenge and finds profit in previously undervalued revenue streams.

«It reminds me of the start, where every single day was a fight for survival»

Would you invest in a startup without seeing its founders in person? In this episode of Survival Mode Pascal Mathis, founding partner at Wingman Ventures, talks about how the crisis affects investors, what the ups and downs of doing business from home are, and how he assists startups going through turbulent times. Wingman is a 60 million Venture Fund for early-stage investments in Switzerland.

«A crisis is like a filter»

What do you do when your customer base increased by a factor of 10 over the weekend?

In this episode of Survival Mode Jan Rihak & Jonas Leu, Co-Founder and Biz Dev Manager from Classtime, take us on their journey on how they handle rapid growth, work with customers with limited online experience, and what the impact on education could be beyond corona. Classtime is a digital platform that makes learning more fun and inclusive for everyone. In short, it enables the same learning experience for all students in and beyond the classroom.

«Schools closed on Friday and on Monday they needed a solution! So we had to work super fast»

How do you spot opportunities in times of crisis?

In this episode of Survival Mode Aike Festini, CEO & Co-founder of Luckabox, discusses what happens when online-delivery is all the sudden the only channel available, what are the effects of COVID19 to last-mile delivery, and how could the future of retail look like. Luckabox is a premium platform for last-mile deliveries.

«91% of retail is still brick and mortar. There is a huge shift and the crisis is just accelerating this trend»

What do you do when 95% of your customers stop operating? In this episode of Survival Mode Naomi MacKenzie, Co-Founder of KITRO, explains how COVID-19 impacted the hospitality sector, financing rounds and speaks about the importance of resource efficiency and sustainability on the way forward. KITRO is a Swiss startup that simplifies food waste management. 

«People needed to see that taking things a bit slower can have a huge impact on the environment»

What do you do if you move from one crisis to another?

In this episode of Survival Mode Cyrus Fazel, CEO & Founder of SwissBorg, elaborates how the ICO and corona crisis affected the crypto & blockchain sector, how the different markets reacted to COVID-19, and what we should take out from this crisis as humanity. SwissBorg is a Swiss blockchain platform that lets you trade and manage your favorite cryptos by connecting multiple exchanges in one platform.

«The sentiments regarding smart contracts went from I love you to I hate you in a couple of months»

How do you lead a team working from home?

In this episode of Survival Mode Tobias Häckermann, CEO & Co-Founder of Sherpany, explains how going remote increased their companies transparency, how the new normal in online and offline work could look like and what accelerating effects covid19 had on leadership styles and megatrends. Sherpany is a Swiss startup that helps your company to get the most out of meetings.

«3D printing is an automation, soon we will be able to print all possible «If your employees are not active in a meeting think about the why. If it is creating value, engagement and motivation will come naturally.»

How do you sell if you cannot see your customer?

In this episode of Survival Mode Manuel Hartmann, Founder of Sales Playbook, elaborates how the crisis is affecting sales cycles, how remote sales works – even in Switzerland, and what is yet to come beyond COVID-19. Sales Playbook helps Swiss B2B startups to scale and hit their Product-Market-Fit faster.

«People think harder if they need to take a meeting in person or if there is a leaner and more efficient way»

What do you do if you just started your business right before the crisis?

In this episode of Survival Mode Silvan Krähenbühl, Host of Swisspreneur and a serial entrepreneur himself, explains how COVID-19 affected the travel and gym industry, why podcasts are a serious medium to watch and how this crisis can be a great opportunity to start something new. Swisspreneur is a leading podcast platform for Swiss entrepreneurs, from Swiss entrepreneurs.

«The society themselves will change over time and will accept and will recognise, this is not my devil, this is not my hell. This is something that ca«A crisis can be a great opportunity to start something new or bootstrap your business.»

In this weekly short-form podcast, we take you beyond the usual techie jargon, and teach you something new about the latest developments in technology with leaders from some of Switzerland’s most innovative Startups – all in around 10 minutes.

In other words, no tech-background required, your curiosity is all that’s needed!

A podcast from digitalswitzerland, hosted by Matthias Zwingli and produced by Tinka Media.

Sounds like something from a science fiction movie script? Believe us, it’s not…
Join us on a journey deep into the realms of biotech. How can you create the largest human organ? Why isn’t it possible to produce a human heart in the lab and what are the biggest challenges and opportunities in biotech? Daniela Marino, CEO of Swiss Startup Cutiss unlocks the fascinating challenges and achievements of creating human skin. 

«The first idea of engineering skin started in the 1970s. The idea was great but it didn’t fly, because it’s difficult! To produce a large amount of skin, personalised, and on-demand is a huge challenge.»

Today we dive into the fascinating world of IoT (internet of things). Matthias Rebellius, COO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure and CEO of Siemens Switzerland unpacks how smart workspaces help you to work more efficiently. What role does IoT play in smart infrastructure and how does Covid-19 affect our working environment?

This week, we speak to Diana Engetschwiler, Senior Director/Head of Public Dialogue + Digital Days at digitalswitzerland. We find out how one of Switzerland’s largest events, Swiss Digital Days, has become hybrid, what role the public play in digitalisation and what the ‘new normal’ of events looks like…

«The future of events is going to be hybrid! The combination between online and offline will stay.»

Lea von Bidder is CEO of AVA Women, a Swiss Startup with a mission to revolutionise women’s reproductive health by bringing together artificial intelligence and clinical research. She tells us about her work focusing on the relevant data points, how to make digital health actionable and who she thinks will claim the future of digital health…

«The future of healthcare will be driven by data and data analytics.»

Head of CERN openlab, Alberto di Meglio takes us on a path to explain what machine learning is actually about, what the limitations of Artificial Intelligence and big data are, and what we can expect from the future of these technologies?

«There is biased data, a machine cannot understand that data is not ethically correct.»

Olga Dubey is CEO of AgroSustain, a Swiss Food Tech that makes crops last longer. Today, she takes us on a journey of what it means to bring fresh fruit to our table, how to extend the lifetime of produce, and what the current trends are in the food industry to keep up with quality and demand.

«Consumers want high fruit quality and little food waste, which is still a challenge to combine.»

Javier Bello Ruiz is the CEO & Co-Founder of Imverse, a 3-D graphics company and spin-off from EPFL in Lausanne. He explains what the differences are between virtual reality, mixed reality and augmented reality. Where the different industries stand and what we can expect will happen in the future. Furthermore, his startup makes hologram calls possible. 

«I believe that the digital future is 3-dimensional, live, and social.»

Jan Wurzbacher is c0-CEO & Founder of Climeworks, a world leader in direct air capture technology. In this latest episode, he explains how Climeworks started to fight climate change by removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, why it’s more about saving humanity than saving our planet and what we can expect of the climate tech industry.

«Should we remove CO₂ from the air or should we stop emitting it? In my eyes, it’s not an either-or question, we have to do both!»

Patrick Griss is executive partner at Zühlke Ventures, a Swiss health tech venture investor. He elaborates on why healthcare will move from action-based to outcome-based medicine, how the consumer will become more empowered through technology, and the challenges that preventive healthcare and personalised medicine are facing.

«We are moving from action-based to outcome-based medicine, it is still in the beginning but it is a trend that will not stop!»

Martin Eichenhofer is the CEO and Co-Founder of 9T Labs, a Swiss startup that provides an all-in-one solution for digital composite production. He explains why the democratisation of manufacturing through 3D printing never took off, what the status quo and use-cases in 3D printing are and what we can expect from the future.

«3D printing is an automation, soon we will be able to print all possible materials!»

Edward Shone is Head of PR at ProtonMail, one of the biggest encrypted email services in the world. He explores the importance of personal data privacy, why the gathering of our private data and the accumulation of our digital identity will only increase and how to achieve a more privacy-friendly digital future.

«I believe data privacy is a human right and everyone should have access to it.»

Andy Fitze is the co-founder and managing director of SwissCognitive, a network of industries, organisations, enterprises and startups that discuss the opportunities, impacts and development of AI. He elaborates on why AI is a trending topic, what the international landscape looks like and what awaits us in the near future.

«The society themselves will change over time and will accept and will recognise, this is not my devil, this is not my hell. This is something that can help us to overcome some real problems of the world.»

Alberto di Meglio is Head of Cern openlab. He delves into the early beginnings of internet research at CERN that began more than 30 years ago. Why it takes time to adapt and trust in new technologies like the internet or cloud computing, and what technologies could next impact our lives.

«One of the latest trends that many companies and the research environment are studying is a new concept called confidential computing or private computing, where data is really secured end-to-end using encryption and special digitalisation.»

The digitalswitzerland «nextgeneration» initiative supports digital education offerings primarily for children and adolescents to foster curiosity and build fundamental skills early in life. Our role is to connect these existing platforms and provide reach and publicity via our channels and network. There are offerings in all language regions of Switzerland.

The generation of tomorrow, the talents and shapers of the future are central to Switzerland. For this reason, digitalswitzerland is committed to concrete projects to teach digital skills. On this page, you will find activities and camps for children and young people aged 5 to 19 as well as for adults, distributed throughout Switzerland, to immerse themselves in the fascination of the digital world.

Activities and camps in the German speaking part of Switzerland

Futurecoders

Ages 13 – 19

Futurecoders offers courses and camps in German and French-speaking Switzerland. The course participants learn the first steps of website design or create their own video game. The aim of the courses is to give young people a taste for computer science and a first insight into the ICT industry. The course costs are covered for young people with little money.

More information

Robotics for Makers

Ages 11 and up

Have you ever dreamt of building a full robot from scratch? In the RoboticsForMakers Labs you will have the unique opportunity to understand and build the “MiniCat” quadripod robot. Sounds complicated? Don’t worry, our specialists will guide you from the 3D printing of the body, through the electronics cabling until software testing. Everyone is welcome, the course content will be adapted for kids (11+) and adults.

More information

Code Camp

Ages 7 – 13

Code Camp offers a unique introduction to the creative world of programming for kids. From Drag&Drop to JavaScript to CSS and HTML, you’ll find it all in our advanced camps – find the one that’s right for you! And after the camp, you can develop, play and share your game or website with friends without limits.

More information

ICT KidsCodeCamp

Ages 8 –  12

Get a taste of robot building and programming, solve tricky puzzles, secret languages and invent your own codes together with other participants, program your first own computer game and develop a specific joystick to play your game!

More information

Techspark Academy (in English)

Ages 8 –  18

TechSpark Academy prepares the next generation to thrive in our digital world. Discover the camps that help craft creative problem solvers and tech entrepreneurs who will use their digital skills to make the world a better place! Join day-camps and discovery workshops throughout Switzerland.

More information

Jetz

Ages 13+

Jetz offers nationwide courses for boys and girls who want to learn more about electronics and technology.
The “learning by doing” concept means that theory is also taught to a necessary and meaningful extent in addition to the mainly practical work. In this way, Jetz actively promotes STEM with the aim of strengthening the Swiss workplace in the long term and providing young people with a meaningful leisure activity.

More information

Smartfeld

Ages 10 – 14

Discover creativity in nature and technology with smart textiles and coding with ease. A summer program of the city of St.Gallen (Sommerplausch) and Smartfeld for children in 6th and 7th grade. Intelligent robots, self-driving cars, high-tech textiles and even more, the combination of STEM and creativity.

More information

logiscool

Ages 7 – 15

Whether you want to save the world from evil hackers by learning their tricks in our “Hacker Camp”, or rather let your creativity run wild and learn to programme a 3D game or various apps. Or would you like to go on a Minecraft Mars mission together, learning to set up a server and become a Minecraft PRO? Logiscool, the unique digital education platform for children and young people between the ages of 7 and 16, is sure to have the right program for you.

More information

Explore-it (for teachers)

Explore-it equips teachers with material boxes that are intended directly for the children’s hands. The starting point for engaging with the natural sciences is always the construction of a technical object. All instructions, tasks, experiments, invention tasks and more are stored on the explore-it website.

More information

CreativeLabZ

Ages 12 – 18

Giving young people a space for creativity and getting them excited about science is the goal of CreativeLabZ! The project combines art and science through “tinkering”: a playful process that is constrained by topic and material specifications. Young people are encouraged to actively test and look for new solutions.

More information

coding a story

Ages 4 to 15

Coding a Story offers coding, robotics and computational thinking classes for children from 4 to 15 years old, using drones, games, 3D-printing, cryptography and more. Children choose their activity and learn at their own pace. Complex concepts become accessible through analogies with things around us. For 4-7 year-olds, 80% of the time is off-screen. This is an engaging experience for kids, no matter their experience in programming.

More information

Startbahn 29: Where ideas take off

Ages

School Classes: 6  – 20 

Open Lab: 9+

Leisure Activities: 9+

In a unique place of learning, an experiments lab is being established to interface with research and provide access to a high-tech infrastructure, such as the realm of robotics at ETH Zurich. Children and youth, as well as young adults, will be given the opportunity to discover the fascinating world of science. With the help of experienced specialists, they’ll get to develop and implement their own ideas.

More information

Mission Rosetta

Ages 10 – 14

…and what robotics, food and medicine have to do with it! MINT&Pepper offers children and young people the opportunity to get a taste of “STEM air” (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). Projects are accompanied by researchers from ETH Zurich.

More information

Tekmania

Ages 5 – 11

The workshops help to learn basic concepts of robotics, engineering, and programming to learn. Using the Thymio II, Ozobot, and Lego WeDo 2 robots, children learn design, programming, and other digital skills. Children learn self-directed problem solving through exciting puzzles and tasks.

More information

go tec! Lab

Ages 8 – 18

The go tec! Lab has been inspiring children and young people for mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and especially technology (MINT) in a playful way for more than four years. To this end, the go tec! Lab offers school classes from Schaffhausen and the surrounding area numerous exciting courses free of charge, ranging from robotics to magnetism.

More information

Futurekids

Ages 5 – 16

Futurekids has made it its mission to give children and young people the means to use and acquire new technologies – weekly courses, vacation camps, events. In this way, the next generation becomes an actor rather than a simple consumer of tomorrow’s world. Participants in Futurekids activities acquire in-depth knowledge that they can apply in many different areas.

More information

Hack an app

Ages 11 – 14

The students can develop their own app in just four days. From the idea to the design and the presentation of the app to the parents, they experience all the steps up to the final product. Supported by experts from the IT sector, the children also learn about the latest innovations such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence from the IT sector and program a space racing game.

More information

Technology in Learning (for teachers)

The workshops are designed to give teachers tools and confidence to use technology with their students and be ready for the demands of the 21st century. Technology in Learning offers workshops in robotics, programming, sprint design theory and more!

More information

Youth Intelligence Agency

Ages 6 – 16

YIA offers children and young people the opportunity to immerse themselves in the digital world in a playful way. At individual workshops as a supplement to school, birthday party or vacation course, the participants come together regularly and are continuously accompanied and encouraged with various projects. In this way, every child can follow his or her interests and discover talents.

More information

Load more

Futurecoders

Ages 13 – 19

Futurecoders offers courses and camps in German and French-speaking Switzerland. The course participants learn the first steps of website design or create their own video game. The aim of the courses is to give young people a taste for computer science and a first insight into the ICT industry. The course costs are covered for young people with little money.

More information

coding a story

Ages 4 to 15

Coding a Story offers coding, robotics and computational thinking classes for children from 4 to 15 years old, using drones, games, 3D-printing, cryptography and more. Children choose their activity and learn at their own pace. Complex concepts become accessible through analogies with things around us. For 4-7 year-olds, 80% of the time is off-screen. This is an engaging experience for kids, no matter their experience in programming.

More information

Robotics for Makers

Ages 11 and up

Have you ever dreamt of building a full robot from scratch? In the RoboticsForMakers Labs you will have the unique opportunity to understand and build the “MiniCat” quadripod robot. Sounds complicated? Don’t worry, our specialists will guide you from the 3D printing of the body, through the electronics cabling until software testing. Everyone is welcome, the course content will be adapted for kids (11+) and adults.

More information

Startbahn 29: Where ideas take off

Ages

School Classes: 6  – 20 

Open Lab: 9+

Leisure Activities: 9+

In a unique place of learning, an experiments lab is being established to interface with research and provide access to a high-tech infrastructure, such as the realm of robotics at ETH Zurich. Children and youth, as well as young adults, will be given the opportunity to discover the fascinating world of science. With the help of experienced specialists, they’ll get to develop and implement their own ideas.

More information

Code Camp

Ages 7 – 13

Code Camp offers a unique introduction to the creative world of programming for kids. From Drag&Drop to JavaScript to CSS and HTML, you’ll find it all in our advanced camps – find the one that’s right for you! And after the camp, you can develop, play and share your game or website with friends without limits.

More information

Mission Rosetta

Ages 10 – 14

…and what robotics, food and medicine have to do with it! MINT&Pepper offers children and young people the opportunity to get a taste of “STEM air” (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). Projects are accompanied by researchers from ETH Zurich.

More information

ICT KidsCodeCamp

Ages 8 –  12

Get a taste of robot building and programming, solve tricky puzzles, secret languages and invent your own codes together with other participants, program your first own computer game and develop a specific joystick to play your game!

More information

Tekmania

Ages 5 – 11

The workshops help to learn basic concepts of robotics, engineering, and programming to learn. Using the Thymio II, Ozobot, and Lego WeDo 2 robots, children learn design, programming, and other digital skills. Children learn self-directed problem solving through exciting puzzles and tasks.

More information

Techspark Academy (in English)

Ages 8 –  18

TechSpark Academy prepares the next generation to thrive in our digital world. Discover the camps that help craft creative problem solvers and tech entrepreneurs who will use their digital skills to make the world a better place! Join day-camps and discovery workshops throughout Switzerland.

More information

go tec! Lab

Ages 8 – 18

The go tec! Lab has been inspiring children and young people for mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and especially technology (MINT) in a playful way for more than four years. To this end, the go tec! Lab offers school classes from Schaffhausen and the surrounding area numerous exciting courses free of charge, ranging from robotics to magnetism.

More information

Jetz

Ages 13+

Jetz offers nationwide courses for boys and girls who want to learn more about electronics and technology.
The “learning by doing” concept means that theory is also taught to a necessary and meaningful extent in addition to the mainly practical work. In this way, Jetz actively promotes STEM with the aim of strengthening the Swiss workplace in the long term and providing young people with a meaningful leisure activity.

More information

Futurekids

Ages 5 – 16

Futurekids has made it its mission to give children and young people the means to use and acquire new technologies – weekly courses, vacation camps, events. In this way, the next generation becomes an actor rather than a simple consumer of tomorrow’s world. Participants in Futurekids activities acquire in-depth knowledge that they can apply in many different areas.

More information

Smartfeld

Ages 10 – 14

Discover creativity in nature and technology with smart textiles and coding with ease. A summer program of the city of St.Gallen (Sommerplausch) and Smartfeld for children in 6th and 7th grade. Intelligent robots, self-driving cars, high-tech textiles and even more, the combination of STEM and creativity.

More information

Hack an app

Ages 11 – 14

The students can develop their own app in just four days. From the idea to the design and the presentation of the app to the parents, they experience all the steps up to the final product. Supported by experts from the IT sector, the children also learn about the latest innovations such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence from the IT sector and program a space racing game.

More information

logiscool

Ages 7 – 15

Whether you want to save the world from evil hackers by learning their tricks in our “Hacker Camp”, or rather let your creativity run wild and learn to programme a 3D game or various apps. Or would you like to go on a Minecraft Mars mission together, learning to set up a server and become a Minecraft PRO? Logiscool, the unique digital education platform for children and young people between the ages of 7 and 16, is sure to have the right program for you.

More information

Technology in Learning (for teachers)

The workshops are designed to give teachers tools and confidence to use technology with their students and be ready for the demands of the 21st century. Technology in Learning offers workshops in robotics, programming, sprint design theory and more!

More information

Explore-it (for teachers)

Explore-it equips teachers with material boxes that are intended directly for the children’s hands. The starting point for engaging with the natural sciences is always the construction of a technical object. All instructions, tasks, experiments, invention tasks and more are stored on the explore-it website.

More information

Youth Intelligence Agency

Ages 6 – 16

YIA offers children and young people the opportunity to immerse themselves in the digital world in a playful way. At individual workshops as a supplement to school, birthday party or vacation course, the participants come together regularly and are continuously accompanied and encouraged with various projects. In this way, every child can follow his or her interests and discover talents.

More information

CreativeLabZ

Ages 12 – 18

Giving young people a space for creativity and getting them excited about science is the goal of CreativeLabZ! The project combines art and science through “tinkering”: a playful process that is constrained by topic and material specifications. Young people are encouraged to actively test and look for new solutions.

More information

Load more

Activities and camps in the Suisse Romandie

Robotics for Makers

Ages 11 and up

Have you ever dreamt of building a full robot from scratch? In the RoboticsForMakers Labs you will have the unique opportunity to understand and build the “MiniCat” quadripod robot. Sounds complicated? Don’t worry, our specialists will guide you from the 3D printing of the body, through the electronics cabling until software testing. Everyone is welcome, the course content will be adapted for kids (11+) and adults.

More information

Techspark Academy (In English)

Ages 8 – 18 

TechSpark Academy prepares the next generation to thrive in our digital world. Discover the camps that help craft creative problem solvers and tech entrepreneurs who will use their digital skills to make the world a better place!

More information

CreaCode Club

Ages 9 – 13

The objective of the CreaCode Club is to accompany young people in the discovery of technology, while having fun. By going through various workshops, our young creators get to know robotics, they create mini-games using the Scratch programming language, create their first mobile application or produce a stop motion movie.

More information

Graines d’Entrepreneurs

Ages 11 – 17

Innovation and entrepreneurship workshops for young people, During our vacation workshops, initiation days or weekly workshops, young people learn how to invent tomorrow’s startups, services and products. Coached from A to Z by entrepreneurs, students simulate all the steps in the creation of a company and thus gain an overall view of an entrepreneurial project that they have invented themselves. This programme is partnered with UNIL-HEC, EPFL, HES-SO and uses all modern digital tools.

More information

Mon Robot est malin

Ages 11 – 13

This camp aims to introduce you to the world of science and technology, while having fun with robots. The Lego Mindstorms educational platform is used to introduce the basics of mechanical engineering, programming and show a practical application of mathematics. The camp is mixed, 50% girls – 50% boys.

More information

Futurekids

Ages 5 –  16

Futurekids holds a mission to empower all young people to use and appropriate new technologies. In this way, the next generation becomes an actor and not just a consumer of tomorrow’s world. Participants in Futurekids activities acquire in-depth knowledge that they will be able to apply in many fields.

More information

Explore-it (for teachers)

Explore-it equips teachers with boxes of materials that children can handle directly. The starting point for discussions in the natural sciences is always the construction of a technical object. All instructions for tasks, experiments and invention tasks are deposited on the explore-it website.

More information

Load more

Robotics for Makers

Ages 11 and up

Have you ever dreamt of building a full robot from scratch? In the RoboticsForMakers Labs you will have the unique opportunity to understand and build the “MiniCat” quadripod robot. Sounds complicated? Don’t worry, our specialists will guide you from the 3D printing of the body, through the electronics cabling until software testing. Everyone is welcome, the course content will be adapted for kids (11+) and adults.

More information

Mon Robot est malin

Ages 11 – 13

This camp aims to introduce you to the world of science and technology, while having fun with robots. The Lego Mindstorms educational platform is used to introduce the basics of mechanical engineering, programming and show a practical application of mathematics. The camp is mixed, 50% girls – 50% boys.

More information

Techspark Academy (In English)

Ages 8 – 18 

TechSpark Academy prepares the next generation to thrive in our digital world. Discover the camps that help craft creative problem solvers and tech entrepreneurs who will use their digital skills to make the world a better place!

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Futurekids

Ages 5 –  16

Futurekids holds a mission to empower all young people to use and appropriate new technologies. In this way, the next generation becomes an actor and not just a consumer of tomorrow’s world. Participants in Futurekids activities acquire in-depth knowledge that they will be able to apply in many fields.

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CreaCode Club

Ages 9 – 13

The objective of the CreaCode Club is to accompany young people in the discovery of technology, while having fun. By going through various workshops, our young creators get to know robotics, they create mini-games using the Scratch programming language, create their first mobile application or produce a stop motion movie.

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Explore-it (for teachers)

Explore-it equips teachers with boxes of materials that children can handle directly. The starting point for discussions in the natural sciences is always the construction of a technical object. All instructions for tasks, experiments and invention tasks are deposited on the explore-it website.

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Graines d’Entrepreneurs

Ages 11 – 17

Innovation and entrepreneurship workshops for young people, During our vacation workshops, initiation days or weekly workshops, young people learn how to invent tomorrow’s startups, services and products. Coached from A to Z by entrepreneurs, students simulate all the steps in the creation of a company and thus gain an overall view of an entrepreneurial project that they have invented themselves. This programme is partnered with UNIL-HEC, EPFL, HES-SO and uses all modern digital tools.

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Activities and Camps in Italian

TEENformatiCAMP

Ages 13 – 15

Lo scopo dell’attività è quello di introdurre ed appassionare i ragazzi al mondo dell’informatica in modo semplice, divertente e costruttivo. TEENformatiCAMP non è un semplice corso su come utilizzare il computer e i vari programmi (Word, Excel, Power Point, …). Il nostro obiettivo è piuttosto quello di andare in dettaglio su come funzionano i computer ed incominciare a capire come ragiona e lavora un informatico. Infatti, le attività proposte hanno lo scopo di fornire ai ragazzi un’introduzione ai vari ambiti dell’informatica.

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Explore-it (for teachers)

explore-it provides teachers with boxes of materials designed specifically for the end users: children. The starting point for a direct confrontation with the world of natural sciences is the construction, each time, of a technical object. On the explore-it website you can find all the instructions, descriptions and deliveries of the tasks, experiments and much more.

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TEENformatiCAMP

Ages 13 – 15

Lo scopo dell’attività è quello di introdurre ed appassionare i ragazzi al mondo dell’informatica in modo semplice, divertente e costruttivo. TEENformatiCAMP non è un semplice corso su come utilizzare il computer e i vari programmi (Word, Excel, Power Point, …). Il nostro obiettivo è piuttosto quello di andare in dettaglio su come funzionano i computer ed incominciare a capire come ragiona e lavora un informatico. Infatti, le attività proposte hanno lo scopo di fornire ai ragazzi un’introduzione ai vari ambiti dell’informatica.

More information

Explore-it (for teachers)

explore-it provides teachers with boxes of materials designed specifically for the end users: children. The starting point for a direct confrontation with the world of natural sciences is the construction, each time, of a technical object. On the explore-it website you can find all the instructions, descriptions and deliveries of the tasks, experiments and much more.

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Our corporate members will benefit from a high-speed access to leading national and international startups, which can help them accelerate their own ideas and digital transformation processes.

For international Scaleups
The Market Entry Bootcamp offers promising international startups a deep-dive into the Swiss entrepreneurship ecosystem, via access to leading Swiss corporations, Swiss accelerator and incubator programmes, as well as public institutions.

As a participating startup, you will engage in an intensive matchmaking programme composed of corporate intros, pitches, 1:1 meetings, expert workshops, as well as networking events. Moreover, you will have the possibility to be shortlisted to take part in a leading Swiss startup accelerator and further profit from mentoring, funding and networking possibilities.

Applications are welcome from International scale-ups provided you meet one of the following requirements:

• Successful external financing rounds
• Validated business model & product
• Demonstrated value proposition for corporates
  
  … as well as a product/service in one of the following sectors:

• FinTech & Insur Tech
• Digital Health & Wellbeing
• Food Tech & Retail Tech
• Smart City & Mobility
• EnterpriseTech & New Work

Additional Participation Information for Corporates
Benefit from this curated high-speed Bootcamp with access to leading international startups and accelerate your own digital transformation process.

The Market Entry programme is open to digitalswitzerland members but also to non-members. Each participating corporation can bring in two participants. Spots are limited and the registration follows a first-come-first-serve principle.

For digitalswitzerland members, the programme is free of charge. Non-members will be charged with a participation fee. For more information regarding registration and participation please contact our Project Manager Matthias Zwingli.

The Market Entry Bootcamp is operated by: