Innovation Zurich is the platform that makes collaborations in the field of innovation in the Canton of Zurich visible and possible.

PwC Switzerland spoke with Raphael von Thiessen about the Innovation Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence and its role in supporting startups within Zurich’s AI ecosystem. The project helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and evolving regulatory frameworks.

The AI Sandbox provides a space to address challenges such as data access and regulation while enabling real-world applications. Zurich and Switzerland play a key role in advancing AI, and the Sandbox contributes to this progress. Tune in to learn how startups are using the platform to innovate responsibly and how collaboration is shaping the future of AI.

ANYbotics presents its innovation-sandbox project on EU regulations for industrial robots. Co-Founder Christian Gehring and Senior Product Manager Kateryna Portmann explore key regulatory challenges like the EU AI Act with Raphael von Thiessen, Programme Manager AI Sandbox, Canton of Zurich. By leading in compliance, ANYbotics ensures its robots operate seamlessly in critical infrastructure.

The Swiss robotics company is a pioneer in the development of autonomous mobile robots. Their walking robots called ANYmal move beyond conventional, purpose-built environments and solve customer problems in challenging infrastructures that were previously only accessible to humans.

MPAssist gives medical professionals more time for patients – through AI-supported documentation solutions. In the Innovation Sandbox for AI, the company tests its technology under real-life conditions and works with authorities to clarify key legal issues – from data protection to categorisation as a medical device. Co-CEO & Founder of MPAssist Michelle Plüss, Dr Olaf Büttner and the Sandbox Project Manager from the Canton of Zurich's Division of Business and Economic Development Raphael von Thiessen give an insight into the joint sandbox project in the video.

(CONNECT) The Swiss Data Science Center(SDSC) has developed the free AI Innovation Program especially for SMEs in the canton of Zurich that want to tackle a specific business challenge or opportunity with the help of AI and address it on a large scale. The SDSC is a strategic initiative of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich (ETH) and Lausanne (EPFL) and the Paul Scherrer Institute. It was commissioned by the Department of Economic Affairs of the Canton of Zurich to implement this support program for SMEs.

SMEs interested in taking part can apply by completing a questionnaire by August 25. The prerequisite is that they have their head office or significant business premises in the Canton of Zurich. They should also be able to demonstrate an interest in the introduction of AI technologies and be willing to deploy internal employees for workshops, hackathons and related activities. Last but not least, the openness to engage in a mutual exchange of knowledge and to develop solutions together with other SMEs and researchers is helpful.

The deliberately limited number of selected participants will begin step 1 of the program in October 2025. This is about a general understanding of AI technology and demystifying it. In a further three to five face-to-face workshops until April 2026, step 2 will see the transfer of theory into prototypes. This should make it possible to test AI solutions without upfront investment or risk. And finally, in step 3, the transition to promising AI pilot projects is to be completed.

Markus Müller, Co-Head of Location Promotion in the Canton of Zurich, and the two Principal Data Scientists of the SDSC, Anna Fournier and Alessandro Nesti, will provide further insights into this AI learning and innovation program at an online information event. It will take place on July 17 from 1 to 1:45 pm. ce/mm

(CONNECT) DeepTech start-ups can submit their application for the Submit your application now for the ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark. The prerequisite is that they were founded after 30 June 2020 and have their registered office in Switzerland. Students, academic staff and doctoral students at a university in Switzerland or Liechtenstein are also eligible to participate. The submission deadline for this innovation award, which is one of the most important in the country, is 22 September 2025.

The award has been presented annually for two decades by Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) and the Technopark Zurich Foundation. It honors projects on the threshold of market launch. The winning company will receive 100,000 francs, the other two finalists 10,000 francs each. The shortlist of around ten nominees will be presented to the media before the award ceremony. They can present themselves at the winners' gala in the foyer.

The prize is awarded for a project that presents a new technology - in the form of a product, process or concept - at the interface between science and industry. The focus is on applications that combine several ideas into an innovative and competitive project. User-friendliness and marketability are further factors taken into account by the jury.

The ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark 2026 will be presented on May 12. The competition gala will take place at Technopark Zurich. ce/mm

The paradox of the IT labor market

In an interview with Klaus Fuchs, founder and CTO of Rockstar Recruiting, it becomes clear: despite the AI boom and digitalization, there are fewer advertised IT jobs today than there were just a few years ago. "We had an all-time record for the number of vacancies in 2022, but things have been going backwards since then. It's actually a paradox, because we're reading about AI everywhere and we're seeing fewer vacancies in IT worldwide." The reasons are manifold: after the digitalization surge during the pandemic, the market has cooled down, companies are increasingly focusing on efficiency and automation - and AI is fundamentally changing the demands on talent.

Zurich as a special case: AI hotspot despite global decline
While IT jobs are declining in Germany and internationally, the AI sector is booming in the Greater Zurich Area. "In Zurich, an extremely large number of jobs are being created in the field of AI, while globally and also in Germany, IT jobs are on the decline." International tech companies and start-ups are settling in Zurich - not least because the talent is already here. But here too, the euphoria mainly affects AI and deep tech profiles; traditional software developers have to wait longer for new jobs.

New skills and the comeback of experience
The requirements for applicants are changing rapidly. In addition to technical know-how, industry-specific expertise is coming to the fore: "Industry-specific expertise is much more valuable than it was two or three years ago." Anyone working in the insurance or healthcare sector, for example, benefits from specific specialist knowledge and regulatory understanding. At the same time, new topics such as security in the area of large language models are becoming increasingly important: "Security in the area of LLM is a task that few talents deal with and whose immense importance is still not sufficiently recognized at management level."

Seniority, hybrid teams and cross-generational mentoring
The trend in the Greater Zurich Area is clearly moving towards senior positions and hybrid, locally based teams. " In the area of senior positions, we are primarily looking for highly experienced specialists. These team leaders and divisional managers usually work closely with management - often directly at the Zurich site - and are significantly involved in the development of the IT strategy." Experience is becoming more valuable again - especially in booming domains. At the same time, the importance of cross-generational learning is emphasized: "Cross-generational mentoring is something I really welcome. I can learn at least as much from young talents as they can from me."

Recommendations for applicants and companies

For applicants:

• Targeted expansion of industry-specific expertise
• Actively using new technologies and AI tools
• Networking and attending relevant events
• Openness to lifelong learning and cross-generational mentoring

For companies:

• Promoting diversity in teams - also across age groups
• Targeted integration of experience and regulatory expertise
• Strategically building AI and security expertise
• Seeing the job market as an opportunity for a sustainable team culture

The job market for IT and AI is changing - fewer vacancies do not mean fewer opportunities, but new requirements. Those who are willing to develop further, have domain knowledge and think across generations will remain in demand. Experience and curiosity are the keys to the future of work.

About Klaus L. Fuchs
Klaus L. Fuchs is co-founder and managing director of Rockstar Recruiting AG in Zurich. The ETH computer scientist has years of experience in research, AI and deep tech recruiting and has set himself the goal of bringing talent and tech innovations together in a human way.

About the podcast AI Talk
AI Talk is the podcast about artificial intelligence in Switzerland - with real movers and shakers, experts and decision-makers from tech, research, politics and business. Hosted by Stephan Lendi and Dalith Steiger-Gablinger, each episode of the podcast highlights new perspectives on innovation, responsibility and the concrete application of AI technologies. Whether ethics, regulation, talent development or deep tech - AI Talk combines personal insights with strategic foresight.

Listen, network & think along now.

(CONNECT) The CHF 1.47 billion in venture capital raised by Swiss start-ups in the first half of 2025 represents the third-best figure of its kind ever. Compared to the first half of 2024, an increase of 36% was achieved, according to a press release from startupticker.ch on the half-year update of the Swiss Venture Capital Report, which is published jointly by Lucerne-based startupticker.ch and the startup.ch platform operated by Venturelab.

According to the press release, however, the number of financing rounds fell from 138 to 124. This also indicates that "the realization of venture capital financing remains challenging" for the majority of start-ups. The good overall figures can be attributed to individual large financing rounds.

Young companies from the biotech sector benefited from this, raising 705 million francs. The previous record was CHF 436 million from the first half of 2021. ICT start-ups grew by 86% compared to the same period last year, fintech start-ups by as much as 93%.

Three biotech start-ups raised the most funding. Windward Bio in Basel received a total of CHF 183.1 million, followed by CeQur in Horw LU with CHF 109.3 million and GlycoEra in Wädenswil ZH with CHF 107.5 million.

Based on a survey of Swiss venture capital investors, the publishers of the Swiss Venture Capital Report only have a "cautious outlook" for the coming twelve months. ce/jh

(CONNECT) DeepTech start-ups can submit their application for the Submit your application now for the ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark. The prerequisite is that they were founded after 30 June 2020 and have their registered office in Switzerland. Students, academic staff and doctoral students at a university in Switzerland or Liechtenstein are also eligible to participate. The submission deadline for this innovation award, which is one of the most important in the country, is 22 September 2025.

The award has been presented annually for two decades by Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) and the Technopark Zurich Foundation. It honors projects on the threshold of market launch. The winning company will receive 100,000 francs, the other two finalists 10,000 francs each. The shortlist of around ten nominees will be presented to the media before the award ceremony. They can present themselves at the winners' gala in the foyer.

The prize is awarded for a project that presents a new technology - in the form of a product, process or concept - at the interface between science and industry. The focus is on applications that combine several ideas into an innovative and competitive project. User-friendliness and marketability are further factors taken into account by the jury.

The ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark 2026 will be presented on May 12. The competition gala will take place at Technopark Zurich. ce/mm