Trust Valley spawns new Tech4Trust Edition

The pandemic has accelerated the digital transition of our economy and society. It has made visible its reliance on critical digital infrastructures and services. In this context, the Cantons of Vaud and Geneva are joining forces in an unprecedented move to create the « Trust Valley », a public-private partnership aimed at promoting excellence in the Lake Geneva region in the field of digital trust and cybersecurity. Their cooperation will focus on three main missions: to promote the region's skills cluster, to build up a network of the players in the field and to encourage the development of innovative projects. It is for example created a database, a mapping and a platform for the ecosystem. 

Initiated and supported by the Cantons of Vaud and Geneva, EPFL, HEIG-VD, HES-SO Geneva, IHEID, UNIGE, UNIL, ELCA, GCSP, Kudelski, SGS and SICPA, the « TRUST VALLEY » relies on

• more than 500 experts who constitute the largest concentration of talent in the field available in Switzerland
• collaborations and synergies between the Hautes Ecoles and research institutes, based not only on their international recognition but also on their strong complementarity
• a pioneering role of the founding members of the Trust Valley, ELCA, Kudelski, SGS and SICPA in the field of digital trust and cyber security
• a concentration of economic actors with more than 300 companies and organisations active in the region in this field 

Registrations open for Tech4Trust 2020 

Through a mandate entrusted to the EPFL Innovation Park Foundation, the Trust Valley will be officially launched in October 2020 at a public event, however the first activities of the Trust Valley have already started in 2019 as part of a project, a startup acceleration program called « Tech4Trust ». After the success of the first edition, the accelerator program will be renewed in 2020.

Several important changes are planned for the second edition of the program. Now also start-ups from Europe are eligible to apply and in Switzerland too, the geographical reach will be expanded. A joint event with the Crypto Valley association will be held in the Canton of Zug. According to program manager Lennig Pedron, the team also considers to move from a four months to five a months program.

The goal of the program stays the same. The program starting in October aims to connect startups offering innovative solutions and the organizations facing problems such as disinformation, cyberthreats and global misuse of private and personal data problems. The application phase is already open. Registration closes mid-September.