Innovation in Switzerland’s cleantech industry is lagging despite overall innovation drivers in the economy being above average, a survey shows.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch
Commissioned by environmental organisation WWF, the “Cleantech Global Innovation Index” ranked 38 countries on indicators related to the creation and commercialisation of cleantech start-ups and the relative potential of countries to advance in the field over the next ten years.
Switzerland ranked 15th with the survey finding the country is an average performer in all areas except general innovation drivers.
Although the country scored well in terms of environmental patent output, its score was dragged down by average efforts in commercialising innovations and low consumption of renewable energies at home.
“The country is ranked highest for general innovation inputs though this is tempered by its weaker entrepreneurial culture,” the report said, adding that Switzerland ranked slightly above its neighbours France and Austria, but below Germany.
Denmark topped the index with the survey finding the country offered a supportive environment for start-ups ventures and a “strong track record” of commercialisation of cleantech innovations, particularly in wind.
Israel ranked second with a strong capacity to produce innovative cleantech companies, while Sweden and Finland ranked third and fourth respectively.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss take long, hard look at green policies
This content was published on
Swiss green policy is now intrinsically intertwined with international and European Union policy. But this poses a problem since multilateral attempts at coordinated global action are falling short, according to a report by the Federal Environment Office. It is “virtually impossible today” to formulate an independent environmental policy, it states. As such, “Switzerland, at the…
This content was published on
The SFr100 million ($107 million) emergency cash pot has been oversubscribed more than fivefold, with more than 1,000 applications asking for a total of SFr550 million in funding since September. The agency handing out the grants has called for greater long-term financing. As the franc gained rapidly in value against most major currencies, including the…
This content was published on
All sides agree that Swiss industry should beef up its production of green technologies. But while the cleantech sector would welcome tougher environmental controls, the wider business community rejects such a course. At the crux of the argument are proposed new laws cutting Swiss carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. The legislation,…
This content was published on
Originally called the World Wildlife Fund, the WWF has worked to protect tigers in the Indian jungle and save parts of the Amazon rain forest from tree felling. Initially, its actions centred on buying land to create nature reserves but more recently the organisation has worked as a lobby group applying pressure on governments to…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.