Canton Zurich and SDSC launch AI innovation program for SMEs
Zurich, Switzerland. July 11,2025 – The Division of Business and Economic Development of the Canton of Zurich entrusts the Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC) with an innovation program to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) located in the Canton of Zurich in artificial intelligence(AI) adoption. As of July, a one-year tailor-made program is being rolled out aiming to build a community, streamline AI technology adoption and foster knowledge transfer and innovation within this target audience.
“The economic resilience and overall competitiveness of Zürich as a business hub critically depends on the innovation and collaboration power of its largest economically active group – SMEs,” explained Markus Müller, Co-Head of the Division of Business and EconomicDevelopment of the Canton of Zurich. “As AI technologies continue to advance at an unprecedented rate, they bring both exciting opportunities and new challenges for companies of all sizes. To ensure that SMEs can fully engage in this transformation and harness the potential of AI, targeted support and collaborative programs are essential. That’s why we have launched a dedicated program in partnership with the SDSC, whose mandate and reach align closely with our goals.”
In Zurich, 99.5 % of companies are SMEs, i.e. deploying fewer than 250employees.[1] The107,000 SMEs active in the canton employ around 576,500 people, which accounts for approximately 16–17 % of all Swiss SMEs and SME employment.[2]
“Together in this partnership, we bring our joint expertise to support the shared goal of fostering innovation in data science and AI adoption amongSMEs,” said Anna Fournier, Principal Data Scientist at the SDSC. “Drawing on our experience with Swiss SMEs across cantons such as Vaud, Zurich and Basel, the SDSC has designed a tailored program to bridge theory and practice, helping SMEs to turn ideas into scalable solutions and to boost their innovation capacity.”
Low-risk experimenting encourages adoption
The initiative begins with an application process to fill a roundtable to spark collaboration across the community. Orientation sessions and peer-to-peer learning will inspire participants to share experiences, challenges, and ideas and become more comfortable with data science, machine learning and AI applied in their ecosystem. Next isa deep dive into a selected AI technology, tailored to sector-wide as well as sector-specific challenges. Working in teams, participants will develop prototype ideas and assess their feasibility in a diverse, hackathon-style setting. This low-risk experimentation design encourages adoption and feedback on new ideas. Finally, promising solutions will be refined and scaled within company contexts.
Application information and eligibility criteria
Eligible companies must be headquartered in or have significant operations within the Canton of Zurich and meet the typical size criteria for an SME. Applicants should demonstrate their interest in adopting AI technologies and be prepared to allocate internal staff for workshops, hackathons, and related activities. Priority will be given to organizations with a clear business challenge or opportunity that AI could address at scale. A demonstrated willingness to collaborate - through knowledge exchange and co-development with other SMEs and researchers - is also essential.
To ensure effective collaboration and focused support for all participants, the number of SMEs will be limited by design. SMEs are encouraged to express their interest by completing an online survey.
Visit this program website to learn more about the program, eligibility and how to apply.
About the Division of Business and Economic Development at the Office of Economic Affairs, Canton of Zurich
We promote innovation and support businesses – from founding to networking within Zurich’s key industries. Through our platform 'InnovationZurich', we provide guidance and information about the region as a hub for innovation. Together with the consortium Ahead, we assist local companies in pursuing their innovation projects. We also serve as a point of contact for businesses interested in establishing operations inZurich. More information: zh.ch/standort | innovation.zuerich | ahead-zh.ch
About the Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC)
The Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC) is a national research infrastructure in data science and artificial intelligence (AI). Its mission – to enable data-driven science and innovation for societal impact – drives its initiatives in research projects, knowledge and technology transfer, and education. With a large multidisciplinary team of professionals in Lausanne,Zurich and Villigen, the SDSC provides expertise and services to various domains, such as health and biomedical sciences, energy and sustainability, climate and environment, and large-scale scientific infrastructures. The SDSC also contributes to initial, continuing and executive education programs atEPFL and ETH Zurich. More information: www.datascience.ch
For more information, please contact:
Uta Ünal, Head of Communications
Swiss Data Science Center
[1] Source: https://www.zh.ch/de/wirtschaft-arbeit/zuercher-wirtschaftszahlen/standortattraktivitaet/standortattraktivitaet-bericht-2024/zuercher-wirtschaft.html
[2]Source: https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/en/home/Standortfoerderung/KMU-Politik.html
