STEM support
In 2013, SERI commissioned the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences to find ways to encourage young people to develop skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). For the 2025–2028 period, funding will be allocated to extracurricular and school-based projects aimed at reducing the shortage of skilled workers in STEM fields and creating more equal opportunities.
STEM mandate
Following the ERI Dispatch and pursuant to Article 11 of the Research and Innovation Promotion Act (RIPA), the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences has a mandate to encourage children and young people to develop STEM skills. Support is given in the form of extracurricular and school-based projects. SERI gave the STEM mandate to it for the period 2025‒2028 with various aims in mind:
- Helping to reduce the shortage of skilled workers in STEM fields by raising awareness of the importance of natural sciences and engineering in society; supporting a positive image of STEM professions and study programmes; highlighting the variety of career paths in STEM; and raising awareness, kindling motivation, and sparking interest among children and young people;
- Developing the skills of children and young people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM literacy and digital literacy);
- Facilitating coordination, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building initiatives in support of STEM education implementation.
STEM mandate target groups
The various projects and activities focus on:
- providing support to children and young people aged 4 to 20
- addressing issues of gender equality and supporting children from less-educated backgrounds within the framework of compulsory education
- encouraging girls and young women to engage in computer science and engineering
- facilitating coordination, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building to strengthen STEM education in schools. This includes collaboration with teachers, government agencies at federal, cantonal and communal levels, vocational education and training providers and non-school stakeholders engaged in fostering the next generation of STEM talent.
Funded projects
During the 2021–2024 funding period, the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences supported 29 projects that complemented school education or were implemented in collaboration with schools.
As part of its STEM mandate, the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences organise events and fund projects led by nationally significant institutions – such as Technorama (Winterthur), the Swiss Museum of Transport (Lucerne), the Espace des Inventions (Lausanne), and L’ideatorio (Lugano). These initiatives reach broad audiences, including groups with limited exposure to STEM. They represent just a few of the many STEM-related projects underway across Switzerland. A full overview is available on the following website: www.mint3.ch