The Covid-19 crisis has revealed how much Switzerland is lagging behind when it comes to digitalisation in politics and everyday life, according to Martin Vetterli, President of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL).
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Tages-Anzeiger/jdp
Português
pt
Pandemia deve servir de “despertador” para a Suíça
In an interviewExternal link in the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, Vetterli argues that the pandemic should be a wake-up call for Switzerland, which in his view was caught off guard. The pandemic revealed “weaknesses as if under a magnifying glass” – not only socially, politically and medically, but also technologically.
“We have to be honest now, identify the deficits and improve,” said Vetterli who was a professor of Columbia University in New York and the University of California, Berkeley, before becoming the head of EPFL in 2017. He says he went to the US in the 1980s because “computer science mattered there”.
Money only plays a limited role in fixing the problems, he said. “Switzerland refuses to accept reality out of convenience. We are rich, traditional and sluggish,” he added. “If we have an IT problem, we get help, for example from experts abroad. These are bad prerequisites for breaking new ground digitally.”
The Swiss government has been facing heat over the lack of modern IT systems that have contributed to bottlenecks in the roll-out of Covid testing and vaccines. At one point, health authorities were using fax machines to share data and information. The vaccine registration systems in several cantons crashed earlier this year when thousands tried to sign on, causing some systems to be taken offline completely.
Crisis as an opportunity
Earlier this week, an investigation was opened into the electronic vaccination record platform Myvaccines, when it was revealed that the records of some 240,000 people vaccinated against Covid-19 were openly accessible and vulnerable to manipulation.
Vetterli called on Switzerland to see the crisis as an opportunity to turn the corner on digitalisation. He pointed to the example of Estonia, a relatively young country, which has shown how quickly a society can be digitalised. He noted that education is key to help people in Switzerland understand how tech companies work and where the risks lie.
He also supported a more dynamic ecosystem in Switzerland where top research, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists come together, noting that many good start-ups leave the country because there simply aren’t enough investors.
Stress research: voting campaigns can trigger stress among minorities
This content was published on
Researchers at the University of Zurich showed in a study that they released more stress hormones during the referendum campaign.
Swiss justice minister advocates for greater sovereignty through bilateral agreements
This content was published on
In a networked world, sovereignty can be enhanced by regulating relations with important partners, Jans wrote in a NZZ commentary on Tuesday.
No heat records in sight (yet) despite the ‘dog days’
This content was published on
The dog days—traditionally the hottest days of the year—began on Tuesday. However, the weather service Meteonews predicts that Switzerland is unlikely to see new temperature records in the near future.
Swiss employees to work slightly more in 2023 than in previous year
This content was published on
The long-term trend is different with the weekly working hours per full-time employee decreased significantly, says a report by the Federal Statistical Office.
Consumers still crave chocolate: Lindt & Sprüngli reports higher earnings
This content was published on
Lindt & Sprüngli sold chocolate worth CHF 2.16 billion in the first half of the year. This is slightly more than in the previous year.
This content was published on
Bollinger will succeed Philipp Rickenbacher, who resigned in February after a significant write-down on loans to the Signa Group.
Majority of young Swiss well-trained, army fitness test reveals
This content was published on
More than half of young Swiss men and women are considered well-trained, with around 80% meeting the federal government's exercise recommendations, according to the Armed Forces 2023 fitness test.
Italian consulate to relocate to ‘Casa d’Italia’ in Zurich
This content was published on
The Italian state is renovating the "Casa d'Italia" in Zurich's Kreis 4 district, with plans to move the Consulate General from its current location on Tödistrasse in District 2 to this historic building.
Swiss online vaccine registry probed for data security issues
This content was published on
A voluntary electronic vaccination record platform is being investigated for data protection violations following a complaint.
This content was published on
Martin Vetterli’s term as president of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has been renewed for an additional four years.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.