Message from Claude Nicollier & Alexandre Pauchard

The year 2022 was marked by the energy crisis, which led to a boom in clean and renewable energy sources. This crisis has confirmed the importance of CSEM's applied research and technology transfer in the field of sustainable energy. Together with EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, for example, we have improved the efficiency of commercial solar cells and set two certified world records. This achievement has the potential to make electricity generation even more competitive.

To turn our ideas into business value, we have partnered with customers who share the same ideals and commitment to making a positive impact on the environment. Our long-standing partner, Meyer Burger, is committed to driving the reindustrialization of the European photovoltaic sector, helping to ease the energy supply crisis and decarbonize energy production. Crucially, each of the high-performance solar modules produced in their European plant is based on technology developed by CSEM. This has also contributed to the creation of new high-value-added jobs in Switzerland.

Faced with rising healthcare costs in Switzerland, due in part to an aging population, CSEM decided in 2022 to strengthen its presence in the field of personalized medicine. To further expand our activities in digital health, we opened a new site in Bern. We also relocated our Basel site to the Switzerland Innovation Park in Allschwil and gave a boost to our Tools for Life Sciences activities.

Digitization was another key challenge for most companies this year. Through a new partnership with Open Web Technology, CSEM is now able to offer end-to-end digital services. This lets our technologies be integrated into companies’ information communication technology infrastructures, increasing their ability to develop new revenue streams and increase market penetration, while reducing time to market.

As demonstrated by these partnerships, collaboration is key to achieving impact. CSEM’s revenue saw a rise of 3.5% in 2022, surpassing the 100 million mark, and it extended its support to 226 companies across various markets. CSEM’s skilled workforce contributed to job creation, added value to the Swiss economy, and strengthened our country's industrial competitiveness.

We are grateful to CSEM’s employees for their energy and passion, to our customers and partners for their trust, and to the Swiss Confederation and the Cantons for their precious support. We look forward to meeting the challenges of our times together in 2023.