A new chapter is set to be written for research and innovation in the St.GallenBodenseeArea, as detailed in a press release issued by Switzerland Innovation, following the news that the sixth Swiss innovation park is to be established at locations in St.Gallen Lerchenfeld and Buchs in the canton of St.Gallen. This innovation park follows on from those already in operation at Allschwil in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, Biel in the canton of Bern, Dübendorf in the canton of Zurich, Lausanne and Villigen in the canton of Aargau. The Foundation Council of Switzerland Innovation has now submitted the relevant application with the Federal Council, the Swiss federal government, for the Switzerland Innovation Park East in St.Gallen. “As location sponsors, we are able, together with our partners from the fields of research and business including the neighboring cantons and the Principality of Liechtenstein, to contribute to ensuring that local businesses and educational institutes continue to rank among the international elite in future”, comments Beat Tinner, Member of the Cantonal Government and Minister of Economy for the Canton of St.Gallen.
The new innovation park will concentrate on both the strengths of the economy in Eastern Switzerland and research. In this way, the focal points for innovation will include health, digitalization of the economy as well as the machinery, electronics and metal processing industries. The work undertaken by the Switzerland Innovation Park East will involve the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), the Cantonal Hospital of St.Gallen, OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, the research institute RhySearch and the University of St.Gallen (HSG). Furthermore, numerous companies will also play their part. From political circles, the sponsors of the new innovation park will include both the city and canton of St.Gallen, the cantons of Thurgau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden in addition to the Principality of Liechtenstein.
For Eastern Switzerland, the innovation boost realized by the new park should ultimately be reflected in the form of increased investment for research, additional jobs and new start-ups.
