State Secretary Martina Hirayama on science mission to U.S.
Bern, 01.12.2025 — From 1 to 5 December, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation Martina Hirayama will undertake a science mission to San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Boston. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the excellent relations between Switzerland and the United States in education, research and innovation and to explore opportunities for future cooperation. The trip will also provide a platform for exchanging views on cooperation on vocational education and training and apprenticeships.
State Secretary Hirayama will be accompanied on her U.S. trip by a high-level scientific delegation representing various institutions, including ETH Zurich, EPFL, the University of Geneva and Innosuisse.
In San Francisco, the mission will focus on innovation, knowledge and technology transfer, and support for research-driven start-ups. Meetings are planned with stakeholders active in cutting-edge fields such as quantum sciences, artificial intelligence and semiconductors. Innovation will also be a core theme during visits to the University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University and NVIDIA.
In Washington, D.C., State Secretary Martina Hirayama will hold bilateral meetings with the labour secretaries of the States of Massachusetts, Maryland and California to discuss training and apprenticeship programmes. Cooperation in this area – particularly greater private-sector involvement – is mentioned in the Joint Statement on a Framework for Fair, Balanced, and Reciprocal Trade and will be increasingly important. The program also includes meetings with representatives of the Department of Energy and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
In Boston, the Swiss delegation will visit the local Swissnex office and attend the celebration of its 25th anniversary. As the first major hub in Switzerland’s global network for education, research, and innovation, Swissnex in Boston and New York has played a pivotal role in building and strengthening bilateral scientific ties between Switzerland and the United States.
A key partner
The United States is among Switzerland’s most important partners in bilateral research cooperation. Between 2018 and 2022, 13.6% of all Swiss joint research publications were co-authored with U.S. researchers – more than with partners in Germany, France, or Italy. Collaboration is particularly strong in quantum science and technology, where the U.S. is Switzerland’s leading partner, accounting for 16% of all joint research publications. Researchers from both countries also work closely together in economics, biology, medicine, and engineering. Finally, Switzerland is the largest foreign investor in research and development in the United States.
Switzerland and the United States maintain regular dialogue on vocational education and training. In several U.S. states, Swiss companies have introduced a dual VET model adapted to local needs. In 2018, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in vocational education and training, which has since been renewed twice – first in 2021 and then in 2024. In addition, an agreement on an exchange program for young professionals, including apprentices, was signed in 2024.