The program allowed us to connect to Swiss partners in diverse fields especially innovators working on the future of sustainable living. Here’s a peek at the programme:

• Art – We visited the 3^rd International Day hosted by the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK) to learn more about how large international networks can help create important, lasting partnerships between higher arts education institutions, as well as shape the future of art itself.
• Sustainable Living – During our visit to the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) we got to learn what construction and energy management technologies will look like in the coming years. Within their flagship project, called NEST, researchers are inventing new construction materials and technologies to increase energy efficiency and quickly getting them to market through close public-private cooperation.
• Automation – At ETH Zürich we got to talk to the scientists developing control systems to automate very complex tasks. The National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) Automation aims to put Switzerland at the forefront of global automation and control technology.
• Information Technology – We have also spent time at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). We talked to researchers from the NCCR Marvel about their goal of finding and developing new materials which will allow quantum technologies to change the future of information and communication.
• Green Electrification – At ABB, in Baden, our network members got to see, in person, the state-of-the-art developments geared towards the sustainable development of the Swiss energy matrix. Applications of Robotics to automate construction, green electrification and mobility were at the center stage of this visit.
• Academic-Industrial Partnerships – We also joined the Innovation Office at the University of Basel to discuss how researchers and the private sector can collaborate to make a positive effect in society. While there, we met several representatives from Swiss industry and academia. We were left with an important message: we all want to have a positive impact in society, all that is left is working together to achieve that.
• Language and Communication – The NCCR Evolving Language met with us at the University of Zürich (UZH). They showed us their remarkable interdisciplinary work building a full picture of how our species developed such a unique way of synthesizing and transmitting knowledge.
• Startups – We were also part of the excelent Startup Days 2022 conference. Our colleagues from India, China and Brazil had the opportunity to host a workshop for Swiss startups where they presented a toolkit for companies wanting a competitive edge when targeting emerging markets. While there, we also had the privilege of a captivating exchange with the Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research about Swissnex’s strategy for increasing the visibility of Swiss innovation globally.
• Diplomacy – To close the week, Swissnex took part in the Science Diplomacy Week hosted by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA). Our members were able to talk about the story of Swissnex over the past 20 years and its mission to broaden the scope of Swiss science diplomacy around the world.

Not only did the visits allow our members to learn a lot about the current trends and innovation opportunnities currently ready for dissemination across the globe, but they also allowed the beginning of partnerships that should bear fruits in the upcoming years.

With the return to normalcy and an end to travel bans, we hope to have another interesting week of activities for the 25th Swissnex Annual Meeting. See you in 2023!