Innovation drives the growth of the Swiss economy. However, rapid technological change and global competition pose challenges for SMEs. How are companies dealing with this? And how can promoting innovation help? Three members from Innosuisse's Board of Directors, Innovation Council and Executive Committee share their experiences. 

"It is thanks not least to innovation that our industry has remained resilient in the face of crises and the ongoing appreciation of the franc – innovation that is not only disruptive, but also enables existing activities to be transformed, making them more efficient. Innovation is essential to uphold the position of our SMEs and ensure their future competitiveness and growth. Innosuisse ensures the richness and diversity of our innovation ecosystem and plays a vital role as a catalyst. Not only does it provide support, it also liaises between the communities and people who create innovation, and those who implement it."

"We are seeing an ever-increasing number of funding applications related to digitalisation and sustainability. The two topics go hand in hand, because digital innovations have the potential to improve the sustainability of processes, products and services. This allows Swiss SMEs to gain a crucial competitive advantage. The nice thing about digital business models is that they can be piloted, built and adapted very quickly. In smaller companies, however, the inhibition thresholds are often high because of a lack of in-house skills. This is where Innosuisse can help, by supporting collaboration between SMEs and universities of applied sciences or other universities. Our innovation projects are ideal platforms for testing digital business models and implementing prototypes."

"Digitalisation is redefining the innovation process. Artificial intelligence, in particular, provides novel solutions for addressing known customer needs. Furthermore, new applications and business models are emerging. However, it's often impossible for smaller companies to build up the expertise they need on their own. The same applies to new processes, design concepts and materials that can be used for innovations. SMEs can increase their access to relevant skills and resources by bringing in external partners. Collaboration with universities and other companies makes it possible to develop new approaches and build powerful innovation teams through reciprocal knowledge transfer – a Swiss model for success."