2011 swissnex boston annual report

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boston 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 2011

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A recap of 2011 at swissnex Boston. From in-house events to touring Switzerland, we explored new areas of engagment and connected with new partners and communities. We hope you enjoy this report and look forward to extending our collaboration in 2012.

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  • bost

    on

    Initiative of the State Secretariat for Education and Research serConsulate of SwitzerlandSwiss Knowledge Network with outposts in Bangalore, Boston, San Francisco, Shanghai and Singapore

    2011

  • BOSTON AREA POPULATION

    4.5 MILLION

    BOSTON AREA START-UPS

    1443

    LOCAL ECONOMY

    $363 BILLION

    COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

    100+HIGH-TECH JOBS

    191,700VENTURE CAPITAL

    $3.3 BILLION

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  • contents

    4 foreword6 tomorrows leaders8 a global consulate10 the startup culture12 corporate relations14 internationalization of higher education16 academic branding18 art, culture & design20 within the community22 thinking network24 media & publications 26 finance & metrics28 partners & mandates32 staff34 outlook

  • 4 swissnex Boston 2011 foreword

    foreword

    thinking big2011 unfolded with a large amount of uncertainty

    and mixed signals in the US and around the world.

    Only change was a constant. We continued to build

    our activities around these conditions with a strong

    conviction that science, innovation and education are

    excellent guides and building blocks for the future.

    From universities and public organizations to

    world-leading corporations, working with a variety

    of partners strengthened some of our basic

    principles. First, we continued to learn from the

    tremendous value in ideas, especially when they

    can be shared, debated, expanded and executed.

    We thrived to maximize such opportunities for our

    community and stakeholders.

    Additionally, we leveraged the power of relationships.

    Partnerships take time to materialize, events are

    enhanced when people have a common concept

    to share and access to world-class talents and

    technologies require effort. All of this was facilitated

    thanks to you a strong member of our growing

    network! Finally, it was also a year of thinking

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

    Our commitment to nurturing the next generation

    (scientists, entrepreneurs) was present more than

    ever along with the dedication to helping universities

    develop successful international strategies.

    This report can only touch upon a few highlights of

    what we achieved in very different areas and very

    often across disciplines. So take some time to read

    it, but make sure you share your ideas with us and

    keep developing key relationships!

    Sincerely, your swissnex Boston team

  • 5CO

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    UN I T Y

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    YOUNG TA L EN T S

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    E N T R E P R E N E U R S

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  • 6tomorrows leaders

    supporting the next generation of talents

    swissnex Boston 2011 tomorrows leaders

    For swissnex Boston, investing in young talents

    and connecting them to their next ventures

    is a priority. They are the future drivers of our

    innovation economy.

    The swissnex Life Sciences Night in January, a

    career-networking event, attracted more than 200

    participants to meet for informational interviews

    with the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology-

    Eidgenssische Technische Hochschule Zrich

    (eth), cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne

    (epfl), University of Basel, Novartis and Lonza. In

    September, swissnex Boston opened its doors

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

    platform to share ideas, form new relationships

    and keep current connections flourishing.

    In addition to our external efforts, we offered many

    students the opportunity to join the team as interns.

    EXPLORING NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Supported by Interpharma, swissnex

    Boston successfully organized the first

    Career Development Program (cdp),

    offering Swiss and Swiss-affiliated

    Master, PhD and Postdoctoral students

    career advice and coaching. A group

    of twenty students gathered for

    four weekly, three-hour workshops,

    covering negotiation tactics to

    operations of a typical industry career.

    Seasoned professionals in the

    recruiting, career advancement

    and negotiations fields led the four

    workshops. All familiar with the life

    sciences field, each leader left the

    participants with valuable information,

    trusted resources and offered

    continued guidance outside of the cdp.

  • 7Participants in swissnexs cdp with Professor Sharone from MIT Sloan | Back to School 11: Swiss researchers and Entrepreneurs at swissnex

    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

    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

  • 8a global consulate

    a networking platform for decision makers

    swissnex Boston 2011 a global consulate

    swissnex Boston is proud to lead conversations with

    inspiring leaders who contribute to the world economy.

    Along with the World Economic Forum (wef)

    debriefing, we co-organized a reception with

    Dr. Klaus Schwab, wef Exec Chairman, and other

    leaders, including mit President Susan Hockfield.

    We welcomed the United Nations General Assembly

    President and Federal Councillor, Joseph Deiss,

    who emphasized the role of the UN in world

    governance to Fletcher School of Law students.

    Other events brought several science leaders to

    our office. mit Professor Bob Langer spoke at an

    eth alumni event about drug delivery, while Harvard

    Genetics Professor George Church presented his

    cutting-edge approach on personalized medicine

    for a Swiss Re conference.

    WHATS NEXT IN ENERGY RESEARCH:

    DORIS LEUTHARD ON BOSTON CAMPUSES As Swiss lawmakers decided to phase

    out nuclear power and transition to

    other sources of energy, swissnex

    Boston connected Federal Councillor

    Doris Leuthard, Department of

    Environment, Transport, Energy and

    Communications, to Bostons most

    influential academics in energy research

    on Harvard and mit campuses.

    At mit Federal Councillor Leuthard

    discussed the role of scientists in the

    global energy policy with President

    Hockfield before stressing the necessity

    of a multilateral approach to climate

    change issues in a public address.

  • 9Federal Councilor Leuthard and epfl President Aebischer at mit | wef event: Executive Chairman Schwab and Swiss parliamentarian Bruderer (center)

    swissnex Bostons 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

    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 Switzerlands

    environment, climate and energy

    policy at Harvard and mit.

    Doris Leuthard

    Federal Councillor

  • 10

    the startup culture

    boosting the entrepreneurial mindset

    swissnex Boston 2011 the startup culture

    Facilitating commercialization of universities

    research and helping Swiss entrepreneurs grow

    their companies are core parts of our mission.

    This year, the cti US Market Entry Camp office

    opened for startups in Boston. By providing

    workspace with customized services, this program,

    managed with swissnex San Francisco, allows Swiss

    entrepreneurs to focus on business development.

    Developing new collaborative-networking

    opportunities, we have made good use of our

    swissnex desk at the Cambridge Innovation Center

    (cic), located in Kendall Square near mit. Strategic

    sessions for entrepreneurs were organized with

    Boston World Partnerships (bwp), as well as

    roundtable discussions on leadership skills and

    new trends in tech transfer with John Sadowski,

    coach for entrepreneurs, and Laurent Mieville from

    the University of Geneva.

    VENTURE LEADERS 2011 AT

    MASSCHALLENGE Eleven years after its creation, the

    venture leaders Boot Camp, organized

    with venturelab, remains a highlight of

    our entrepreneurship activities.

    The 2011 edition gathered 20 promising

    ventures, equally distributed over the

    ict, Nanotech, Biotech and Medtech

    industries. It offered the participants

    business development workshops,

    taught by Babson College faculty, and

    a wide range of tailored networking

    activities. The members of this Swiss

    National Startup Team had a chance to

    compare their pitching skills with some

    of the participants of Masschallenge,

    the largest US startup competition.

  • 11Innovation economy attracts entrpreneurs: Hadi Barkat presenting Helvetiqs business model | 2011 venture leaders: Workshop with Mike Grandinetti

    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

    swissnex is a breath of fresh air.

    They have a smart strategy: hire

    super nice and smart people, ask

    them to use a consulates convening

    power to gather communitys 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

  • 12 swissnex Boston 2011 corporate relations

    corporate relations

    exploring new innovation opportunities

    r&d and innovation are key components of the

    Swiss industry. Leveraging this, swissnex Boston

    strengthened its competences by bringing more

    life sciences expertise in-house and connecting

    further with Swiss companies.

    Through targeted events, we helped Lonza

    further integrate into the local biotech ecosystem.

    Partnering with swissnex, Swiss Re presented

    four conferences on cutting edge health and

    science topics. Using videoconferencing, Swiss Re

    broadcasted these discussions to staff around

    the world. In September, world-class scientists,

    including Professor David Sinclair, gathered

    at swissnex for a daylong conference entitled

    Pushing the Boundaries of Longevity.

    Through interactions with other Swiss companies,

    we continued to develop learning modules for

    universities that bring executives to discover US

    market entry and innovation management.

    THE SWISS ECONOMIC MIRACLE Economic strategies are analyzed and

    restructured to battle the ebbs and

    flows of todays fluctuating economy.

    With that, Switzerlands economy

    has been perceived as a miracle of

    innovation and resilience that should

    be imitated by other nations.

    In 2011, swissnex Boston contributed

    to this global discussion by hosting

    The Economic Miracle, a joint event

    with the Swiss American Chamber

    of Commerce, American Swiss

    Foundation and Harvards Center for

    European Studies.

    The discussion panel explored

    Switzerlands reaction to the crisis

    of 2008 and conversed with the

    diverse audience, which included

    students and high-level professionals,

    like Steven Hoch, president of the

    American Swiss Foundation and board

    member of Nestle.

  • 13SwissRe expert roundtable: Prof. George Church, Harvard, and kew Group ceo Jeff Elton | Lonza presenting at an Insphero session

    For Lonza, swissnex Bostons

    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

    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

  • 14

    internationalization of higher education

    facilitating the first steps abroad

    swissnex Boston 2011 internationalization of higher education

    IS THE SWISS VOCATIONAL TRAINING

    SYSTEM EXPORTABLE? The vocational education system (vet)

    drew much interest in 2011. Many claim

    that the Swiss economys success can

    be attributed to this flexible system,

    which opens the country up to more

    entrepreneurial thinking and new

    ideas. As part of its mandate with opet,

    swissnex contributed to enhancing the

    vet and its unique impact on the labor

    market though many events:

    swissnex Boston has become a trusted partner

    for international outreach. With our help, Zrich

    University of Applied Sciences (zhaw) expanded

    many operations, including Women in Leadership,

    a program supporting women in the workplace.

    zhaw and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (wpi)

    discussed how to blend entrepreneurship into

    engineering and life sciences curricular. The

    School of Business Administration Fribourg

    collaborated with wpi on an entrepreneurial training

    program co-organized by swissnex Boston.

    We strengthened partnerships with many

    Universities of Applied Sciences (uas):

    St. Gallen & Bern: organizing The Global Immersion

    Module that covered US market entry

    Northwestern Switzerland: exploring the power

    of global connections with the Networking NY

    student seminar

    Lucerne: arranging visits to Schools of Engineering

    1 Expert briefing on the Swiss Education system

    in (Washington DC)

    2 Collaboration with Swiss Embassy on 2011

    Manufacturing Summit

    3 Presented the vet system at nafsa Conference

    (Vancouver)

    4 Cape Ann Business Roundtable on vet

    5 Showcased vet and pet programs at the 2011

    swissnex Weihnachtsmarkt

  • 15US-Swiss experts discussion on vocational training in Washington DC | uas Northwestern Switzerland students attending a workshop at swissnex Boston

    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

    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 swissnexs 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

  • 16

    academic branding

    strengthening an international presence

    swissnex Boston 2011 academic branding

    eth finished 2011 as one of our more internationally

    experienced academic partners. The eth New

    England Alumni Chapter (eth nec) celebrated its

    first anniversary at swissnex Boston with Professor

    Robert Langer. In 2011, the group offered a

    dynamic local alumni network and continues to

    attract new members.

    epfl Provost Philippe Gillet led a panel discussion

    on academic governance at swissnex Boston

    during his two-day visit to Boston, focusing on

    strategic academic collaborations.

    Flanked by Swiss universities (eth, epfl, University

    of Basel) and corporations (abb, Novartis, Roland

    Berger), we promoted our partners fellowship and

    career opportunities at the mit European Career

    Fair. Following the fair, University of Basel signed

    a mandate with swissnex Boston, producing

    valuable opportunities.

    PROMOTING SWISS EDUCATION IN CANADA Continuing to spread awareness

    of Swiss educational and career

    opportunities, swissnex Boston

    participated in various fairs across

    North America.

    We expanded our outreach activities

    for Swiss Universities in Canada.

    Together with the Swiss General

    Consulates of Toronto and Montreal,

    the Swiss Embassy in Ottawa and four

    Swiss universities (University of Basel,

    University of Geneva, University of

    Lausanne and epfl), we participated

    in the Toronto Go Global Fair and

    the 2011 National Education Fair in

    Montreal. This fair attracted 30,000

    students, parents and adults interested

    in international opportunities. The

    Go Global Fair pulls in more than 3,000

    Canadian and international students.

    Both fairs offered swissnex Boston

    crucial access to international networks.

  • 17eth Alumni Party with Prof. Bob Langer | Philippe Gillet, Vice President for Academic Affairs, epfl, meeting with local epfl alumni

    With a significant amount of

    exchange students and alumni

    in the Boston area, epfl is glad

    to rely on swissnex Bostons

    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, epfl

    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

  • 18

    art, culture & design

    showcasing a multicultural scene

    swissnex Boston 2011 art, culture & design

    We aim to infuse the local community with Swiss

    art and culture by showcasing artists at in-house

    and external events.

    The swissnex Art Soire gathered members from

    Bostons cultural and art communities for a

    performance by Swiss pianist and Zrich University of

    the Arts professor, See Siang Wong. Additionally,

    we hosted Open City, featuring ethz Professor

    Kees Christiaanse, Program Leader Future

    Cities Laboratory, who discussed contemporary

    processes of urbanization and improvements in

    urban design.

    swissnex Boston supported The International Art

    Residencies and Symposia. Held in New Hampshire,

    the symposia hosted artists creating work in foreign

    countries. Three of the guests participated in the

    Verbier 3D Sculpture Park Residency and shared

    how global exchange impacts art.

    2000 WATT SOCIETY EXHIBIT IN

    CAMBRIDGE The 2000-Watt Society Exhibit

    showcases Swiss examples of building

    technologies that are used to reduce

    energy consumption. In 2011, the

    project travelled from Zrich to New

    England thanks to Cambridge Mayor

    Henrietta Davis and swissnex Boston.

    Curated by Zrich and sponsored

    by ThinkSwiss, Smarter Living the

    2000-Watt Society presented

    sustainable buildings and construction,

    encouraging a vision of healthy and

    cutting edge architecture.

    Exhibited during Cambridge Climate

    Week, the showcase consisted of an

    expert workshop and inauguration

    party with pitches by local sustainable

    building experts. The exhibit continued

    its US tour to Atlanta in May.

  • 19Smarter Livingthe 2000 Watt Society exhibit at the Cambridge Public Library | The Glue performing at the first installment of the swissnex Caf

    The Vermont College of Fine Arts

    truly appreciated the swissnex

    Bostons collaboration around the

    Swiss Poster exhibition, and hopes

    to continue our new partnership...

    swissnexs 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

    swissnex Boston is an invaluable

    partner in promoting European

    short film and literature of German-

    speaking 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

  • 20

    within the community

    connecting beyond Boston and Switzerland

    swissnex Boston 2011 within the community

    Eager to fuel the growth of the Boston-Cambridge

    science and innovation ecosystem, many

    organizations turned to us for partnerships.

    Connecting with the city of Cambridge, swissnex

    Boston (supported by ThinkSwiss) took part in the

    2011 Cambridge Science Festival. We also hosted

    Cambridges annual GoGreen Awards, celebrating

    sustainability of local businesses, and World Class

    Thinking on Urban Design, a brainstorming event

    for the Kendall Square redesign campaign.

    Extending beyond the regional territory, we

    engaged in dialogues with foreign delegations.

    Many visited to discuss public diplomacy (Armenia,

    Czech Republic) or innovation policies (Vienna mba).

    Various Government and university representatives,

    from nations like Turkey, the Netherland and Russia,

    sought our expertise in connecting with local

    organizations in science, technology and innovation.

    THE SWISSNEX CAF

    Inspired by the innovative Venture Caf

    at cic, swissnex Boston rolled out

    the swissnex Caf. swissnexs office

    was transformed into a community

    coffeehouse twice throughout 2011. Both

    Cafs attracted over 100 entrepreneurs,

    technology experts, students and other

    community members combined. Guests

    were invited to network, relax and

    work remotely from their usual offices.

    swissnex Caf patrons were enthusiastic

    about the new installment and soaked

    up the creativity it generated.

    At the first swissnex Caf, we had the

    pleasure of hosting a Swiss a capella

    band The Glue. The swissnex Caf

    provides a new, inspiring platform to

    host events, showcase Swiss talents

    and connect with the community.

  • 21Harvard Aid Negotiation workshop with mit Prof Susskind | GoGreen Awards: Mayor Davis, City Councilor Seidel (right) and Postmaster Lyon (left)

    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

    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 policys role in global

    affairs with the swissnex community.

    Paul Smyke

    Senior Director, North America, and

    Special Advisor to the Chairman, wef

  • 22 swissnex Boston 2011 thinking network

    thinking network

    the five directors on the road

    Along with frequent exchanges with swissnex

    San Francisco, we helped organize two intra-network

    collaborations events.

    swissnex Boston hosted the annual

    Consular Conference, gathering official Swiss

    representatives in the US. The conference

    highlighted science and technology as one the

    diplomatic agendas core components.

    Focused around the future of cities, we coordinated

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

    five offices worked together to create a short film

    that highlighted urban development challenges.

    The swissnex directors showcased strategic

    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.

    TOUR DE SWISSNEX

    In parallel to the swissnex Day, the five

    swissnex directors and part of their staff

    toured Switzerland to meet with key

    players in the Swiss innovation economy.

    From the Italian speaking universities in

    Canton Ticino to the microtechnology

    cluster on the Lake of Neuchatel, and

    from the largest Swiss university

    in Zrich to the bilingual University

    of Fribourg, the group got a fresh

    overview of the international strategies

    and the flagship research programs,

    while discussing future collaborations.

  • 23

    tour de swissnex

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

  • 24

    media & publication

    swissnex 2.0

    swissnex Boston 2011 media & publication

    From an event aired on Swiss-German Television

    to several features in American media, swissnex

    Boston enjoyed a great visibility in 2011. With a

    new full-time Communications Manager, we were

    able to more efficiently interact with our community.

    In partnership with epfl, we launched

    LausannetoBoston.com, a blog featuring the

    writings of 9 epfl Masters students studying

    abroad in the Boston area.

    Nina Ryser, Advisor for Innovation and

    Entrepreneurship, published, for the Canton of

    Basel, Success Factors of Economic Development

    in High-Tech Regions: Boston Case Study,

    highlighting Bostons pioneering culture.

    Overall, swissnex Boston sought to promote the

    latest on Swiss science, technology, art, higher

    education and ventures through all outlets.

    In collaboration with RedCut,

    swissnex Boston published Citizen 2.0:

    17 examples of social media and

    government innovation. Written by Hadi

    Barkat and Lisa Jaeggli, both from

    RedCut, and Pierre Dorsaz, Citizen 2.0

    showcases highly successful examples

    of social media and government

    innovation that can serve as inspiration.

    Many of the technologies dissected

    in the 17 case studies are created by

    constituents looking for inexpensive

    and widely-available solutions to

    common problems. From ideation to

    agenda setting and crowd-sourcing,

    the studies present how the new

    media has empowered citizens,

    while improving governments

    responsiveness and accountability.

    The authors and swissnex Boston

    used Citizen 2.0 to encourage their

    own communities to take action and

    share ideas.

    The paper can be downloaded at:

    www.citizen20.ch

  • 25The new Communications Manager, Lia Breunig, presenting swissnex social media strategy | Two of swissnex publications in 2011

    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

  • 26 swissnex Boston 2011 finance and metrics

    finance and metrics

    swissnex Boston expanded its network of university,

    corporate and organizational partnerships.

    Our innovative public-private partnership model has

    supported swissnex Bostons success throughout the

    years. This model pushes us to consistently enter into

    new mandates with various universities, corporations

    and organizations across the globe. With most of our

    projects financed by Third Party Contribution (cash

    and in-kind), we are able to organize a diverse variety

    of projects for our communities in the New England

    Area and beyond.

    More specifically, in 2011 we launched a new

    Corporate Program with SwissRe and Lonza. This

    collaboration led to a series of events, including

    expert roundtables to video conferences.

    swissnex Boston strives to use the model of well

    balanced public and private partnerships to spread

    awareness of Swiss excellence in science and

    technology and support nation-branding activities.

  • contributions

    2011

    27

    Contributions

    ser Operating

    ser Projects

    Third-party Contributions

    Total

    2009

    $572,619

    $167,000

    $875,351

    $1,614,970

    2008

    $462,000

    $90,000

    $454,000

    $1,006,000

    2010

    $571,375

    $162,455

    $901,047

    $1,634,877

    2011

    $570,909

    $127,500

    $804,489

    $1,502,898

    ser Operating

    $570,909

    ser Projects

    $127,500

    Third Party Contributions

    $804,489Cash In-Kind non Project In-Kind Project

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

  • 28

    partners & mandates

    involving new private partners

    swissnex Boston 2011 partners & mandates

    swissnex Boston has always been a partnership-driven

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

    good balance between public and private partners.

    In 2011, we developed new kinds of collaboration

    through our corporate programs that generated

    enriching outcomes with Swiss Re and Lonza. In

    addition, our partnership with the Commission for

    Innovation and Technology (cti) helped to diversify

    our services in entrepreneurship.

    On the academic side, we were delighted to begin

    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

    with Boston area universities by co-developing

    educational joints programs in nursing, physiotherapy,

    social work and hospitality management (through

    Hospitality Management School Lausanne [ehl]).

    We enjoyed enhancing the Swiss vocational training

    system and thank the Federal Office for Professional

    Education and Technology (opet) for its support in

    that regard over the past years. We are also grateful

    to our core sponsors who have supported our

    operations since the beginning: the State Secretariat

    for Education and Research (ser), our founding

    partner Lombard Odier, Credit Suisse for its high

    qualified it staff, the Department of Foreign Affairs and

    in particular Presence Switzerland and its Think Swiss

    program for providing generous funding.

    The following infographic will give you a quick overview

    of swissnex Bostons density of activities in 2011

  • 29

    partners and sponsorsACADEMIC PARTNERS

    Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (epfl)

    Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (eth)

    The University of Basel

    The University of Lausanne/hec

    School of Business Administration Fribourg (heg)

    Bern University of Applied Sciences (bfh-ti)

    Hospitality Management School Lausanne (ehl)

    Haute Ecole de Sant Vaud (hesav)

    Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Art (hslu)

    Zurich University of Applied Sciences (zhaw)

    University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern

    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

    Lausanne (imd)

    GOVERNMENT PARTNERS & FOUNDATIONS

    State Secretariat for Education and Research

    (sbf-ser)

    Federal Office for Professional Education and

    Technology (opet)

    Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (eda-dfae)

    Commission for Technology and Innovation (cti)

    Think Swiss/Presence Switzerland

    Kanton Basel Stadt

    Canton de Vaud

    Switzerland Trade

    Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Art Council

    Swiss Films

    Swiss National Science Foundation (snfs)

    CORPORATE/INDUSTRY PARTNERS

    Lombard Odier

    Swiss Re

    Lonza

    Novartis

    SMA und Partners AG

    Roche

    venturelab

    Intrerpharma

    Swiss American Chamber of Commerce (sacc)

    SPONSORS

    Credit Suisse

    SWISS

    Helvetiq

    Lindt

  • FOR 8,000+ VISITORS

    7 SWISS UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCIENCES

    HOW WE DO IT

    we partner with

    events

    swissnex boston in 2011

    20+ START-UPS

    13 AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

    NON-PROFITS & THINK TANKS

    7 SWISS UNIVERSITIES

    80+ EVENTS 237SPEAKERS

    4 SWISS MAJOR CORPORATIONS

    24 DELEGATION VISITS

    communication

    powered by

    6 SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

    8 PERMANENT STAFF MEMBERS

    6 INTERNS

    2 BLOGS & 1WEBSITE

    WE CONNECT BOSTON AND SWITZERLANDIN SCIENCE, EDUCATION, ART AND INNOVATION

    CUSTOMIZED WORKSHOPS & EXPERT ROUNDTABLES

    10 EDUCATION FAIRS & CONFERENCES

    3 DESKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS OFFICE BETWEEN HARVARD AND MIT

    BOSTON/CAMBRIDGE INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY

    30

  • FOR 8,000+ VISITORS

    7 SWISS UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCIENCES

    HOW WE DO IT

    we partner with

    events

    swissnex boston in 2011

    20+ START-UPS

    13 AMERICAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

    NON-PROFITS & THINK TANKS

    7 SWISS UNIVERSITIES

    80+ EVENTS 237SPEAKERS

    4 SWISS MAJOR CORPORATIONS

    24 DELEGATION VISITS

    communication

    powered by

    6 SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

    8 PERMANENT STAFF MEMBERS

    6 INTERNS

    2 BLOGS & 1WEBSITE

    WE CONNECT BOSTON AND SWITZERLANDIN SCIENCE, EDUCATION, ART AND INNOVATION

    CUSTOMIZED WORKSHOPS & EXPERT ROUNDTABLES

    10 EDUCATION FAIRS & CONFERENCES

    3 DESKS FOR ENTREPRENEURS OFFICE BETWEEN HARVARD AND MIT

    BOSTON/CAMBRIDGE INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY

    31

  • 32 swissnex Boston 2011 staff & advisors

    staff & advisors

    a fresh transatlantic team

    Pascal Marmier

    Consul & Director

    Andreas Rufer

    Deputy Consul & Project Leader, Art & Culture

    Pierre Dorsaz

    Project Leader, Innovation & Partnerships

    Sebastien Hug

    Project Leader, Higher Education &

    Partnerships

    Sophie Sithamma

    Accounting & Administration

    Lia Breunig

    Community & Communications Manager

    Elizabeth Galvin

    Team Assistant & Event Coordinator

    Anca Dobre

    IT Specialist

    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

    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,

    Founder/Partner, Highmount Capital llc

    Jerry Schaufeld, Professor of Mangement at wpi

    Paul Smyke, Senior Director, North America, and Special

    Advisor to the Chairman, World Economic Forum

    Thomas Zeltner, Former Director, Swiss Federal Office of

    Public Health/ Chairman, Science et Cit Foundation

    a fresh transatlantic team

  • 33

    Sabine Ledermann

    Academic Intern

    Marie-Charlotte Bagnoud

    Academic Intern

    Eleni Karametaxas

    Academic Intern

    Francesco Albertini

    Academic Intern

    Thomas Boillat

    Academic Intern

    Olivia Goebl

    Academic Intern

    Denzil Mohammed

    Communication Specialist

    Worked at swissnex in 2011

    Nina Ryser

    Project Manager, Innovation &

    Technology

    Jacqueline Gasser-Beck

    Project Manager, Higher Education

    Kati Reusche

    Executive Assistant & Event

    Manager

    Andrea Curti & Philipp Voser

    IT Specialist

    Angelika Wittek

    ETH Sabbatical

    Martine Wassmer

    ETH Sabbatical

  • 34 swissnex Boston 2011 outlook

    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.

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