“What’s going on in China and the US scares me”

The US and China spend huge amounts on research and development of semiconductors and artificial intelligence. In Switzerland, on the other hand, industry expenditure on research and development is falling. What is going on here?
Alexandre Pauchard: A lot of money is also being invested in digital technologies in Europe. At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Switzerland as a non-EU country to participate in this study. For example, with “Digital Europe”, a program that would be very important to us, we are out. We are talking about a program that has 7.5 billion euros available between 2021 and 2027 and that is about supercomputers and artificial intelligence.

These are also important issues for us.
Yes, and we can’t participate.

Is the CSEM also affected?
Not yet. Confederation contributions to CSEM have increased slightly. But when you see the amounts that the US, China and Europe are investing in digitization, you are shocked. What is happening in China is huge. Every year, about 70,000 PhD students in the digital field leave the universities. In the US there are only 40,000 and of those only 15,000 are Americans. The rest also come from Asia.

How can little Switzerland keep up?
We certainly cannot compete with China or the US. But Europe can do it and it seems that the Europeans have realized this too.

Is this a result of the war in Ukraine?
That certainly helped. It would be all the more important for Switzerland to be integrated into this process.

A quick question for us laymen at this point: What exactly does the CSEM do?
We are a driving force between science and industry. This means that we help to successfully convert new technologies into the economy. We are neither an academy nor a company. We are a non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen Switzerland’s competitiveness. That is why we have a unique position in Switzerland.

So what drives you to go to work every morning?
We can provide technical know-how to so many SMEs and start-ups that cannot afford extensive research.

Can you give some examples?
With pleasure. For example, the company Ava was named the best start-up in 2017 and 2018. Thanks to our technology, it has developed a bracelet for detecting the most fertile days. Or Aktiia, a start-up that emerged from CSEM, makes a bracelet for optical measurements and for accurately recording and continuously monitoring blood pressure.

The CSEM was born out of necessity and the watch crisis of the 1980s. What has changed since then?
One of our spearheads is applied research, where we can help SMEs and start-ups with the help of the federal government – about 30 million Swiss francs a year. These are complex procedures. For example, it took 13 years to develop the technology behind Ava’s fertility app. Being originally from the watch industry, precision manufacturing is one of our core competencies. For example, together with an Israeli start-up, we have developed a chip that allows blind people to partially see again. We are also working on an atomic clock, which is extremely important for applications in telecommunications networks or autonomous mobility. The areas of digitization and renewable energy are also important areas for us.

Let’s stick to the wearables, the bracelets that record our health data. When they first started developing these devices, they were largely gimmicks. Today, these wearables are becoming a multi-billion dollar business involving Apple, Samsung and other giants. How can you keep up?
It started with measuring vital signs in astronauts and elite athletes. We were able to do pioneering work there. A lot has changed now. When it comes to millions of units, we can’t keep up. That is why we have taken the next step, we have grown into the field of medicine. This is much more difficult due to the many certifications required and Apple & Co. are not yet active in this field.

There is also a huge market opening up there. There is a boom in the field of personalized medicine. Smart watches and bracelets will minutely record our steps, calorie consumption, sleep, blood pressure, etc. and influence our behavior.
This is one of our strengths and that is why we have just entered into a partnership with the Inselspital in Bern. Because we have a lot of experience in the field of microtechnologies, we can now help companies active in the medical field. For most SMEs it is no longer possible to make this effort.

Especially in Europe, the so-called wearables encounter distrust. Big Brother says hello. What do you think about data security?
Americans and Chinese have no problem providing their personal information. In Europe it is different. We are more reserved and sometimes skeptical. You just have to see the benefits. Thanks to the digitization of medicine, it may finally be possible to get healthcare costs under control.

Another area of ​​focus for the CSEM is solar technology. Aren’t you late? Has the train to China not already left?
I’ve heard that over and over, but that was before the current energy crisis. For example, let’s look at the development of the Meyer Burger company. She was once the model student of the Swiss solar industry. Then she crashed and got into financial trouble. Now the company is on the rise again as it focuses on developing high-quality solar panels. We have been supporting Meyer Burger in this process for years. We have been able to increase the efficiency of these solar panels by 20 percent. As a result, the company has become competitive again.

War in Ukraine, global warming, there is a lot of reason for pessimism at the moment. At the same time, great advances are being made in technology. Is that cause for optimism?
We are currently witnessing a convergence of different technologies. These can make a positive contribution, eg B. to reduce our impact on the environment. But it also takes a little wisdom to use these technological advancements for the benefit of all people.