REPORT VALAIS: INNOVATION BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS BEYOND “CHALET AND MOUNTAIN PASTURES” CLICHES, THE RHODANIEN CANTON STANDS OUT FOR ITS STRONG ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POPULATION BOOM. WITH EPFL AS PILLAR, THE ENERGYPOLIS CAMPUS IS LEADING GROWTH IN THE VALAIS. BY MARY VAKARIDIS pricots, raclette and skiers? ton of Valais-Wallis has moved far beyond value-added segment. World-renowned Wrong: the Valaisian eco- traditional clichés in phase with the 21st researchers are developing projects right nomy has nothing to do with century. “Do you know what they say about here at the EPFL campus in Valais-Wallis. this Epinal print. Instead, the Valais?” jokes Christophe Darbellay, We are delighted that they are happy in think startups, large-scale State Councilor responsible for economy their new environment.” Aindustrial innovation, trail-blazing ideas… and training. “That outsiders are reluctant Examples of technological stars abound. TechnoArk in Sierre houses At the forefront of research thanks to EPFL to come here to settle - but once they do, DePuy Synthes in Raron and the Ibex pro- some 40 start-ups, SMEs and the University of Applied Sciences they never want to leave. Our canton is ject in Lonza (see box, page 40) have put the and research institutes. PHOTO: THE ARK Western Switzerland (HES-SO), the can- currently working to strengthen its high- Valais on the map of innovation. Another REPORT VALAISIAN ECONOMY 40000 new residents in 10 years VALAISANS WHO DYNAMIZE THE ECONOMY “Training and innovation must allow Valais to succeed in shift to digitalization. We need to prepare a new generation of professions that don’t even exist yet. This is also true for the banking sector,” says Pascal Perruchoud, CEO, Cantonal Bank of Valais (BCVs). Professor at the University of Management and tourism of Sierre, Marie- Françoise Perruchoud-Massy adds, “The Valais has experienced a catch-up effect with an economy that has diversified into financial services and insurance. These activities are in the digitization phase and we are witnessing a strengthening of added-value, for example in the area of viticulture.” VINCENT CLAIVAZ ANNE LAURE MARIE THERESE HERVÉ BOURLARD Founded in Sion in 1963, Gotec has become world leader in high-end oscillating pumps. Published in 2017, a study conducted President of FVS Group and COUCHEPIN VOUILLOZ CHAPPAZ Director of Idiap by the Basel institute BAK on behalf of the the Valais Fair President of Martigny Vinegrower example, the autonomous shuttle buses in Darbellay, member of the PDC (Christian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Professor at EPFL, Hervé Sion suggest what traffic will be like in the Democractic People’s Party). “The project the BCVs indicates that the expansion of Member of the Executive Board The first woman president of a At the beginning of the year, Bourlard has been director of not so far-off future when all vehicles are will be completed by a Swiss Innovation the Valaisan economy is due to population of Groupe Mutuel since 2002, city in Romandy Valais, Marie-Thérèse Chappaz the Idiap Research Center in driverless. The buses were developed by Park whose opening is scheduled for growth. Long-term comparison (2005 to Vincent Claivaz is a key player Anne-Laure Couchepin Vouilloz reached new heights when Martigny since 1996. Specia- PostBus and NAVYA, specialists in the au- September 2020.” 2015) with similar Alpine regions in Europe in the event sector as president has been watching over the Robert Parker’s famous lized in the computerized tonomous vehicle market, in partnership The chemistry firm Lonza, the Migros shows that the Valais leads in terms of GDP of the FVS Group and the Valais development of Martigny since winemaking guide awarded two processing of speech, vision with the city of Sion, the Canton of Valais, Valais cooperative, Coop Group and growth compared to different mountain Fair. Until Spring 2018, Vincent 2016. Deputy of the FDP/Liberal of her wines the score 99/100. and machine learning, this EPFL, HES-SO and the Swiss Post. “The Groupe Mutuel are, in decreasing order, regions. In the past ten years, the canton Claivaz led Agrovina, the party, she spent eight years in The winemaker in Fully stands scientist of Belgian origin is region is appreciated for its quality of life the main employers in Valais, offering has welcomed 40,000 new residents, an exhibition dedicated to her commune’s executive out as a leader of the renewal sought out by the media on the as well as its proximity to major airports. some 7500 jobs in all. But, over the past ten increase of 15% in population. “The study oenology and arboriculture. He branch with responsibility for of Valaisanne vineyards, which promising theme of artificial Employment is developing dynamically. years, local start-ups have grown up, some shows that our economy grew faster than was also on the committee of schools. Trained first as a has recently achieved a intelligence. In this field, he is This is most positive for Valaisan graduates of which stand out at the international le- that of comparable mountain regions in the Valais Fair, responsible for physiotherapist, she then spectacular upselling. Trained seen as a pioneer both in who now find opportunities at the height vel. The Ark incubator has, so far, produced France, Italy and Austria. In this context, it exhibitors. Pillar of Valaisan became a lawyer. In her in oenology at the Ecole de Switzerland and abroad. From of their skills in their place of origin,” ob- some 20 companies, including Recapp, in is an ongoing challenge to foster innovation economic life, the Fair position as town president, she Changins, she worked six years his start in the research serves Jean-Pierre Bringhen, CEO of the the field of multilingual voice recognition, and to offer it a showcase of quality. It is for continues to develop. Specia- must rise to the challenge to in the cellar of the federal laboratories of Philips MBLE in construction supply company Bringhen and KeyLemon, in biometric security (see this purpose that we launched the BCVs lized in event management, the redevelop Martigny’s main road, station before taking over her Brussels in the 1980s, he has Group. box on page 40). Prix Créateurs challenge in partnership FVS Group has added two new Avenue de la Gare. She must family’s winemaking domaine, developed two parallel careers The emergence of startups in Valais is with the canton’s Economic Promotion events: Epicuria (in November also manage Martigny’s new which she subsequently in the academic world at the Engines of growth inseparable from an institution that plays office over ten years ago,” says Pascal 2018, devoted to terroir and role as the canton’s second expanded. The Valaisanne also University of Berkeley and in Powerful springboard for the Valaisian a major role: the Idiap Research Institute Perruchoud. gastronomy) and 180° (coming largest city (after Sion), due to stands out as a pioneer in industry. He is the author of economy, EPFL (Federal Institute of (formerly, Institute of Artificial Intelligence in May 2019 to showcase its merger in 2021 with the biodynamics, an agricultural some 350 scientific articles, Technology in Lausanne), which set up Perceptive). Created in 1991 by the City Regional differences habitat, well-being and the village of Charrat, giving method using natural agents some of whose findings have a campus here in 2012, employs over 230 of Martigny, the canton of Valais, EPFL, “The evolution of Valais shows very strong outdoors). Trained at EHL Martigny a population of over that she has adapted for been massively adopted by scientists who have already attracted the University of Geneva and Swisscom, dynamism,” says Christophe Darbellay. School of Hospitality, Vincent 20,000 inhabitants. Economic grapes and applies in a industry, sometimes even 20 nearly 60 million in research contracts. The Idiap focuses its efforts on research, trai- “By comparison, over the same period, Claivaz leads the FVS Group, engine for the canton, with a non-dogmatic way. Passionate years after publication. university helps drive CampusEnergypolis ning and technology transfer. The center the Canton of Grisons (Graubünden) re- with CHF10 million turnover and growth of 1.5% in 2012-2016, about the world of the vineyard Recipient of many scientific in Sion, bringing together in one center of employs around 100 employees with an mained static in both population and em- employing 21 people. Martigny gets a boost from the and nature, she has personally and business awards, he is research HES-SO and the start-up incu- annual budget of 10 million francs (55% ployment.” Adds Pascal Perruchoud, “The activities of Groupe Mutuel and committed herself to a also Vice-President of the bator, The Ark. “Energypolis has raised funded by research projects and 45% from weight of secondary cantonal GDP is 30%, Debiopharm, both established Switzerland free of synthetic startup incubator, The Ark. the entire value chain. Activities include public funds). In 2002, Idiap received inter- a proportion very close to that observed in on its territory. products and a strong and both fundamental and applied research, national attention when the institute was Fribourg. Our canton is also based on other viable agriculture. the technology transfer and the develop- chosen to analyze the alleged recordings areas of expertise, such as chemistry and ment of applications,” says Christophe of Osama Ben Laden. the pharmaceutical industry - over 12% PHOTO: PASCAL GERTSCHEN.CH PHOTOS: GM, JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT/KEYSTONE, LEWINESTUDIO, IDIAP REPORT VALAISIAN ECONOMY COMPANIES INVESTING IN INNOVATION THE VALAIS, A CANTON DEVELOPING FAST - and the production and distribution of electricity - nearly 4.7%.” GREATER GROWTH THAN OTHER MOUNTAIN REGIONS... The BAK study also points to strong re- REAL GDP GROWTH (100 IN 2005) gional differences.