CSEM Reports Growth in Industrial Projects in 2015

CSEM reported that many companies benefitted from CSEM’s services in 2015. The Swiss research and technology organization saw its industrial revenue increase by 9%, reaching a new record. In such varied domains as the internet of things, wearable technology, solar energy and the fight against counterfeiting, CSEM has accomplished its mission of transferring technology to companies, thereby contributing to maintaining Switzerland’s competitivity and capacity for innovation.
 
An ingenious approach to tracing medication; an intelligent watch that counts the number of calories ingested by its owner; and a new method of manufacturing solar cells that enables a drastic reduction in production costs. These are just some examples of innovation that CSEM’s scientists have implemented, with its partners, in 2015. Active at five sites in Switzerland, CSEM obtained 27 new patents, adding to the existing 186 patent families.
 
In 2015, CSEM’s revenues from industry grew by 9%, to reach a record CHF 25 million. “This strong increase illustrates the level of confidence that companies have in us, as well as their determination to innovate in a strained worldwide economic context,” said Claude Nicollier, president of CSEM’s Board of Management. The development of industrial partnerships has enabled CSEM to compensate for the big reduction in income generated from European projects. Global turnover was down by 3.5% to CHF 79.6 million, due to not receiving the exceptional cantonal contributions that were paid to CSEM in 2014. A non-profit-making company, CSEM finished the year with a modest profit of 234,000 francs.
 
For nearly 18 months now, the health of Swiss industry has been seriously affected by the strength of the franc against the euro. “CSEM actively supports exporting SMEs in their efforts to develop new processes and products,” stated Mario El-Khoury, CEO of CSEM. On both sides of the linguistic border, it is participating in around 30 projects launched within the framework of the Confederation’s CTI “strong franc” program. “This program’s economic model represents a considerable financial challenge for CSEM, which co-finances the projects,” emphasized El-Khoury. “However, we decided to make this investment as it’s obvious that Switzerland’s prosperity is linked to the maintenance of a strong industrial base.”
 
Jean-Daniel Pasche (Fondation en faveur d’un Laboratoire de Recherches horlogères), Renato Sturani (BKW Energie SA) and Claude Vuillemez (Richemont International SA) were elected to CSEM’s Board of Management during the General Assembly of the shareholders on June 17, 2016. They replace Christophe Bossel (BKW Energie SA), Eric Klein (Richemont International SA) and Pierre-Alain Storrer (Fondation en faveur d’un Laboratoire de Recherches horlogères), who have resigned.