Innovationspolitik

Mission-oriented Research and Innovation Policy in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is famous for having one of the “most ambitious mission-oriented strategic frameworks” (OECD) for research and innovation. What are the origins of this Dutch mission-approach and how is it put into practice? These questions are answered by Rik Boddëus, Innovation Attaché and regional representative for the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency. He is based at the Netherland Embassy in Vienna, and covers Austria and Switzerland. Valuable input came also from Jaap Broersen, Katja Primozic and Floor van der Sluijs from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

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Slovakia: A New Path Towards Modern Policy Making in Research and Innovation

Through its international network, the Swiss Science Council is in regular contact with fellow European Science, Technology and Innovation Councils. This provides important insights into the reality of other research and innovation ecosystems. The case of Slovakia is of special interest, as this country has an ambitious plan to profoundly transform its R&I policy in order to become more attractive and competitive. In this blog article, Michaela Kršková, Chief Innovation Officer at the Government Office of the Slovak Republic, provides an overview of the latest developments.

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“Happy Victims of Chinese Investments”

Every year in spring the secretariats of the European Science and Innovation Councils meet to discuss a specific subject in their field of action. The focus of this year was on "knowledge security".

By Lukas Zollinger, Head of the SSC secretariat

 

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Regionale Innovationssysteme: Innovationsförderung in Berggebieten, ländlichen Räumen und den Grenzregionen der Schweiz

Urbane Zentren wie Zürich, Basel oder Genf weisen eine grosse Zahl an Unternehmen, Forschungs- und Finanzinstituten auf. Entsprechend hoch ist auch die Dichte an potenziellen Innovationsakteuren und genauso rege deren Austausch. In ländlich geprägten Gegenden der Schweiz präsentiert sich eine andere Ausgangslage mit spezifischen Herausforderungen für die ansässigen Unternehmen. Gemeinsam mit den Kantonen fördert das Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft SECO im Rahmen der Neuen Regionalpolitik (NRP) mittels regionaler Innovationssysteme (RIS) eine Vernetzung der relevanten Akteure. Damit wird der Nährboden geschaffen für Innovationen in Berggebieten, ländlichen Räumen und den Grenzregionen der Schweiz.Read more


« La Suisse vue du ciel »

Ce livre de photographies, accompagnées de textes, convie géographie et poésie pour esquisser un pays. L’auteur des images, Laurent Sciboz, est membre du Conseil suisse de la science et professeur ordinaire à la Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO). Il y dirige l’Institut d’informatique de la HES-SO Valais-Wallis. Pilote de ballons dans son temps libre, son regard aspire à se porter au loin et en contrebas. Read more


Mastering multiple complexities – a rising challenge for Swiss companies

In autumn 2022, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI commissioned a project to analyse the decline in R&D-performing companies and trends in the innovation activity of Swiss companies. The project leaders – Prof. F. Barjak (FHNW), Prof. D. Foray (EPFL) and Prof. M. Wörter (ETHZ) – conducted several hearings with key company representatives and stakeholder organisations. Those hearings were the basis for a recently published report on “Mastering multiple complexities”. This blog article summarises the findings of the report.

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Horizon Europe: Eine Zwischenbilanz

Horizon Europe, das grösste öffentliche Forschungsprogramm der Welt, geht in sein drittes Jahr. Was sind die brennendsten Themen? Und welche Perspektiven ergeben sich für die Schweiz? Read more


Ein Jahr in regem Austausch / Une année d’intenses échanges

Texte français ci-dessous

2022 war für den Schweizerischen Wissenschaftsrat ein Jahr der Begegnungen und des Austauschs. Wir möchten uns bei allen Personen und Institutionen bedanken, die die Aktivitäten des SWR unterstützt haben. Read more


Anna Valente: “Robots for people will be the next generation ethical manufacturing paradigm.”

Anna Valente is a member of the Swiss Science Council SSC since 2020, and chairs the Automation, Robots and Machines Laboratory at the Institute of Systems and Technologies for Sustainable Production of SUPSI (Department of Innovative Technologies). In 2019, she received the Grand Prix for Innovation by the European Commission and, in 2021, Guy Parmelin, then Swiss president, awarded her the Swiss Dinno Prize, which honours companies, projects, or individuals for innovative digitalization.    Read more


Autumn Meeting of the European STI Councils in Lausanne

The Swiss Science Council SSC hosted the 2022 Autumn Meeting of the Presidents and Secretariats of the European Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Councils. 13 countries were represented at this event, which took place on 20 and 21 October at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Read more