CSEM, which is supported by the Swiss Confederation, plays an important role in the innovation value chain, by relying on public–private partnerships and narrowing the gap between fundamental research and industrialization.
By expanding CSEM’s knowledge and adapting it to industrial needs, new products are brought to market and new ventures are created. CSEM works with a wide range of stakeholders, from startups to SMEs and large organizations.
The operation is based on 3 strategic programs:
- Digitalization
- Precision manufacturing
- Sustainable energy
In each of the above mentioned areas, CSEM offers its customers and industry partners tailor-made, innovative solutions to support them with extensive market knowledge and technological know-how.
Mr. EL-Khoury, what’s the idea behind your company?
CSEM develops world-class micro and digital deep technologies and transfers them to industry. By doing so, it helps to support and maintain a strong manufacturing activity in Switzerland, which is essential to the country’s future prosperity and stability. CSEM contributes to the competitiveness of the Swiss industry in its endeavor to flourish in international markets, despite the country’s comparatively high labor costs.
What are your most important export markets and why?
Opening up to the world is crucial for keeping our technologies and skills up to date. The markets we privilege are Europe, the USA, and Japan. Companies in these countries value our Swiss DNA (precision, reliability, low consumption and miniaturization), and are willing to introduce Swiss technologies or products commercialized by our Swiss partners into their increasingly complex value chains.
What were your biggest learning experiences during the internationalization process?
Understanding the way different cultures work, and how this affects their approach to innovation has been absolutely critical. Adopting an open and humble attitude during this process has allowed us to emerge from our ivory tower - it has given us the chance to learn and increase our capabilities and skills by adopting the very best practices our foreign partners have to offer. Working with, competing against, and adopting the skills of the best in the world means we can offer even greater value to our domestic industry.
What are you particularly proud of?
We are certainly very proud of the Swiss industry’s confidence in us and of the impact we have on the competitiveness of our economy. We are also proud to see to what extent our technologies serve in advancing science (e.g. in astrophysics, medicine) and how they are helping to tackle major societal challenges. The satisfaction of our researchers reaches a pinnacle when they participate, for instance, in technically demanding space project, taking with them a number of regional and national SMEs and technologies.
On a continental stage, we are proud of our established track record in managing large and challenging European projects. Two current examples include: MacQsimal (development of quantum enabled sensors) and Phabulous (European pilot line serving the needs of SMEs in free-form micro-optical solutions). We’re delighted in these cases to bring with us other Swiss companies, often enabling their first-time participation in such programs.
To what extent has Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) helped you succeed?
S-GE helped us in exploring new markets, for some of our technologies they identified potential companies with us and established high-level contacts for our initial meetings. They even accompanied our experts and provided them with essential information and cultural hints.
“We are really happy with the way the process has evolved.”
