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AERONAUTICS & AEROSPACE

The canton of Vaud, in Switzerland: the perfect setting to invest and innovate

Many factors are driving the continued growth of the aeronautics and aerospace industry in Switzerland, particularly in the canton of Vaud. University laboratories and research institutes, new and existing companies, and a unique public and private innovation ecosystem: together they transform research results into concrete applications. 

The breadth of knowledge and skills in our region has led to the emergence of many successful startups, SMEs and large companies. Their technological innovations will influence the sector worldwide far into the future.

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Find out more about aerospace and aeronautics in Switzerland and in Vaud.

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swiss aeropole, Switzerland's first aerospace technology park

Located one hour from Geneva Airport, swiss aeropole plays host to some 30 companies active in the aeronautics, aerospace and drone sector. The 40-hectare site is home to the Solar Impulse and SolarStratos solar aircrafts and offers a fully equipped business park and building plots, some with access to the Payerne airport runway – the third longest in Switzerland. Used for more than 100 years by the Swiss Air Force, this airport is now seeing rapidly growing civilian traffic, with business jets, solar aircraft and drones, not to mention flights and tests on the Destinus hypersonic shuttle.

What Switzerland and Vaud have to offer your company

Vaud is an economically thriving region with a skilled, multicultural workforce and a vibrant entrepreneurial community. It’s an attractive innovation hub for companies that want to grow and expand by setting up their headquarters – or a production or R&D site – within easy reach of the rest of Europe.

Switzerland, ranked #1 in innovation

Our country has been ranked No. 1 in global innovation for many years. Our secret lies in the synergies we leverage between industry and academia. Innovation is also strongly encouraged and supported by our political leaders.

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World leader in talent attraction

Switzerland ranks first in talent attraction. With a solid educational system and world-class professional training programs, this country has a qualified, motivated and multilingual workforce. Innovaud can help foreign companies that are setting up in the canton of Vaud with procedures related to work permits.

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A unique setting to grow your company in the heart of Europe

The economic agreements Switzerland has in place with numerous countries make it the perfect gateway for penetrating both the European market and markets around the world. The region is also known for the stability of its political institutions and its economy, as well as for an unparalleled setting and quality of life.

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“From the first scientific experiment on the moon with Apollo 11 to the discovery of exoplanets leading to a Nobel Prize in 2019, the space industry has always been important to Switzerland.

Today, through our stable network of universities, businesses and research institutes, Switzerland draws on a strong history of ingenuity to find innovative solutions for tomorrow.”

Martine Harmel, Space Innovation Operations Manager and close colleague of Prof. Claude Nicollier, a former Swiss and ESA astronaut.

Swiss space innovation in the News

A webinar on Swiss space innovation

Not many people are aware of Switzerland’s major contribution to space exploration. Swiss technology helped land the first man on the moon in the Apollo 11 mission, and the country is a founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA).

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Destinus raises CHF 26,8 million

Based at Swiss Aeropole in the canton of Vaud, the aerospace company Destinus is a pioneer in very high altitude cargo transport. In February 2022, Destinus announced that it had raised CHF 26.8 million (USD 29 million) from several international funds.


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SWISSto12 leads ESA's micro-gestationnary satellite project

A small but powerful European telecommunications satellite – the first of a series – is to be developed under a contract signed between ESA and the Vaud scale-up SWISSto12. The first satellite in this new product range is due for launch in 2025.

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Contact our experts!

Simon Johnson

Aerospace Industry Expert, Innovaud
Email: simon.johnson(at)innovaud.ch

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Frédéric Dubois

Key Account Manager, Innovaud
frederic.dubois(at)innovaud.ch

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Yuliya Blaser

Key Account Manager
yuliya.blaser(at)innovaud.ch

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