The cities of Aarau and Baden are the newest shareholders of the operating company of the Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare (innovAARE AG) and will become part of a progressive, economic and research-oriented ecosystem with their partnership. In addition to a shareholding of CHF 50,000 each in the share capital of CHF 2,400,000, the cities are also concluding an agreement on cooperation with Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare. The Mayor of Aarau, Dr. Hanspeter Hilfiker, and the Mayor of Baden, Markus Schneider, together with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of innovAARE AG, Dr. Christian Brönnimann, and the CEO, Robert Rudolph, signed the participation and cooperation agreements today. This ensures that both cities will be able to participate in the Innovaare Park ecosystem in order to achieve their economic goals.

Coordinated advice for companies

The agreement includes coordinated guidance for companies that are made aware of the economic region through Park Innovaare and could be interested in settling in the two cities of Aarau and Baden. Coordinated consulting is also provided to companies in the portfolios of the two cities of Aarau and Baden that are interested in settling in Park Innovaare. Furthermore, Aarau Info and TourismusRegion Baden AG act as a one-stop service for Park Innovaare's hosting needs in the areas of accommodation, leisure and events.

Regular network meetings

Twice a year, the two promotion agencies and Park Innovaare, and once together with the municipalities of Villigen and Würenlingen, also meet to discuss the development of the collaboration. An initial meeting to establish a network between the Aarau and Baden location promotion agencies and the tenants of Park Innovaare has already been scheduled for January 2025. From 2025, network meetings for Aarau and Baden companies with the tenants at Park Innovaare are also to be organized by the two municipal location promotion agencies.

Part of a progressive ecosystem

Dr. Christian Brönnimann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Park Innovaare, is looking forward to the collaboration: “For the business community based in Aarau and Baden, this will create opportunities for targeted international networking in high-tech, highly specialized and often difficult-to-access sectors.”

Dr. Hanspeter Hilfiker, Mayor of Aarau, sees numerous opportunities thanks to this participation: “The Park Innovaare network is developing rapidly, with a focus on the disciplines of research and development, technology transfer, association activities and start-up promotion, which are important for both the cities of Aarau and Baden.”

Markus Schneider, Mayor of Baden, also emphasizes the international dimension: “Networking with Park Innovaare gives local, international companies in Baden access to an expanded pool of expertise. Thanks to short and uncomplicated paths, quick and long-term solutions can be developed from which the entire economic canton of Aargau can benefit.”<o:p></o:p>

In line with the strategic goals of the cities

The participation of the cities in the operating company innovAARE AG supports the strategic goals of both cities and enables the concerns of the economic centers to be bundled and incorporated into Park Innovaare. The two cities have been interested in participating for some time and have held various talks with innovAARE AG and the Canton of Aargau in advance. At their respective meetings in June 2024, the Aarau and Baden cantonal councils both supported the proposal of their executives to contribute CHF 50,000 each to the Innovaare park with large majorities.

About the Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare

Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare links technology-oriented start-ups, SMEs and R&D departments of established companies with the cutting-edge research of our strategic partners - the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW – and offers 23,000 m2 of state-of-the-art laboratory and office space that is optimally geared to the requirements of the more than 20 companies in Park Innovaare. The unique access to PSI's research infrastructure, large-scale research facilities and know-how gives the companies in Park Innovaare important technological proximity and a corresponding head start. Park Innovaare focuses on four areas: Photonics and Quantum Technologies, Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing & Semiconductor Technologies and Energy & Sustainability. Switzerland Innovation Park Innovaare is one of six parks and a total of 16 locations of Switzerland Innovation.

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