Successful cooperation with Poland
The Swiss-Polish cooperation programme in the field of applied research has been a success. Sixteen applications for funding were accepted in 2024 following the associated call for projects. A total of eight research centres and six Swiss companies currently benefit from this funding.
A first joint call for projects was launched in 2024 with a total budget of 15 million Swiss francs to be allocated. It has generated a great deal of interest in both countries, with 99 project proposals having been submitted. This robust response has «exceeded expectations and confirms the presence of a highly dynamic and collaborative ecosystem», says Raphaela Kübler, Project Manager at Innosuisse. The majority of proposals are focused on engineering. In addition, significant funding from the Swiss and Polish private sectors has been observed.
Specific programme
This Swiss-Polish research programme differs from the other bilateral programmes offered by Innosuisse. It is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the context of Switzerland’s second funding stream to certain member states of the European Union. The aim of this funding is to reduce social and economic inequalities, promote bilateral cooperation and strengthen knowledge exchange within the EU.
Cooperation between Switzerland and Poland within the framework of the Swiss funding is based on two main areas: urban development (278 million Swiss francs), and research and innovation (35 million Swiss francs). This second component includes a call for projects in basic research (6 million Swiss francs, managed by the Swiss National Science Foundation) and two calls for projects in applied research (30 million Swiss francs, managed by the Polish National Center for Research and Development). Poland contributes 15% of the total budget, bringing its funding to around 6 million Swiss francs.
As part of the agreement, Innosuisse is responsible for implementing the two planned calls for projects in collaboration with the Polish National Center for Research and Development.
Second call for projects
The second call for projects is scheduled for the end of January 2025. In order to strengthen the level of innovation of the projects and the technological readiness of the research carried out, as well as the likelihood of commercialisation of the results of the supported projects, this call for projects will require the participation of at least two partners from the private sector: one based in Poland and the other in Switzerland. Despite this requirement, it will remain open to all thematic areas.