Welcome to the FEST
The FEST returns to Canada in April 2024 to bring together organizations and audiences from science, technology, industry, academia, arts and community around Swiss-Canadian cleantech innovation.
A dynamic event series to enhance existing business and science collaborations, and encourage future international collaborations through discussions, workshops, networking gatherings, film screenings, and exhibitions.
INTRODUCTION
The 2nd Swiss Innovation FEST Vancouver will provide a platform for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to explore the potential of Cleantech in creating a sustainable future for Canada and Switzerland.
A highly technologically industrialized country, Switzerland has leading clusters in Cleantech, with a special focus on AI, robotics, personalized health, blockchain, advanced manufacturing, and clean and efficient business solutions. Western Canada is also an important region for Cleantech development and innovation, with strengths in renewable energy, water and wastewater, energy storage and efficiency, hydrogen, carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), smart grid, bioproducts, and e-mobility, with 7 British Columbia companies among the 2022 Global Cleantech 100. The Government of Canada announced its roadmap to reducing emissions by 2030 and its goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The event that focuses on Cleantech and highlights Swiss and Western Canadian innovations in this field is highly relevant to the Western Canadian audience today because of the urgent need to address the global climate crisis. Cleantech innovations have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate climate change, and improve sustainability. Furthermore, as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, Cleantech is playing a significant role in driving economic growth and creating new job opportunities.
PROGRAM
SPRING 2024
Smart City Podcast
Kristi Shalla is the Innovation Commissioner of Swiss Business Hub USA, and co-author of the book Seoul: Tale of a Smart City coming out in April 2024. Following the Smart Cities Panel Discussion, Human Biography will capture her story leading up to the release of the book!
Invention to Innovation (i2I)
Simon Fraser University (Canada) invites 5 ETH and EPFL PhD students and post-doctoral fellows in the cleantech field who wish to develop entrepreneurial skills, refine their innovation idea, and eventually commercialize their inventions, creating sustainable social and economic value, to apply for the 2024/25 Cleantech Cohort in partnership with Mitacs, a Canadian nonprofit national research organization. To express interest, email Tamara Shtanova, Science & Technology Officer, Swiss Consulate at:
tamara.shtanova@eda.admin.ch by April 30, 2024.
Produced in partnership with
ISM Arts & Culture
Launching and supporting game-changing initiatives that pursue knowledge production, meaning, innovation and impact.
FEST24 PARTNERS
Organizations we are excited to work with for FEST24
