Robotics: 217 Swiss companies, over half from universities and research

Robotics holds a prominent position in Switzerland. That is what the latest economic monitoring published by Raiffeisen shows. It describes a fast-growing ecosystem that is closely linked to university research.

The study counts 217 companies in the sector. Of these, 109 design and manufacture robots directly.

More than half of the companies were founded at Swiss universities and research institutes. ETH Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne play a central role: about 80% of the university spin-offs active in the sector come from these two institutions.

The business landscape consists mainly of small and medium-sized enterprises: 87% of companies employ fewer than 100 people. Overall, the sector provides about 7,000 jobs.

Applications and financing

One strength lies in systems that can move autonomously in complex environments. These include drones and mobile robots, as well as highly specialised applications.

Roboa, a company that emerged from ETH Zurich, is one of the examples cited. It develops snake-like robots designed to inspect pipes and spaces that are hard to reach. Tethys Robotics, by contrast, makes underwater robots used to monitor offshore infrastructure and for other operations in marine environments.

Industrial robotics is also widespread in Swiss factories. The country has 29 industrial robots per 1,000 employees in manufacturing, a density higher than in France, Austria, Canada and China.

Switzerland also ranks among Europe's leaders for financing. According to the European Spinouts Report 2025, robotics spin-offs from ETH raised about USD 785 million in venture capital. Those linked to EPFL attracted about USD 508 million.

Investments cover very different areas, from minimally invasive surgery to agricultural technology. These include autonomous systems for weed control.

The Raiffeisen study estimates that robotics could affect about one job in three in Switzerland in the future. The greatest potential lies in industry and construction, where many activities can already be automated. The most exposed occupations include auxiliary staff in industry and construction, electricians, machine and plant operators, and metal workers.

Adoption is expected to be more gradual in activities that require strong human contact, such as care and support for people.

The growing presence of robots is not necessarily an answer to the shortage of skilled workers. According to the study's authors, only 17% of the occupations with a particular staff shortage also have above-average exposure to robotics. In many fields, therefore, human skills will remain hard to replace, at least in the medium term.

One question remains open. The monitoring does not say how many of these companies already sustain themselves from their own revenues, a figure that bears on the financial sustainability of the sector.