Info for Companies

The photonic industry plays an important role in Switzerland with a direct revenue of close to 3 billion SFr,  Optechconsulting-Photonik-Schweiz-2018 (305 KB)  ranking second per capita in Europe. According to a SPIE industry report from 2015 Switzerland has the 9th largest count of companies and the 9th plase of revenues contributing to photonics component production worldwide.
 

Support of innovation at companies

The Swiss Federal government spends up to 5Bio CHF/year in education and innovation Swiss Federal Innovation Funding (PDF, 161 KB), most programs are dedicated to research but there are at least two innovation funding sources of interest for companies. 

• Bottom up programs: Innosuisse (200Mio CHF/year): Project requests need to include at least one company and one research institute. Innosuisse is funding the research at institute up to matching the R&D investment of the company. Cash support by company is desired but not always a requirement. Projects on any topic can be submitted anytime. Innosuisse supports also start-ups with coaching and training.
  • Innosuisse has various programs, among them the so called NTN Innovation Boosters dedicated to issue calls for radical innovation. One of them is dedicated to Photonics.
• Top down programs: Via EU (Horizon Europe, ESA, etc 800Mio/year): Swiss federal government finances R&D at Swiss companies and research institutions based on top down programs as decided by Brussels. As the total direct cash going into R&D funding of Swiss companies is estimated to be above 100Mio CHF/year this funding source has become very important. 
  • Recently Swiss partners can collaborate (not lead) in EU projects (except quantum) without loading the EU budget as the respective funding is provided by the Swiss government. euresearch is guiding and supporting you through the process.

The Aramis database gives an overview of National projects. Swissphotonics supports its members to have access to these fundings.

International projects are listed in the Cordis database.

Swiss National Photonics Laboratories

Services for one topic are provided in Switzerland by several research institutions. Thus it can be difficult for an SME to contact the appropriate research institution. In order to improve the service for SMEs we have founded several Swiss National Photonics Clusters which serve as a one stop shop.​​
 

Swissphotonics supports member companies:

Swissphotonics can support you and your company! We offer to our members free of charge:

• Workshops: Workshops to bring research and industry together
• Matching partner: Support to find a matching research institute
• Public innovation funding: Support to find governmental funding
• Market data: Access to international photonics networks and to market data and reports
• Financing of companies: Swissphotonics establishes contact with equity and dept-equity sources  
• Patents: Swissphotonics can give first level support for intellectual property questions

Swissphotonics supports getting Innosuisse Innovation Cheque

Swissphotonics supports also members getting Innosuisse Innovation Cheque (up to 15'000CHF) by reviewing application and adding a support letter. 

01.05.2022 Christoph Harder