Photo ©CSEM – From left to right: Jens Krauss, Medtech Vice President at CSEM; Prof. Dr Virginia Richter, Rector of the University of Bern; Prof. Dr med. Jennifer Diedler, CEO of Insel Gruppe; and Dr Alexandre Pauchard, CEO of CSEM
The “ Bern Medtech ” partnership concluded in 2023 between Insel Gruppe, UniBE and CSEM has been extended by three years
· 32 medical technology projects led by research teams from Insel Gruppe and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bern have been selected for collaboration with CSEM
· The funding for these research projects was made possible in 2023 and 2025 thanks to decisions by the Bernese Grand Council
The canton of Bern is continuing its goal of establishing itself by 2030 as a leading international medical hub. For more than three years, Insel Gruppe, the University of Bern and the technological innovation centre CSEM have been pooling their medical and technological expertise in joint research and development projects. Given the positive results achieved, their partnership has been extended by three years, with the aim of sustainably strengthening the competitiveness of regional industrial companies and start-ups.
Since the Bernese Grand Council’s decision on 13 June 2023 regarding the establishment of a department of the technological innovation centre CSEM, medical and clinical research has been actively promoted on the Insel Gruppe campus. Between 2023 and 2025, 24 cooperation projects were launched, notably in the fields of gynaecology, neurology, diabetology, endocrinology, nutritional medicine and metabolism, pulmonology, cardiology and surgery. The shared goal of all these research initiatives: to simplify patient care and monitoring through new sensor technologies as well as the use of artificial intelligence and algorithms, and to effectively support medical staff in diagnosis and treatment optimisation.
The Bern Medtech Collaboration Call (BMCC) was launched for the first time in 2023 and has since been renewed four times. During this period, research teams from Insel Gruppe and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bern submitted around 90 project proposals for collaboration with CSEM. Based on the recommendations of medical, clinical and technical experts, the BMCC evaluation committee approved 32 of the submitted proposals, or around 35.5%. Given these positive results, the Bernese Grand Council decided on 3 June 2025 to extend the partnership by three additional years, with the aim of sustainably strengthening the competitiveness of regional industrial companies and start-ups in 2026, 2027 and 2028 as well.
Prof. Dr Virginia Richter : “This collaboration shows the impact that research can have when it is clearly focused on implementation. In collaboration with CSEM, we are translating medical questions from the laboratory into practical solutions more quickly – that is exactly what a leading medical hub needs.”
Prof. Dr med. Jennifer Diedler : “Innovation must be embedded in everyday clinical practice – otherwise it remains theoretical. The joint projects with CSEM show that technology can significantly improve diagnosis, care and efficiency. That is why we are continuing this collaboration in a targeted way.”
Dr Alexandre Pauchard : “The geographical proximity on the campus of Inselspital is a strategic advantage. It accelerates innovation and sustainably strengthens Bern’s position in the international competition for the best medtech solutions.”
Eight new research projects were launched at the end of November 2025. The wide diversity of the topics addressed and the high quality of the submitted applications underline the strong interest in digital solutions in the hospital sector as well as the potential for innovation at the intersection of medicine and engineering.
The ELAINE project, which perfectly illustrates the fruitful collaboration between the gynaecological clinic of Insel Gruppe and CSEM, is one example. The objective is continuous monitoring of pregnant women and their babies before and during childbirth using a lightweight, portable abdominal belt equipped with electrodes. This solution aims to make pregnancy monitoring more comfortable and better suited to everyday life, with fewer hospital visits and more autonomy for patients, while maintaining a high level of medical quality. Building on the results achieved so far, the start-up VidaSense, supported in particular by Innosuisse and the European Newlife project, is currently preparing this technology for commercialisation. The launch of clinical trials is planned for this year.
Many other BMCC projects focus on the refinement and clinical evaluation of the optical technology for continuous blood pressure measurement developed by CSEM, particularly in application areas where cuffless measurement offers clear added value. CSEM’s long-standing expertise in this field has already led, as of 2018, to the creation of the spin-off Aktiia and the market launch of the medically certified Hilo blood pressure monitor, which is now used successfully internationally.
Currently, this technology is being studied in close collaboration with the cardiology, paediatrics, neurology and neurosurgery clinics of Insel Gruppe: in patients treated for hypertension, in women suffering from preeclampsia during pregnancy (LONGBP project), in obese children and adolescents (CARIOCA project), as well as in people with disorders of the autonomic nervous system (NIVS-ANS project).
All projects share the common goal of going beyond current standards in care. Through new non-invasive and mobile monitoring technologies, medical care and follow-up should become more integrated into patients’ daily lives. The projects thus make a concrete contribution to improving the quality of care and quality of life, while easing the burden on the healthcare system.
You can find an overview of all CSEM projects and activities within the Bern medtech ecosystem at:
https://www.csem.ch/fr/focus-technique/sante-numerique/csem-partie-ecosysteme-medtech-bernois
About Insel Gruppe
Insel Gruppe is one of Switzerland’s leading hospital groups in the field of university and integrated medicine. With top-quality care, research, innovation and training, it offers the population comprehensive healthcare: at every stage of life, 24 hours a day and in the right place. Insel Gruppe carries out more than 850,000 outpatient consultations every year and treats around 55,000 inpatients according to the latest therapeutic methods. Insel Gruppe is a training centre for a large number of professions and an important institution for the continuing education of young doctors. It employs around 11,000 people.
About the University of Bern
Founded in 1834, the University of Bern comprises eight faculties, around 150 institutes and ten inter- and transdisciplinary competence centres. With a global network and regional roots, the University of Bern is committed to excellence in research and teaching. It has more than 19,000 students enrolled in 40 bachelor’s programmes and 75 master’s programmes, making it the third-largest university in Switzerland.
The University of Bern’s five priority themes are: sustainable development, health and medicine, matter and universe, intercultural knowledge, as well as politics and management. In certain research areas such as space research, dentistry and veterinary medicine, it holds a leading position at international level.
About CSEM – Meeting the challenges of our time
CSEM is a Swiss technological innovation centre that develops breakthrough technologies with high societal impact and transfers them to industry to strengthen the economy. As a non-profit public-private organisation, it enjoys international renown and supports the innovation activities of companies in Switzerland and abroad. CSEM operates in the fields of precision microfabrication, digital technologies and sustainable energy. To fulfil its mission of bridging the worlds of research and industry, more than 600 employees from 45 countries work closely with universities, universities of applied sciences, research institutes and leading industrial players. With its seven sites in Allschwil, Alpnach, Bern, Landquart, Neuchâtel, Schwyz and Zurich, CSEM is active throughout Switzerland. www.csem.ch
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