Initiative hopes to tap tech talent

Microsoft hopes that the initiative will help find the way to this key technology of the future Keystone

The world's largest software firm, Microsoft, and Switzerland's two Federal Institutes of Technology have announced a funding and technology-sharing agreement.

The partnership will allow professors at the institutes in Lausanne and Zurich to receive money and resources for research into “embedded software” – a field that both industry and academics expect to grow rapidly over the coming years.

Embedded software – or “invisible computing” – is a system or chip that permanently resides in a device whose operations it controls.

Some applications of this technology could include sensors inside a jacket to regulate temperature, or on a larger scale, an automated system to monitor avalanches.

At a media conference in Swiss capital, Bern, on Wednesday, to announce the move, Microsoft said it would offer around SFr1 million ($970,000) per annum over the next five years for the joint initiative.

Microsoft Switzerland manager Peter Waser said the first round of projects should begin in July of this year.

“It is an important development for us. [Embedded software] is, for us, a big market,” Waser told swissinfo, adding that the company expected the initiative to generate long-term payoffs.

“This collaboration is more for the basic research here in Switzerland – a source for our business as well. So we need these informatics students, experts and people coming into our ecosystem.”

Developing talent

Both Microsoft and the universities say that they are concerned about the diminishing interest in computer programming among young people.

Computer use has become ubiquitous in schools across Switzerland, according to Willy Zwaenepoel, dean at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. But he points out that while virtually all students are learning how computers work, few understand how the programmes are written.

“Computer science has an image problem,” he said.

Aside from “computer geek” stereotypes, since the technology crash at the beginning of the decade, youngsters have been less interested in the field. Zwaenepoel says the phenomenon could be harmful for Switzerland if left unchecked.

“At an early age, you want to develop an interest in science and engineering, and the underlying maths and physics,” he told swissinfo.

Overall, there are few similar arrangements between firms and academic institutions within Switzerland, but Microsoft has a reputation for engaging with the academic community in other countries, said Dirk Meissner, from the Bern-based advisory body, the Center for Science and Technology Studies.

Rewards

Nobody is denying that the move won’t be a profitable one for global giant Microsoft.

“One could assume in the long run that they are also creating a human resources pool to hire graduates later,” Meissner told swissinfo.

Microsoft believes the initiative, which is expected to fund a range of both theoretical and practical projects, will benefit the entire computing industry. For each new Microsoft job, 23 others are created in the sector, said Waser.

Zwaenepoel agrees the benefits are long-term.

“The goals are to do good science, to produce good technology and also to produce good people who have the skill set in Switzerland so that we can really work in this technology of the future,” he said.

swissinfo, Justin Häne

Embedded software

Embedded software is any type of computing that takes place outside a traditional computer. It can be used in “clever” protective clothing to warn the wearer of, for example, overheating or in car sensors to adapt to the size of drivers and passengers.

Researchers hope to use the technology to improve efficiency within firms, improve quality of life and to enable machines to repair themselves.

Currently, there are around 200 million traditional computers compared with over 8 billion devices embedded with computer chips.

Intellectual property

Microsoft said that intellectual property rights for the projects will be discussed on a case-by-case basis and will depend on its level of involvement.

Experts say that under Swiss law, a university would usually have the first rights to innovations from within their walls, but it depends on the circumstances.