ITS Industry & Technology Centre Schaffhausen

SME Technology & Innovation Support

Initial Situation

Help for regional technology businesses

The manufacturing sector crisis of the 1990s did not pass by the famous Schweizer Industrie-Gesellschaft SIG. In order to retain an environment to nurture innovation within the region and to ensure redundant space was put to good use, in spite of the extensive restructuring of SIG, the Canton of Schaffhausen and SIG joined forces to launch the ITS, Industry and Technology Centre Schaffhausen.

SIG made available around 12,000m2 of manufacturing and office space and invested around SFr 3m in their refurbishment alone.

Project Profile

Members

Network events annually

Approach

Strategy, Fundraising & Operation

Generis AG took the shared vision of the Canton of Schaffhausen and SIG, aimed at strengthening technology businesses in the region, and developed a strategy and a financial model to turn it into reality. The next steps were development of the service offer, establishment of the governance structures required by the venture, an association under Swiss law, and the recruitment of members.

Over the 20 years since ITS was first set up, its remit has constantly evolved as further intermediaries and initiatives relating to national support for technology, innovation and research have emerged.

Achievements

First Point of Contact for Innovation Support

The Industry and Technology Centre Schaffhausen (ITS) has been the first point of contact for innovation support and funding as well as knowledge transfer brokerage for SMEs in the region for 20 years. In addition to supporting and funding technological development and innovation, ITS regularly organises networking events and facilitates knowledge transfer between universities and technology businesses.

As part of the federal government’s New Regional Policy (NRP), ITS is the Point of Entry for businesses within the Canton of Schaffhausen, links to the innovation system in Eastern Switzerland, RIS Ost, and to the National Innovation Park.

Markus Spingler

President of ITS,
CEO of S&T Medizinaltechnik

«Generis AG has succeeded in developing the ITS Industrie- und Technozentum as a benchmark example for other cantons in the field of technology promotion and transfer.»