Which scientific fields are important in Switzerland?
The natural sciences continue to occupy a prominent position in Swiss research today. Switzerland hosts a number of high-profile green projects, and every year the Watt D’Or is awarded to Switzerland’s best sustainability projects. The world’s largest particle physics laboratory, CERN, is located in Switzerland and testifies to the importance of physics. Similarly, the Integral Science Data Centre of the European Space Agency (ISDC) and the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) indicate the significance of space research in the country.
In the corporate sector, major scientific fields include pharmaceuticals, chemistry, the metal industry and technology, which encompasses the electrical industry. At the state level, research is conducted in fields such as health, education, the environment, migration and security. Switzerland also has four extra-university research centres devoted to important fields, which are addressed in the last section of this article.
As mentioned above, Switzerland is a nation of inventors and patents. Switzerland’s renowned advanced business education offerings demonstrate that business innovation is also an important facet of the country.
How is scientific education organised in Switzerland?
Scientific education takes place overwhelmingly in the higher education sector. Two federal institutes of technology (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, ETH and École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL) and ten cantonal universities (Universitäten) offer over 500 degree programmes at bachelor, master and doctorate level in twelve specialist areas. The Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen) and Universities of Teacher Education (Pädagogische Hochschulen) offer around 300 practical degree programmes in thirteen specialist areas and award bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Within this system of higher education, Switzerland is well known for its advanced business education. It includes a number of world-class universities and MBA programmes, such as the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, the University of St. Gallen (MBA) and the University of Zurich (UZH).
In addition to these universities, several institutions, such as the Swiss Academics of Arts and Sciences, promote and shape scientific education. The next section discusses them in greater detail.
Where does scientific research take place in Switzerland?
The main players in scientific research are the corporate sector and institutes of higher education.
The main areas of activity are foundational research and applied research and development. Foundational research primarily takes place at the federal institutes of technology and universities while applied research and development are the prerogative of the corporate sector and the Universities of Applied Sciences.
The four extra-university research centres operated by the state and the cantons are also involved in research:
Some federal institutes, like the ETH Board, determine the strategic direction, funding and activities of other institutes while others, such as the Swiss Federal Institute for Forestry, Snow and Landscape Research, conduct research in specific areas and across various disciplines. The state supports 30 research institutes outside of universities, and they often address internationally relevant areas of research.
Switzerland also has National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs), which promote long-term research projects in areas of vital strategic importance for the development of science in Switzerland, the country’s economy and Swiss society.
Four academies responsible for promoting research, education, science, and innovation are organised into the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences: the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences (Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz, SCNAT), the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAHS), the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS), and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (Schweizerische Akademie der Technischen Wissenschaften, SATW). The two competence centres TA-SWISS and Science et Cité are also associated with these academies, and their collaboration focusses on foresight, ethics and the dialogue between science and society.