Proposed yearly?cuts to education, research and innovation funding?of more than SFr460 million (?405 million) would ¡°have serious consequences for the economy and society¡±, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)?.

Among the cost-cutting measures put forward by the federal council is a reduction in SNSF funding of SFr400 million between 2026 and 2028, which the research funder said would ¡°mark an unprecedented setback for Swiss science¡±.

At a time when the SNSF is forced to reject ¡°numerous innovative research ideas¡± because of insufficient funding, the organisation said, the cuts ¡°would result in the rejection of 700 more excellent research projects whose outcomes are crucial for the economy, society and administration¡±.

The SNSF would be unable to support about 2,000 positions at universities and research institutes, with early career researchers particularly impacted, the funder said, adding: ¡°For the first time in its history, the SNSF might also have to cut funding for ongoing research projects and suspend successful funding schemes for years.¡±

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Other proposed reductions include a yearly cut of more than SFr30 million to Innosuisse, the Swiss innovation agency, which could see ¡°more than 60 innovative projects in areas such as digitisation and social or ecological sustainability¡± lose support.

Universities also face cuts, with the ETH Domain ¨C comprising the universities ETH Zurich and EPFL alongside four research institutes ¨C expected to lose SFr78 million a year. While the federal council has stated that the reductions should be counteracted by an increase in tuition fees, the ETH Domain said in a??that it would ¡°have to almost triple the fees for Swiss students¡± to do so.

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In a??released by Swissuniversities, the ETH Board, SNSF and Innosuisse, among others, the organisations said that universities ¡°will not be able to cope¡± with the anticipated 18 per cent increase in student numbers over the next decade should planned cuts to higher education be enacted, and subsequently ¡°will not be able to meet the economy¡¯s need for skilled workers¡±.

Calling on the government to abandon the planned budget cuts, the SNSF stated that ¡°Europe's innovative strength is already declining, and the effects are also felt in Switzerland¡±.

¡°The country's competitiveness primarily centres on artificial intelligence, quantum technology and digitalisation, but it also needs to tackle challenges such as climate change, energy supply and demographic developments,¡± the funder said. ¡°Switzerland must therefore boost its innovative strength by making substantial investments in the ERI sector, especially in research.¡±

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com