State Secretary Martina Hirayama uses 2026 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting to foster international dialogue on education, research and innovation

Press releasePublished on 29 June 2026

State Secretary Martina Hirayama uses 2026 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting to foster international dialogue on education, research and innovation

Bern, 29.06.2026 - On the sidelines of the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting on 28 and 29 June, Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, held talks with several of her counterparts, including Dorothee Bär, German Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space.

Switzerland's neighbouring country Germany is by far its most important international partner in the areas of education, research and innovation. Stakeholders from both countries work closely together within international organisations (including CERN and ESA) and European programmes (Horizon Europe) as well as numerous direct cooperation initiatives. Building on this, State Secretary Martina Hirayama and Federal Minister Dorothee Bär explored opportunities for further strategic expansion of cooperation in the area of research and innovation.

The programme of the 2026 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting also included a 'Swiss Breakfast' panel discussion on the risks and opportunities associated with the use of artificial intelligence in research. State Secretary Hirayama opened the discussion, which featured, among others, Swiss Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Kurt Wüthrich and Professor Ana Klimovic, Head of the Efficient Architectures and Systems Lab (EASL) at ETH Zurich.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, which serve as an international forum for scientific dialogue across generations and cultures. Each year focuses on a different disciplinary theme. This year's event placed particular empha-sis on interdisciplinary work and drew around 75 Nobel laureates and several hundred early-career researchers from around the world.