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Instead of being content with attracting just any kind of company, Geneva made the decision years ago to concentrate on creating clusters of high value-added industries. The approach has paid off: Science magazine calls the Lake Geneva Region the Number One cluster for life sciences research in continental Europe.
By establishing new incubators, Eclosion, for life sciences, and Fongit, for other hi-tech sectors, Geneva is determined to help these clusters grow. The close, personal relationships between university labs and industry in this region ensure that no ideas get lost in the pipeline! As a result, Geneva has become a major center for technical excellence and innovation, with more than 600 enterprises - one for every 650 people - engaged in researching, developing and producing advanced products for the high-growth markets in information technologies, telecommunications, electronics and high-tech healthcare. Geneva is a magnet for these companies because it provides unique opportunities for synergies and alliances with top-rated research institutes such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the University Hospitals and Clinics. Geneva is also home to major R&D laboratories, including such names as: | - Covance Central Laboratory
| | | - Firmenich R&D headquarters
| - IBM Centre for Telecom Applications
| - MerckSerono Geneva Research Center
| - STMicroelectronics Design Centre
| - Gillette Company European Learning and Innovation Center
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Universities and Research centers in the Lake Geneva Region have earned a reputation for the quality and originality of their research, as well as for the practical applications of their spin-offs. For example…
LASEC The Security and Cryptography Laboratory (LASEC) of the School of Computer and Communication Sciences (I&C) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) conducts research and training in communication and information system security, including critical security analysis, security strengthening methods, and fundamental research on security and cryptography. LASEC Director Pr. Serge Vaudenay’s research in cryptographic algorithms was important in the development of GSM and Bluetooth wireless technology.
CVML The Computer Vision and Multimedia Laboratory (CVML), part of the University of Geneva's Computer Science Research Center, conducts research in computer vision, multimedia processing, human-machine interaction and security. According to its director, Pr. Thierry Pun, the lab's spin-off, Anteleon Imaging, is marketing AuthorMark, a copyright protection tool for digital and printed images, and TextGuard, an authentication and tamper-proofing tool for invisibly managing text integrity and rights of printed documents. Geneva Engineering School The Geneva Engineering School has joined forces with six other Swiss institutes of high technology to create a new Master’s program in nano- and microtechnology, offering intensive instruction in the key instruments used in nano- and micro-technology, especially tailored to the needs of hi-tech companies. Switzerland has a lead in nano-technology out of all proportion to its small size: fourth place, after the USA, Germany and Japan. The GRID CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, located in Geneva, is currently leading work to create a globally distributed computing system, the ‘‘ Grid”, to harness vast amounts of computer power through networks spread across the globe. To learn more about Geneva's R&D environment and its advantages in comparison to other important business locations, please consult the appropriate section of " International comparisons", the yearly publication presenting independant comparative data on all major business locations.
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