Interview with Anthony Corbaz: digitalswitzerland's vision for the digitalization of Switzerland
- LANE Digital
- Sep 30, 2024
- 6 min read
As part of our series of interviews with local digital personalities, we had the pleasure of meeting Anthony Corbaz, Director of Members and Regions at digitalswitzerland.
Created in 2015, this national initiative plays a central role in Switzerland's digital transformation, connecting businesses, governments and academics around a shared vision: to make Switzerland a world leader in digitalization.
By collaborating with a wide range of partners, digitalswitzerland orchestrates numerous initiatives to stimulate technological innovation across the country and strengthen Switzerland's competitiveness in an increasingly digitalized world.
During this exchange, Anthony shared with us his vision for digitalswitzerland's "Strategy 2025", his action plan to support Swiss companies in their digital transition and his perspectives for the future.
What is your action plan for digitalswitzerland's "Strategy 2025"?
We want and will remain faithful and dedicated to our mission of digital transformation in Switzerland. This is our vision and our strategy; it will likely be our mission for next year. We will continue to implement this mission through programs and activities, as we are doing now.
Our motto is truly impact creation. I think that in our 2025 strategy, we will continue, and even expand, our orchestration role. Some players are doing more and more in areas that affect the country's digitalization, such as the government, the military, businesses, and academies. We're trying to position ourselves somewhat in the middle as an orchestrator or integrator, so that everyone starts moving in the same direction.
Our mission, since our creation in 2015, has been to determine how Switzerland can maintain its competitiveness and innovation in the era of digitalization, as it always has.
How can digitalswitzerland help Swiss companies in their digital transformation process?
We work with our members on initiatives that touch the heart of digitalization. For example, with HerHack. Currently, only 16% of women in Switzerland are women in STEM professions. To avoid a technical gap by 2030, it is essential that we work to help and interest them. Through our hackathon, challenge, and networking concepts, these careers become more attractive to them.
To support the country's digitalization, we are carrying out concrete initiatives with our members in the country's interest. The reason we are focusing on Digital Health is because it is important to our members. The electronic patient record is one thing, but there are many other things that are grafted around the digital ecosystem in healthcare in Switzerland. We are trying to ensure that the system plays a role.
The second way we can support Swiss companies is by creating and strengthening the network that allows us to interact with our members and among our members. We launched our portal, a platform with groups on topics such as digital health. This allows everyone to connect and interact with each other. We don't offer services; we're not a service agency for our members, but our members can have business relationships with each other.
The third thing is the digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises, often through regional activities. We've done a lot with startups and scaleups, but we're increasingly interested in SMEs. They say, "I have my roadmap and I have to do something. There are so many potential partners within digitalswitzerland." This is how we try to impact transformation: through our activities, our initiatives, and the connections we can create.
As Head of Western Switzerland, what specific initiatives have you implemented to promote digitalization in French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Sion, etc.)?
When I joined a year ago, I met with all the members and prospects. I felt that there was a lot of support for digitalswitzerland from our members regarding its activities, but also a view that French-speaking Switzerland needed a region and dynamism at the local level, but also in terms of integrating members into more national activities.
I founded a working group, "Digital Action, Romandie Beating." This group will have permanent members, the seven largest and most active in French-speaking Switzerland. These gatherings are working meetings on themes we choose, for example, data valorization or artificial intelligence. The idea is to take these themes common to all members and make them a working topic. We will bring in expert members, either other members or even external members, to discuss a theme or expertise. The idea is to already have a group that further cements the French-speaking identity.
The goal of this group is also to have a much stronger voice on national issues, so that we are not dispersed, and so that we are not drowned in the vastness of the network. The fact that Romandie sees each other a little more often also allows us to better integrate our members into everything that is happening elsewhere.
We organized a public forum with professors, in partnership with our foundation, which aims to foster public dialogue around digitalization. We carried out many activities in French-speaking Switzerland, including working groups and digital exchanges, which we held as part of the forum with the foundation.
We are also increasing our partnership with other associations, typically Les choses vallées, with whom we have already had discussions to start working together.
In 2023, one of the major events was the forum competition in Lausanne. We integrated the launch of the IMD report on digital competitiveness into a broader theme with a forum to discuss artificial intelligence and Switzerland's competitiveness. We examined this from two perspectives: continuing education and regulation. We launched a White Paper at the WAF with the IMD and PFA.
We put Romandie back on the map in terms of importance thanks to this event. Our goal was to build loyalty within the group, attract new members, and highlight the fact that this event was created by members and for members.
What are the most significant projects you have co-led as part of the Swiss Digital Days, and what impact have they had on promoting digitalization in Switzerland?
For me, it was truly an honor and a highlight of 2023 to have been able to participate in and contribute to the idea of the Swiss Digital Days. There is a flagship program that has existed for seven years, many people are familiar with it. It has sparked discussions among the public, businesses, and associations, and has had a significant impact on the digitalization scene.
In 2023, we realized that what we had started was starting to slip away from us, as cities and cantons had taken over the event. This wasn't a bad thing, so we decided to support this movement. This was the first year we called it a "movement," encouraging all members and partners to organize their own events. There were 5,000 participants, 140 online and offline events, 60 partners involved, and 11 cities and cantons participating.
We've focused on programs like "HerHack," to increase diversity by encouraging more women to enter technical professions, and "NexGen," which focuses on young people aged 12 to 15 to introduce them to digital careers. We don't just put a screen in front of their eyes, but we also interest them in the careers of the future in digital technology, particularly through artificial intelligence and image creation. This way, when they make decisions about their career path at 16 or 18, digital careers will be more clearly visible to them. "HerHack" brought together 400 women, and "NexGen" reached 1,100 students.
We continue to explore how we can support this movement, while maintaining the goal of talking about digitalization, connecting people, and engaging them. We want to support this process so that people understand that digitalization is here to stay and that they must embrace it.
Finally, what are your expectations regarding the collaboration with LANE Digital?
The first thing I want to say is that we are very happy to have you. It's not just because you are nice, but because you share our vision and mission. What we value with you is this common mission and this expertise in the digital world, which is very useful and will be for others.
What I love about digitalswitzerland is the diversity and complementarity of our ecosystem. Regarding our values, we have a community-oriented mentality. Member involvement is essential, and we've found that those who actively engage in our events, programs, committees, or on our platforms benefit the most. You do this very well, so I thank you.
For our partnership to be even more fruitful, it's essential that you remain as active as you are now, bringing that positive energy. I don't have any specific expectations, but I do have quality standards, and that's what you bring! You get involved with us, you challenge us, you suggest ideas, and you commit to the initiatives we implement.
I think that when we have between 170 and 200 people moving in the same direction, that's when we will see and feel more of the impact of "Digital Switch" and its members on the theme of digital transformation.
Switzerland's digital transformation is a key priority for ensuring the competitiveness of our businesses and the well-being of our citizens. As agents of change, it is our responsibility to support this movement and contribute our expertise to evolve our ecosystems towards a more connected and efficient future.
LANE Digital, a Swiss agency - marketing & digital transformation - member of Digitalswitzerland
At LANE Digital, we are proud to contribute to this mission by offering tailor-made services to support Swiss companies in their digital transition. Whether it's digital strategy, automation, or a website redesign, our experts are here to help you maximize your potential.
