European research access vital for Swiss universities

Switzerland's research projects benefit from contact with EU counterparts. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Switzerland’s top universities and research institutes have called on the government to intensify efforts to regain access to European Union research collaborations.

Switzerland has been relegated to “non-associated third party” status in the EU’s flagship research scheme as a result of deteriorating political relations with the European bloc.

Last week, the government announced plans to free up CHF290 million ($313 million) to make up for lost grants from the Horizon Europe program.

But a collection of top Swiss learning establishments, known as the ETH Domain, said on ThursdayExternal link that the money is not enough on its own. Researchers and students are also losing priceless connections with EU counterparts by being frozen out of the most prestigious projects, including space and quantum research.

“Switzerland is losing an opportunity to help shape the development of European research and innovation and to set priorities,” ETH Domain stated. “There is a risk that top researchers will emigrate abroad or no longer come to Switzerland at all, and our country will lose touch internationally.”

The EU is the most important region for finding educational and corporate partners, far outweighing Asia and the United States. For example, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) finds 90% of its partners in the EU.

In addition, Swiss students, apprentices and educational establishments are losing out from exclusion of the Erasmus student exchange program.

The ETH Domain comprises the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) and Lausanne (EPFL), the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and Empa.