Executive Summary

The federal government spent a total of 3.2 billion francs on research and development in 2025 – an increase of 644 million francs (+25%) compared to 2024. The main reason lies in Switzerland's re-association with the EU framework program «Horizon Europe», which triggers annual mandatory contributions to the European Commission. Of this amount, 2.9 billion went to research grants, 248 million to own research activities, and 56 million to external contracts. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) was the main recipient with 1.2 billion francs, followed by international organizations abroad with 916 million francs.

People

Topics

  • Research financing Switzerland
  • Horizon Europe
  • Federal research spending
  • International research collaborations

Clarus Lead

The record sum marks a turning point in Swiss research policy: After four years of non-association (2021–2024), the return to Horizon Europe leads to structurally higher annual commitments instead of staggered transition payments. This signals that Switzerland is permanently prioritizing its European research integration and continuing to finance the national bridging measures established during the non-association period in parallel. For research institutions and companies, this means more stable but also long-term committed budgets in the international context.

Detailed Summary

Research grants increased by 642 million francs (+28%), primarily through the resumption of annual payments to the European Commission as part of Horizon Europe. In parallel, direct payments for research projects initiated during the transition years 2021–2024 continued. This dual burden explains the strong upward statistical fluctuation.

More than 90% of total spending was research grants. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) received 1.2 billion francs (41% of total grants), while international organizations abroad received 916 million francs (31%). The latter includes payments for Horizon Europe (623 million francs), the European Space Agency (ESA) (196 million francs), and the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) (47 million francs). Swiss participation in ESA projects contributed to the success of the ARTEMIS II lunar mission.

For own research activities (intramural R&D), the increase was only 3 million francs (+1% to 248 million francs), while external research contracts declined by 2 million francs. Just over two-thirds (64%) of intramural funds flowed into agriculture, operated by Agroscope. In contracts, national defense dominated (32%), followed by environment (15%) and energy/infrastructure (13% each).

The federal government employed a total of 2219 research personnel (1142 full-time equivalents) in 2025 – a decline compared to 2023 (2355 people). Of the 1363 researchers, 42% were women (+1 percentage point). The personnel reduction resulted from the decline in R&D contracts and moderate increase in intramural spending.

Key Messages

  • Federal research budget 2025: 3.2 billion francs (+25% YoY)
  • Main driver: Re-association with Horizon Europe with annual mandatory contributions
  • SNF is the largest recipient with 1.2 billion francs (41%)
  • International organizations (ESA, CERN, Horizon Europe) receive 31% of grants
  • Research personnel slightly declining; share of women among researchers: 42%

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: How are payments to Horizon Europe distinguished in the FSO statistics from national transition measures? Are the 623 million for Horizon Europe fully captured, or do delays result in discrepancies?

  2. Conflicts of Interest/Incentives: To what extent does the duplication of transition payments (2021–2024) and new Horizon Europe contributions influence the prioritization of research areas? Is there a risk of distortion in favor of internationally bound projects?

  3. Causality/Alternatives: The personnel reduction is explained by the decline in R&D contracts. Were alternative investments in intramural capacity considered to strengthen research infrastructure instead of reducing contracts?

  4. Feasibility/Risks: How sustainable is the financing if annual Horizon Europe contributions are structurally higher? Is there a risk of budget pressure in other areas if EU contributions increase?

  5. Gender Representation: The share of women among researchers is 42%. What measures does the federal government aim to achieve parity, particularly in technical and leadership positions?

  6. Shift in Focus: Why does intramural R&D concentrate 64% on agriculture, while environment and energy are only financed through contracts? Does this reflect strategic priorities or historical structures?

Sources

Primary Source: Federal Statistical Office (FSO): Research and Development Spending 2025

Verification Status: ✓ 24.06.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 24.06.2026