The Innovation Council

The Innovation Council is the specialised body of Innosuisse that is at the centre of the agency’s innovation promotion activities. The main duty of the Innovation Council is to review, analyse and take decisions on funding applications and to support the execution of funding activities. To carry out its work, the Innovation Council has access to a pool of experts with dedicated specialties. The Innovation Council also plays a key role in drafting the funding strategy to be approved by the Board of Innosuisse.

In its selection of innovation councillors, the Board of Directors focuses on personalities that have an excellent track record in innovation, who are professionally active and can put their experience to the best use for its tasks for Innosuisse. The Innovation Council also has a diverse composition in a cultural sense: twelve members work in German-speaking Switzerland, nine in Romandy, and two each in Ticino and abroad. 

The members of the Innovation Council are elected for a period of four years.

Chairwoman

• Bettina Ernst, PRECLIN Biosystems AG
  

Vice Chairman

• Christoph Rüttimann, Bystronic Group
  

Members

• Jean-Luc Bazin, Swatch Group
• David Brown, Logan Brown Sàrl
• Nicoletta Casanova, FEMTOprint SA
• Nathalie Casas, Climeworks AG
• Elena Cortona, Belimo Automation
• Alethia De Leon, Senes Science GmbH
• Nicolas Demartines, CHUV
• Alisée De Tonnac, Seedstars SA
• Bernhard Eschermann, ABB Group
• Frédéric Hemmer, CERN – The European Organisation for Nuclear Research
• Nicole Herzog, Agilentia AG (Sherpany)
• Renat Heuberger, South Pole Group
• Samira Jafari, Dätwyler Schweiz AG
• Malick Kane, Swiss University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO)
• Emanuela Keller, Universitätsspital Zürich
• Adriano Nasciuti, SUPSI – Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana
• Claudia Pletscher, Metall Zug AG
• Thomas Puschmann, Swiss FinTech Innovation Lab
• Philippe Renaud, EPFL Lausanne
• Kelly Richdale, SandboxAQ and Assura
  
• Leila Schwery-Bou-Diab, Cilag GmbH International
• Stelio Tzonis, Eduxia SA
• Alois Zwinggi, World Economic Forum