Keeping startups in Switzerland: the role of ETH Zurich, EPFL and Innosuisse

Switzerland is highly successful at transforming research into startups. Each year, numerous companies emerge from ETH Zurich, EPFL, and other public research institutions. Yet many of these startups struggle to remain in Switzerland once they enter the growth phase.

Limited access to scale-up capital and market opportunities often leads to early exits or relocation abroad.

Why this issue is under review
Public institutions receive substantial federal funding to support innovation, technology transfer, and startup creation. The political debate now focuses on whether this support sufficiently extends beyond founding to long-term growth and retention.

The Federal Council considers the current framework adequate and does not support binding objectives aimed at keeping startups in Switzerland.

Current support structures
ETH institutions focus primarily on spin-off creation and early-stage support. Innosuisse complements this with innovation funding, coaching, and limited scale-up support. However, responsibility for growth-stage financing largely remains with the market.

Why this matters for startups
When startups relocate abroad during the scale-up phase, Switzerland loses not only companies, but also jobs, talent, and long-term value creation. Public investment in innovation generates its full return only if companies can grow locally.

Political outlook
Further discussion will centre on how public institutions can better complement private markets without overstepping their mandates.

Conclusion
Supporting startup creation is essential, but not sufficient. Ensuring that startups can grow and stay in Switzerland is key to strengthening technological sovereignty and long-term economic resilience.