Switzerland’s Vice President on Sustainability: “It’s in Our Constitution”

GreenTech in a Global Marketplace

What do the TWIKE, SMART Car, and Solar Airplane, all have in common? They were all designed/developed in Switzerland. This should come as no surprise, considering the demanding standards the country has always held itself to – and as Switzerland’s Vice President, Doris Leuthard said on Friday in San Francisco for GreenTech – “It’s in our constitution.” She referred to the fact that you can swim in all the lakes and rivers in Switzerland; and you can even drink water from them. And it is true, after living there for six years, there is no doubt in my mind that Switzerland is one of the most meticulously maintained / monitored, not to mention sparklingly clean countries on the planet. But wait – there’s more.

Swissnex – a braintrust collective of Swiss in America which connects the best of many worlds by bridging the knowledge, energy and competencies in science, higher education, art and innovation between Switzerland, the U.S.A and Canada – held one of its most exciting events of the year on July 10 in San Francisco, if not only for the fact that their Vice President is charming and approachable and that the event felt quite intimate.

“GreenTech in a Global Marketplace” featured a panel discussion moderated by Celeste LeCompte, GigaOm, and included two Swiss CEOs: Dr. Xavier Arreguit, Managing Director of Innobridge, Dr. Uwe Krueger, CEO of OC Oerlikon, and one American: Peter Van Deventer, President, CEO and co-founder of SynapSense.

There were numerous innovations developed by the panelists’ companies in clean or green tech and energy management; such as double clutch transmission for cars, artificial retina nano technologies, data center sensors.

But some of the strongest takeaways were how these business leaders thrive and have grown new businesses and profited in spite of the economic downturn.

New Industries.

Arreguit shared that during this economic downturn – and especially now – you can find new opportunities with a new way of defining the problem, or a new business model as the way to bridge the problem to the solution. ‘If you change the process, new industries are born, and then you have the opportunity to put together the value chain which will embody this.’

Behavioral Change As Innovation.

Arreguit’s company can provide a technology platform and financing which is systematic in helping industries to innovate – and he’s had 30 startups to earn his stripes. Another innovation, and part of his innovation philosophy, is to prove how his products and technology can effectively change the behavior of consumers. With sensors, artificial retina, and other technologies, people become more aware of how they are using energy, and that mechanism can reinforce smarter behavior.

To LeCompte’s question: Is government the new VC? Panelists balked: “It would frighten me if the state were the VC.” But still, Kruger continued: “There’s a lot of money available – banks are preparing themselves for this.”

VC? No, RC.

In Switzerland: ‘We have a slightly different name for Venture Capital. Its “RC” or ‘Risk Capital’. Brilliant! This somehow seems much more palatable, considering that these investments are just that – riskier than most. “If you frame the risk a little differently, it can be sold to new generations.”