The BRIDGE programme of Innosuisse and the SNSF supports researchers in transferring their research results into practice. A Discovery grant, which lasts up to four years, offers experienced researchers the opportunity to create the preconditions for a successful and swift market launch.
Excellent quality and convincing implementation plan
Discovery projects need to meet high standards of scientific and innovative excellence. BRIDGE demands that researchers not only adopt ambitious research targets but also expedite their vision for the innovation and develop a novel solution that is market ready. For this reason, the 23 experts on the evaluation panel regularly monitor project progress taking into account both aspects.
Favourable interim evaluations
BRIDGE projects of the first call in 2017 were subject to a first interim evaluation. At the end of February, the evaluation panel was able to confirm that all projects have maintained the focus on implementing their results.
Die meisten Projekte haben konkrete Pläne mit potenziellen Industriepartnern erarbeitet oder streben die Gründung eines Start-ups an.
Lukas Emmenegger of EMPA in Dübendorf, for example, is already sharing his results on the development of new opportunities in trace gas analytics with the company IRsweep. His innovation is proving to be very valuable in numerous applications in areas such as environment, medicine, security and industry.
Matthieu Despeisse of CSEM in Neuchâtel is exploring the development of a new generation of solar panels that deliver a very high performance. He has already established business contacts with potential implementation partners in preparation for industrial production. All projects that were evaluated are on course and can continue. The first projects are expected to complete their work in 2021.
By monitoring and advising the projects, BRIDGE ensures that excellent researchers with a strong desire to implement their research results can succeed with innovative solutions on the market.