News

Agroscope’s 2026-2029 Work Programme addresses the most important challenges facing the Swiss agriculture and food sector, and agricultural practitioners in particular. The focus is on six key issues to be addressed by the research institute in 42 research programmes and around 360 projects. Areas such as plant protection, plant breeding, climate-change adaptation and economic efficiency will be strengthened.

A new final report (aviation) is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board STSB.

Opening address by President Guy Parmelin, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Check against delivery.

Anyone who has ever had to get a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan knows that magnetic and highly conductive materials are a no-go in the tube-shaped scanners. However, for complex diagnoses and medical research, this imaging technique often needs to be combined with other methods that require conductive cables. As part of an Innosuisse project with the Swiss company TI Solutions, researchers at Empa have developed polymer-based cables that function safely and reliably in MRI machines.

The Producer and Import Price Index fell in December 2025 by 0.2% compared with the previous month, reaching 104.3 points (December 2020 = 100). Compared with December 2024, the price level of the whole range of domestic and imported products fell by 1.8%. Average annual inflation stood at –1.0% in 2025. These are the results from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

The Federal Tax Administration has updated the course listings and bonus shares 2025.

Energy systems face complicated, long-term challenges with a high degree of uncertainty – and every country’s is different. To explore these challenges and support decision-making, the STEM energy systems model from the Energy Economics Group at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI has become an essential tool for guiding the energy transition in Switzerland.

A new final report (aviation) is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board STSB.

Referat von Bundespräsident Guy Parmelin Vorsteher des Eidgenössischen Departements für Wirtschaft, Bildung und Forschung, anlässlich der 38. Albisgüetli-Tagung.Zürich, Freitag, 16. Januar 2026

On 14 and 15 January 2026, the Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse held a workshop on technologies for military deception together with the NATO Science and Technology Organisation (STO). More than 90 national and international experts from science, industry and defence discussed the current technological status as well as future challenges.

The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) takes place in Davos next week, with four members of the Federal Council in attendance. President Guy Parmelin will open proceedings on Tuesday, 20 January, alongside the two interim co-chairs of the Board of Trustees, André Hoffmann and Larry Fink, and WEF President and CEO Børge Brende.

National Armaments Director Urs Loher will meet with the Danish Armaments Director Lieutenant-General Kim J. Jørgensen for bilateral talks from 15 to 16 January 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The exchange will focus on current security and arms policy topics as well as possible cooperations in the armaments area. In addition, the bilateral agreement on the mutual recognition of official quality controls between Switzerland and Denmark will be signed.