Adapting to the changed framework conditions is crucial for the future success of the Swiss economy: “Without innovation, there is no growth,” emphasises Franz Barjak. “On the one hand, process innovations are needed to ensure that business models remain profitable. On the other, product innovations are also necessary so that SMEs are able to finance Swiss wages, which are high by international standards.”

A new approach to innovation processes is therefore required: “Predictability is decreasing, which is why agility is becoming increasingly important,” says Franz Barjak. What is needed are not only more flexible processes, but also interdisciplinary approaches, since today innovation goes hand-in-hand with collaboration: “SMEs are not able to integrate cross-sectional technologies such as artificial intelligence on their own,” Barjak concludes. This makes the transfer of knowledge between research and industry – and thus also innovation promotion for SMEs – all the more important.

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