From Machines to Willing Helpers: Switzerland Leads the Robotics Era

Service robots from tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta, alongside dozens of Swiss startups, are redefining industries. From drones and robotic surgery to industrial automation and last-mile delivery, Switzerland, powered by ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne's world-class talent and research, has become a global hotspot for robotics innovation.

Sales are already substantial, but exact figures for the global market volume of service robots are lacking. However, estimates vary between USD 25 billion and USD 60 billion and observers agree that annual growth rates will be well into the double-digit range.The spectrum is broad, ranging from self-driving vacuum cleaners to four-legged walking robots that navigate their way through a factory and read sensor data. Self-driving vehicles, on the ground and in the air, are transforming various industries, from agriculture to logistics to the hospitality and care sectors. In some Swiss retirement and nursing homes, robots assist with the movement of elderly people.

Disruptive potential
By definition, autonomous systems have two capabilities: they recognize their environment and are capable of navigating unfamiliar terrain. Technically speaking, their software enables them to travel from point A to point B in a targeted manner based on real-time data.“ In both fields – computer vision and locomotion – the two ETHs are international leaders,” says Roland Siegwart. He should know: as head of ETH’s Autonomous Systems Lab, he is one of the most highly cited robotics researchers in the world. He has also been co-director of Wyss Zurich, a joint accelerator from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, since 2016. To Siegwart, it is clear why Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, Nvidia and Hyundai have opened R&D offices in the greater Zurich area, with a focus on AI, image processing and robotics: “There is no better location for this, alongside Boston and Silicon Valley.” At ETH alone, more than 200 top international talents complete a master’s degree in robotics each year. Many of them move into corporate research after graduation; others are driven to become self-employed.

Among the most cited robotics researchers in the world: ETH Professor Roland Siegwart


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Service robots are still limited. They carry loads, take measurements and perform clearly defined pick-and-place tasks in an industrial environment. According to Siegwart, the goal now is to increase the degree of freedom of autonomous systems. Foundation models point the way forward. These are cloud-based intelligence models that allow specific workflows to be trained rather than strictly programmed. These models also combine text data with sensor data, which forms the basis for commands such as: “Could you please get me a beer.” The long-term goal is and remains the universal service robot, the machine with human-like capabilities, the literally humanoid robot. “At the moment, we are still a long way from this ultimate machine,” says Siegwart, “but you have to think big if you want to achieve something.”
 

The power of Swiss robotics

Each year, a jury of 100 leading investors and well-known startup experts selects the most innovative and promising Swiss startups for the Top100 Swiss Startup Ranking. According to the Top100 ranking, there are currently over 30 robotics startups active in Switzerland; seven of them made it into the Top100 ranking in 2025. Zurich-based robotics company ANYbotics has secured more than EUR 127 million in total funding to accelerate global expansion and prepare the launch of its new ANYmal X model, expected to reach the market in 2026. Major corporates have already acquired eight Top100 Swiss robotic startups, for example, Sevensense, which was acquired by ABB in January 2024.  

Discover the Swiss robotic startups that the Top100 jury has awarded as one of the most promising Swiss startup: