For greater innovation in Switzerland

The UBS Center is an Associate Institute at the Department of Economics of the University of Zurich. Its purpose is to foster dialogue between science, industry, politics and the general public, as well as the continuous transfer of knowledge. The UBS Center has created eight endowed professorships since 2012.

The IDSIA (Istituto Dalle Molle di Studi sull’intelligenza artificiale) is one of the world’s leading scientific institutes focusing primarily on artificial intelligence. UBS has been carrying out joint projects with IDSIA in the field of AI since 2018.

ETH Spin-off Vintage Series

Each year, dozens of spin-offs emerge from ETH Zurich, a "rich harvest" compared to other international universities. Through the Vintage Event Series, ETH spin-offs enjoy multiple opportunities to connect with peers and experts from UBS and select partners. One of the highlights of this series is the annual Homecoming Day, a flagship event that brings together co-founders of ETH spin-offs from across the years to network, collaborate, and, above all, celebrating the exceptional achievements of the ETH Founders community.

Pioneer Fellowship

The ETH Pioneer Fellowship supports young scientists as they seek to develop a technological idea into a market-ready product. With the award of CHF 150,000 per year, UBS gives a Pioneer Fellow access to a network, coaching, infrastructure or initial capital for the start-up.

Centre for Students and Entrepreneurs

UBS is donating CHF 20 million towards the construction of a new multifunctional building on the campus of the ETH Zurich in Hönggerberg. This will allow teams of student organizations and entrepreneurial initiatives to work together more efficiently and effectively under one roof.

ETH Entrepreneur Club

The ETH Entrepreneur Club is a non-profit organization led by ETH students with the aim of inspiring, educating and promoting the next generation of entrepreneurs. As club sponsor, UBS supports the annual events and various incubator programs.

Investor Day

At the annual Investor Day, around 100 tech-savvy start-ups and EPFL spin-offs from French-speaking Switzerland come together with potential investors and start-up accelerators at the Swiss Tech Convention Center.

Innogrant

This donation program supports young scientists as they seek to develop their idea into a market-ready product. The donation of CHF 100,000 will enable initial start-up capital, access to a network, coaching and infrastructure. UBS supports one Innogrant every year.

Startup Launchpad

In the Startup Launchpad, prospective EPFL master’s students, doctoral candidates, postdocs and professors receive the network, know-how and technical equipment they need to successfully found a company. UBS supports this innovative incubator with coaching and financing.

Tech4Growth

The Tech4Growth conference on the EPFL campus brings together business leaders and academics to share best practices on successful innovation projects in various industry sectors. Start-ups, executives, senior researchers and change-makers share ideas to drive growth and innovation.

Ecotope

Users of Ecotope develop innovative solutions in interactive teams from research and industry. The modern new building near the EPFL Innovation Park offers a lively environment for innovation, jobs and the general public. UBS is supporting the realization of Ecotope with a generous donation.

UBS is collaborating with the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator Foundation, CERN, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, ETH Zurich and EPFL to launch the Open Quantum Institute. As a lead partner, UBS offers multi-year financial support as well as strategic expertise.

HSG Center for Financial Services Innovation

The Center for Financial Services Innovation (FSI-HSG) was founded in March 2021 by the University of St. Gallen. With a grant of CHF 10 million, UBS has enabled the establishment of the center and several professorships in order to further advance interdisciplinary research in areas including digital ecosystems, the platform economy and sustainable finance, and to develop new business models.

HSG Foundation: SQUARE

SQUARE, which opened its doors in February 2022, promotes the transfer of knowledge across all age groups and disciplines. Through innovative formats with a focus on participatory, dialogue-based, and experiential learning, participants can break out of their routine, “speculate” about the future and learn new things in a playful way. UBS is one of the donors who made the construction of SQUARE possible and helps to build bridges between science and practice through various activities intended to promote the transfer of knowledge, experience and ideas.

Promotion of talent through community interaction partnerships

UBS will partner with the Career and Corporate Services Center (CSC) and the Masters in Banking and Finance (MBF). The aim is to grow the pool of highly qualified graduates to become future managers and inspire talent for various areas of the economy. Workshops, lectures and practical programs in the field of career planning and competence development help prepare students, specifically for the challenges of the professional world.

The SFI is a private-public partnership of the Swiss financial industry, six leading Swiss universities and the Swiss Confederation. As a center for research, the SFI supports the training of doctoral candidates, the exchange of knowledge and further education in the fields of banking and finance. UBS is a founding partner of the SFI, finances research projects and promotes knowledge transfer between research and industry.

UBS is an advisory member of the Innovation Council of the University of Zurich (UZH). This has resulted in the UZH Wholesome Living project, which UBS supports together with AXA. Master’s students at UZH spent more than a year developing innovative prototypes and presenting them at Scientifica.

The E4S is a joint initiative of the University of Lausanne, IMD and EPFL with the aim of contributing to a more sustainable society through scientific knowledge and technological innovations. UBS supports the initiative financially and through the provision of know-how.