Research without a network? - Public encounter

The public encounter "Research without a network?" will be held on Wednesday, 4 October 2023, at 5:30 pm in the West Campus Lugano Auditorium. The event is organised by Associazione Coscienza Svizzera in collaboration with Università della Svizzera italiana, Osservatore Democratico, Movimento europeo Svizzera, Associazione ticinese degli insegnanti di storia and Club Plinio Verda. 

Switzerland's participation in EU research programmes, which began with the bilateral agreements, was suspended in 2014, then resumed the following year, and has now been discontinued again.

What are these programmes? Why did the EU countries pool their resources for scientific research? How does the participation of third countries work? What advantages does it bring? What possibilities does Switzerland have of collaborating in research with non-European countries, and with what differences? And more generally, how is scientific research organised and financed? What makes a country more or less successful in this activity?

Switzerland faces the challenge of being poor in raw materials and having high production costs. To overcome this, the country relies on continuous technological innovation to remain competitive in international markets. The significance of the relationship between science, education, and technology is widely recognised, and it is vital to invest in research and development, as well as support education and basic scientific research.

However, the complex nature of competition and network collaboration in science and technology is not well-known to the public. Public and private players must navigate this environment to maintain quality in science and technology by acquiring top talent, creating innovative companies, publishing results, protecting industrial secrets, and safeguarding intellectual property.

The evening lineup will include:
Mauro Dell'Ambrogio, former State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation from 2008 to 2018; he has negotiated numerous bilateral and multilateral agreements in these areas for Switzerland.

Luisa Lambertini, Rector of Università della Svizzera italiana since 1 July 2023; professor and researcher with international experience. 

Luciana Vaccaro, Rector of the Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO) and President of swissuniversities will give a short talk.

Moderator: Verio Pini, President of the study and information group Conscience Switzerland

More information in the programme attached.