Interview with Joël Mesot, President of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ).

Combining innovation and business creation is a crazy gamble…

Starting a business requires a certain mentality. You have to fight for your ideas, possibly pay salaries, develop technology and convince potential buyers. So yes, there is an element of risk and we need strong personalities who are willing to take those risks.

Are basic research students willing to do this?

This adventurous spirit also exists in research, which involves doing what has never been done before. In fact, many researchers are fans of extreme sports. It is then up to us to train our students in the financial constructions required to create a start-up. At the ETHZ, we have made these kinds of tools available to them.

What are the challenges for the coming years?

Beyond motivational work, there is a whole aspect related to the financing of start-ups. If the initial stages of financing are not a problem, it is still difficult to move up to the next level, namely funding in the order of 50 million francs or more. Such sums often come from abroad, with the risk of causing the relocation of companies and investments which have been made in Switzerland for years. In my opinion, this issue must be resolved at the national level with the creation of a fund to unblock the necessary investments.

What are Switzerland’s strengths?

In Switzerland, investment in start-ups is growing significantly. In 2019, it amounted to almost two billion Swiss francs. But Switzerland can also count on its excellent education system, both at the level of the Universities and the Federal Institutes of Technology and the apprenticeship system, which is a real gem.

As a native of Fribourg, do you think your home canton has particular advantages in the field of technology transfer?

The canton of Fribourg has many strengths. In addition to its excellent educational institutions, concentrated in a small area, the authorities have launched very innovative policies in recent years to secure a strong position for Fribourg in certain key segments such as the food industry or construction. The canton’s close proximity to other centers is also an opportunity to attract companies from outside the canton.