The new director of Innosuisse is Dominique Gruhl-Bégin. The Federal Council approved her appointment by the Innosuisse Board on 15 May 2024.
Innosuisse is the Swiss Innovation Agency. It is dedicated to promoting science-based innovation in the interest of industry and society in Switzerland. Innosuisse’s activities include funding innovation projects between companies and research institutes, both at the national and international levels. They also offer support for startups through training, coaching, internationalization offers, and participation in international trade fairs.
Ms Gruhl-Bégin will take over the position from 12 August 2024. The current director, Annalise Eggimann, is stepping down for reasons of age, but will continue in her role as chair of the Innosuisse 2024 presidency of TAFTIE, the European network of innovation agencies.
Dominique Gruhl-Bégin, who is a Swiss-Canadian dual citizen, has considerable experience in the field of innovation promotion. The 48-year-old is currently CEO of Serpentine Ventures, a subsidiary of the Swiss Ventures Group, which is involved in innovation funding and start-up support. She headed the Start-ups and Next-Generation Innovators division at Innosuisse between 2017 and 2022.
Ms Gruhl-Bégin graduated from the University of Montreal with a Master’s degree in Economics. She went on to complete a further Master’s degree in Art Gallery and Museum Studies at the University of Leeds.
She began her professional career as a research assistant at the University of Montreal before working as a management consultant and supply chain management specialist in the United States and Switzerland. Among other things, she worked at the Canadian Embassy in Bern as Trade Commissioner for Trade Relations and Innovation. In August 2016 she became deputy head of the Start-up and Entrepreneurship division in the secretariat of the then Commission for Technology and Innovation CTI. The following year she went on to head the Start-ups and Next-Generation Innovators division at Innosuisse.
Annalise Eggimann is stepping down as director of Innosuisse at the end of July 2024. Until her retirement in spring 2025, she will continue in her role as delegate and chair of the Innosuisse 2024 presidency of TAFTIE, the European network of innovation agencies.
