Successful Bern medtech agreement extended by three years
The Canton of Bern remains committed to its goal of establishing itself as a leading international medical hub by 2030. Since 2023, the Insel Gruppe, the University of Bern, and the Swiss technology innovation center, CSEM, have been combining their cutting-edge medical and technological expertise in joint applied research and development projects. In light of the positive results achieved so far, the partnership has now been extended for a further three years, with the aim of sustainably strengthening the competitiveness of regional industrial companies and start-ups.
The Bern medtech ecosystem is delivering results
Following the Bern Grand Council’s decision on June 13, 2023, to establish a CSEM presence in Bern, medical and clinical research on the Insel Campus has advanced significantly. Between 2023 and 2025, 24 collaborative projects were launched, covering fields including gynecology, neurology, diabetology, endocrinology, nutritional medicine and metabolism, pulmonology, cardiology, and surgery. All of these research initiatives share a common goal: to simplify patient care and monitoring through new sensor technologies and the use of artificial intelligence and algorithms, while also providing effective support for diagnosis and therapy optimization.
The Bern Medtech Collaboration Call (BMCC) was first launched in 2023 and has since been issued four times. During this period, research teams from Inselspital and the University of Bern’s Faculty of Medicine submitted approximately 90 project proposals for collaboration with CSEM. Based on the recommendations of medical, clinical, and technical experts, the BMCC Evaluation Committee approved 32 of these proposals, corresponding to approximately 35.5%. Following these positive results, the Bern Grand Council resolved on June 3, 2025, to extend the partnership for another three years, helping strengthen the competitiveness of regional industrial companies and start-ups in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
Prof. Dr. Virginia Richter: “This partnership demonstrates how research makes an impact when it is consistently focused on implementation. Together with CSEM, we are moving medical challenges from the lab to concrete solutions faster—exactly what a leading medical hub needs.”
Prof. Dr. med. Jennifer Diedler: “Innovation must find its way into everyday clinical practice—otherwise it remains theory. The joint projects with CSEM demonstrate that technology can tangibly improve diagnostics, patient care, and efficiency. That is why we are continuing this collaboration in a targeted manner.”
Dr. Alexandre Pauchard: “The physical proximity on the Insel Campus is a strategic advantage. It accelerates innovation and sustainably strengthens Bern in the international competition for the best medtech solutions.”
Concrete medtech innovations from Bern
In late November 2025, eight new research projects were launched. The broad thematic range and the high quality of the proposals of these newly selected projects underline the strong interest in digital solutions for hospital care and the innovation potential at the interface between medicine and engineering.
One example of this is the ELAINE project, which highlights the successful collaboration between the Women’s Clinic at the Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and CSEM. The goal is the continuous monitoring of pregnant women and their babies before and during childbirth using a lightweight, wearable electrode abdominal band. The solution is intended to make pregnancy monitoring more comfortable and suitable for everyday use, with fewer hospital visits and greater autonomy for expectant mothers, while maintaining consistently high medical quality. Building on the results achieved so far, the planned start-up VidaSense, supported by Innosuisse and the EU project Newlife, among others, is now bringing this technology to market readiness. Clinical trials are expected to begin in 2026.
New approaches to blood pressure monitoring
Numerous other BMCC projects focus on the further development and clinical evaluation of CSEM’s continuous optical blood pressure technology—particularly in application areas where cuffless measurement offers clear added value. CSEM’s long-standing expertise in this field led to the founding of the spin-off Aktiia in 2018 and the market launch of the medically certified blood pressure monitor Hilo, which is now used successfully around the world.
Currently, the technology is being investigated in close collaboration with the Departments of Cardiology, Pediatrics, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at the Inselspital, Bern University Hospital: in patients with treated hypertension, in women with preeclampsia during pregnancy (LONGBP project), in obese children and adolescents (CARIOCA project), and in people with disorders of the autonomic nervous system (NIVS-ANS project).
A shared goal: Better care, lower costs
All of these projects share the goal of going beyond today’s care standards. Through new, non-invasive, and mobile monitoring technologies, medical and follow-up care can be more closely integrated into patients’ daily lives. In this way, the projects make a concrete contribution to improving the quality of care and quality of life, while at the same time easing pressure on the healthcare system.
Further information on all projects
An overview of all CSEM projects and activities as part of the Bern medtech ecosystem can be found at:
https://www.csem.ch/en/technical-focus/digital-health/csem-berns-medtech-ecosystem/
About the Insel GruppeInsel Gruppe is a leading hospital group for university and integrated medicine in Switzerland. It offers comprehensive healthcare to people based on groundbreaking quality and pioneering research, innovation and education at every stage of life, around the clock and in the right location. Insel Gruppe conducts over 850,000 outpatient consultations each year across its hospital network, and treats approximately 55,000 inpatients in accordance with the latest therapy methods. Insel Gruppe is a training organisation for a multitude of professions, as well as an important institution for furthering the education of young doctors. Around 11,000 employees work at Insel Gruppe. |
About the University of BernThe University of Bern was founded in 1834 and comprises eight faculties, approximately 150 institutes, and ten interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary centers of excellence. Globally connected and regionally rooted, the University of Bern is committed to excellence in research and teaching. With over 19,000 enrolled students in 40 bachelor’s and 75 master’s programs, it is the third-largest university in Switzerland. The University of Bern’s five priority topics are: Sustainability, Health and Medicine, Matter and the Universe, Intercultural Knowledge, and Politics and Administration. It holds a leading international position in selected research areas such as space research, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. |
About CSEM–Facing the challenges of our timeCSEM is a Swiss technology innovation center developing advanced technologies with a high societal impact, which it then transfers to industry to strengthen the economy. The non-profit orientated, public-private organization is internationally recognized, and works to support the disruptive activities of companies in Switzerland and abroad. CSEM operates in the domains of precision manufacturing, digitalization, and sustainable energy. To accomplish its mission as gateway between research and economy, CSEM's more than 600 employees from 45 countries collaborate with leading universities, scientific institutions, research institutes, and industrial partners. With its seven sites in Allschwil, Alpnach, Bern, Landquart, Neuchâtel, Schwyz, and Zurich, CSEM is active all over Switzerland. www.csem.ch |
Source: CSEM
2026/04/16
