THE SWISS INNOVATION CHALLENGE

The Swiss Innovation Challenge (SIC) is a prestige programme with an integrated competition for the support and advancement of innovation in Switzerland and the ASEAN countries. The support offered, comprises specific training and personal coaching and access to the Swiss Innovation Challenge Network in ASEAN and Switzerland.

The Challenge addresses companies, start-ups and individuals who wish to introduce and implement an innovation or who have undertaken an innovative step with-in the last few years. This could be a new business idea, product innovation, service innovation, organisational innovation, management innovation or business model innovation.

Owns by University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). SIC has been extended to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In Malaysia, it was organised since 2017.

Divided into three stages. Each stage is followed by a selection round (pitch). Winning company will represent the country to pitch in Switzerland and enjoy a trip to understand the entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem in Switzerland.

THE AIMS

To establish international networking.
To promote innovation potentials from the ASEAN countries.
To enhance ecosystem and sustainability of innovation and startups through research evidence.
To foster a cultural shift towards innovation that values creativity, innovation, and continuous improvement.
To provide opportunity for participant group to pitch a new business idea, product innovation, service innovation, organisational innovation , management innovation or business model innovation.

SUPPORTIVE MEASURES

✓ Personal coaching by industry experts.

✓ Networking opportunities before and after SIC.

✓ Free seminars on various primarily business topics

✓ Promotion of the personal performance competencies (pitching events)

✓ Feedback on the submitted documents, especially the business and the implementation plan.

SIC CATEGORIES

THREE CATEGORIES OF INNOVATIONS

COMMERCIALISATION POTENTIAL

• Open to all start-ups, spin-off or
established companies of not more
than 5-years of operation.
• Identify one (1) novelty invention i.e.
products, services, technologies etc.
that has a ready prototype, POC,
and has completed its market test.
• The innovation must have a strong
potential for commercialization.
• Possess an IP is preferrable.
• The innovation must address ESG
and SDGs.
• Must be a group of minimum 3 pax
and they must be the core team for
the invention development.
• All members must adhere to all SIC
requirements.

DEVELOPMENT

• Open to all start-ups, spin-off or
established companies of not more
than 5-years of operation.
• Identify one (1) novelty invention i.e.
products, services, technologies etc.
that has a ready prototype, POC,
about to conduct market test or at
the mid of market test and has
potential scalability.
• The innovation has not yet
commercialized and still at
prototype level.
• Possess an IP is preferrable.
• Innovation must address ESG and
SDGs.
• Must be a group of minimum 3 pax
and they must be the core team for
the invention development.
• All members must adhere to all SIC
requirements.

IDEATION

• Open to all public.
• The group must be able to identify
and present one (1) feasible
novelty idea.
• The ideation must highlight the
problem statement from the
industry or society.
• The ideation can be a process,
solutions, services, products, etc
that signifies clear solutions to be
resolved.
• Innovation must address ESG and
SDGs
• A group of minimum 3 pax.
• All members must adhere to all
SIC requirements.

GENERAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

You must apply as
a team, a business,
or other type of
organisations.

Documentation, and materials of the innovation and
presentation must be done in English
language.

The innovation can
also be more matured in nature that you have already worked on it before but feel that it can be developed further.

The innovation you
propose should include emerging technology can be at the ideation & conceptualization or potential for
commercialisation or at prototype and planning phase which has not been commercialized yet.