Ticino is one of Europe’s most innovative regions
The canton of Ticino will continue to be one of the most innovative regions in Europe in 2025. Thanks to strong research institutions, a high rate of innovation among SMEs and targeted cantonal funding, the region ranks among the leaders both in Europe and nationally, just behind Zurich.
According to the European Commission’s Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2025, the canton of Ticino is one of the ten most innovative regions in Europe. In Switzerland, it is in second place directly behind Zurich. The high proportion of small and medium-sized companies that introduce process or product innovations is particularly noteworthy. The canton also occupies a top position nationally in terms of trade mark registration.
University excellence with international networking
The Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) strengthens the region’s academic innovative power with over 20 specialised research institutes. It specialises in areas such as biomedicine, computational science and finance. Its close integration into national and international funding networks makes the USI a key player in Ticino’s innovation system.
Practice-orientated research for companies
The University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) is also a key player in the innovation landscape. It has a high level of expertise in industrial automation, robotics and materials science and is characterised by the highest success rate in accessing European funding of all Swiss universities of applied sciences. Companies benefit from practical co-operation in applied research projects.
Statutory innovation promotion with a broad impact
The canton provides targeted support for innovation through the Economic Innovation Act. This offers comprehensive funding opportunities, from support for research programmes and investment projects to participation in trade fairs and internationalisation projects. It is implemented by the Office for Economic Development.
Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino as a hub
With the Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino, the canton is promoting the transfer between business and science. The emerging centres of excellence focus on key areas such as life sciences, ICT, drone technologies and the leisure industry. The aim is to develop technical and technological solutions that are highly relevant to the canton’s economy.
