The Swiss delegation to maintain relations with the French Parliament will receive the French-Swiss friendship group on 25 and 26 February 2019. Chaired by the senator representing French citizens living outside of France, Ronan Le Gleut, the French delegation will focus their visit on innovation. In addition to various interviews with representatives from academic and professional circles, the programme also includes exchanges of information on bilateral and cross-border issues.

The French-Swiss friendship group of the Senate – which brings together senators of all parliamentary groups – will be headed by the group’s president, Senator Ronan Le Gleut. He will be accompanied by Senators Martine Berthet (Les Républicains, Savoie), Hugues Saurey (Les Républicains, Loiret) and Christophe-André Frassa (Les Républicains, French citizens living outside of France).

The Swiss delegation will consist of its president, member of the Council of States Liliane Maury Pasquier (PS/GE), its vice president, member of the National Council Céline Amaudruz (UDC/GE), members of the National Council Fathi Derder (PLR/VD), Alice Glauser-Zufferey (UDC/VD), Yves Nidegger (UDC/GE) and Manuel Tornare (PS/GE) and member of the Council of States Olivier Français (PLR/VD).

The two delegations will spend Monday 25 February in Geneva where they will meet with representatives of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and the Geneva Economic and Development Agency. The purpose of these exchanges is to bring to light the operation of the Swiss system regarding innovation. As experts in this field, members of the National Council Science, Education and Culture Committee will also participate in the discussions. The two delegations will then visit the Human Brain Project of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). On the evening of 25 February 2019, they will be received by the vice president of the Council of States, Hans Stöckli (PS/BE).

The two delegations will spend Tuesday February 26 in Zurich. The programme will focus on artificial intelligence beginning with a visit to Google’s headquarters. The delegations will then visit the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) for a meeting with its president, Joël Mesot. They will also visit the ETHZ Innovation & Entrepreneurship Lab where they will have the opportunity to exchange views with the creators of start-ups.
Given the excellent and close relations between Switzerland and France, the delegations will also use the occasion to openly discuss bilateral and cross-border issues.