The Overlogix Sunday Times #15
Switzerland Edition
Contents
General Switzerland Technical News
Switzerland Artificial Intelligence News
Swiss Conventional (non-AI) Automation News
Footnotes
· LinkedIn
· Substack
General Switzerland Technical News
The Swiss will have to vote again on digital identity 17.04.2025 “The Swiss will once again vote on digital identity (e-ID). The referendum committee against the introduction submitted 63,000 signatures to the Federal Chancellery on Thursday.”
Swiss foreign trade booms in the first quarter 17.04.2025 “Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the United States rose sharply.”
Swiss CFOs have a pessimistic outlook due to trade wars 17.04.2025 “In the wake of the trade wars launched by US President Donald Trump, Swiss companies are assessing the future much more pessimistically, according to a survey by the consulting firm Deloitte.”
Overlogix: Multiple firms, not just Deloitte, regularly survey the markets. We take their conclusions, and motivations, with a pinch of salt.
Switzerland postpones online platform scrutiny as US tensions rise 16.04.2025 “Switzerland has delayed regulating large online platforms such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and X while trade tensions are rising.”
Swiss economy impacted by US tariffs but no crisis 16.04.2025 “United States tariffs will lead to a sharp weakening of the Swiss economy, but not to a collapse, the government says.”
Swiss energy firm Groupe E to slash nearly 200 jobs 16.04.2025 “’Unfortunately, job cuts affecting 188 people out of a total of 2,600 seem unavoidable, subject to the outcome of prior consultation with the social partners.’
The group explained that since 2023 it has been facing ‘a marked decline’ in sales of photovoltaic panels and heat pumps. To cope with this market trend and ensure the company’s economic stability, it has carried out a ‘strategic analysis’.”
Week 15: «Chain phishing» can happen on social media too 15.04.2025 “Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, X and Snapchat are particularly attractive to cybercriminals because of their high level of user engagement. By stealing login credentials and gaining access to a social media account, scammers can share content and view private information. This opens up a range of malicious possibilities: they can post scam ads, spread false information about people or companies, or even blackmail victims. And by pretending to be the person whose credentials they have stolen, they can target that person’s friends and exploit them too. This can start a chain reaction where many people fall for the scam.”
"ANYbotics has 400 employees, and 200 of them are human" 08.04.2025 “Péter Fankhauser, Co-founder and CEO at ANYbotics, spin-off ETH Zurich and Wyss Zurich alumni, interview. Here what he said about their product, AI-driven autonomous four-legged robots automate regular inspections in industrial and hazardous environments.”
Week 14: Classifieds phishing – fivefold increase in reports in a year 08.04.2025 – “The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) regularly warns about classifieds scams. Classifieds offer scammers a wide range of opportunities: typical examples of scams include selling non-existent goods or failing to pay for goods that have already been shipped. In recent weeks, there has been a sharp increase in reports of classifieds phishing – a type of scam that targets credit card details, Twint and even e-banking accounts.”
Obligation to report cyberattacks on critical infrastructure comes into force on 1 April 31.03.2025 “The obligation to report cyberattacks on critical infrastructure comes into force on 1 April. From tomorrow, operators of critical infrastructure are required to report cyberattacks to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) within 24 hours of discovery.”
Swiss Deep Tech Venture Capital: The 2025 European Deep Tech Report Analysis March 2025 “Europe’s deep tech ecosystem has become a potent driver of innovation, standing strong despite broader venture capital market fluctuations. Switzerland is gaining recognition as a leading hub for deep tech venture capital, combining research excellence with strong commercialization strategies. The 2025 European Deep Tech Report highlights Switzerland’s growing role in this dynamic sector.”
The story behind Alps, Europe’s second largest computer 10.02.2025 “The director of CSCS and professor of computational physics at ETH, Thomas Schulthess, explains the development of one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, Alps, in Switzerland”
Switzerland Artificial Intelligence News
Overlogix: I need a list of news stories, dating from Wed 9 April 2025 to today, Sunday 20 April 2025, about Switzerland artificial intelligence news. Please prioritize Swiss origin (*.ch, *.com, etc.) sources, restrict to AI news coming from Switzerland, and prioritize by interesting and impactful developments created by or developed by Swiss companies or institutions. Legal or law news regarding tech is also acceptable.
Data Protection Challenges for Swiss Companies Using AI 15.04.2025 “While the use of AI continues to experience a strong upswing in companies, one question is increasingly coming to the fore: what impact do these tools have on data protection and how can and must companies react to this? The rules are particularly strict in Switzerland and the EU. We show the risks and the appropriate solutions.”
Strengthening Switzerland as an AI hub and tackling the skilled labour shortage 15.04.2025 “ETH Zurich is expanding its activities in the field of artificial intelligence, boosting Switzerland’s status as an AI hub. The university is also addressing the country’s skilled labour shortage through its education and training programmes. However, ETH Zurich fears that an impending paradigm shift in tuition fees could pose a challenge to its model of success.”
AI: regulating without stifling it 10.04.2025 “Switzerland chose its approach with respect to AI: the Convention on Artificial Intelligence of the Council of Europe will in principle be implemented into Swiss legislation thorough specific amendments to the current legislative framework rather than through the enactment of ad hoc regulation similar to the EU AI Act. The article outlines what are the objectives of the Swiss government in the field of AI and which changes may be implemented in the years to come.”
AI Adoption and Competitiveness: ETH Zurich and Zühlke Study: AI will be decisive for competitiveness 09.04.2025 “ETH Zurich and Zühlke have conducted a study on how companies use AI technologies. A total of 633 companies from the fields of production, technology, healthcare and finance from the DACH region, the UK and the US were surveyed. Stefano Brusoni, Professor of Technology and Innovation Management, explains in an interview where the greatest potential lies and where Europe needs to catch up.”
Overlogix: Our suggestion, as an American living in CH, is to take Switzerland’s strength areas, banking, fintech and pharmaceuticals, and develop profitable, extremely narrow AIs for niche purposes within these areas, that have yet to be served in the market. Narrow AI allows for competent, relatively hallucination-free AI operation, vital for developing a reputation for quality. This will be much easier, faster and less expensive than development of yet another ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.
Once the tariff and trade circuses with the US subside (and they will), the other extremely obvious move would be more data centers. Situating a data center high in the Alps, in a cave or abandoned Swiss Redoubt tunnel, can cut cooling costs a great deal; there is also the possibility of generating electricity locally via solar panels. Such a data center would be rather secure just by the way it is built.
Part 27: How small and medium-sized enterprises can use AI in a compliant manner 09.04.2025 “We regularly receive enquiries from small and medium-sized companies that want to use artificial intelligence (AI) but are unsure how to do so correctly from a legal perspective. We are dedicating this blog post no. 27 of our series on the responsible use of AI in companies to them. Larger companies may also find some of our tips helpful.”
Swiss Conventional (non-AI) Automation News
"It is great to leave your comfort zone and your normal working environment" 16.04.2025 “What do Alpiq, GWF, Hamilton Medical, VAT, and Zurich Insurance have in common? A deep interest in control and optimisation! We were happy to host them at the third iteration of our Workshop on Control and Computational Methods together with researchers from ETH, EPFL, Empa, ZHAW, FHNW, OST, and Inspire AG.”
novoMOF raises CHF 4.4 million to scale CO2-capture materials 15.04.2025 “GTT Strategic Ventures, the investment fund of the GTT group, has completed a CHF 4.4 million funding round in novoMOF, a specialist in advanced materials for CO2 capture. This investment was made alongside Shift4Good, Regenerative Ltd, new and existing institutional and private shareholders.”
Cellestia Biotech spins-off Anciata Therapeutics 14.04.2025 “The newly formed U.S.-based Anciata Therapeutics aims to develop to clinical proof of concept for a first-in-class therapeutic candidate with the potential to treat certain types of difficult-to-manage autoimmune disorders. The company has obtained up to USD 34 million from Swiss startup Cellestia Biotech and VC firm TVM Capital Life Science.”
Following a CHF 4 million seed round, Rekord AG closes two strategic deals 14.04.2025 “Through its platform, Zug-based Rekord AG, enables any system, sensor, or software to anchor data on-chain for later verification, ensuring a single source of truth. Rekord's multi-blockchain-based verification technology will be used by A.DNA for storing, organising, and verifying critical corporate data and by Pondus to enhance traceability, welfare, and trust across the poultry supply chain.”
Swisspod’s expands US presence with a manufacturing and assembly facility 11.04.2025 “With the expansion into Colorado Springs, Swisspod, a manufacturer of high-speed vehicles and subsystems for transportation assets, will create over 100 new jobs while advancing the region’s transportation infrastructure. The startup will receive several incentives to support its development.”
Avoiding tariffs with a U.S. production partner 09.04.2025 “For INVOLI outsourcing manufacturing has always been part of the strategy. As a result, the Swiss leading provider of hardware and software solutions for the detection and visualization of air traffic and the tracking of drones is not affected by the punitive tariffs that came into force today. INVOLI CEO Manu Lubrano explains what startups should pay attention to when choosing a production partner and how he found the right one for his company.”
Swiss Drone Industry Report 2024 March 2025 “The Swiss Drone Industry Report 2024 analyzes the strengths of Swiss drone companies and the competitiveness of the Swiss drone market. The report provides comprehensive facts and insights about the Swiss drone industry.”
The home of the Drone Industry Association Switzerland can be found here. We are frankly flabbergasted and delighted to find this!
How Swiss Startups are Making Their Mark on Agentic AI March 2025 “Agentic AI may be new, but the market is already crowded and those who want to succeed must have something special to offer. Swiss AI startups have such specialist services thanks to their entrepreneurial experience and scientific background.”
Switzerland's Unique Position in the Future of Automation 2025 “Switzerland stands at the forefront of the future of automation, embodying a fusion of precision, innovation, and resilience. Renowned for its long-standing expertise in precision manufacturing, mechanical engineering, and software development, Switzerland has emerged as a global leader in Industry 4.0. The nation’s exceptional blend of a specialized talent pool, liberal labor laws, strong production clusters, and the esteemed ‘Swiss Made’ label positions it as an ideal landscape for companies venturing into the automation era. This strategic advantage propels advancements that redefine industry standards on a global scale.”
This site presents an overview of some of the Swiss sectors of the automation industry.
Sometimes, when competitors collaborate, everybody wins 27.02.2025 “Engineers developed a planning tool that can help independent entities decide when they should invest in joint projects.”
Automated driving on Swiss motorways is theoretically possible from March 23.02.2025 “From March 1, it will be theoretically possible to hand over the steering wheel to technology on Swiss motorways. The prerequisite for this is that the vehicle has a level 3 autopilot system. However, no such system has been submitted for official approval in Switzerland yet.”
Elon Musk should be afraid of this woman. 03.02.2025 “Sophie Hall of ETH Zurich is coming for unethical algos and AIs. Plus Geoffrey Hinton, killer robots, self-healing Google asphalt, and Frankie McNamara.”
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Footnotes
Thank you for reading this article!
More information about Overlogix can be found at Welcome to Overlogix!
We currently publish on both LinkedIn (general interest articles, summaries, TL;DR’s: easier and faster to read) and Substack (in-depth articles, how-to’s, technical studies and new approaches to business).
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LinkedIn:
· Why hire me? The elevator pitch
· Introduction: Welcome to Overlogix!
· The Overlogix Sunday Times Our newsletter, with occasional specials, published roughly every two weeks.
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· The Overlogix Table of Context All Overlogix articles in reverse chronological order
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· Building Our Own Robot We’re automating Overlogix from the start, and this series of articles tells exactly how we are doing it.
· Rebuilding the Linux Server: Index of Articles Running AI on your own machine (recommended) requires a modern, up-to-date operating system, and often a lot of additional software infrastructure. This series, dedicated to exactly that sort of system administration, details what we have done to build a powerful server that runs both databases and artificial intelligence, locally.
· The Gospel According to ChatGPT Conversations with various AIs and additional articles on the various challenges associated with actually making profitable use of artificial intelligence.
· TL;DR: Index of Fast Reads Brief, fast reads on various topics in artificial intelligence. If you are a beginner at AI, or a busy human needing fast and factual explanations of complicated technical topics, this is the place to start.
· TL;DR: Overlogix Artificial Intelligence Mini-Wiki Same Fast Reads as previous but arranged in a mini-wiki format some folks may like better.
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· Welcome to the Overlogix Substack
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Curated IT and AI Sources Annotated links to sites and YouTube channels we think are valuable.