UK – Switzerland MoU
15 November 2022
Newly-re-instated BEIS minister George Freeman has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Switzerland. It is focused on collaboration in three areas: deep science; industrial commercialisation; and international standards and regulation.
Both countries are locked out of Horizon Europe, the seven-year, 100 billion euro research programme – this is an attempt to build science and research links outside that project.
There are similarities and also interesting contrasts between the two countries. One is that Swiss manufacturing provides a strong basis for the country’s success, accounting for 19% of GDP – double the share of UK manufacturing.
Switzerland Global Enterprise highlights “particularly close cooperation between leading research centers (sic) and innovative industry”. Along with skilled technical staff and a liberal labour market, the country is “an excellent starting point for efficient supply chain management for the European market or for setting up highly automated production facilities”, it says.
The US International Trade Administration, in its overview of the country, describes Swiss manufacturing “highly automated and efficient”.
Links...
Gov.uk announcement
Manufacturing share of GDP:
