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MANUFACTURING A flagship activity of the canton of Vaud 2 VAUD ECONOMIC PROMOTION / MANUFACTURING VAUD AND THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION Driven by its tradition of innovation, Vaud-based industry is moving towards 4.0. A number of companies are developing digital solutions to make their production more competitive and continue to generate high added value in the canton. Swiss watch, machine, tool and medicine manufacturers In this innovative and industrial Swiss landscape, the are leading the way. Their reputation for reliability has canton of Vaud is at the forefront in many domains, ranging spread far beyond the country’s borders with the result that from watch manufacture to mechanics, via information manufacturing in Switzerland is synonymous with quality technology and precision industry. Innovation is and precision throughout the world. And whatever the encouraged by the proximity and influence of reputed challenges or state of the economy, Switzerland enjoys un­ research centers, such as the world­renowned École deniable and permanent assets when it comes to the manu­ Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the School facturing of goods, namely: political stability, quality infra­ of Engineering and Management Vaud (HEIG­VD). Thanks structure and a highly skilled workforce. to the contributions of these institutes, the region has specialized in sectors with high added value: medical Far from resting on its laurels, Switzerland has concluded technologies, cybersecurity and precision instruments. mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with more than 30 states, including the European Union. These countries re­ In addition to the R&D conducted in academic institutes cognize the conformity assessments already carried out in and companies, industry in Vaud is now setting about 4.0. Switzerland. MRAs bring in around CHF 500 million a year In other words, it is searching for ways to integrate new for Swiss companies, which do not have to undergo inspec­ technologies to improve production and develop innova­ tion or certification tests every time they export a product tive solutions. With a large number of companies and re­ to a new state. search organizations active in information and communi­ cation technology (ICT), the canton of Vaud has all the Furthermore, a large number of initiatives are emerging on a assets to implement its digital transition. national level to ensure the competitiveness of the Swiss mar­ ket through the digitization and automation of factories. These include “Industry 2025” and “Digital Switzerland”, which are adaptations of Industry 4.0 to Swiss speci fications. AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR INVESTING Located in the heart of Europe, Vaud, the largest of the French­speak­ There are some 50,000 companies in Switzerland never ceases to amaze ing cantons, is also the most popu­ the canton, mainly operating in the ser­ with its diversity and prosperity. Its lated, with more than 800,000 inhabi­ vice sector, but they also lead the way political system is based on direct tants. An illustration of its openness is in sectors with high added value such as democracy and consensus, giving rise that nearly a third of its population precision instruments, medical equip­ to productive stability that greatly hails from abroad. A significant pro­ ment and information technology. benefits the economy. The country portion of these people are highly regularly ranks among the most qualified and were attracted by the competitive in the world. working conditions and excellence of the region’s institutions. VAUD ECONOMIC PROMOTION / MANUFACTURING 3 HIGH-TECH FACTORIES FOR ANYTHING FROM WATCHES TO ROCKETS Manufacturing in the canton of Vaud stands out in a number of areas. Whether these are traditional or emerging sectors, they are all characterized by the high value-added products manufactured and the innovation of the infrastructures and methods employed. Here is a selection of them. Microtechnology in its state­of­the­art production halls. Aeronautics is also In watch manufacture, robots assemble parts, completing a stand­out in the canton of Vaud with the presence of the very minute operations carried out by watchmakers in Bombardier, RUAG Space, Safran and Colibrys in Yverdon­ an effective manner. Naturally, the process also saves time les­Bains and Honeywell in Rolle. and increases productivity. The mechanical, electrical and metal (MEM) industry is also benefiting. BOBST, the Vaud­ Pharma/medtech based manufacturer of packaging and labeling equipment, Companies in the sector have equipped themselves exten­ has been investing in Industry 4.0 for a number of years, for sively with automated devices for the purpose of optimizing example by developing its own cameras and the connec­ production. There is also “Healthcare 4.0”, which represents tivity of its machines. More generally, umbrella organiza­ the fact that the pharmaceutical and medical equipment tions such as the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, sectors also want to branch out into the networking, analysis Swissmem and the Swiss Mechanical Industry Association and exploitation of digital data. The Vaud production site of (GIM) play an important role in promoting the moderniza­ multinational company Medtronic is exemplary in this re­ tion of production tools. spect. “Swiss Manufacturing Operations”, as it is called, is one of the most sophisticated pacemaker factories in the Agritech world. By way of another example, German pharmaceutical In the agricultural sector, solutions are being developed to group Merck boasts state­of­the­art assembly lines in the facilitate and increase production and improve the ecologi­ canton for the production of its biotech medicines. cal impact of crops. For example, Vaud company ecoRobotix has devised a weeder robot that drastically Laboratory and diagnostic technologies reduces the use of chemical weed killers, and in some cases Thanks to the collaboration between the fields of nano­ even eliminates it entirely. CombaGroup, based at the technology and diagnostic analysis, state­of­the­art tools Agropôle, has developed a lettuce­growing system and applications are being developed in the canton of combining aeroponics and robotization which brings about Vaud, where around 20 research laboratories and a dozen impressive water savings, improves productivity, reduces companies are active, particularly in medical imaging. A losses and even enhances the quality of the final product. startup by the name of Abionic has constructed an auto­ mated production line in the Vaud capital of Lausanne to Materials display the “Swiss Made” label on its products, which is The production of materials in the canton of Vaud is char­ synonymous with quality and sophistication. It markets a acterized by its innovation. Companies like Décision and small device that enables the detection of respiratory aller­ NTPT (integrators of composite materials used in shipbuild­ gies, iron­deficiency anemia and sepsis from a drop of ing, the space industry, sports and telecommunications) blood. It is based on patented nanofluidic technology. and Del West (watch casings) push the boundaries to cre­ ate unique materials, parts and structures. To this end, their Nutrition factories boast the latest equipment and the workforce, The canton of Vaud is home to the headquarters of global from the technicians through to the engineers, are trained food giant Nestlé and boasts several factories with modern in the region’s vocational schools and universities. The most manufacturing lines in this sector. These include Cornu notable example is the Institute of Materials at the EPFL (crackers), Hilcona Gourmet (pizzas, sandwiches), (IMX) which covers around 20 laboratories. Eckes­Granini (fruit juice), Hugo Reitzel (gherkins, pickled vegetables) and Nespresso. Productivity, quality and con­ Aeronautics nectivity are the key words in Nespresso’s production halls. Some 50 Swiss companies are active in the space sector. At its site in Avenches, for example, some 10 billion cap­ At the EPFL, the Swiss Space Center runs a network for sules are produced each year. industry and institutions. APCO Technologies is one of the leading Vaud companies in the aeronautics industry. In par­ ticular, it designs the nose cone and the lower connectors for the Ariane 6 auxiliary rockets. Around 250 people work 4 VAUD ECONOMIC PROMOTION / MANUFACTURING WHEN INDUSTRY AND THE WORLD OF RESEARCH UNITE Industry in the canton of Vaud can count on the region’s academic and research institutes. This exchange works both ways: companies benefit from the latest advances in technology and young people in training are given practical cases that often allow them to find a job after their studies. École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) School of Engineering and Management of the The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne has a repu­ canton of Vaud (HEIG-VD) tation that goes far beyond Swiss borders. It has three main The School of Engineering and Management of the canton missions: teaching, research and technology transfer. Its of Vaud (HEIG­VD) is dedicated to transforming knowledge links with Swiss industry are important. Some companies into products and services with high added value. Its aim collaborate in a comprehensive manner in the EPFL’s fields is to promote innovation and the competitiveness of com­ of competence, particularly in transdisciplinary centers. panies through three areas of action: teaching, continuous Others do this more specifically, for example by working training and applied

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