An unparalleled initiative unites 55 organizations to turn research into concrete solutions, with events and hackathons in 10 Swiss cities

Switzerland is writing a new chapter in the development of artificial intelligence. With the launch of the Swiss {ai} Weeks, more than 55 institutions, companies and research centers, including Swisscom, UBS, Swiss Re, ETH Zurich and EPFL, have joined forces to create the largest national ecosystem dedicated to AI.

From September 5st to October 2025th 10, a rich calendar of events will animate at least XNUMX Swiss cities, from Geneva to Lugano, from Basel to Zurich, via Bern, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lenzburg, St. Gallen and Winterthur. Hackathons, workshops and public meetings will allow testing of concrete applications in the sectors of healthcare, finance and public administration.

The technological heart of the initiative is the “Alps” supercomputer at the Swiss National Supercomputing Center in Lugano, which will host the models developed as part of the Swiss AI Initiative, the joint project of the Federal Institutes of Technology in Lausanne and Zurich and their AI Centres.

“Switzerland excels in research, but a bridge to the market is needed”,

explains Christoph Birkholz of Impact Hub Switzerland, one of the creators.

“Here we develop open, multilingual and privacy-respecting AI: an alternative model to foreign giants.”

The challenge: competing with the US and China without losing your soul

Although Switzerland is in the global top 10 for AI investments ($3,9 billion in 2024), it still remains far from United States of America (470 billion), Republic of China (119 billion) e Britain (28,2 billion), according to the Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025 by Stanford University, placing it behind even other technologically advanced states such as Israel, Singapore e Sweden.

Of the 58 most advanced Artificial Intelligence systems globally in 2024, only three originated on our continent. And while in Asia, artificial intelligence is viewed positively by around 80 percent of the population, with peaks in Beijing (83) and Jakarta (81), in the Swiss Confederation only 39 percent of the inhabitants consider it a positive force (IPSOS data).

“The issue is not technological, but cultural,”

observes Marcel Salathé, co-director of the EPFL AI Center.

“With the Swiss {ai} Weeks we want to showcase transparent AI that serves everyone.”

The initiative aims to create the first Swiss open-source Large Language Model, developed locally according to key values: multilingualism (German, French, Italian), data security and absence of bias. A concrete response to the dominant “black box” models.

From Hackathons to Startups: The Hotbed of Innovation

The Swiss {ai} Weeks are not limited to theoretical debates, but want to be a real engine for the birth of new entrepreneurial realities. Thanks to the collaboration with innovation platforms such as Kickstart Innovation and incubators such as Founderful, the best ideas that emerge during the hackathons can be transformed into financed and supported startups.

In healthcare, work will be done on solutions for early diagnosis and management of clinical data, in strict compliance with Swiss privacy. In the financial sector, the focus is on explainable algorithms for anti-fraud and risk management. And then there is public administration, where multilingual AI could revolutionize citizen services in a country with four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh.

“AI is not just for multinationals,”

stresses Pascale Vonmont of the Gebert Rüf Foundation.

“By involving schools, SMEs and citizens, we want bottom-up innovation.”

Applications are open until July 2025. The challenge is set: to make the Swiss Confederation a global hub for responsible and competitive AI.

The presentation trailer of the first edition of the Swiss {ai} Weeks

Here are three insights that might interest you:

How Kickstart 2025 and Switzerland are leading European innovation
Kickstart 2024: 41 Startups for a Sustainable Future
In Switzerland the Federal Polytechnics for transparent and reliable AI