Last year, The Ark, the Valais Innovation Foundation, supported 107 entrepreneurs in their innovation and digitalisation initiatives. This support led to concrete projects to benefit the Valais economy. In total, 87% of the resources made available by The Ark are reinjected directly into the economy, to the benefit of companies. These are the findings of the Foundation’s 2022 Activity Report, which has just been published.
Last year, The Ark supported 67 Valais SMEs and 40 start-ups. The work with SMEs is certainly the least visible, but it helps to consolidate the foundations of the Valais economy. Support for start-ups, on the other hand, is much more visible. Valais’ young start-ups shine on the national and international stage, regularly winning awards. DePoly won the ClimateTech Investing Forum 2022, Proseed won the Coup de cœur at the Prix Créateurs BCVs 2022, and WattAnyWhere and MobyFly won the Trophée du commerce France-Suisse.
This dynamic and innovative ecosystem benefits the entire economy, and the collaboration between The Ark and the canton’s universities and research institutes reinforces this dynamic. “On the eve of our 20th anniversary, we are proud of the work we have accomplished and we will continue to work to develop the Valais economy, with a particular focus on digitalisation and sustainable development,” explains Jean-Albert Ferrez, President of The Ark.
Last year, The Ark – which is funded by the State of Valais, the Swiss Confederation, the municipalities and the Loterie romande – invested 87% of its resources in projects involving local businesses. Its aim is to support innovative companies in the region. Since 2004, 411 companies (25 new in 2022) and 230 start-ups (+10 in 2022) have received support from the Foundation for innovation projects.
A strong presence at the Innothèque
In 2022, The Ark took an active part in the first edition of the Innothèque, as part of the Foire du Valais. In association with the SME Steiger Participation, it set up a technology demonstrator. For 10 days, a Steiger industrial knitting machine created a monumental work of art, which was exhibited near the Innothèque.
This project, like the Innothèque as a whole, provided an opportunity to showcase the skills and expertise of Valais-based companies to a wide audience. This demonstrator is just one of the many events in which The Ark was involved in 2022. These also help to maintain networking opportunities between Valais entrepreneurs.
The Ark’s 2022 activity report can be downloaded from this link.
