For the time being, Switzerland is considered a non-associated third country in the EU’s Horizon Europe framework programme for research and innovation and the associated programmes and initiatives. This hits Switzerland hard as a centre of research and industry. For this reason, the Federal Council decided today to allow direct funding and to examine further measures.

The interim solution enables the financing of project participants in Switzerland to the tune of a good CHF 400 million for 2021 directly from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI. The administration is also to examine long-term supplementary and replacement measures to strengthen Switzerland as a location for research and innovation. The results of these review mandates will be available in mid-2022 for possible supplementary measures and in the course of 2023 for any replacement measures. However, the Federal Council’s overriding goal remains the quickest possible association with the Horizon package.

Read the entire news (20.10.2021)