The Confederation and the cantons regulate and fund the ERI sector in accordance with the responsibilities set out in the Federal Constitution. They work together closely at the systemic interfaces.
Subsidiarity, autonomy and federalist cooperation are fundamental policy principles at all levels of the education, research and innovation system. This means that the federal government acts when the cantons are not in a position to carry out a particular task or if standardised regulation is required. The federal government has regulatory powers with regard to VPET, sponsors the ETH Domain and bears the main responsibility for promoting research and innovation and for international ERI cooperation.