Canton of Grisons Commits to Eight-Year Contract with the CSEM Regional Center in Landquart

Since opening in 2007, the CSEM Research Center in Landquart has built successful business partnerships and created qualified jobs throughout the canton.

“Over the next few years, we aim to forge even closer links with the industries present in the region,” said CSEM chairman of the board Claude Nicollier on the occasion of his meeting with Hansjörg Trachsel, president of Grisons’ cantonal government.

Research and development is often a closed book to outsiders. During his meeting with Nicollier, Trachsel became convinced that it doesn’t have to be this way. The two met in CSEM’s regional headquarters in Landquart.

“The objective we set ourselves at the opening of the center in Landquart,” said Nicollier, “of creating a center for innovation and knowledge with a strong regional focus, has now been achieved.”

Today, CSEM Landquart employs more than 20 people and has launched three spin-offs since 2007. The center is already generating a turnover of more than 4 million Swiss francs. Nicollier confirmed to Trachsel that “CSEM is striving to broaden ties with industries active in the region.”

To achieve this goal, the structure of CSEM Landquart has been refined and partly adapted to suit the region itself. Two regional persons with strong industrial backgrounds have been appointed as section leaders. The fact that the CSEM regional center’s new strategy of “moving closer to industry” is on the right track is proven by the increasing number of projects being carried out in partnership with regional companies.

Trachsel is convinced that regional technology companies are benefiting from CSEM’s increased proximity and hopes that more companies will take advantage of the range of technologies offered by the center.

“This will further strengthen the Alpenrheintal region as an economic location and add to its appeal in the eyes of top world specialists,” he said.

On this basis, and as previously in close collaboration with the Economy and Tourism Office of the Canton of Grisons, a new contract for a period of eight years extending from 2014 until 2021 has been concluded. As was the case for previous contracts between the canton and the center, this agreement guarantees knowledge and technology transfer to support the capacity of regional industry to innovate and develop, and thus to create qualified jobs.

CSEM is currently analyzing the target- versus actual-technology portfolio of regional industry. The outcome of this analysis will pave the way for market-driven research activities at the research center in Landquart. The region will also benefit from CSEM’s global network. CSEM, a private research and technology organisation founded in 1984, has earned an outstanding worldwide reputation as a reliable and competent technology partner.

“Our partners know that when they collaborate with CSEM they can rely on internationally consolidated expertise in consulting, research and development,” said Nicollier.