More research investments, more jobs, more start-ups – an innovation park and location carrier of Switzerland Innovation is to be created in eastern Switzerland. The Foundation Board of Switzerland Innovation submits a corresponding application to the Federal Council. This is intended to open a new chapter in terms of research and innovation for the region, its companies and educational institutions.
At the St.Gallen Lerchenfeld and Buchs (SG) sites, the sixth Switzerland Innovation site is to be built, the Switzerland Innovation Park Ost. This is intended to support SMEs and large companies from Germany and abroad in the area of research and development and to promote interdisciplinary research and innovation projects. As the new location manager, the Innovationspark Ost is to become part of the Switzerland Innovation network. The associated advantages are extremely valuable for Eastern Switzerland, emphasizes the head of the St.Gallen Economics Department, Cantonal Councilor Beat Tinner: “Especially in times of Corona, long-term investment in research and innovation is key. As the location operator, we can work together with our partners from research and business, such as the neighboring cantons and the Principality of Liechtenstein, to ensure that local companies and educational institutions remain among the international leaders in the future.»
Concentration on the strengths of Eastern Switzerland’s industry and universities
The planned innovation park focuses on the core competencies of Eastern Switzerland’s economy and universities, namely on the innovation priorities of health, digitization in the economy as well as the mechanical, electrical and metal industries. On the research side, the Empa St.Gallen and the St.Gallen Cantonal Hospital are involved in the subject area “Health and medical technology”. In the “MEM industry” area, the research work of the Eastern Swiss University of Applied Sciences and the RhySearch research institute in Buchs (SG) is contributed. The University of St.Gallen contributes its scientific expertise to the development of new services, processes and business models. With access to the Lerchenfeld campus in the immediate vicinity of Empa and the Buchs campus, the East Innovation Park has locations with a high-quality, expandable infrastructure.
Great support from politics, business and science
Innovationspark Ost is supported by a broad range of sponsors from politics, business and science. On the public side, the canton and city of St.Gallen, the cantons of Thurgau and Appenzell Ausser- and Innerrhoden and the Principality of Liechtenstein are behind the project. From the scientific side, Empa, the University of St.Gallen and the cantonal hospital are financially involved. From the private sector, Swiss Textiles, the St.Gallen-Appenzell and Thurgau Chambers of Commerce and Industry, SFS AG, the Helvetia Group, Vifor Pharma, Provida AG, the Laboratory Medical Center Dr. Risch and the St.Galler Kantonalbank represented in the sponsorship. Other companies such as Geberit AG, Fisba AG, Leica Geosystems AG, Varioprint AG, Cilander AG and Schoeller Textil AG support the innovation park. Start-up financing from the canton of St.Gallen in the amount of CHF 10 million secures the start-up phase. Later, the innovation park is to be financed primarily through the provision of research services and the provision of space and infrastructure.
As a national sponsor, Switzerland Innovation currently has five location sponsors based in Allschwil, Biel, Dübendorf, Lausanne and Villigen. The sixth location operator in Eastern Switzerland perfectly complements the existing locations, emphasizes Ruedi Noser, President of the Board of Trustees of Switzerland Innovation: “With the Switzerland Innovation Park East, we will be represented in all regions of Switzerland and thus become even more important. The expansion and the new focal points complement the thematic and geographical focus of our network and strengthen Switzerland as a leading international country of innovation.»
This is a communication from the Switzerland Innovation Foundation.
