Building a strong innovation ecosystem in Vaud: An interview with Patrick Barbey, Director of Innovaud

For over a decade, Patrick Barbey has led Innovaud, the innovation and investment promotion agency of the canton of Vaud. The agency supports startups, scale-ups, and established companies by providing guidance, funding, and connections to help them grow. In our recent conversation on the occasion of the Top100 Swiss Startup Awards 2025, Patrick shared his view on why Vaud has become one of Europe's most attractive regions for innovation.

Since 2013, Patrick Barbey has directed Innovaud, focusing on matching entrepreneurs with the resources and networks they need to succeed. He helps bridge academia and industry, and ensures startups can scale effectively. In this interview, he discusses the region's support programs, the impact of initiatives such as the Top100 Swiss Startup Award, and the strategies Vaud is using to grow its startup ecosystem in the coming years.
 

What makes the canton of Vaud such an attractive base for entrepreneurs?
The canton of Vaud is more than a location; it is a thriving ecosystem for entrepreneurs. A strong academic network, led by institutions like EPFL, fuels deep tech startups, while a diverse mix of SMEs and multinationals provides the partners and suppliers needed to bring innovations to market. Serial entrepreneurs and business angels add to this dynamic environment. Not surprisingly, Vaud was recently ranked 10th among emerging global ecosystems in the Startup Genome Global Startup Ecosystem Report, reflecting the region’s vitality.


Can you share a recent example of a successful Vaud-based startup — and how the canton supported it?
The scale-up Technis is one of the success stories to emerge from our ecosystem. The company has developed a platform that digitises physical stores and buildings, collecting real-time data on footfall, customer behaviour, energy use, and environmental quality. This information helps optimise energy efficiency and improve the management of space and resources, leading to cost savings. Certified as a Scale-Up Vaud for two years, Technis has received support from the canton through financial assistance from the FIT Foundation, as well as coaching and advice. In 2025, the company acquired the French firm Videtics, reflecting the ambitions of its CEO, Wiktor Bourée.
 
In what ways does the Top100 Swiss Startup Award influence the development and recognition of startups from Vaud?
The Top100 Swiss Startup Award is a benchmark for each region. Having around twenty Vaud-based startups featured in the ranking shows that we are moving in the right direction and that the canton remains a strong centre for innovation. Two regions stand out in particular: Vaud, including the Greater Lausanne area, and Zurich. The ranking also matters internationally, as it helps foreign companies and investors better understand why Switzerland is an attractive place to establish and grow their business.

What tools, programs, or resources does Vaud provide to accelerate startup growth?
Our services are tailored to each entrepreneur and evolve to meet every stage of a startup’s life cycle. The canton of Vaud offers coaching, financial support, accommodation, networking, and media promotion. Since 2016, the Scale Up Community program has grown to support expanding companies, while the FIT Foundation provides loans and grants from 20kCHF to 500kCHF at crucial moments. Other initiatives include Tech4Trust for TrustTech ventures, MassChallenge in Renens — the world’s second-largest accelerator — and a pre-scaleup training program with IMD, now in its fifth year. The region’s many multinational companies also give startups the chance to reach global markets from Switzerland.

How will the canton guide the evolution of its startup ecosystem in the coming years?
In this changing international environment, the Canton will keep the agility of its support system to stimulate the creation and growth of companies addressing the global challenges in our world: for example in sustainability, energy, health, AI&Trust in particular. Switzerland and Canton of Vaud are a reliable and stable platform to innovate and do business in a world that is becoming more complex.

What should startups in Vaud focus on to maximize their opportunities in the next decade?
As always, startups should focus on real needs and validate early and often with customers to ensure they are on the right track — offering a product or service that meets expectations, at an acceptable price, and within a business model that allows growth. With Vaud a hub for deep tech innovation, it is an ideal place to develop solutions rooted in science and engineering to address global challenges. The region’s strong support ecosystem, together with federal programs, increases the chances of success.


Find out more about the different tailored programs offered by Innovaud.



ABOUT Top100
The annual ranking of the Top100 Swiss Startups has become a benchmark in Switzerland’s startup ecosystem—and beyond. Every year, a panel of 100 leading investors and startup experts chooses the 100 most innovative and promising Swiss startups. Each jury member nominates 10 Swiss startups that are fewer than five years old and show the greatest commercial potential. They assign 10 points for the first place and one point for the tenth place. The companies with the most points make it into the Top100 Swiss Startup Ranking.