Physics in Switzerland – driving economy, triggering innovation, empowering citizens

Key messages

1. Physics-based industries play an important role in the Swiss economy, comparable to the importance of sectors such as production or trade. The economic efficiency of physics-based industries outperform the production, trade and construction sectors.
2. The collaboration between basic research in physics and industry is as valuable as it is diverse: From the development of products stemming from academic research to the contribution of physics graduates in small and medium companies.
3. Swiss physics institutes are active in all areas covering fundamental to applied research. The Swiss research contribution is of high international standing in a wide range of areas, from condensed matter physics to particle physics; from astrophysics to biophysics.
4. To address the biggest challenges of our time, such as the climate and the energy supply crises, as well as global health concerns, we increasingly depend on the development of new technologies derived from physics research.
5. A solid basic education in physics is central to a functioning democracy, in a world that heavily relies on modern technologies. It is thus essential that Switzerland succeeds in maintaining the population's interest in physics throughout their school years.

Pages: 6
Standard identifier: DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7157866