Innovation support for SMEs strengthened
The federal government is supporting export-oriented SMEs with an additional CHF 61 million to promote innovation. The special measures are intended to benefit companies that are under pressure due to the strength of the Swiss franc.
For the second time, the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) can help export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to strengthen their innovative power. The Federal Council approved the funding requested by the Federal Council as part of the supplementary procedure to the 2016 budget. The funding will be secured by offsetting the funds approved in the current period for the ERI sector.
This is the second time since 2015 that the federal government has responded specifically to the ongoing difficulties faced by export-oriented SMEs, helping them to invest in innovation and maintain or expand their research and development capacities.
Mentoring Program
The special measures not only allow business partners to reduce the cash contribution in innovation projects, but also enable them to make a lower personal contribution to project costs. At the same time, the use of CTI innovation mentors to support the SMEs in focus is being increased. The first special measures in 2015 have already shown that such measures are having an impact.
In addition to the regular projects, 314 projects were assessed under the special measures. Of these, 154 were approved and supported with a total federal contribution of 57.7 million Swiss francs. And the demand from SMEs for support from the innovation mentors has also increased further with the special measures. In 2015, for example, around 70 percent more research and development projects and innovation checks were launched with innovation mentors than in the previous year.
President of the Confederation and head of the EAER Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, who initiated the first measures to cushion the impact of the strong Swiss franc back in 2015, is convinced that he has once again been able to make a directly effective contribution: "We have succeeded in providing targeted incentives for the innovative capacity of strongly export-oriented SMEs. This will enable them to strengthen their competitiveness even in this difficult phase and safeguard jobs."
