A vibrant financial and economic centre
The Climate-KIC Switzerland is located in Zurich, a vibrant financial and economic centre, a globally connected international metropolitan with a long record of business incubation and innovation.
It is due to this power centre that Switzerland maintains its number one position on the Global Innovation Index (2012).
Climate-KIC offices are hosted by ETH Zurich, which is the leading technical university in continental Europe. ETH Zurich has longstanding expertise in all Climate-KIC areas including knowledge and technology transfer and spin-off creation. Energy and climate change are one of ETH Zurich’s strategic development areas.
The two ETH Zurich campuses (central campus and Science City) offer a wide range of infrastructure and tools for research, education, innovation and collaboration. Young enterprises, ETH spin-off firms and other business-related activities are located at Technopark Zurich and other incubation centres in the city of Zurich such as Startzentrum, BlueLion, or HUB Zurich.
The innovation environment, infrastructure and network between research, industry and equity companies are well established. ETH Transfer, a dedicated technology transfer unit, ensures a professional transfer from research into business; the ETH Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab (ieLab) supports young talents on their way to innovation and entrepreneurship. ETH has created over the last 15 years 240 spin-off companies and some already in climate related areas (e.g. South Pole Carbon, greenTEG, climeworks, Flisom, Amphiro).
In addition to the offerings at ETH Zurich for students and firms seeking knowhow and collaboration, the Swiss innovation and entrepreneurship eco-system is well established. The federal Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) is fostering knowledge and technology transfer between universities and industry by providing tailored training modules and coaching in entrepreneurship. Venture kick is an initiative financed by foundations and private donors which supports Swiss start-ups that are still in the very early stages. Furthermore, several business competition venues and innovation voucher initiatives exist (e.g. venture kick, venturelab, World Wide Fund, Social Entrepreneurship Foundation and Initiative).
Climate-KIC Switzerland community
Our community consists of partners from the public, private and academic worlds. These include one core and several affiliate partners that are contractually bound to us. We provide coaching, network and market entry support and financial incentives to climate innovation starters.
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