Switzerland allocates considerable means to research. With few natural resources, R&D are considered highly relevant to ensure long-term national prosperity and the viability of social services.
In 2000, Switzerland invested over 10.5 billion Swiss Francs in research and technology development, approximately 2.6% of Swiss GDP. According to the OECD statistics below, Switzerland thus ranks in the upper quartile of OECD countries. In 2004, 44 % of the working population held science and technology-related positions. In numerous cutting-edge fields, Swiss research groups are renowned worldwide. More than two-thirds of Swiss research and development funds are private, with the majority of resources contributed by the chemical, pharmaceutical, electronics and metallurgical industries.
 

National Centres of Competence and Research (NCCRs)

The National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs) are a research promotion tool of the Swiss government. By promoting the NCCRs, Switzerland wants to ensure that, over the next several years, these competence centres and their networks are consolidated, with the goal of strengthening research in strategically important areas for Switzerland. In doing this, research institutions will be encouraged to focus and combine their strengths, and partnerships between the academic and extra-academic fields will be promoted.

 20 NCCRs are already underway and  8 new NCCRs are now being launched.


Science and technology – research and development (R&D) – expenditure on R&D
Gross domestic expenditures on R&D as percentage of GDP, 2002 or latest available year

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