Innosuisse’s international stature has increased significantly thanks to its presidency of Taftie
Taftie is the European network of leading national innovation agencies. In 2024, Innosuisse took over the presidency of the network for one year. Annalise Eggimann, Chairperson of Taftie and former CEO of Innosuisse, takes stock in an interview.
Ms Eggimann, Innosuisse’s presidency of Taftie is now coming to an end. What is your assessment of this year as Chairperson of Taftie?
I look back at our presidency of Taftie with great pleasure and pride. I had a fantastic team at my side at Innosuisse, and together we were able to offer our colleagues at Taftie a full and attractive programme, to give them a better understanding of the Swiss innovation ecosystem and its strengths, and to show off Switzerland’s cultural diversity and scenic beauty.
Why did Innosuisse take over the presidency?
Taftie was founded in the 1990s and now has 37 member organisations. Given its lean organisation, with only a single part-time employee, the proper functioning of Taftie and the creation of added value for all its members depend very much on the commitment of the individual member organisations. Each year, a different member organisation takes over the presidency. In recent years Innosuisse has become ever more actively involved in Taftie’s work. Taking over the presidency was the next logical step, especially since it also entails responsibility for setting the agenda in the presidential year – an opportunity that we were eager to seize.
What were Innosuisse’s priorities during your presidency?
The motto we chose for the 2024 Innosuisse presidency was «Expanding the Horizon». Firstly, we wanted to broaden our horizons in terms of formats: we invited inspiring speakers on relevant issues and offered everyone the opportunity to play an active part in round-table and panel discussions. The international, i.e. non-European, partner organisations were also more closely involved. Secondly, however, we wanted to look beyond the usual horizon in terms of the agenda. We took up issues that sometimes tend to fall by the wayside in the day-to-day funding work of innovation agencies or are just waiting to be discovered and worked on with a view to new initiatives. I am thinking in particular of the «social impact» theme of the event in Bern in June, and the topic of «international cooperation for development» in Geneva in September. Of course, the issue discussed in Lugano in April was also of particular importance, namely: how we can help bring sustainability to bear in all its dimensions even more effectively in our funding work and in innovation activities as a whole. Finally, the last meeting in Brussels in November was dedicated to the very topical and essential question of how we in Europe can build a world-leading innovation ecosystem and reduce the increasingly evident gap between ourselves and the major power blocs of the United States and China. It became clear that a promising remedy can only be achieved by systematically pooling our strengths and reducing unnecessary regulation and bureaucratic hurdles, as well as significantly increasing investment in research and innovation.
What has the presidency of Taftie brought to Innosuisse and Switzerland?
Our 2024 presidency of Taftie has significantly increased Innosuisse’s international stature, sharpened its profile on the international stage and thrown the spotlight on Switzerland’s innovative strength. A very sound and smooth operation in the best Swiss tradition, along with the skill and focus on service shown by the entire team, have been much appreciated and valued by other members. In addition, the various events have provided new insights that are useful for their own funding work. The presidency has brought us strengthened relations with our partner organisations and has enhanced our international reputation. I am confident that this will open new doors for Innosuisse on the international stage in the years to come and will strengthen our networking and collaborative work.
What has been your personal highlight of the 2024 presidency?
Each event had its special moments. For me, having Swiss start-ups on hand at the events was particularly inspiring, as they were able to report first-hand on what kind of funding is most useful to them on their way to becoming successful, science-based companies, and on where they think things are lacking. Like many other participants, however, I found the visit to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva particularly moving, clearly showing us, as it did, how thin the line is between immeasurable suffering caused by humans and uncompromising humanitarian commitment.”