Foreword by Benoît Dubuis

Innovation knows no frontiers

Dear readers,

The world has become a village – networked, responsive and almost instantaneous in its form. The pace of technological innovation has accelerated considerably in this environment. While electricity, the telephone and television took decades to establish themselves, technologies such as ChatGPT now reach hundreds of millions of users within a few months. History is no longer written at the same speed.


Networking is at the core of innovation Just as cables transport energy and information, SATW links people to knowledge. This lively network facilitates dialogue between science, industry and society, crafting innovations that make a difference

Such spectacular examples make it easy to forget that innovation rarely follows a straight trajectory. Some technologies are accepted much more slowly than originally signalled, while others initially disappear, only to return with renewed vigour. Others find their place in our everyday lives quietly and without making headlines. Gene therapy, for example, went through a phase of upswing, decline and finally a strong comeback. Conversely, some technological promises disappear very quietly, as they are sometimes too good to be true.

The Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW is active in this complex environment. We work in three key areas:

This is because both scientific and social issues are involved. Changes must be shaped in an understandable, comprehensible and responsible manner.

Panorama 2025/26 offers you an insight into our work and shows the diverse commitment of the people in our network. Together, we are helping Switzerland to determine its course in the global flow of technology – with a clear stance in the present and an open mind to the future.

We hope you enjoy reading it.