Basel fair aims to nurture Swiss invention
Switzerland's research and development potential is being showcased at Innovation Schweiz at the mubaplus 02 fair in Basel.
Visitors will see bookcases whose shelves are held in place magnetically, and revolutionary advances that use a rotary magnetic field to hold screws in place.
New designs and products offer one feature of the show. The other is a programme of discussions and lectures given by established and budding entrepreneurs.
The Innovation Schweiz exhibition opened on Friday and its importance was underlined by a visit from the Swiss defence minister, Samuel Schmid.
Behind the event, being held for a second consecutive year, are the Swiss Association of Inventors, the federal department of intellectual property and the Basel exhibition centre. Innovation Schweiz aims to foster a network of inventors and companies in Switzerland.
“Our aim is to show visitors what’s happening in the area of product development in our participating companies and of course to showcase the results of such developments in the form of new products or services,” says show organiser Hans Jörg Luchsinger
Building on success
Luchsinger aims to build on the success of last year’s event and reach an even wider public with the latest developments in furniture manufacturing, packing design, flat-screen technology, photometrics and water treatment techniques.
Like last year, the centrepiece of the exhibition is the Innovation Café where young entrepreneurs will be able to present their inventions and meet venture capitalists who may be willing to take a risk on their ideas.
“In today’s industry, new ideas and projects are required,” says Luchsinger, “If we succeed like last year to put companies with innovative ideas in touch with those ready to invest, then it will help Swiss industry and it will also increase awareness of changes that are necessary in old-fashioned company structures.”
Luchsinger says many companies don’t realise how rigid some corporate structures have become until they open up to implementing new ideas.
The Federal Office for Intellectual Property will also offer the inventors the chance to take a look at its patent data banks – a good opportunity for them to be able to avoid future obstacles and pitfalls.
Among those participating are Baumann-Innensbau with their storage designs based on the idea of the Russian doll, Kälin and Fischer with functional new furniture designs and Medgate, a company that offers 24-hour medical advice.
There will be daily discussions at lunchtime and in the evenings, individual companies will be hosting debates and events.
Franchising and start-ups
The director of the think-tank Avenir Suisse, Thomas Held, and Professor Hans-Joachim Günterroth, plan to discuss challenges faced by young businessman trying to start up. Dr Bruno Kobel will take a look at the opportunities provided by franchising and experts such as Gottlieb Guntern will consider how creativity and innovation can be encouraged.
Hans Jörg Luchsinger expects thousands of people to have visited Innovation-Schweiz by the time mubaplus 02 closes its doors next Sunday.
And he hopes it will become an essential event on the exhibition calendar that will strengthen Switzerland’s research and development sector and foster a mentality that is not afraid to take risks with new ideas.
By Michael Hollingdale
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