The Swiss FoodTech Ecosystem at a glance

The Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV) was launched in 2019 as a joint effort of the Canton of Vaud, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the Swiss Hospitality Management School in Lausanne (EHL Group) and Nestlé. In collaboration with the SFNV, Accenture conducted a report through which it identified relevant players, mapping them on the Swiss food & nutrition landscape through the lens of innovation in the food industry (FoodTech).

The report finds that Switzerland boasts a well-rounded enabling ecosystem with over 280+ key players in the food sector – 160+ domestic FoodTech startups founded between 2017 and 2020, and 19+ big-brand food and nutrition corporates that are either Swiss or headquartered in Switzerland. In addition, Switzerland is also home to a dedicated R&D landscape. To date, the report identified 30+ incubators, accelerators, research centres, and universities or schools empowering and boosting food innovation in Switzerland.

Testament to this world-class nurturing environment is Switzerland’s remarkable propensity for international patent filings. In 2020 alone, the country managed to file an impressive 8,112 patent applications, the highest per capita of any nation. Out of that, FoodTech came in as the 2nd most patented domain after pharma and. Moreover, the local fundraising climate continues to grow as more than 26 homegrown VC outfits are investing in FoodTech innovation start-ups.

Big data and Blockchain technology dominate emerging trends
The report finds that Switzerland is at the forefront of many emerging trends within the food & nutrition sector. Big Data and blockchain technology in farming constitutes a growing focus area for many Swiss FoodTech startups. In AgTech, fresh trends include the adoption of precision agriculture to minimize resource consumption, the deployment of blockchains to strengthen the traceability of food ingredients, and the trailing of cell-based proteins whereby meat can be grown in a lab sustainably and ethically. By deploying big data, automation and predictive analytics to produce food more sustainably, Swiss technology is having a large impact on the future of farm management.

There is also a clear move towards zero waste in food retail, with shops offering bulk unpackaged whole foods and the normalization of wonky produce. Moreover, as ever more consumers demand transparency of ingredients and insight into the ethicality of food sourcing, technological enhancements to supply chain management are becoming increasingly sought after.

Building an international reputation
While a growing number of startups such as Essento, Planted Foods and xFarm have achieved global acclaim for their contributions to pushing the boundaries in areas such as agricultural biotech, alternative protein, ingredient traceability, food upcycling, and sustainable packaging, Swiss actors have also been active. In recent months, two big-brand Swiss corporates collaborated to launch the first Plant-Based Protein Innovation Center in Singapore.

Download the full report here
Learn more about the 160 Foodtech startups mapped across the driving trends here.
Learn more about the 120 key players empowering and boosting food innovation in Switzerland here