CHF 26 billion for the promotion of educa-tion, research and innovation
Bern, 22.02.2012 - The Federal Council Dispatch on the Promotion of Education, Research and Innova-tion (ERI) for 2013-2016 has been submitted to the Swiss Parliament. With this dis-patch, a total of around CHF 23.88 billion in budget funding has been requested. The total estimated funding for the ERI system will reach CHF 26 billion once the budget request for Swiss participation in EU programmes in education and research is sub-mitted and approved. Funding for the ERI system will therefore grow at an annual rate of 3.7%, which is considerably higher than the growth rates for other policy areas.
The Federal Council is convinced that priority should be given to education, research and in-novation. For this reason, it once again proposes an above-average annual growth rate in funding for the ERI system for the 2013–2016 budgetary period. Like all other policy areas, the promotion of education, research and innovation is dependant on long-term balanced public finances in order to ensure that Switzerland remains a competitive location. The budget request for the ERI system provides for an average annual growth rate of 3.7% (including the planned funding for Swiss participation in EU programmes). If we consider the period from 2008-2016, the average nominal growth rate stands at 5.1% per year.
Given the strategic importance of the ERI system, the Federal Council considered the follow-ing when submitting its budget request for 2013-2016:
- VET/PET: the Swiss Parliament decided to replenish the VET/PET budget by CHF 100 million in response to the ERI Dispatch for 2012. This additional funding will enable the Confederation, for the first time, to meet its legal obligation to contribute 25% to the costs of VET/PET in 2012. The funding request for 2013-2016 also enables this 25% contribution to be maintained.
- Higher education: the FIT Domain and cantonal universities will experience an aver-age annual growth rate of around 4%. The budget request for UAS enables the Con-federation to gradually increase its contribution by nearly 5% each year until it reaches 30% in 2015.
- Research and innovation: the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) award grant funding on a competi-tive basis. It is likely that these two agencies will maintain or slightly increase current high levels of grant funding. In accordance with the Legislative Plan for 2011-2015, emphasis will be placed on investment in research infrastructures deemed of strategic importance for Switzerland. Switzerland also intends to continue its participation in EU programmes. The ERI Dispatch for 2013-2016 includes an estimate of the associated costs from 2014 onwards. However, an official announcement will only be made after the Swiss Parliament has approved the ERI Dispatch. The corresponding budget re-quest will then be submitted in a separate dispatch.
The Federal Council devoted one of its guidelines to the ERI system for the first time in its Legislative Plan for 2011-2015: “Switzerland considers education, research and innovation to be a top priority.” The planned federal expenditure for the ERI system is essential for Swit-zerland's future and will be coordinated in close cooperation with the Cantons and the private sector. The corresponding measures will be taken in accordance with three ERI policy guide-lines:
- Education: "Satisfy the demand for workers with general education or VET/PET quali-fications."
- Research and innovation: "Consolidate the high level of grant funding awarded on a competitive basis and further strengthen Switzerland’s internationally competitive po-sition."
- General aspects of the ERI system: "Establish Switzerland as a location where re-search and economic activities are based on the principles of equal opportunity, sus-tainability and competitiveness."
In accordance with the Legislative Plan for 2011-2015, the Federal Council – after having submitted a one-year ERI Dispatch for 2012 – has once again submitted a four-year ERI Dispatch for 2013-2016. The eleven financial decrees cover all national measures to be taken in the following areas: upper-secondary level vocational education and training (VET); tertiary-level B professional education and training (PET); tertiary-level A higher education, which includes the two federal institutes of technology and affiliated research institutes (FIT Domain), cantonal universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS); research and in-novation. Budget funding will be requested for international activities that are not already covered by international treaties or separate requests to the Swiss Parliament.
The ERI Dispatch also proposes a new Federal Act to lend support to umbrella associations involved in continuing education and training (CET). In addition, the ERI Dispatch proposes legislative amendments to five Federal Acts; the most important amendment provides for revised admission requirements in the Federal Act of 4 October 1991 on the Federal Institutes of Technology (FIT Act, SR 414.110).
Address for enquiries
Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, State Secretary
State Secretariat for Education and Research SER
Tel. 031 322 64 97
Ursula Renold, Director, Federal Department for Professional Education and Technology OPET
Tel. 079 405 26 79
Documents
Publisher
The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html
Federal Department of Home Affairs
http://www.edi.admin.ch
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
http://www.wbf.admin.ch
State Secretariat for Education and Research (SER) - as of 1.1.2013 SERI
http://www.sbf.admin.ch
Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) - as of 1.1.2013 SERI
http://www.bbt.admin.ch/
