boston
2012 Initiative of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Consulate of Switzerland Swiss Knowledge Network with outposts in Bangalore, Boston, San Francisco, Shanghai and Singapore
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Established as the world’s first science consulate in 2000, swissnex Boston is part of a global network of five knowledge outposts, including San Francisco (2003), Singapore (2004), Shanghai (2007) and Bangalore (2009). Together with science and technology counselors based in Swiss Embassies around the world, swissnex Boston takes an active role in strengthening Switzerland’s leadership as a world-class location for science, education, art and innovation. Divided up into 3 specific sections -
INTRODUCTION BLUEPRINTS BEHIND THE SCENES - the 2012 swissnex Boston Annual Report acts as a field guide to take you through our activities during 2012. We are sharing these examples to better translate the purpose of swissnex Boston and inspire you to take on similar endeavours with us.
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Go ahead - learn, explore, discover and share swissnex Boston.
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CONTENTS
6
Introduction
8
Blueprints
12
6
8
Why Boston?
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
16 20 24 28
32
Behind The Scenes
32
36 38 40 42
Science & Technology Corporate Partnerships Higher Education Community Art & Culture
Staff Media & Publications Finance & Metrics Partners & Mandates Outlook
swissnex Boston 2012
introduction: why boston ?
PREMIER R&D CLUSTER IN THE WORLD
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1
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY STATE INDEX
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2
US REGION IN VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT
74,000 LOCAL LIFE SCIENCE EMPLOYEES
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TH
HIGHEST GROWTH IN NATIONAL CLEANTECH INDUSTRY
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Photo credit: Andreas Sonderegger, swissnex Boston Junior Project Leader.
TOP LIFE SCIENCE CLUSTER IN THE US
WHY BOSTON?
Over the past few decades, the Greater Boston Area has been groomed and sculpted into one of the strongest innovation economies in the world. Now the center for life science research, business opportunities, entrepreneurial funding, knowledge exchange and with the world’s leading 6.9% R&D investment, this powerful landscape attracts the world’s top students, researchers and thought leaders. Since 2000, swissnex Boston continuously mines these resources for potential collaborations. By finding relevant Swiss parallels in the area, swissnex Boston curates programs, events and targeted networks that are used as remote hubs for discovering the latest in science, technology, art and innovation. With exciting times on the horizon, we are eager to become further integrated into the developing economies and plan on fully utilizing local resources to promote Swiss excellence in science, education, art and innovation. Finally, a warm thank you to the Swiss Government and our partners, sponsors, shareholders, event participants, colleagues and friends for their invaluable support. Best regards,
Felix Moesner Director, swissnex Boston
swissnex Boston 2012
innovation
&
entrepreneurship
The swissnex network is crucial at a time when science and innovation become key drivers in international relations. Their bridging activity between education, research and innovation is particularly relevant in today’s challenging economic environment.
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Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER)
Massachusetts (MA) Governor Deval Patrick discusses the similarities between Switzerland and MA dedication to innovation and technol
logy development. Photo credit: Eric Haynes / Governor’s Office
Connect scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, policy-makers, and thought leaders with inspiring peers and new ideas on either side of the globe.
INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
As stated in the World Economic Forum’s THE GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS REPORT 2011-2012, Switzerland works systematically to create conditions for innovation-led growth. Incubating such conditions in North America, swissnex Boston places great emphasis on the importance of entrepreneurial and startup activities. Throughout 2012, swissnex utilized the local robust innovative capacity to design powerful projects. Directly connecting Switzerland to Cambridge, Swiss MIT Professor Olivier de Weck presented the two-year MIT INITIATIVE PRODUCTION IN AN INNOVATION ECONOMY (PIE) to the Swiss Creative Center in Neuchâtel via a swissnex Boston webcast. Continued work with Boston World Partnerships (BWP) investigated the status of European entrepreneurs in the Boston hub and provided many powerful connections for incoming Swiss startups. Now turn the page for an inside look into our longest running entrepreneurial series and the partnerships that make it all happen.
entrepreneurship
CTI: VENTURE LEADERS & US MARKET ENTRY CAMP
Initially known as NETS (new entrepreneurs in technology and science), venture leaders is a 10-day program based in the greater boston area that sends 20 handpicked entrepreneurs to dive head first into the US startup scene during a well-rounded blend of workshops, presentations, business development sessions and networking opportunities. With the venture leaders program, swissnex boston is able to build stronger bridges for entrepreneurs to access both the Swiss and North American markets. Addressing the next stage in the startup process, the CTI US Market Entry Camp acts as a North American incubator for CTI Label companies that have gone through initial coaching and programs. Beginning as an informal entrepreneur installment at swissnex San Francisco and Boston, the Camp offices now hosts over 20 companies yearly. Running these two programs in tandem proves to be having a positive impact. More and more participants return across the Atlantic to utilize their newly built US networks and many venture leaders alumni go on to join the Camp. Our collaboration with swissnex Boston has been instrumental for the venture leaders program’s success, generating countless opportunities for entrepreneurs to expand their potential and businesses. swissnex has helped spur the growth of the Swiss startup world through inspiration and dedication, positioning Swiss innovation to the forefront of today’s society.
Jordi Montserrat, venture kick The following timeline presents 12 years of venture leaders (top) and the progress of the CTI US Market Entry Camp (bottom) at swissnex Boston. 8
exst.
2000 & 2004
Gebert Rüf Stiftung starts NETS – New Entrepreneurs in Technology and Science - with the Branco Weiss chair of Entrepreneurship in Lausanne, swissnex Boston (then known as SHARE) and the Babson College (Boston). ZURICH - BOSTON
Swiss government launches CTI’s venturelab program, aimed at strengthening the entrepreneurial spirit in Swiss universities. BERN, SWITZERLAND
NETS is integrated into venturelab to become a major highlight of the program and is renamed “venture leaders.” CTI - ZURICH 06
&
04
blueprint : innovation
00
swissnex Boston 2012
Assisted 12 CTI portfolio companies to advance their business development and create networks in the US Market. SHARE 2006 SHARE 2004
“Programs like venturelab, including the intensive training by venture leaders in Boston, help to create a dynamic environment for start-ups in Switzerland. This leads to the creation of new jobs and gives a welcome boost to the economy,” said Paul Sevinç co-founder of Doodle. VENTURE LEADERS 2008
swissnex Boston continues its contract with CTI and organizes various activities for the CTI and their portfolio companies. SWISSNEX BOSTON
Organized a week long program for Ms. Ingrid Kissling-Naef,Head of CTI, and Mr. Martin Bopp, Head of Division CTI Start-up and Entrepreneurship. BOSTON
Implementation of the CTI USA Desk. Space is dedicated to short-term stay CTI related companies. swissnex Boston provides necessary materials and space for business related activities. SWISSNEX BOSTON
Launched US Market Entry Camp with the goal to further develop Swiss high-potential and market ready companies by taking them through a focused program on-site in Boston or Silicon Valley. SWISSNEX BOSTON & SWISSNEX SAN FRANCISCO
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10
VENTURE LEADERS 2010
09
08
07
“[The venture leaders Program] is where I really learned to sell my business idea. Pitch, pitch and pitch again was the motto”, says Mundinger, routeRANK founder. VENTURE LEADERS 2007
“Very grateful for this enriching opportunity to learn from Babson and to meet a fantastic group of entrepreneurs and organizers. Learning from the US style of doing business, Venture Leaders fosters a unique Swiss entrepreneurial eco-system,” said Denis Harscoat, CEO and founder of DidThis VENTURE LEADERS 2012
ANDRE MERCANZINI CO-FOUNDER & CTO, ALEVA NEUROTHERAPEUTICS
Dualsystems, Qualysense and NextWidgets admitted into the 2012 US Market Entry Camp. SWISSNEX BOSTON
swissnex Boston 2012
science
&
technology
Dr. Adrian Ionescu Guardian Angels & EPFL
Thanks to the swissnex network and to an excellent team support with a large variety of competences, we had the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with some of the best practitioners of the Boston area during a highquality workshop.
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Dr. Moesner (swissnex Boston), Gen. Chiarelli RET. (One Mind For Research), Dr. Ionescu (Guardian Angels, EPFL), Dr. Lauwereins (Imec) and Dr. Haas
s (One Mind For Research) at the In The Quest For Zero Power Symposium.
Support internationalization efforts of Swiss academic institutions and companies, with a special focus on R&D based startups.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Recently named the top US life science hub, the Greater Boston Area is a driving force behind today’s latest scientific and technological advancements. Backed by suppportive corporations, stimulating universities, inspiring entrepreneurs and a creative community, local economy is taking innovative leaps every day. Chosen as one of the four final FET Flagship Pilot Action Projects, Guardian Angels journeyed to Boston in 2012 to present their Zero Power Sensor Systems technology and recent partnership with One Mind For Research to the local life science and technology community at the IN THE QUEST FOR ZERO POWER symposium. Supported by the MIT Club of Boston and ETH New England Chapter, MIT Professor Sebastian Seung and Swiss scientist Benjamin Bollmann took us into the inner workings of the brain at the MIT Alumni Association and swissnex event, ART MEETS SCIENCE THROUGH CONNECTOMES.
Now turn the page for a deeper look into a swissnex Boston science and technology endeavour.
technology
Over the past few decades, the Greater Boston Area has seen a strong growth in its francophonie population. Now, New England’s Frenchspeaking community is a powerful force across all industries. Many members of this community are travelling to North America to form strategic partnerships and discover new business ventures. Looking for a way to leverage this francophone surge, swissnex Boston, Hubtech21 and the French American Chamber of Commerce New England Chapter (FACCNE) tested out a new idea for a networking event...and the Café des Sciences was born.
The Café des Sciences program began in 2007 to provide a platform for exchange among the scientific francophone population in Boston/Cambridge. 51 Cafés later, the series has developed into a dynamic monthly event for discussing the newest science and technology in French, sharing experiences of scientists in the USA and enhancing exchanges and collaborations between university and industry. It is a pleasure to work together with swissnex Boston on the organization of the monthly Café des Sciences targeting francophone entrepreneurs and sciences lovers in the Boston area. The swissnex team is a wonderful partner who has participated in growing the audience by identifying great Swiss speakers and offering a most agreeable venue for this truly collaborative event.
Ludivine Wolczik, FACCNE The following timeline provides the condensed version of a six-year long collaboration and illustrates one of swissnex Boston’s longest running science and technology series. 12
exst.
2007
Delegation of Quebec in Boston becomes a Café des Sciences partner. BOSTON
BOSTON / CAMBRIDGE
CAMBRIDGE INNOVATION CENTER (CIC)
11
CAFÉ DES SCIENCES
10
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blueprint : science
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swissnex Boston 2012
SPRING
The “new wave" of television: social, connected and more mobile was explored at the 36th Café des Sciences with Marie-José Montpetit, a research scientist at MIT’s Research Laboratory of Electronics. CIC
FALL
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Café des Sciences #38 featured EPFL Vice President for Academic Affairs Philippe Gillet who spoke about new academic governance models. SWISSNEX BOSTON
Jean-Marie Vallet, President of Cyrma Ventures, spoke about innovations in the pharmaceutical industry at the 43rd Café des Sciences. FRENCH CULTURAL CENTER
SPRING
Café des Sciences promoted as a feature event during the 2012 New England Francophone Celebrations. GREATER BOSTON AREA
Sylvain Bruni, Human Systems Engineer at Aptima, Inc., presented his most recent project conducted for NASA, which developed the interface design for the next generation of cockpits, at the 48th Café des Sciences. CIC
SUMMER
Conseillers du Commerce de la France (CCEF) becomes a Café des Sciences partner. BOSTON
Harvard Medical School Professor Christophe Benoist discussed diabetes and the state of research on this disease at the 46th Café des Sciences CIC
French Institute of International Relations Professor Jacques Mistral, currently a Visiting Professor at Harvard Kennedy School, discussed a paradox of economics and shared the thoughts that inspired him to about his economic experience in public administration and business at the 47th Café des Sciences. FRENCH RESIDENCE
Café des Sciences #50 hosted PhD David Louapre, Project Head within the R & D division of Saint-Gobain. CIC FALL
At the 49th Cafe, Aldebaran Robotics team members Olivier Joubert and Natanel Dukan spoke about humanoid robotics and how they can be used to treat autism. SWISSNEX BOSTON
51st Café des Sciences featured Dr. Stéphanie Cardarella of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who spoke about advancements in lung cancer treatment. CIC
swissnex Boston 2012
corporate partnerships
Dr. Wolfgang Klietmann
swissnex Boston provides a forum to participate in Switzerland’s strength in scientific and technological innovation, and highly competitive economical performance. swissnex’s attractiveness reflects the international competitive fortitude of Switzerland.
Harvard Medical School
14
SpeakersMIT fromProfessor the In TheIqbal Quest For Zero symposium. left toWolfgang right: Dr. Eugene Goldfield Felix Moesner (swissnex Boston), Gen. Pe Quadir andPower Harvard Medical From School’s Klietmann at the(Harvard), swissnexDr. Boston and Novartis event, Leadership – Dr. Rudy Lauwereins (imec), Dr. Magali Haas (One Mind For Research) and Dr. Walter Reiss (IBM Zurich)
Chiarelli and RET.Panel (One Mind For Research), Dr. Adrian Ionescu (Guardian Angels), –eter A Lecture Discussion.
Support internationalization efforts of Swiss academic institutions and companies, with a special focus on R&D based start-ups.
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
In today’s economy, two of the keys to advancement is proactively adapting to new technologies and creating strategic partnerships. Combining these two aspects, swissnex Boston assisted many Swiss corporations in increasing awareness and engagement the US market. From Debiopharm to Insphero, swissnex Boston acted as a platform for new technologies and organizations to infiltrate the growing Cambridge/Boston economy. Through international collaborations, swissnex Boston connected growing businesses with potential customers. Various targeted events brought new developments and faces to swissnex Boston. The Swiss American Chamber of Commerce, together with swissnex and Novartis, presented LEADERSHIP: A LECTURE & PANEL DISCUSSION, featuring Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Sanjiv Chopra and Professor Iqbal Quadir, Founder and Director of The Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT. The following page provides a closer look at a swissnex Boston corporate partnership.
swissnex Boston 2012
blueprint : corporate partnerships
Swiss Re Center for Global Dialogue, a global reinsurer with focus on risk transfer, risk retention financing, and asset management, is one of our newest corporate partners.
SWISS RE CENTER FOR GLOBAL DIALOGUE
exst.
2010
Starting in late 2010 as a series of small discussions on current medical topics, the mandate now consists of 2 oneday conferences and quarterly expert roundtable events.
Swiss Re signs mandate with swissnex Boston.
11
ZURICH - CAMBRIDGE 10
Moving into the third year of the partnership, swissnex Boston and Swiss Re are looking to the future with high expectations. New collaborations at swissnex Singapore and Shanghai planned events with swissnex Boston hope to bring current medical developments to the forefront of the industry.
Conference on monoclonal antibodies in cancer therapy. Participating organizations included Parexel, Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development and mAbs Journal. The event was also streamed live to Swiss Re headquarters in Zurich. SWISSNEX BOSTON
SPRING
After a successful initial collaboration in 2012 on the Pushing The Boundaries Of Longevity Conference, Harvard School of Public Health will become a full-fledged event partner in 2013. Building a strategic partnership takes a strong local community, innovative corporations and dedicated teams, but once initiated the partnership can drive industries and create waves of change. Working in partnership with swissnex, we were able to tap into the extensive expert network of swissnex in the USA as well as in important high-growth economies such as Singapore and China and could develop collaborations that added high value to our organization.
Dr. Christoph Nabholz, Swiss Re The following timeline details swissnex Boston’s relationship with Swiss Re and highlights the possibilities within a swissnex Boston corporate partnerships.  16
SWISSNEX BOSTON
SWISSNEX BOSTON FALL
First edition of the Pushing the boundaries of longevity Medical Trends Conference, focusing on health risk factors, health care systems and best practices in public health. SWISSNEX BOSTON
The Home Health Care Technology and Innovation workshop covered potential impact of home health care technologies on morbidity and mortality as well as the predicted paradigm shift. SWISSNEX BOSTON
12
Harvard Professor Dr. Louis Caplan commented on prevention, new potential intervention and strategies in the treatment of ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke at the 3rd Expert Exchange Roundtable.
2nd edition of the Pushing the Boundaries of Longevity Conference. The conference covered topics such as diabetes and obesity, personalized medicine, public health initiatives and novel therapeutics.
Swiss Re begins collaborating with swissnex China and plans the 3rd installment of the Pushing the bournaries of longevity conferences.
HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
SHANGHAI, CHINA
WINTER
Alzheimer's Expert Roundtable featuring Harvard Medical School Professors Jorge Sepulcre (Mass. General Hospital) and Gad Marshall (Brigham’s and Women’s Hospital). These two experts shared their experience on new drugs in the area of Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment along with the latest developments in brain imaging. SWISSNEX BOSTON
FALL
Swiss Re and swissnex Singapore hold the newest installment of The future of human longevity conferences at the Future Cities Laboratory at the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) in Singapore. SWISSNEX SINGAPORE
swissnex Boston 2012
higher education
Anders HagstrĂśm ETH Zurich
The Boston area is home to some of the finest universities in the US. We greatly appreciate the support swissnex Boston gives us for reaching out to potential graduate students and postdocs.
18
The University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland’s ConnectUs program stops at MIT to explore the American higher edu
ucation system.
Facilitate academic programs, global innovation strategies, and knowledge exchange.
HIGHER EDUCATION
To support the initiatives of the Swiss education sector, swissnex Boston leverages strategic partnerships with higher education institutions to increase international engagement and develop widespread recognition. 2012 kicked off with the successful MIT EUROPEAN CAREER which drew over 3,000 attendees and featured ETH, University of Basel and Life Science Zurich. Various delegations, including the ConnectUs project out of and UAS Northwestern Switzerland and MBA students from University of Fribourg, all participated in planned programs set up by swissnex Boston.
FAIR,
In early 2012, swissnex assisted the university in opening the EPFL New York City A3 Alumni Chapter. The continuation of the LAUSANNE TO BOSTON blog brought added interest to EPFL study abroad programs; while the Cambridge community was connected directly to Lausanne at EPFL’s TEDx HELVETIA live streaming event. Now turn the page and take a closer look into one of the newest swissnex Boston educational partnerships.
blueprint : higher education
Hoping to tap into this innovative hub, the University of Basel (Uni Basel) signed a mandate with swissnex Boston in late 2011. Acting as a North American hub for Uni Basel, we challenged ourselves to brand the University as a leading Swiss institution. From the exhibition of The Giant Cell at the 2012 Cambridge Science Festival to the collaboration with two exceptional interns and participations in multiple career fairs, swissnex Boston provided a strong platform for UniBasel to showcase some of its best talents.
exst.
SEPT 2011
Uni Basel signs mandate agreement with swissnex Boston. Boston/Cambridge and its universities is a strategic importance to Basel and its university.
Over 180 perspective students and researchers gathered at swissnex Boston to learn about Life Science opportunities at Uni Basel.
UNI BASEL MANDATE
FALL
SWISS LIFE SCIENCE NIGHT 12
UNIVERSITY OF BASEL
11
Home to many prestigious universities and colleges, like Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Greater Boston Area supports a rich community of thoughtleaders, researchers, students and businesses. New companies, student initiatives and medical breakthroughs drive the local economy on a daily basis.
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swissnex Boston 2012
The UniBasel - swissnex Boston partnership is still in its beginning stages. 2012 brought a year of powerful programs and important connections that will set the stage for another successful year to come. For the University of Basel, the close partnership with swissnex Boston is the most important pillar of our international presence. The fruitful support by the swissnex team during the last years helped us to establish a community of Friends of Basel, be present at the important student fairs and cultivate intense contacts with different universities and institutions.
Matthias Geering, University of Basel The following timeline illustrates swissnex Boston’s abilities within a higher education partnership and the first year of the Uni Basel - swissnex Boston collaboration.
First Uni Basel sponsored intern arrives in Boston for 6 months. SWISSNEX BOSTON
First Alumni event of the Uni Basel in Boston featuring Swiss photographer Martin Oeggerli. WHERE ART MEETS SCIENCE: ALUMNI BASEL EVENING
Boston Architectural College works with swissnex Boston in planning their exploratory trip to Basel. swissnex facilitates crucial connections for the student group.
Coordinated Uni Basel’s presence at the career fair, which attracts over 3,000 students. MIT EUROPEAN CAREER FAIR
CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE FESTIVAL
BAC BASEL TRIP SPRING
SUMMER
Second Uni Basel intern arrives in Boston for 1 year. SWISSNEX BOSTON
Networking event at Novartis featuring Harvard Prof. David A Sinclair and The Giant Cell. SWISSNEX SCIENCE CAFÉ
Art work by Basel Academy of Art students is auctioned off for charity at the swissnex Connector Award Gala. SCA GALA FALL
Aimed at preparing future academic leaders for the challenges of an increasingly diverse and globally focused higher education sector. swissnex Boston organized a day long event for GPP with Michael Collins, VP of Jobs for the Future. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES PROGRAM (GPP)
swissnex Boston promotes Uni Basel’s participation on an exhibition on Biblical texts and modern manuscripts in Biblical studies at the University of Chicago Library. SWISS TREASURES
swissnex Boston 2012
communit y e vents
It is great to have swissnex here in our community. Their values, innovation and connection, strategically align with the priorities of the City of Cambridge. Mayor Henrietta Davis City of Cambridge
20
Cambridge Mayor Henrietta Davis awards SwissLinkBoston’s Daniela Domeisen the 2012 swissnex Connector Award.
Participate in our communities and interact with Swiss and local partners to bring added value.
COMMUNITY
Embedded in the heart of the Cambridge community, swissnex Boston heavily relies on local support and collaborations to reach its fullest potential. In 2012, swissnex Boston engaged with the local Swiss and broader community to promote new advances in science, technology, art and innovation. In collaboration with Harvard Square’s Brattle Theatre, La Petite Chambre was screened for New England French-speaking community at the 2012 FRANCOPHONE CELEBRATIONS. swissnex Boston hosted Boston International, a local non-profit, for two of their 2012 gatherings that brought Boston’s young professionals, diplomats, and grad students social events focused on world affairs. To thank local partners, sponsors and supporters, events like the annual BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT and THE SWISSNEX CAFÉ SERIES provided constituents with a place to reconnect with the network and explore the inner workings of swissnex Boston. Now, take a closer look into the evolution of a swissnex community project on the following page.
blueprint : communit y
With each new connection and successful event, we become more and more aware that the concept of swissnex would not be possible without a strong local community.
THE SWISSNEX CONNECTOR AWARD
To honor this invaluable community, we developed the swissnex Connector Award (SCA) and set out to recognize the success stories that have helped swissnex Boston better promote Swiss science, education, art and innovation. Consisting of a three-month long campaign, the SCA program launched in September 2012 at our annual Back to School event. Throughout Fall 2012, we hosted the swissnex Café: Election Edition, which allowed the local community a chance to vote for their favorite SCA Nominee. Paired with dynamic digital promotion, the SCA campaign featured videos on each nominee and illustrated the overall idea behind the award. It’s obvious that swissnex Boston has its finger on the pulse of Boston’s innovation network. That is evident in the caliber of guests at the annual holiday gathering, and equally apparent in the programming the organization produces throughout the year. Thanks for another great event and the opportunity to connect with the area’s business and political communities.
Mark O’Toole, HB Agency & SCA Gala attendee The following timeline lays out the execution of the SCA series and gives you an inside look into a swissnex Boston community event.
22
JAN 2012 DEC 2012
The swissnex Connector Award idea is born at the 2012 Annual Retreat. LOON MOUNTAIN, NH 12
swissnex Boston 2012
SWISSNEX BOSTON
The SCA Webpage is launched, giving the community a central place to meet the nominees, learn about the campaign and discover swissnex Boston. WWW.SWISSNEXBOSTON.ORG
SPRING
The second SCA Digital Newsletter goes out with updates on voting, who’s leading the polls and introduces the SCA Gala.
BACK TO SCHOOL 2012
SUMMER
SWISSNEX BOSTON
SWISSNEX BOSTON
Tutoring Plus, a Cambridge after-school program, is announced as the charity of choice for the SCA Campaign in the third SCA Digital Newsletter.
FALL
The SCA is featured at the swissnex Café: Election Edition. Café guests can vote for their favorite nominee at the SCA Voting Booth. SWISSNEX BOSTON
SCA GALA
CAMBRIDGE, MA WINTER
The SCA Gala invites go out to all voters and the local community. The Gala provides a platform for swissnex Boston to announce the SCA Champion, while also thanking all of our partners, sponsors, colleagues and friends for another successful year. SWISSNEX BOSTON
The SCA Gala includes a Charity Auction, featuring original artwork from Basel Academy of Art students. All auction proceeds are donated to Tutoring Plus. SCA GALA
swissnex Boston 2012
art
&
culture
We are very thankful to swissnex for opening the doors to new ideas and contacts. Thanks to their help, we are able to better showcase the role the arts can play in connecting the dots between people of other cultures and fields of discipline.
Mary Sherman TransCultural Exchange
24
Swiss pianist Louisa Splett performs at the 2012 swissnex Art SoirĂŠe.
Create and present transdisciplinary projects in imaginative ways.
ART & CULTURE
Whether it is sustainable architecture or the mathematical complexity of a composer’s latest masterpiece, various artistic and cultural aspects are interwoven throughout many Swiss innovations and developments. With this in mind, swissnex Boston brought many new art and culture events to the 2012 calendar. A handful of Swiss films made an appearance at the Brattle Theatre, Coolidge Corner Theatre, 2012 BOSTON LATINO FILM FESTIVAL and the 2012 MIT European Short Film Festival.
Kiki Thompson, Co-Founder of the 3-D Verbier Sculpture Park Residency Program, discussed the values of international residency programs in the arts at the 2012 swissnex International Art Residencies Panel. World-renowned pianist Luisa Splett headlined the swissnex Art Soirée and delighted the audience with L.v. Beethoven’s Sonate op.110 As-Dur and R. Schumann’s Fantasie C-Dur op.17. Turn the page for a closer look into a lifeline of a swissnex Boston art venture that brought together Boston and Switzerland closer than ever.
culture
PAUL KLEE FALL 2008 DEC 2012
Curated by Boston College’s McMullen Museum and Professor John Sallis, the PAUL KLEE: PHILOSOPHICAL VISION; FROM NATURE TO ART Museum Show ran from September to December 2012. Brought to life with over 30 of Klee’s original works, most on loan from the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland, this exhibition was the first of its kind to delve into Klee’s use of philosophical themes throughout his works.Audiences experienced Klee through the exhibition’s eight sections that categorizes his works around various themes: dialogues with nature; flight, movement and balance; words and music; and politics and death. The Paul Klee exhibition and conference opened the eyes of students, professors, community members and visitors to Swiss culture and history. The exhibition was by all accounts a great success. The McMullen Museum could not have realized this success without the support of swissnex Boston.
Nancy Netzer, McMullen Museum The following timeline illustrates the Paul Klee exhibition and symposium, a swissnex Art & Culture project from idea to execution. 26
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Klee’s works continue to resonate with audiences around the world and, in 2012, Boston College, SWISS International Airlines and swissnex Boston embraced this point and celebrated the artist and his powerful legacy.
Philosophy Professor John Sallis, Curator and organizer of the Klee Conference, has idea to plan international conference at Boston College on the philosophical vision of Paul Klee.
Request from Nancy Netzer, Director of the McMullen Museum at Boston College, for swissnex Boston to join as a project partner.
BOSTON COLLEGE
SWISSNEX BOSTON 11
Born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, Paul Klee is considered to be one of the most renowned Swiss artists. Combining philosophy, music, painting and sketching, Klee used many mediums to portray his emotions and ideas.
&
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blueprint : art
09
swissnex Boston 2012
Curator of the Zentrum Paul Klee (ZPK) Michael Baumgartner joins the project. Zentrum Paul Klee lent most of the works for the exhibit. ZENTRUM PAUL KLEE BERN, SWITZERLAND
SPRING
WINTER
Swiss International Airlines becomes key project partner, handling the shipping of the works and travel arangements of project members from Switzerland. SWISSNEX BOSTON
Promotional day to expand awareness of exhibition and contest. swissnex Boston and SWISS set up booth on campus, handing out informational material, Nespresso coffee and Lindt chocolate.
Switzerland Tourism joins PR campaign as sponsor, donating 2 Rail Passes and tourism material for giveaways.
Andreas Rufer channels his inner “Paul Klee” and lends his voice to the exhibition audio tour. BOSTON COLLEGE
BOSTON COLLEGE
DISCOVER NEW HEIGHTS
BOSTON COLLEGE
FALL
12
TWITTER + FACEBOOK + LANDING PAGE
Exhibit reviewed on the front page of Art Section. THE BOSTON GLOBE
Public Opening and Opening Gala with Ambassador Barras and McMullen Museum patrons. MCMULLEN MUSEUM, BOSTON COLLEGE
WINTER
Three-day Paul Klee Conference featured Uni Basel’s Boehm and ZPK’s Baumgartner.
Exhibit closes after a successful 3-month run and is named one of the Top 10 Art Exhibits of 2012 by The Boston Globe.
BOSTON COLLEGE & SWISSNEX BOSTON
THE BOSTON GLOBE
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STAFF
Dr. Felix Moesner
Andreas Rufer
Consul & Director
Deputy Consul & Project Leader, Art & Culture
Sebastien Hug
Sophie Sithamma
Project Leader, Higher Education & Partnerships
Accounting & Administration
Elizabeth Galvin
Lia Breunig
Team Assistant & Event Coordinator
Communications & Community Manager
Pierre Dorsaz*
Niccolo Iorno*
Project Leader, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Project Leader, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
*Nicolo Iorno succeeded Pierre Dorsaz as Project Leader, Innovation & Entrepreneurship in January ‘13.
swissnex Boston 2012
behind the scenes: staff
A YEAR AT SWISSNEX
From new five interns to a new director fresh from Tokyo, swissnex Boston underwent major personnel changes throughout 2012. With this timeline, we would like you to help us welcome the recent additions and bid farewell to those who have moved on to their next ventures.
We would also like to thank the swissnex Boston Advisory Board. Each board member volunteers their time and advice; without their support, swissnex Boston would not be where it is today.
2012
SWITZERLAND TRADE & INVESTMENT PROMOTION
INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJ. SWISSNEX CHINA
12
2012 swissnex Boston Advisory Board Members: WINTER
• Zeina Hakim, Assistant Professor of French, Tufts University • Bettina Hein, Entrepreneur & CEO at Pixability Inc. • Steven Hoch, Chairman, American Swiss Foundation & Founder/Partner, Highmount Capital LLC
• Susan Kish, Head Cross Media Initiatives at Bloomberg • Jerry Schaufeld, Professor of Mangement at WPI • Paul Smyke, Senior Director, North America, &
Special Advisor to the Chairman, World Economic Forum
• Thomas Zeltner, Former Director, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health & Chairman, Science et Cité Foundation
30
Andreas Sonderegger, ETH Zurich, starts his 6-month internship at swissnex Boston. JUNIOR PROECT LEADER LIFE SCIENCES
Marian Toader, HEC Lausanne, arrives in Cambridge for his 4-month internship. JUNIOR PROECT LEADER INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Sabina Tresch travels from University of Basel for her year long internship. JUNIOR PROECT LEADER LIFE SCIENCES
SPRING
COMMUNICATIONS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP SWISSNEX CHINA
IT SPECIALIST SUMMER
Florian Lancelle, HEC Lausanne, suceeds Marian Toader in Boston. JR PROECT LEADER INNOVATION & ENTREP.
Felix Moesner begins as swissnex Boston Director & Consul. FORMER HEAD OF THE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OFFICE TOYKO AT THE SWISS EMBASSY IN JAPAN (2003-2012) FALL
Norbert Staub begins his 2-month long sabbatical from ETH Zurich. COMMUNICATION & ISSUE MGMNT ETH ZURICH Tobias Stohr joins the swissnex Boston team for a month long volunteership. SWISSNEX BOSTON
Pascal Marmier leaves swissnex Boston to head swissnex China. PART OF THE SWISSNEX BOSTON TEAM 2000 - 2012
Pierre Dorsaz leaves swissnex Boston. PROJECT LEADER, INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP 2009-2012
swissnex Boston 2012
behind the scenes: media
&
publications
2,708
+33%
MINS
YOUTUBE
FACEBOOK LIKES
VIDEO WATCHED
109 BLOG ARTICLES WRITTEN
2 SOCIAL MEDIA CONTESTS
15+ DIGITAL & PRINT COVERAGE
6,199 YOUTUBE VIEWS
32
300+
SWISSNEX BOSTON FACEBOOK POSTS
Inform on developments in science, technology, education and innovation policies.
8
SCIENCE NEWSLETTERS
MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
SINCE SEP. ‘12
1
NEW GENERATION OF EPFL BLOGGERS
For swissnex Boston, media exposure is crucial to spreading awareness throughout North America and Switzerland. In 2012, swissnex Boston gained visibility in many Swiss news outlets, including L’AGEFI Magazine, Tribune de Genève, 24 heures, La Liberté and Tages Anzeiger. In the US, both The Boston Globe and Architecture Boston featured numerous projects and articles by swissnex Boston team members. In the digital world, we kicked off 2012 by launching our new blog, yourswissnexboston.org, acting as an online community space for all things swissnex. On Twitter and Facebook, swissnex Boston heightened engagement through social media contests. Regular themed spotlights, like the Swiss Olympic Athletes series, helped swissnex social media platforms draw new followers. Following in the footsteps of Science and Technology Office in Tokyo, swissnex Boston implemented two Science Newsletters, which report on what’s new, who’s who and other latest developments in science, technology, education and innovation in North America and Switzerland.
swissnex Boston 2012
ser
behind financethe and scenes me trics : finance
Operating
$616,389
ser
&
me trics
Third Party Contributions
$1,307,774
Projects
$133,333
Total Contributions 2012
$2,057,496
34
Each swissnex promotes public-private ventures. Partners, donors and sponsors provide vital financial support.
200+ VISITORS
FINANCE & METRICS
2000+ ATTENDEES
70+ EVENTS
As a public-private initiative, swissnex Boston operates on a multi-funded platform. Following our official mandate with SER, we continue to finance more than two-thirds of our projects with third-party contributions.
5
INTERNS
7
PERMANENT STAFF
The figure on the left provides you with a breakdown of our 2012 financial contributions and how those funds are allocated across our platform. SER Operating: Keeps swissnex Boston running smoothly by funding most of the yearly operational costs. SER Projects: Supports core-events costs throughout the year, helping us to promote the swissnex mission.
Third Party Contributions : Funds most of the projects at swissnex Boston and is provided by our mandates, partners and sponsors.
swissnex Boston 2012
behind the scenes: partners
&
mandates
Alumni
Zurich University of the Arts
HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
36
Each swissnex promotes public-private ventures. Partners, donors and sponsors provide vital financial support.
PARTNERS & MANDATES
Whether public or private, partnerships are a major component of the swissnex DNA. Partnerships abroad play a powerful roll in exposing North America to the best and brightest Swiss programs, technologies and innovations. Local partners allow swissnex Boston to leverage community resources. The roadmap to the right illustrates the connections between our mandates, partners and sponsors during the 2012 swissnex Boston events. For a full list of mandates, partners and sponsors and to find out how to join the collaboration, please visit www.swissnexboston.org/about-us/partners-mandates. MANDATES: Signed agreements between both parties; provides financing for swissnex in exchange for services. PARTNERS: Collaborators/co-organizers of a project. They provide services, financing and/or specific assistance on the project.
oikos
SPONSORS: Supports swissnex through financing or in-kind in exchange for a physical or digital presence in swissnex events and/or collaterol.
swissnex Boston 2012
behind the scenes: outlook
swissnex Boston Team
2012 - 2013
38
Photo credit: Susan Young, Susan Young Photography.
OUTLOOK
The year 2012 brought changes to our team, new skills and expanded knowhow, which we want to put at your service. Past successful programs such as the Venture Leaders and MIT European Career Fair will continue, following the successful path of Public-Private Partnerships. We will create new Alumni networks, expand the line of our services towards technology transfer and offer more space and guidance to Swiss startups and sabbaticals. On the intelligence side, the latest science news and trends from North America as well as Switzerland will be at your fingertips in the monthly Science-Swiss Newsletters. Connect with us at yourswissnexBoston.org to subscribe and discover all things swissnex. We look forward to extending our collaboration in 2013!
swissnex boston 420 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA t. (617) 876-3076 f. (617) 876-3079 www.swissnexboston.org