Switzerland is substantially increasing it’s investment in military research and advancement, a move driven by evolving geopolitical concerns and a desire to modernize its defense capabilities. The Swiss army plans to raise its research budget tenfold by 2030, directing substantial funds – approximately 90 million Swiss francs annually – toward collaborative projects with the nation’s leading universities, particularly the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and Lausanne. This shift signals a growing willingness among Swiss academic institutions to engage in defense-related research, a trend accelerated by recent global events.
The Swiss army is planning a significant increase in its research budget by 2030, a move that could benefit the country’s universities, particularly the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and Lausanne. The investment reflects a growing need to modernize the military’s technological capabilities amid a shifting global security landscape.
Currently, Swiss universities already conduct research for the army, focusing on areas like drone technology, cybersecurity, and surveillance systems. Funding for these projects is managed by armasuisse, the federal office for defense procurement.
According to the current Swiss federal government’s armaments strategy, armasuisse is slated to increase its research budget to 2% of the army’s overall budget by 2030. Armasuisse officials say this translates to roughly a tenfold increase in funding for university projects, rising from approximately 9 million Swiss francs to nearly 90 million francs annually.
Increased Collaboration with EPFL and ETH Zurich
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The federal institutes – EPFL in Lausanne and ETH Zurich – are central to this strategy. Previously, the two schools primarily served as technology observers for the army and as innovation drivers for companies involved in defense.
The federal government is now calling for a revamped partnership between the army and the institutes. The move underscores the importance of leveraging academic expertise to bolster national defense capabilities.
Thomas Rothacher, deputy director general of armasuisse, expressed hope that the institutes will proactively identify technological gaps within the army. He envisions a more systematic collaboration, with jointly developed solutions to address these shortcomings through ambitious research projects.
Shifting Attitudes Toward Military Research
ETH Zurich has not yet commented on the specifics of the future collaboration with the army, stating that internal discussions are ongoing.
More broadly, the question arises whether Swiss universities are prepared to expand their research efforts for military applications. Rothacher believes attitudes are changing.
“In the past, there was a certain reluctance within the universities, for ethical reasons, among both students and faculty,” he said. “Since the war in Ukraine, this hesitation has diminished, and there’s been a noticeable increase in interest in contributing to defense.”
Drone Researcher Eager to Contribute
Professor Roland Siegwart, a robotics expert at ETH Zurich, exemplifies this shift in mindset. Specializing in drone technology, his work is highly relevant to the army, and he has collaborated with armasuisse on projects for years.
Siegwart explained that the outbreak of the war in Ukraine prompted a change in attitude among many robotics researchers, including himself.
“We see the current threats and realize how important it is to support the Swiss army so that it can defend itself,” Siegwart said. His students are currently working on systems designed to intercept enemy drones.
Siegwart noted that software and algorithms developed by his team are already being used in Ukraine, in part because research findings are publicly available.
While Siegwart maintains he did not design his drones as weapons, he acknowledges that many could be adapted for military purposes. ETH Zurich is currently evaluating how to address these ethical considerations as it reconsiders its partnership with armasuisse.
Currently, the research is limited to civilian technologies with potential dual-use applications, according to ETH Zurich. The institution has not yet indicated whether it intends to expand its research into more explicitly military applications.
Sandro Della Torre, SRF
Adaptation for RTSinfo: Didier Kottelat
