Building bridges for Switzerland

28 March 2014. The Swiss education scene enjoys a good reputation. In order to entrench the brand, Switzerland, in the global knowledge society, swissnex has been interlinking researchers, students and business people in Brazil, China, India, Singapore and the USA for 14 years.

Besides summer schools, start-up workshops for founders, social media education trips and conferences, the network provides a wide range of further options for the exchange of knowledge. “We bring together people and ideas and thus help them to drive innovations forward,” said Dr. Christian Simm, CEO of swissnex San Francisco. What was important was an uncomplicated exchange without bureaucratic detours. To that end, swissnex used synergies with other organisations and concentrated competencies and topics. At present, it was energy and brain research, the digitalisation of education and the issue of big data that headed the agenda. High-tech instead of Heidi was the motto of the “knowledge consulates”.

“On-site contacts with a local network are very important for international cooperation,” said Thomas Friedli, HSG expert in product management. He illustrated this with the help of the example of a research project for operational excellence in pharmaceuticals.

By now, the swissnex has acquired flagship quality: “Many partners from other countries are interested into this organisation with its lean structure,” said Dr. Felix Moesner, CEO of swissnex Boston. Provided that the resources allow for it, the knowledge network will extend its operations to further, less developed regions.

Photo: swissnex network coordinators and HSG professors at the HSG on 27 March 2014