Increased productivity through innovations and technological updates to products, processes or applications can reduce the need for specialists and so help offset skills shortages in that area. Innovation is primarily driven by competition and favourable conditions for research and development. At the same time, as crucial drivers of innovation and growth, skilled workers themselves can transform know-how into innovation and generate advances in productivity. Thus innovation in Switzerland is also promoted indirectly through the education system.
Focused on the labour market, Switzerland’s differentiated education system is equipped to train qualified personnel for deployment along the entire innovation and value chain. A key prerequisite for Switzerland’s high innovative leverage is its dual vocational system. Graduates are armed with a practice-based state-of-the art training background geared to future needs. They also have the option of continuing on to tertiary studies.
Swiss universities provide teaching for both initial training and continued professional development, as well as for research, know-how and technology transfer plus services for third parties. Their contributions to research and development hinge to a large extent on international cooperation. Switzerland’s participation in a global exchange of know-how allows the country to maintain its position at the cutting edge of international research and business.
