The rebrand comes 20 years after the inauguration of the Swissnex network in Boston USA, and 18 years after the development of the original Swissnex branding which Yves Béhar was instrumental in developing, and reimagines the role of the global organization as it launches into a new era of international collaboration in science, education, innovation, and the arts, between Switzerland and the world.
Providing a forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas around topics of global relevance, and offering an open platform for collaboration, Swissnex supports Swiss higher education institutions, individual researchers, entrepreneurs, and designers to achieve their internationalization goals.
Gioia Deucher, CEO Swissnex in San Francisco says: “The rebrand comes after 20 years of the foundation of the first Swissnex, and marks a milestone and turning point for the network. As we look to the next decade of global digital acceleration, we understand that our role in inspiring the next generation of innovators to create futures in which our planet and societies thrive is more important than ever.”
The genesis of the new brand was developed by Fuseproject and reflects Swissnex’s ability to hone in on the research, technology, viewpoints, and business ideas from the Swiss innovation ecosystem with the most potential to accelerate change, and ignite global partnerships. Fuseproject’s Director of Brand, John Besford, developed the new identity that features a puzzle piece that echoes the shape of the Swiss flag. This new symbol is a playful yet bold representation of connection and the potential of catalytic change made possible by international collaboration.
Yves Béhar, Founder and Principal Designer at Fuseproject says: “Being involved with Swissnex since the development of their original brand more than 18 years ago has allowed me to bear witness to how Switzerland’s global innovation outpost has evolved and developed overtime in response to a rapidly changing world. The latest rebrand by our Brand team reflects the Swissnex of the future: a globally established network that invests in and accelerates innovation, science, and education, not only for Switzerland, but for the world.
Swissnex was founded on the assumption that in an age of globalization and open innovation processes, Switzerland must have a strong presence in the world’s leading knowledge and technology hubs. Today, the Swissnex network is present in five global locations, Boston/New York, Brazil, China, India, San Francisco and includes nineteen Science Offices and Counsellors based in Swiss Embassies.
Swissnex employs a flexible approach to collaborating and an interdisciplinary and creative mindset, allowing the teams to adapt their strategic priorities to their geographical location and offer partners such as The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), ETH Zurich, SBB Swiss Federal Railways, and Swisscom appropriate and tailor-made services to help them achieve their internationalization goals.
With the rebrand, Swissnex launched its global website, and the partnerships and collaborations creating impact in innovation, education, and research. Swissnex in San Francisco’s Startup Alumni timeline visualizes the impact of their startup program which has, since 2010, supported more than 115 Swiss startups that have a combined valuation of $1.1B, and have created more than 500 jobs.
Find Swissnex at Swissnex.org
About Swissnex
Swissnex is an initiative of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation and forms part of the Confederation’s network abroad under the management of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Based on a cooperative approach, the Swissnex network activities involve both public and private partnerships and funding.