Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, Lausanne is in the midst of one of the most dynamic academic and economic regions in Europe. Besides the prestigious Swiss Institute of Technology (EPFL) with its very diverse science and engineering programs, the University of Lausanne with its highly rated faculty of Business and Economics (HEC) as well as its solid fundamental social and natural sciences, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) with MBA programs regularly ranking amongst the international top three and finally, the École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) which is currently the world’s top hospitality management school, have settled in this area. It is no surprise that such an intellectual powerhouse has been attracting countless international companies to base their headquarter and R&D and production centers in the region, amongst which notable players from the healthcare, nutrition, green energy, IT and watchmaking industry can be found.
Finally, Lausanne offers a very exciting environment for entrepreneurs, which mostly centers around the EPFL Innovation Park that harbors over 140 startups. The excellent funding, coaching, networking, and hiring opportunities for entrepreneurs are reflected by the fact that in 2013, 26 of the top 100 Swiss startups were founded within the Lausanne region.
It is this diverse and exciting ecosystem that attracts talent from all over the world. And it is these individuals who contribute to Lausanne being a major hub of innovation in a country that was considered number one in the Global Innovation Index in 2014.
To further stimulate this dynamic region, the aims of Innovation Forum Lausanne are:
- To facilitate the interaction of local talents with diverse academic and industrial backgrounds, to encourage them to think out of the box and dream together, thus allowing them to come up with interdisciplinary innovations for a sustainable future.
- To forward and promote the innovations of tomorrow towards industry, investors and policy makers within the entire Innovation Forum network, thereby accelerating the appearance of Lausanne’s disruptive technologies on the global scene.
- To empower and inspire innovative minds by actively integrating the world of arts and music, thereby fostering an environment in which the new and unknown can be embraced with an open mind.
Furthermore, we provide the necessary inspiration and relevant contacts to participate actively in the international Innovation Leaders Conference in Cambridge with more than 300 business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and researchers.
Bylaws of the association
Innovation Forum Lausanne is an official EPFL association.
Our bylaws can be downloaded here.
