From 26 to 29 October 2026, the Chamber of Commerce, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Research and Higher Education, the Ministry of the Economy, the Luxembourg Space Agency, the Embassy of Luxembourg in Bern, the Consulate General of Luxembourg in Geneva and the Business Club Luxemburg Schweiz organised an Official Trade Mission to Switzerland. Bringing together a delegation of 113 participants, including representatives from 52 Luxembourg companies and 23 public and private organisations, the mission took the delegation to Zurich, Basel and Lausanne. The programme focused on three strategic sectors: HealthTech, Sustainable Construction and Space.
The delegation was honoured by the presence of Stéphanie Obertin, Minister for Digitalisation and Minister for Research and Higher Education, and was led by Carlo Thelen, CEO/Director General of the Chamber of Commerce.
As Luxembourg’s first Official Trade Mission to Switzerland on this scale, the initiative underlined the importance of the economic relationship between the two countries and contributed to strengthening cooperation particularly in today’s geopolitical context.
Switzerland is one of Europe’s leading innovation economies, internationally recognised for its capacity for innovation and expertise in high-value sectors. Luxembourg and Switzerland share many common characteristics: both are highly international, knowledge-based economies with strong research and innovation ecosystems. Their respective expertise creates opportunities for cooperation in areas where research, technology and industry increasingly intersect.
Against this backdrop, the mission’s programme combined a business forum, B2B meetings, onsite visits and exchanges with leading Swiss stakeholders. It offered the delegation first-hand insights into some of Europe's most advanced technologies while creating opportunities for collaboration, technology exchange and business development.
The mission officially opened in Zurich with the Switzerland-Luxembourg Business Forum, which brought together business leaders, investors, innovation stakeholders and decision-makers. Minister Obertin and Carlo Thelen delivered the opening remarks alongside Carmen Walker-Späh, Government Councillor, President and Head of the Department for Economic Affairs of Switzerland. Discussions focused on the value of closer economic and research ties between Luxembourg and Switzerland, particularly in sectors where both countries have developed recognised expertise. The forum also featured sector-focused workshops followed by company and investor pitches, networking sessions and B2B meetings.
Exploring Switzerland's leading innovation ecosystems
Beyond the business forum, the mission offered participants the opportunity to exploreSwitzerland's innovation landscape through three dedicated sectoral tracks. Each track combined visits to established companies, research institutions and emerging ventures, providing different perspectives on how innovation is developed and brought to market in Switzerland.
Sustainable construction and circular economy
The Sustainable Construction track highlighted advances in circular construction, digitalisation and low-carbon building materials. Visits to EMPA and its NEST innovation platform in Dübendorf highlighted advances in circular construction, digitalisation and low-carbon building materials. At Eberhard Recycling AG and SIKA the delegation explored practical solutions for concrete recycling, resource efficiency and the transition towards more circular construction practices.
In Basel, meetings with BaselCircular, the Franck Areal – Kreislaufhaus project and Gruner provided further insights into circularity and sustainable construction.
HealthTech and life sciences
The HealthTech programme focused on the role of collaboration between healthcare providers, research institutions, startups and industry in driving innovation.
Visits to the Health Innovation Hub Aargau, Baden Cantonal Hospital (KSB) and Balgrist University Hospital demonstrated how these different stakeholders contribute to the development and adoption of new healthcare solutions.
In Basel, exchanges with stakeholders from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, MedTech and digital health sectors offered insights into the region’s life sciences ecosystem and provided an opportunity to explore potential partnerships.
Space sector cooperatio
The space track highlighted Switzerland's research capabilities and industrial expertise in aerospace and space technologies, through visits to the Center for Space and Aviation (CSA), Beyond Gravity and ETH Zurich.
The programme then continued in Lausanne with visits to the EPFL Space Center, PAVE Space, SWISSto12 and ClearSpace to explore the future of satellite systems, in-space logistics and sustainable space operations, while highlighting the complementary strengths of the Luxembourg and Swiss space.
Strengthening bilateral economic relations
Across the three sectoral tracks, the mission confirmed the strong interest from stakeholders on both sides in developing new partnerships and further expanding economic, technological and research cooperation.
The Chamber of Commerce would like to thank all its partners and the host organisations in Switzerland whose contribution ensured the success of this mission. As Luxembourg companies continue to expand internationally, the Chamber of Commerce remains committed to supporting their internationalisation by facilitating access to strategic markets and connecting them with business partners and innovation ecosystems abroad.
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