Switzerland launches six new science research centres

Switzerland is spending CHF100 million ($102 million) on six new research centres, each focusing on cutting-edge areas of scientific innovation. The new arrivals will boost the number of such institutes to 22 by next year.

The new National Centres of Competence in Research(NCCR), designed to have a maximum shelf life of 12 years, will be set up at separate universities around Switzerland. Their focus will be spread among a variety of topics, such as combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria, researching the evolution of language, and developing CO2-neutral solutions for the chemicals industry.

The CHF100 million in funding will be topped up by an unspecified amount from education institutions and the private sector.

The half dozen projects were selected by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, which together with the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) evaluated more than 50 proposals. The NCCR programme was started in 2001, with two projects having already been disbanded after they successfully concluded their research.

“The NCCRs are intended to boost Swiss research and innovation long term in major fields such as automation, antibiotics resistance and quantum technology,” the government said in a statement.

“They also help to foster the careers of young academics, promote equal opportunities and encourage knowledge and technology transfer.”