TRUST VALLEY: a cluster of excellence in digital trust and cybersecurity in the Lake Geneva region to federate a unique ecosystem
An alliance for excellence, driven by multiple public, private and academic players, of which Alp ICT is delighted to be a partner. TRUST VALLEY was officially launched on October 8, 2020 at a meeting "for" the partners and "by" the partners, broadcast online. Cantons, the Swiss Confederation, academic institutions and local and international captains of industry came together to co-construct this competence cluster and foster the emergence of innovative projects. Cooperation is focused on three main areas: promoting this unique ecosystem, innovation and networking among regional players in the field of digital trust and cybersecurity.
On June 19, the Cantons of Vaud and Geneva signed a historic historic agreementannounced their support for the TRUST VALLEY initiative. This alliance for the economic development of the region will enable the partners to pool their resources in the field of digital trust, and to position and give global resonance to the Lake Geneva region. Today, manufacturers have followed suit. Indeed, since the launch announcement 3 months ago, this initiative has become a public-private partnership actively supported by captains of industry such as ELCA, GCSP, Kudelski, SGS and SICPA, SMEs, major groups, start-ups, scale-ups, as well as the academic institutions of the Lake Geneva region (IHEID, HEIG-VD, HES-SO Genève, EPFL, UNIGE, UNIL). Strategic partnerships are currently under discussion.
Strategic alliances for concrete action
Alliances have been set up with new partners such as the Cyber Peace Institute, PWC and Wisekey. And since last June :
- 38 companies and organizations have expressed an interest in joining TRUST VALLEY.
- 14 organizations have been added to the map of the Lake Geneva region dedicated to digital trust, presented in particular on the Trust Valley website.
- Over 12 projects have been submitted to the initiative via a dedicated marketplace.
The ecosystem is growing thanks to the support and involvement of startups such as Aequivalent, ProtonMail, Yes We Hack, scale-ups (Sysmosoft); SMEs such as eXperts Solutions, Exoscale, MSF Partners, AdNovum, Netguardians, Uditis; and the Transports Lausannois.
In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the initiative has attracted the support of Sygnum Bank, as well as contributors such as PwC, Fortinet and the NGO Cyber Peace Institute.
Clear international support was given: "We need to work together. It's always important to find the best local solutions to local problems. I realize that what you (TRUST VALLEY) are doing is of fundamental importance to the world. I don't think there are many nations on earth that defend trust as well as Switzerland; there's no part of Switzerland more important than this region of Lake Geneva. Thank you for what you do. I hope that we at Microsoft can continue to be a part of it, support you and, for my part, continue to learn from all that you do," said Brad Smith, President of Microsoft.
3 flagship projects are already underway
TECH4TRUST: the Swiss acceleration program for innovative startups committed to fostering digital trust in our society and economy is already in its second call for projects. It has just closed its call for startups, and the results of this 2nd edition include no fewer than 47 applications. A 32-member advisory committee will assess the applicants' involvement in the program, and select around twenty. TECH4TRUST has developed a strategic partnership with PWC, as well as exchanges with other European regions, such as Luxembourg and Belgium. " The Canton of Vaud is proud to support TECH4TRUST, a unique Swiss acceleration program for start-ups developing innovative solutions essential to the digital transformation of our society and economy, which has been further accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic", explains Raphaël Conz, Head of the Enterprise Unit of the Economic and Innovation Promotion Service (SPEI).
Food by Trust Valley: the initiative aims to develop trust and digital tracking solutions in the agritech and agrifood sectors that meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its aim is to ensure healthy living and promote well-being for all at all ages. The partners are : SICPA, Nestlé and EPFL's Center for Digital Trust (C4DT).
Health by Trust Valley Health by Trust Valley : this initiative maps organizations working on post-COVID-19 projects. The partners are the Cyber Peace Institute, which brings international complementarity with its Cyber4Health initiative, Biopôle and the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud. The objectives are to help implement precise, phased decontamination strategies, maintain, accelerate and stimulate the economy, and increase short-term resilience against the COVID-19 health crisis.
Collaborative and cooperative projects
Following the announcement of the launch last June, many organizations expressed their interest in this ecosystem. As a concrete example, Lennig Pedron, head of the TRUST VALLEY initiative, cites a Vaud-based company active in physical and data security solutions: "A local company attracted the attention of an international giant, which contacted it with a very specific request to set up a laboratory. Unfortunately, the local company couldn't meet this demand on its own. So they turned to us, the TRUST VALLEY, and we put them in touch with HEIG-VD. Today, our two partners are working together on this joint project. That's another reason why this initiative is so interesting and has such an impact.
