General Assembly of the data innovation alliance at HWZ
November 5, 2024, by Milena Perraudin, data innovation alliance
On November 5, the members and board of the data innovation alliance gathered for the annual General Assembly at the Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich (HWZ). The event, attended by 30 participants, opened with a keynote from Bertrand Loison of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). During the assembly, members unanimously approved the 2023 financial report, the 2025 budget, and the board’s discharge. Updates on personnel changes and upcoming events were also shared, offering a comprehensive look at this year’s achievements and future plans.
Keynote: The Three Tasks of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO)
We were honored to welcome Bertrand Loison, Vice-Director of the FSO and Head of Data Science, AI, and Statistical Methods, as our keynote speaker. He outlined the FSO’s core mission of of bridging critical questions with statistical insights through three main responsibilities:
- Creating, managing, and disseminating statistical information – this includes standardizing heterogeneous datasets.
- Managing federal statistical registers – ensuring the multiple use of data through platforms like the National Data Management (NaDB) and the I14Y Interoperability Platform.
- Supporting public organizations in data science and AI – fostering data science principles across sectors and aiding in the evolution of these disciplines.
Bertrand Loison also presented the FSO’s strategic focus, emphasizing privacy-preserving data science and evidence-based policymaking. He concluded by introducing the Competence Network for Artificial Intelligence (CNAI), whose mission is to promote the sustainable adoption and public trust in AI and other emerging technologies.
General Assembly (GA)
The GA started with a review of the 2023 Annual and Financial Reports, which were unanimously approved by the members present. The 2025 budget and the discharge of the board was also unanimously approved.
Christoph Heitz, president of the data innovation alliance, presented key updates on the alliance’s two four-year Innovation Booster programs, which are powered by Innosuisse. The Innovation Booster Databooster, now in its final year, successfully organized multiple outreach events and funded 20 shaping workshops along with 13 deep dives. The Databooster Finale will be held on December 5, 2024, at Technopark Zürich. More information and registration here. The Innovation Booster Artificial Intelligence currently in its first year, hosted over 20 outreach events and funded a total of 10 ideas, including six shaping workshops and four deep dives.
Following these program updates, two personnel changes were announced. Gundula Heinatz-Bürki, Managing Director of the data innovation alliance, will step down in February 2025 after seven years of dedicated service. Her work has been instrumental in shaping the alliance, and we extend our deepest gratitude for her commitment. We also thank Matthias Werner, who will be leaving the board at the end of 2024 after departing from Trumpf. His contributions, particularly during the 2022 strategy review, have left a lasting impact.
We would also like to acknowledge the ongoing support of board members Matthias Brändle (La Mobilière), Andrea Dunbar (CSEM & EPFL), Hans Peter Gränicher (D ONE), Christoph Heitz (ZHAW IDP), and Anne Herrmann (FHNW Institute for Market Supply & Consumer Decision-Making).
The assembly concluded with an exciting announcement: the 12th IEEE Swiss Conference on Data Science (SDS2025) will be held in Zurich on June 26-27, 2025. Calls for Participation are now open, and we invite all members to contribute their expertise to make this event a success, following our motto, “Together we move faster.” Save the date and find more information here.
After the General Assembly, attendees enjoyed a networking aperitif, fostering connections and further collaboration in a convivial atmosphere.
