We've just wrapped up the online Seedstars Summit 2020, which became possible thanks to partners and supporters such as Presence Switzerland FDFA. The Seedstars had the chance to interview the Presence Switzerland team to collect some insights on the specificities of the country and government's agenda on supporting entrepreneurship in the country and globally.

Switzerland is often described as the most innovative country in the world, whereas it’s much smaller than the US and China and has fewer resources than other countries in Europe. What do you think is the secret of Switzerland’s success in this field?

Switzerland is indeed well placed and often comes as number one in international rankings. This is thanks to a combination of factors. Swiss research universities combine strong scientific results with an entrepreneurial mindset. This is supported by our apprenticeship system, which fosters early work experience and ideas grounded not just in the academic system, but in business. High quality of life allows thinking beyond basic needs. Finally Swiss innovation benefits from our position on a crossroads of languages and ideas in the middle of Europe.

Switzerland has been a true incubator for Seedstars. We really benefited from the fact that the country tries to foster innovation and help entrepreneurs. From your point of view what makes Switzerland the right place to start a venture?

The clarity of Swiss laws on intellectual property, liability, and taxes helps entrepreneurs, especially during the early stages. Switzerland also offers lots of partnership opportunities for smaller companies. And one dimension is often underestimated: the serendipity. The chances to meet an entrepreneur on a train or seat next to a Minister are much higher than anywhere else. Proximity, open-mindedness and a high level of trust are playing a major role to create business opportunities.

One of our core values at Seedstars is “keep it Swiss” which means for us that what we do, we do it well. What do you think made the Swiss mindset this way?

Proximity plays again a big role in this. As we are very close to other countries, we do not want to disappoint our neighbours. This “Keep it Swiss” works as well for the “Swiss-made”. There is a belief that there is a common responsibility to respect our standards and our quality in order to preserve our added value. We are trusted worldwide for this. If we cannot do something well, we are usually not doing it. We are also supporting Seedstars because we noticed that this spirit is common and we are happy to share it with all the participants.

All our team members coming from more than 40 different countries recognize the “Keep it Swiss” as our level of exigence for ourselves in terms of quality. In your opinion, how did Switzerland manage to get such awareness all over the world?

It is kind of a paradox but that reputation came probably by investing more time in the making than in the talking. Swiss products speak for themselves. Switzerland was not a rich country, so it was really important to focus on the excellence and efficiency of the product itself. The Swiss industry was born that way. Combined with a pragmatic and stable political system and a good education, this healthy environment allowed the country to grow its reputation all over the world. And of course, chocolate did help to make it popular!

What are the actions taken by the Swiss government to ensure Switzerland’s good visibility abroad?

A big part of Switzerland’s visibility abroad is due to renowned Swiss products and services. Our aim is to promote these success stories and explain how Switzerland allowed them to make the most of what offers the country in terms of business opportunities: studies, travels, investment, politics, products… These messages are shown on different channels, from World Expo to social media channels, including give away, events, media trips or panels. And we tend to partner up with existing projects and institutions to give them as much visibility as possible. Small or big is not the most important: the values and messages that they incarnate are key. Seedstars World is a good example of it!

In the spirit of our proud tradition of innovation, we are looking forward to sharing, hearing your ideas, being inspired by your tenacity, and dreaming of tomorrow’s world together.