Swiss expert shares insight

On June 16, 2022, invited by Shenzhen Reform and Opening-Up Executive Leadership Academy, professor Walter Steinlin, former director of the Swiss National Innovation Agency, delivered a speech to Shenzhen officials via video link about key success factors of state innovation promotion.

▲Vice-president Mr. Dong Haitao gives the welcome speech.

As an important state policy maker, professor Steinlin introduced the Swiss innovation system, analyzed the reasons behind the success of Switzerland, compared different innovative ideas of different countries, inspired innovative thinking in the context of globalization, and helped Shenzhen officials to promote high-quality development with innovative thinking. After the speech, many officials from Shenzhen raised questions in English and French. Steinlin answered all questions with patience and expertise.

▲The trainees listen to the on-line presentation by Mr. Walter Steinlin, former director of the Swiss National Innovation Agency.

As a small country with narrow territory and lack of natural resources, Switzerland has made remarkable achievements in innovation and development. For many years, it has ranked first in the world in global innovation index issued by the world intellectual property organization.

Switzerland takes a leading position in patent application, return rate of patent and high-tech manufacturing, and the transformation efficiency of scientific and technological achievements is very high. Switzerland is also the country with the highest proportion of patents per capita and the highest proportion of Nobel Prize winners per capita in the world.

Switzerland's innovation ecology is composed of strong universities, dual track vocational education, large, medium-sized and small enterprises with inclusive development, open scientific research institutions, stable social system and intellectual property protection mechanism. These entities and elements cooperate with each other and operate efficiently, helping Switzerland to become a world-class scientific and technological innovation highland.

▲Trainees raise questions in English and French.