SMEs + Academia: How to Secure Innosuisse Funding?
On September 9, 2026, the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area – Jura Campus in Courroux will host an event for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to bring their research and development projects to fruition through collaboration with academia. The event will showcase Innosuisse programs that enable companies to work with Swiss research institutions, such as EPFL or the universities of applied sciences (HES), while limiting the financial risks associated with their innovation projects.
Finding the resources to bring your innovation projects to life
A lack of time, budget, specialized skills, or access to certain infrastructure: for an SME, turning an idea into a full-fledged R&D project can quickly run into resource constraints. This session will show how Innosuisse’s funding mechanisms and collaborations with universities can help overcome these obstacles.
In 45 minutes, participants will gain a better understanding of which programs are suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, how to identify the right academic partner, and what steps to take to put together a strong funding proposal.
Bruno Studach, Director of Operations at M2C-EPFL, will outline the initial steps for establishing a partnership with EPFL, while Pascale Van Landuyt, Head of the Alliance Program, will discuss the support Alliance offers for setting up Innosuisse projects. Two testimonials from SMEs will round out these presentations, followed by a Q&A session and a networking reception.
For SMEs in French-speaking Switzerland, this event thus offers a concrete gateway to an innovation ecosystem and resources that can sometimes be difficult to access on their own. Beyond financing, it will provide a better understanding of how to combine the scientific and technological expertise of universities with a company’s business know-how in order to accelerate an R&D project, reduce the risks associated with its development, and more effectively transform an innovative idea into a concrete solution.
