Foreign nationals are over-represented in the most productive sectors of the Swiss economy. For Patrick Leisibach, a researcher at Avenir Suisse, immigration of highly qualified profiles is essential for the country's innovation and prosperity.
According to the report "Innover sans frontière" ("Innovating without borders") produced by Avenir Suisse in 2023, half of all start-up founders, almost three-quarters of all doctorate holders in the fields of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (MINT), and 78% of the founders or co-founders of unicorns (companies valued at more than one billion dollars) working in Switzerland do not have a white cross passport. The report's lead author, Patrick Leisibach, explains the importance of immigration for Swiss innovation, research and the economy.
Foreign nationals are over-represented among company founders. Where do they mainly come from and how do you explain this over-representation?
Patrick Leisibach: The vast majority of foreign company founders, researchers and skilled workers today come from the European Union. Almost half of them come from one of the three major neighbouring countries: Germany, France and Italy.
As an international hub for research and innovation, Switzerland attracts talent from all over the world, often younger, better qualified and more willing to take risks than most of the country's workforce. Many of them arrive in Switzerland as students or researchers at universities and Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH). Here, they find a fruitful environment that is conducive to career development. These dynamic research ecosystems are particularly conducive to the creation of start-ups.
Your study mentions the Cristelli and Lissoni work, published in 2020, which shows that the increase in cross-border commuters in border regions has significantly increased innovative strength. Can we speak here of healthy competition between cross-border commuters and researchers based in Switzerland?
Leisibach: I would say it is more a case of fruitful cooperation. This study shows that regions with a large number of cross-border workers see a significant increase in the number of patents filed, particularly when the teams are mixed, with cross-border and Swiss employees. Innovation is a team sport. The diversity of viewpoints, methods and experiences can help to find innovative ideas and solutions.
According to Avenir Suisse, 44 of the 50 Swiss unicorns were founded or co-founded by foreign nationals, representing almost 90%. In which sectors are these successful entrepreneurs most active?
Leisibach: The founders of Swiss unicorns mainly come from the fields of health technology (healthtech), financial technology (fintech) and information and communication technology (ICT). Examples include the biopharma company Actelion, the IT company Scandit and the financial services provider Leonteq. Many are from neighbouring countries but, overall, the profiles are more diverse than for traditional companies. In the cryptocurrency sector, for example, many entrepreneurs come from outside Europe. But there are also exceptions, such as the shoe manufacturer On, a unicorn founded by three Swiss men.
The mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (MINT) professions are particularly vulnerable to labour shortages. Should Switzerland invest more in this sector?
Leisibach: Programmes like the Coding Club help to promote these disciplines among schoolchildren. Developed by the EPFL, it is aimed at girls aged 11 to 15 and offers them the chance to develop an application, while learning about professions linked to IT or the engineering sciences, for example.
There are also platforms like Educamint, which list activities, events and workshops related to these professions. But here again, the Swiss population is not large enough to meet the high demand for qualified personnel. Attracting more people to the MINT sectors could also lead to shortages in other sectors.
Current budget cuts in the United States could lead to an exodus of university researchers to Europe. Could Switzerland benefit from this?
Leisibach: The situation in the United States could very well offer opportunities for Switzerland. Institutes of higher education could mobilise special funds or speed up recruitment processes, although this could take months or even years. Generally speaking, it seems wiser to continue to guarantee stable framework conditions. The profiles in question are in high demand, and therefore highly mobile. Short-term programmes could retain this talent temporarily. It is in Switzerland's interest to work towards becoming a reliable, open and attractive long-term location for cutting-edge research.
