2011 swissnex Boston Annual Report

boston

2011 Initiative of the State Secretariat for Education and Research ser Consulate of Switzerland Swiss Knowledge Network with outposts in Bangalore, Boston, San Francisco, Shanghai and Singapore

BOSTON AREA POPULATION

LOCAL ECONOMY

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

4.5 MILLION

$363 BILLION

100+

HIGH-TECH JOBS

VENTURE CAPITAL

BOSTON AREA START-UPS

191,700

$3.3 BILLION

1443

bridging knowledge and competencies in science, education, art and innovation.

Consulate of Switzerland

contents 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 32 34

foreword tomorrow’s leaders a “global” consulate the startup culture corporate relations internationalization of higher education academic branding art, culture & design within the community thinking network media & publications finance & metrics partners & mandates staff outlook

foreword

thinking big 2011 unfolded with a large amount of uncertainty

enhanced when people have a common concept

and mixed signals in the US and around the world.

to share and access to world-class talents and

Only change was a constant. We continued to build

technologies require effort. All of this was facilitated

our activities around these conditions with a strong

thanks to you — a strong member of our growing

conviction that science, innovation and education are

network! Finally, it was also a year of thinking

excellent guides and building blocks for the future.

BIG (and small) as well as broad (and focused!).

From universities and public organizations to

(scientists, entrepreneurs) was present more than

Our commitment to nurturing the next generation world-leading corporations, working with a variety

ever along with the dedication to helping universities

of partners strengthened some of our basic

develop successful international strategies.

principles. First, we continued to learn from the tremendous value in ideas, especially when they

This report can only touch upon a few highlights of

can be shared, debated, expanded and executed.

what we achieved in very different areas and very

We thrived to maximize such opportunities for our

often across disciplines. So take some time to read

community and stakeholders.

it, but make sure you share your ideas with us… and keep developing key relationships!

Additionally, we leveraged the power of relationships.

Partnerships take time to materialize, events are

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swissnex Boston 2011

foreword

Sincerely, your swissnex Boston team

GHER EDUCA I H TIO SS I N SW OF APPLIED AT I O N

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LIC DIPLOMACY 5

tomorrow’s leaders

supporting the next generation of talents For swissnex Boston, investing in young talents

EXPLORING NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

and connecting them to their next ventures

Supported by Interpharma, swissnex

is a priority. They are the future drivers of our

Boston successfully organized the first

innovation economy.

Career Development Program ( cdp), offering Swiss and Swiss-affiliated

The swissnex Life Sciences Night in January, a

Master, PhD and Postdoctoral students

career-networking event, attracted more than 200

career advice and coaching. A group

participants to meet for informational interviews

of twenty students gathered for

with the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology-

four weekly, three-hour workshops,

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

covering negotiation tactics to

( eth ), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

operations of a typical industry career.

( epfl), University of Basel, Novartis and Lonza. In September, swissnex Boston opened its doors

Seasoned professionals in the

for the annual Back-to-School event, providing a

recruiting, career advancement

platform to share ideas, form new relationships

and negotiations fields led the four

and keep current connections flourishing.

workshops. All familiar with the life sciences field, each leader left the

In addition to our external efforts, we offered many students the opportunity to join the team as interns.

participants with valuable information, trusted resources and offered continued guidance outside of the

6

swissnex Boston 2011

tomorrow ’s le aders

cdp.

“swissnex plays an important role in the life of a researcher in Boston.

Engaging with the team allowed me to meet career strategists, head hunters and negotiation specialists.

The

cdp

helped me better define my

strengths and market them more efficiently. I easily transitioned into the pharmaceutical industry after my postdoc.”

Claire Bonal Senior scientist ( md, PhD), Merrimack Pharmaceuticals

“swissnex Boston provided me with a platform to display my research to a broader crowd. Playing a key role in the success of our local

eth

Alumni Chapter, swissnex helped us reconnect with alumni that had lost contact and to continuously interact with visiting professors.”

Dean Glettig PhD Candidate, Tufts University President,

eth

Alumni

New England Chapter

Participants in swissnex’s

cdp

with Professor Sharone from MIT Sloan | Back to School ‘11: Swiss researchers and Entrepreneurs at swissnex

7

a “global” consulate

a networking platform for decision makers swissnex Boston is proud to lead conversations with

WHAT’S NEXT IN ENERGY RESEARCH:

inspiring leaders who contribute to the world economy.

DORIS LEUTHARD ON BOSTON CAMPUSES As Swiss lawmakers decided to phase

Along with the World Economic Forum ( wef)

out nuclear power and transition to

debriefing, we co-organized a reception with

other sources of energy, swissnex

Dr. Klaus Schwab, wef Exec Chairman, and other

Boston connected Federal Councillor

leaders, including mit President Susan Hockfield.

Doris Leuthard, Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and

We welcomed the United Nations General Assembly

Communications, to Boston’s most

President and Federal Councillor, Joseph Deiss,

influential academics in energy research

who emphasized the role of the UN in world

on Harvard and mit campuses.

governance to Fletcher School of Law students.

At mit Federal Councillor Leuthard Other events brought several science leaders to

discussed the role of scientists in the

our office. mit Professor Bob Langer spoke at an

global energy policy with President

eth

alumni event about drug delivery, while Harvard

Genetics Professor George Church presented his

of a multilateral approach to climate

cutting-edge approach on personalized medicine

change issues in a public address.

for a Swiss Re conference.

8

Hockfield before stressing the necessity

swissnex Boston 2011

a “global” consul ate

“In a time of radical economic and technological changes, idea exchanges have become essential.

In that context, the visit to Boston, co-organized by swissnex Boston, was extremely enriching. I had the opportunity to lead discussions with highly-qualified scientists in cleantech and explain Switzerland’s environment, climate and energy policy at Harvard and

mit.”

Doris Leuthard Federal Councillor

“swissnex Boston’s reception brings the spirit of Davos to the shores of the Charles River, where many good friends of the Forum reside.

I am grateful for the hospitality provided by swissnex Boston on this occasion, which reflects the strong partnership between the Swiss Confederation and the World Economic Forum.”

Dr. Klaus Schwab Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

Federal Councilor Leuthard and epfl President Aebischer at mit | wef event: Executive Chairman Schwab and Swiss parliamentarian Bruderer (center)

9

the startup culture

boosting the entrepreneurial mindset Facilitating commercialization of universities

VENTURE LEADERS 2011 AT

research and helping Swiss entrepreneurs grow

MASSCHALLENGE

their companies are core parts of our mission.

Eleven years after its creation, the venture leaders Boot Camp, organized

This year, the cti US Market Entry Camp office

with venturelab, remains a highlight of

opened for startups in Boston. By providing

our entrepreneurship activities.

workspace with customized services, this program, managed with swissnex San Francisco, allows Swiss

The 2011 edition gathered 20 promising

entrepreneurs to focus on business development.

ventures, equally distributed over the ict,

Developing new collaborative-networking

industries. It offered the participants

opportunities, we have made good use of our

business development workshops,

swissnex desk at the Cambridge Innovation Center

taught by Babson College faculty, and

( cic), located in Kendall Square near

a wide range of tailored networking

mit.

Strategic

sessions for entrepreneurs were organized with Boston World Partnerships ( bwp), as well as

activities. The members of this Swiss “National Startup Team� had a chance to

roundtable discussions on leadership skills and

compare their pitching skills with some

new trends in tech transfer with John Sadowski,

of the participants of Masschallenge,

coach for entrepreneurs, and Laurent Mieville from

the largest US startup competition.

the University of Geneva.

10

Nanotech, Biotech and Medtech

swissnex Boston 2011

the startup culture

“swissnex is a breath of fresh air.

They have a smart strategy: hire super nice and smart people, ask them to use a consulate’s convening power to gather community’s leaders and talk about important issues.

Hard to imagine a better way for Switzerland to become an integral part of our entrepreneurial cluster.”

Tim Rowe ceo,

Cambridge Innovation Center

“The venture leader program in Boston was extremely useful in setting the right foundation for our company. I personally benefited from the legal workshops and the leadership sessions held with partners like Babson College. In addition, the swissnex team was wonderfully warm and effective.”

Temitope Ola President – ceo, Koemei Participant, Venture Leaders 2011

Innovation economy attracts entrpreneurs: Hadi Barkat presenting Helvetiq’s business model | 2011 venture leaders: Workshop with Mike Grandinetti

11

corporate relations

exploring new innovation opportunities r&d

and innovation are key components of the

THE SWISS ECONOMIC MIRACLE

students and high-level professionals,

Economic strategies are analyzed and

like Steven Hoch, president of the

strengthened its competences by bringing more

restructured to battle the ebbs and

American Swiss Foundation and board

life sciences expertise in-house and connecting

flows of today’s fluctuating economy.

member of Nestle.

further with Swiss companies.

With that, Switzerland’s economy

Swiss industry. Leveraging this, swissnex Boston

has been perceived as a miracle of Through targeted events, we helped Lonza

innovation and resilience that should

further integrate into the local biotech ecosystem.

be imitated by other nations.

Partnering with swissnex, Swiss Re presented four conferences on cutting edge health and

12

In 2011, swissnex Boston contributed

science topics. Using videoconferencing, Swiss Re

to this global discussion by hosting

broadcasted these discussions to staff around

The Economic Miracle, a joint event

the world. In September, world-class scientists,

with the Swiss American Chamber

including Professor David Sinclair, gathered

of Commerce, American Swiss

at swissnex for a daylong conference entitled

Foundation and Harvard’s Center for

Pushing the Boundaries of Longevity.

European Studies.

Through interactions with other Swiss companies,

The discussion panel explored

we continued to develop learning modules for

Switzerland’s reaction to the crisis

universities that bring executives to discover US

of 2008 and conversed with the

market entry and innovation management.

diverse audience, which included

swissnex Boston 2011

corporate rel ations

“Collaborating with swissnex Boston enabled Swiss Re to explore medical trends, expand its expert medical network in the Boston area. The event broadcasting allowed Swiss Re experts to participate globally in productive expert exchanges.

The great success of our Boston collaboration prompted Swiss Re to explore further engagement within the swissnex network” Christoph Nabholz Head of Business Development, Swiss Re

“For Lonza, swissnex Boston’s ties to the big players of the local pharmaceutical ecosystem have been very helpful to initiate new business leads, identify new industry needs and share best practices with industry peers.”

Stephan Kutzer President and

coo

of Custom

Manufacturing, Lonza

SwissRe expert roundtable: Prof. George Church, Harvard, and

kew

Group

ceo

Jeff Elton | Lonza presenting at an Insphero session

13

internationalization of higher education

facilitating the first steps abroad swissnex Boston has become a trusted partner

IS THE SWISS VOCATIONAL TRAINING

for international outreach. With our help, Zürich

SYSTEM EXPORTABLE?

University of Applied Sciences (zhaw ) expanded

The vocational education system ( vet)

many operations, including Women in Leadership,

drew much interest in 2011. Many claim

a program supporting women in the workplace.

that the Swiss economy’s success can

zhaw

and Worcester Polytechnic Institute ( wpi )

be attributed to this flexible system,

discussed how to blend entrepreneurship into

which opens the country up to more

engineering and life sciences curricular. The

entrepreneurial thinking and new

School of Business Administration Fribourg

ideas. As part of its mandate with

collaborated with

swissnex contributed to enhancing the

wpi

on an entrepreneurial training

program co-organized by swissnex Boston.

vet

opet,

and its unique impact on the labor

market though many events: We strengthened partnerships with many Universities of Applied Sciences ( uas ):

1 Expert briefing on the Swiss Education system in (Washington DC)

·

St. Gallen & Bern: organizing The Global Immersion

Module that covered US market entry

Manufacturing Summit 3 Presented the

vet

system at

nafsa

Conference

· Northwestern Switzerland: exploring the power

(Vancouver)

of global connections with the Networking NY

4 Cape Ann Business Roundtable on

student seminar

5 Showcased

· Lucerne: arranging visits to Schools of Engineering 14

2 Collaboration with Swiss Embassy on 2011

swissnex Boston 2011

vet

and

pet

swissnex Weihnachtsmarkt

internationaliz ation of higher education

vet

programs at the 2011

“swissnex opened doors to potential partner-universities in the Boston area. We had interesting talks in terms of schools and persons.

Follow-up is already becoming very promising thanks to swissnex’s offer to continue dialog with the schools and promote Switzerland as a study destination for exchange and research students and faculties.”

Uwe Schulz Head of International Office, uas-Arts

Lucerne

“As the Worcester Polytechnic Institute is expanding its activities abroad, especially in Europe, swissnex Boston has always been devoted to help us find the right partner school that would match the expectations of our students and faculty. Their team has developed a real understanding of the globalization of higher education.”

Karen Oates Dean of Arts and Sciences, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

US-Swiss experts discussion on vocational training in Washington DC | uas Northwestern Switzerland students attending a workshop at swissnex Boston

15

academic branding

strengthening an international presence eth

finished 2011 as one of our more internationally

experienced academic partners. The England Alumni Chapter ( eth

nec )

eth

New

celebrated its

PROMOTING SWISS EDUCATION IN CANADA

Canadian and international students.

Continuing to spread awareness

Both fairs offered swissnex Boston

of Swiss educational and career

crucial access to international networks.

first anniversary at swissnex Boston with Professor

opportunities, swissnex Boston

Robert Langer. In 2011, the group offered a

participated in various fairs across

dynamic local alumni network and continues to

North America.

attract new members.

We expanded our outreach activities epfl

Provost Philippe Gillet led a panel discussion

for Swiss Universities in Canada.

on academic governance at swissnex Boston

Together with the Swiss General

during his two-day visit to Boston, focusing on

Consulates of Toronto and Montreal,

strategic academic collaborations.

the Swiss Embassy in Ottawa and four Swiss universities (University of Basel,

Flanked by Swiss universities ( eth,

epfl,

University

University of Geneva, University of

of Basel) and corporations (abb, Novartis, Roland

Lausanne and

Berger), we promoted our partners’ fellowship and

in the Toronto Go Global Fair and

career opportunities at the

the 2011 National Education Fair in

mit

European Career

epfl),

we participated

Fair. Following the fair, University of Basel signed

Montreal. This fair attracted 30,000

a mandate with swissnex Boston, producing

students, parents and adults interested

valuable opportunities.

in international opportunities. The Go Global Fair pulls in more than 3,000

16

swissnex Boston 2011

academic branding

“Working with swissnex Boston was extremely valuable in boosting the presence of Uni Basel in the Boston area. In two years of collaboration, we went from almost zero institutional contacts to the launch of an alumni chapter, a permanent presence at the

mit

European

Career Fair and hosting the Global Perspective Program students.”

Erich Thaler Director of International Affairs, University of Basel

“With a significant amount of exchange students and alumni in the Boston area,

epfl

is glad

to rely on swissnex Boston’s efficient services in community management. Furthermore, they are an extremely valuable platform to discuss current topic in academic governance with some of the best universities in the World.”

Philippe Gillet Vice President for Academic Affairs,

eth

epfl

Alumni Party with Prof. Bob Langer | Philippe Gillet, Vice President for Academic Affairs,

epfl,

meeting with local

epfl

alumni

17

art, culture & design

showcasing a multicultural scene We aim to infuse the local community with Swiss

2000 WATT SOCIETY EXHIBIT IN

building experts. The exhibit continued

art and culture by showcasing artists at in-house

CAMBRIDGE

its US tour to Atlanta in May.

and external events.

The 2000-Watt Society Exhibit showcases Swiss examples of building

The swissnex Art Soirée gathered members from

technologies that are used to reduce

Boston’s cultural and art communities for a

energy consumption. In 2011, the

performance by Swiss pianist and Zürich University of

project travelled from Zürich to New

the Arts professor, See Siang Wong. Additionally,

England thanks to Cambridge Mayor

we hosted Open City, featuring

Henrietta Davis and swissnex Boston.

ethz

Professor

Kees Christiaanse, Program Leader Future Cities Laboratory, who discussed contemporary

Curated by Zürich and sponsored

processes of urbanization and improvements in

by ThinkSwiss, Smarter Living – the

urban design.

2000-Watt Society presented sustainable buildings and construction,

swissnex Boston supported The International Art

encouraging a vision of healthy and

Residencies and Symposia. Held in New Hampshire,

cutting edge architecture.

the symposia hosted artists creating work in foreign countries. Three of the guests participated in the

Exhibited during Cambridge Climate

Verbier 3D Sculpture Park Residency and shared

Week, the showcase consisted of an

how global exchange impacts art.

expert workshop and inauguration party with pitches by local sustainable

18

swissnex Boston 2011

art, culture

&

design

“swissnex Boston is an invaluable partner in promoting European short film and literature of Germanspeaking countries. With swissnex support, the

mit

European Short

Film Festival presented Swiss films for the first time; literary events provided great insights for students into a multicultural Switzerland.”

Kurt Fendt Executive Director, HyperStudio – mit

Center for Digital Humanities

“The Vermont College of Fine Arts truly appreciated the swissnex Boston’s collaboration around the Swiss Poster exhibition, and hopes to continue our new partnership... swissnex’s generosity allowed the College to expose our new students and the Vermont community to the integral role that design continues to play in global contemporary culture.”

Jennifer Renko Program Director, Vermont College of Fine Arts

Smarter Living—the 2000 Watt Society exhibit at the Cambridge Public Library | The Glue performing at the first installment of the swissnex Café

19

within the community

connecting beyond Boston and Switzerland Eager to fuel the growth of the Boston-Cambridge

THE SWISSNEX CAFÉ

science and innovation ecosystem, many

Inspired by the innovative Venture Café

organizations turned to us for partnerships.

at cic, swissnex Boston rolled out the swissnex Café. swissnex’s office

Connecting with the city of Cambridge, swissnex

was transformed into a community

Boston (supported by ThinkSwiss) took part in the

coffeehouse twice throughout 2011. Both

2011 Cambridge Science Festival. We also hosted

Cafés attracted over 100 entrepreneurs,

Cambridge’s annual GoGreen Awards, celebrating

technology experts, students and other

sustainability of local businesses, and World Class

community members combined. Guests

Thinking on Urban Design, a brainstorming event

were invited to network, relax and

for the Kendall Square redesign campaign.

work remotely from their usual offices. swissnex Café patrons were enthusiastic

Extending beyond the regional territory, we

about the new installment and soaked

engaged in dialogues with foreign delegations.

up the creativity it generated.

Many visited to discuss public diplomacy (Armenia, Czech Republic) or innovation policies (Vienna mba).

At the first swissnex Café, we had the

Various Government and university representatives,

pleasure of hosting a Swiss a capella

from nations like Turkey, the Netherland and Russia,

band The Glue. The swissnex Café

sought our expertise in connecting with local

provides a new, inspiring platform to

organizations in science, technology and innovation.

host events, showcase Swiss talents and connect with the community.

20

swissnex Boston 2011

within the communit y

“With a new model of foreign representations like swissnex, Switzerland is at the forefront of science diplomacy. Their office raised awareness of Swiss science and higher education excellence among local, young leaders. I am delighted to discuss technology and innovation policy’s role in global affairs with the swissnex community.”

Paul Smyke Senior Director, North America, and Special Advisor to the Chairman, wef

“Cambridge [is] in the process of making the city a model of sustainability. swissnex helped by raising awareness of the necessity to adopt greener building standards through a showcase of Swiss achievements. They have an amazing ability to reach all parts of our community, from Harvard and mit

professors to families and kids.”

Henrietta Davis Mayor, City of Cambridge

Harvard Aid Negotiation workshop with

mit

Prof Susskind | GoGreen Awards: Mayor Davis, City Councilor Seidel (right) and Postmaster Lyon (left)

21

thinking network

the five directors on the road Along with frequent exchanges with swissnex

TOUR DE SWISSNEX

San Francisco, we helped organize two intra-network

In parallel to the swissnex Day, the five

collaborations events.

swissnex directors and part of their staff toured Switzerland to meet with key

swissnex Boston hosted the annual

players in the Swiss innovation economy.

Consular Conference, gathering official Swiss representatives in the US. The conference

From the Italian speaking universities in

highlighted science and technology as one the

Canton Ticino to the microtechnology

diplomatic agenda’s core components.

cluster on the Lake of Neuchatel, and from the largest Swiss university

Focused around the future of cities, we coordinated

in ZĂźrich to the bilingual University

the 3RD swissnex Day at ethz. In preparation, the

of Fribourg, the group got a fresh

five offices worked together to create a short film

overview of the international strategies

that highlighted urban development challenges.

and the flagship research programs,

The swissnex directors showcased strategic

while discussing future collaborations.

competences to our Swiss stakeholders.

Emphasizing swissnex collaboration, Pierre Dorsaz spent one month in the swissnex China office, sharing programs implemented in Boston and learning from their operations.

22

swissnex Boston 2011

thinking ne t work

tour de swissnex

swissnex Day 2011: the directors meeting their stakeholders in Switzerland | First gathering of all swissnex alumni in Bern, November 2011

23

media & publication

swissnex 2.0 From an event aired on Swiss-German Television

In collaboration with RedCut,

The authors and swissnex Boston

to several features in American media, swissnex

swissnex Boston published Citizen 2.0:

used Citizen 2.0 to encourage their

Boston enjoyed a great visibility in 2011. With a

17 examples of social media and

own communities to take action and

new full-time Communications Manager, we were

government innovation. Written by Hadi

share ideas.

able to more efficiently interact with our community.

Barkat and Lisa Jaeggli, both from

In partnership with

epfl,

we launched

RedCut, and Pierre Dorsaz, Citizen 2.0

The paper can be downloaded at:

showcases highly successful examples

www.citizen20.ch

LausannetoBoston.com, a blog featuring the

of social media and government

writings of 9

innovation that can serve as inspiration.

epfl

Masters students studying

abroad in the Boston area.

Many of the technologies dissected Nina Ryser, Advisor for Innovation and

in the 17 case studies are created by

Entrepreneurship, published, for the Canton of

constituents looking for inexpensive

Basel, Success Factors of Economic Development

and widely-available solutions to

in High-Tech Regions: Boston Case Study,

common problems. From ideation to

highlighting Boston’s pioneering culture.

agenda setting and crowd-sourcing, the studies present how the new

24

Overall, swissnex Boston sought to promote the

media has empowered citizens,

latest on Swiss science, technology, art, higher

while improving governments’

education and ventures through all outlets.

responsiveness and accountability.

swissnex Boston 2011

media

&

publication

“swissnex Boston is important to the branding strategy of Switzerland and an efficient tool of public diplomacy. Through its ability to leverage social and digital media platforms to promote the best of our country, swissnex carries the message of an innovative and knowledge-driven Switzerland�

Nicolas Bideau Head, Presence Switzerland

The new Communications Manager, Lia Breunig, presenting swissnex social media strategy | Two of swissnex publications in 2011

25

finance and metrics

swissnex Boston expanded its network of university,

More specifically, in 2011 we launched a new

corporate and organizational partnerships.

Corporate Program with SwissRe and Lonza. This collaboration led to a series of events, including

Our innovative public-private partnership model has

expert roundtables to video conferences.

supported swissnex Boston’s success throughout the years. This model pushes us to consistently enter into

swissnex Boston strives to use the model of well

new mandates with various universities, corporations

balanced public and private partnerships to spread

and organizations across the globe. With most of our

awareness of Swiss excellence in science and

projects financed by Third Party Contribution (cash

technology and support nation-branding activities.

and in-kind), we are able to organize a diverse variety of projects for our communities in the New England Area and beyond.

26

swissnex Boston 2011

finance and me trics

ser

Operating

ser

Projects

$570,909

contributions

2011

$127,500 Third Party Contributions

$804,489

Cash In-Kind non Project In-Kind Project

Contributions

$346,648 $286,000 $171,841

2008

2009

2010

2011

ser

Operating

$462,000

$572,619

$571,375

$570,909

ser

Projects

$90,000

$167,000

$162,455

$127,500

Third-party Contributions

$454,000

$875,351

$901,047

$804,489

Total

$1,006,000

$1,614,970

$1,634,877

$1,502,898

27

partners & mandates

involving new private partners swissnex Boston has always been a partnership-driven

social work and hospitality management (through

institution. Since the early days we have tried to keep a

Hospitality Management School Lausanne [ ehl]).

good balance between public and private partners.

We enjoyed enhancing the Swiss vocational training In 2011, we developed new kinds of collaboration

system and thank the Federal Office for Professional

through our corporate programs that generated

Education and Technology ( opet) for its support in

enriching outcomes with Swiss Re and Lonza. In

that regard over the past years. We are also grateful

addition, our partnership with the Commission for

to our core sponsors who have supported our

Innovation and Technology ( cti ) helped to diversify

operations since the beginning: the State Secretariat

our services in entrepreneurship.

for Education and Research ( ser ), our founding

On the academic side, we were delighted to begin

qualified it staff, the Department of Foreign Affairs and

partner Lombard Odier, Credit Suisse for its high official partnerships with the University of Basel and hec

Lausanne, while strengthening our long-lasting

mandates with

ethz

and

epfl.

Additionally, the Canton

de Vaud continued its active strategy of partnering

The following infographic will give you a quick overview

with Boston area universities by co-developing

of swissnex Boston’s density of activities in 2011

educational joints programs in nursing, physiotherapy,

28

in particular Presence Switzerland and its Think Swiss program for providing generous funding.

swissnex Boston 2011

partners

&

mandates

partners and sponsors ACADEMIC PARTNERS

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs ( eda-dfae)

Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne ( epfl)

Commission for Technology and Innovation ( cti )

Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ( eth )

Think Swiss/Presence Switzerland

The University of Basel

Kanton Basel Stadt

The University of Lausanne/hec

Canton de Vaud

School of Business Administration Fribourg ( heg )

Switzerland Trade

Bern University of Applied Sciences ( bfh-ti )

Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Art Council

Hospitality Management School Lausanne ( ehl)

Swiss Films

Haute Ecole de SantĂŠ Vaud ( hesav)

Swiss National Science Foundation ( snfs )

Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Art ( hslu )

CORPORATE/INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Zurich University of Applied Sciences (zhaw )

Lombard Odier 

University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern

Swiss Re

Switzerland ( fhnw ) The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies ( iheid ) The University of Lucerne The University of Geneva The University of St. Gallen International Institute for Management Development

Lonza Novartis SMA und Partners AG Roche venturelab Intrerpharma

Lausanne ( imd )

Swiss American Chamber of Commerce ( sacc )

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS & FOUNDATIONS

SPONSORS

State Secretariat for Education and Research

Credit Suisse

( sbf-ser )

SWISS

Federal Office for Professional Education and

Helvetiq

Technology ( opet)

Lindt 29

swissnex boston in 2011 WE CONNECT BOSTON AND SWITZERLAND IN SCIENCE, EDUCATION, ART AND INNOVATION we partner with

30

7

SWISS UNIVERSITIES

7

4

SWISS MAJOR CORPORATIONS

20+

SWISS UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCIENCES

START-UPS

13

AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

NON-PROFITS & THINK TANKS

HOW WE DO IT events

80+

EVENTS

237

SPEAKERS

24

DELEGATION VISITS

CUSTOMIZED WORKSHOPS & EXPERT ROUNDTABLES

FOR 8,000+ VISITORS

communication

6

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

2

BLOGS &

3

DESKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

1

WEBSITE

10

EDUCATION FAIRS & CONFERENCES

powered by

8 6

PERMANENT STAFF MEMBERS

INTERNS

OFFICE BETWEEN HARVARD AND MIT

BOSTON/CAMBRIDGE INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY

31

staff & advisors

a fresh transatlantic team From adding new staff members to wishing others best of luck in their new endeavors, swissnex embraced the changes that transpired throughout 2011.

Our partnership with eth offers the opportunity to staff

Pascal Marmier

Sophie Sithamma

Consul & Director

Accounting & Administration

Andreas Rufer

Lia Breunig

Deputy Consul & Project Leader, Art & Culture

Community & Communications Manager

Pierre Dorsaz

Elizabeth Galvin

Project Leader, Innovation & Partnerships

Team Assistant & Event Coordinator

members to use our facilities as their homebase to immerserse themselves into the Boston academic ecosystem. For example, Dr. Angelika Wittek, head of eth Student Exchange Office joined us from September to December, 2011.

We are also pleased to acknowledge the extraordinary support of the members of our local advisory board throughout the year. Thank you: Zeina Hakim, Assistant Professor of French, Tufts University Bettina Hein, Entrepreneur,

ceo

at Pixability Inc.

Susan Kish, Head Cross Media Initiatives at Bloomberg Steven Hoch, Chairman, American Swiss Foundation,

Anca Dobre

Founder/Partner, Highmount Capital

IT Specialist

llc

Jerry Schaufeld, Professor of Mangement at

wpi

Paul Smyke, Senior Director, North America, and Special Advisor to the Chairman, World Economic Forum

32

Sebastien Hug

Thomas Zeltner, Former Director, Swiss Federal Office of

Project Leader, Higher Education &

Public Health/ Chairman, Science et CitĂŠ Foundation

Partnerships

swissnex Boston 2011

staff

&

advisors

Worked at swissnex in 2011 Nina Ryser

Sabine Ledermann Academic Intern

Project Manager, Innovation &

Marie-Charlotte Bagnoud

Technology

Academic Intern

Jacqueline Gasser-Beck

Eleni Karametaxas

Project Manager, Higher Education

Academic Intern

Kati Reusche

Francesco Albertini

Executive Assistant & Event

Academic Intern

Manager Andrea Curti & Philipp Voser IT Specialist Angelika Wittek ETH Sabbatical Martine Wassmer

Thomas Boillat Academic Intern Olivia Goebl Academic Intern Denzil Mohammed Communication Specialist

ETH Sabbatical

33

outlook

share your bold ideas with us!

Looking forward, we want to foster a more interactive approach in the way we set our agenda.

As a member of our community, tell us what swissnex Boston can do for you and how we can better customize our services.

We invite you to download our iPhone application “swissnex Boston� to track our activities and submit your feedback.

Also, please visit our new ideation platform at www.yourswissnexboston.org. Help us by sharing your vision of swissnex Boston for the future and rate other ideas posted by the community.

We look forward to extending our collaboration in 2012.

34

swissnex Boston 2011

outlook

map of Cambridge, MA

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swissnex Boston

swissnex boston 420 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA t: (617) 876-3076 f: (617) 876-3079 www.swissnexboston.org