Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), will be accompanied by a high-ranking delegation from the ERI sector. The purpose of the trip is to foster and deepen bilateral economic and scientific relations with Poland. A further item on the agenda is the implementation of programmes under Switzerland's second contribution to selected EU member states. Through this contribution, Switzerland is supporting the development of medium-sized Polish cities that are at risk of losing their status as regional centres due to deteriorating economic conditions. A further topic is the cooperation between stakeholders from both countries in the fields of research and innovation.
Mr Parmelin will hold talks with his counterparts: Marcin Kulasek, Minister of Science and Higher Education, Krzysztof Paszyk, Minister of Development and Technology, and Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy.
With the memorandum of understanding to be signed in Poznań on 15 May, Switzerland and Poland aim to strengthen partnerships between their higher education, research and innovation communities and funding agencies. In addition to research infrastructures, the cooperation will focus on materials science, life sciences and health, space, the humanities and social sciences, as well as key scientific areas such as quantum technology and artificial intelligence. Following the signing of the memorandum of understanding, the first meeting of the Swiss–Polish Joint Committee will take place with ERI representatives.
At the Impact'25 innovation fair in Poznań, the Swiss delegation will visit the Swiss House, which showcases Switzerland's strengths in innovation and sustainability and highlights the potential of bilateral relations. Mr Parmelin will also meet with representatives of the Polish–Swiss Chamber of Commerce and visit the local production facility of a Swiss manufacturer of bicycle components.
Switzerland and Poland: Important partners in education, research and innovation
Poland is an important partner country for education, research and innovation stakeholders in Switzerland. Cooperation is supported by various instruments. For example, a lead agency agreement between the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and Poland’s National Science Centre (NCN) has been in place since 2018, facilitating the application process for funding bilateral research projects. Under the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe, researchers from Switzerland and Poland are currently collaborating on over 200 projects.
As part of its second contribution to selected EU member states, Switzerland is funding a research and innovation programme worth CHF 35 million until 2029 aimed at promoting innovation and research excellence. The programme, which has met with great interest in both countries, focuses on applied and basic research.
Dynamic economic relations
Poland is a trading partner with great potential for Switzerland. It has become the sixth-largest economy in the EU and is one of the 25 largest economies in the world. Poland is Switzerland's 13th largest trading partner in goods (2024). Switzerland is Poland's fourth most important partner in services trade. It is also an important investor in Poland, with Swiss companies investing around CHF 7.6 billion in 2023 and creating around 91,000 jobs.
Address for enquiries:
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Publisher:
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
