Swiss {ai} Weeks: Over 50 Organisations Join Forces for the Future of Artificial Intelligence in Switzerland
- sara9231
- Jun 3
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 12
Science, business, and society are combining their efforts: with the launch of Swiss {ai} Weeks, a national movement for Artificial Intelligence is beginning – supported by the federal government, EPFL AI Center, ETH AI Center, Gebert Rüf Foundation, Swiss Re, Swisscom, UBS, and more than 50 other organisations. The latest AI developments from Switzerland will be put to action in hackathons and events taking place across the country.
Zurich, June 3, 2025 – Swiss {ai} Weeks is set to become the largest nationwide movement focused on thecollaboration and application of Swiss AI innovations. The goal is to bridge the gap between scientific research and its economic and societal use. “Switzerland has excellent AI research. Swiss {ai} Weeks accelerates its application in companies, public administrations, and among the general population,” says Dr. Christoph Birkholz from the association Impact Hub Switzerland, co-initiator of the project.
Starting in early September, interdisciplinary events will take place in more than ten cities – from Basel to Bern to Lugano, and from Geneva to Lucerne to St. Gallen. In a variety of hackathons, new solutions will be developed to tackle challenges in healthcare, industry, public administration, finance, and other sectors. At the heart of Swiss {ai} Weeks are AI models originating from the Swiss AI Initiative jointly spearheaded by the EPFL AI Center and the ETH Zurich AI Center. Thanks to the „Alps“ supercomputer, Switzerland’s modern and powerful IT infrastructure at CSCS (Swiss National Supercomputing Centre) in Lugano, as well as deployment partners such as Swisscom, these AI models can be developed and applied entirely within Switzerland. During Swiss {ai} Weeks, science, business and society will have the opportunity to experiment with, and collaborate on, AI made in Switzerland – based on open technologies, high ethical standards, and a focus on Switzerland’s diverse needs.
AI in Switzerland: Investment, Innovation – and Trust?
On the international stage, Switzerland faces a dual challenge. While the country is considered one of the strongest in AI research, with institutions such as ETH Zurich and EPFL, European countries have so far played only a minor role in developing market-leading AI models. Of the 58 globally leading AI systems in 2024, only three originated in Europe; most came from the U.S. and China. According to the Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025 from Stanford University, the ranking of countries based on private AI investments has remained unchanged since 2013: the United States leads with $470.9 billion, followed by China with $119.3 billion, and the United Kingdom with $28.2 billion. Other countries with significant AI investments over the past ten years include Israel, Singapore, and Sweden, with Switzerland following at $3.9 billion.
With Swiss {ai} Weeks, the initiators aim to contribute to the responsible and trustworthy use of Artificial Intelligence. According to global surveys (Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025 by Stanford University), AI products are generally perceived positively in countries like China (83%) and Indonesia (80%), while public approval is more reserved in Western countries. According to an Ipsos Study, only 39% of Swiss respondents saw AI as a positive force. Swiss {ai} Weeks promotes responsible AI "Made in Switzerland," addressing both the tech community and the general public.
For the first time, AI applications that rely, end-to-end, on Swiss models and infrastructure will now be possible.
Interested partner organisations can still join the program until the end of July 2025.
Quotes partners
Quote, Christoph Aeschlimann (Group CEO Swisscom AG)
„Discover what you can do: Swiss {ai} Weeks show what can be achieved when we collaborate together in Switzerland. We are committed to ensuring that AI is safe and trustworthy. Let's shape the future together – with Swiss AI that inspires.“
Quote Mike Dargan (Group Chief Operations and Technology Officer, UBS)
„We are proud to be partnering with Swiss {ai} Weeks, bringing together experts across business and academia. Collaboration is vital to capture the transformational power that AI can bring to Switzerland and ensure it stays competitive, building on its long history of embracing innovation. I am especially looking forward to seeing the Hackathon winners and the exciting ideas that this event will generate.”
Quote, Pravina Ladva (Group Chief Digital & Technology Officer Swiss Re)
"Swiss Re is proud to partner with Swiss {ai} Weeks to drive the adoption of AI in our home market. Close collaboration across sectors and knowledge transfer between experts are key to reap the full benefits of this technology and position Switzerland as a global leader in innovation."
Quote, Daniel Naeff ((Head of Innovation & Entrepreneurship ETH AI Center)
„What Swiss {ai} Weeks is doing to make trustworthy AI and its applications accessible to industry and society is extremely important. We are delighted that it will be a highlight of the Zurich AI Festival and AI+X Summit.“
Quote, Prof. Marcel Salathé (Co-Director EPFL AI Center)
“We’re very happy to see Swiss {ai} Weeks take shape - AI is the defining technology of our time, and it’s important that everyone who wants to engage with it has plenty of opportunities to do so.”
Quote, Dr. Pascale Vonmont (CEO Gebert Rüf Stiftung)
„Artificial intelligence affects us all. Swiss {ai} Weeks bring this important topic down to earth, with events taking place in cities across Switzerland and the direct involvement of the population. The future is shaped by innovation and open social dialogue.”
About Swiss {ai} Weeks
Swiss {ai} Weeks is a collaborative initiative to turn Switzerland’s Ground Breaking AI research into societal and economic impact. Through hackathons, expert events, public engagement, and startup incubation, it connects researchers, developers, entrepreneurs, and citizens around a shared goal: shaping ethical, open, and trustworthy use of AI. At the heart of the effort is Switzerland’s first open-source Large Language Model – developed with Swiss values in mind: transparency, responsibility and multilinguality. Swiss {ai} Weeks activates a collective push for responsible AI application – decentralised, hands-on, and built for the common good. The initiators of the initiative include: EPFL AI Center, ETH AI Center, Swisscom, Impact Hub Switzerland, Kickstart Innovation, Panter, and Wildcard Media.
Partners
AI for exoplanets, Amt für Wirtschaft, Kanton Zürich, AXA, CERN, CSS, Datalets, Deep Tech Nation Switzerland, Die Schweizerische Post AG, EPFL AI Center, EPFL AI Team, ETH AI Center, Finnova, Founderful, Gebert Rüf Stiftung, GenAI Zürich, Geneva Graduate Institute, Helbling Group, Hugging Face, Impact Hub Switzerland, Kanton St.Gallen, Kickstart Innovation, KImpact – Verband für künstliche Intelligenz, KMUmeetKI, LAC, LauzHack, Merantix Capital, Panter, Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Standortförderung Kanton Bern, START Global, StiftungSchweiz, Swiss Institute for Disruptive Innovation, Swiss Life, Swiss Re, Swisscom, Swisscom Ventures, Switzerland Innovation Park Central, THE Port association, UBS, Übermorgen Ventures, Viseca, VZ VermögensZentrum, Wenger Vieli, Wildcard Media, Z83 and further partners
Media contact:
Sabine WildemannCaroline Jansen
Kommunikation Swiss {ai} WeeksTE Communications AG
+41 78 319 98 13+41 71 841 40 00
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