Micronarc

What Micronarc does

Micronarc is a publicly mandated regional cluster platform for the micro and nanotechnology sector in Western Switzerland, founded in 2007 and supported by the six cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Geneva, Valais, and Jura under the federal New Regional Policy administered by SECO. Its activities are approved by ARI-SO (Association Réseau Innovation Suisse Occidentale) and it is one of four sectoral platforms under cantonal governance alongside AlpICT, BioAlps, and Cleantech-Alps. The platform is hosted by FSRM (Swiss Foundation for Research in Microtechnology) at its Neuchâtel headquarters and is operated by a three-person core staff: an Executive Secretary (Roland Hirschi), a Project & Event Coordinator (Céline Bernasconi, with Micronarc since 2007), and a Technical Support & Visual Communication officer (Lucien Crescoli), supported by an expert committee with cantonal representatives.

Micronarc's product portfolio centers on visibility, networking, and ecosystem-mapping services for SMEs, academic institutions, and research centers. The principal digital asset is Cartographie Micronarc, a free registration-gated interactive mapping tool that catalogs 100+ ecosystem participants searchable by know-how, target markets, products, services, and canton. Its event portfolio includes the annual Micronarc Alpine Meeting (currently in its 17th edition, held in Villars-sur-Ollon), themed workshops covering digital transformation, sustainability, micro/nano-to-medtech, and AI in industry, micro/nano breakfasts and company visits at member firms, and turnkey group exhibition stands at trade shows including EPHJ, SIAMS, Micronora, and Sensor+Test. The annual Prix Micronarc awards CHF 5,000 plus turnkey exhibition space to a co-innovation project, with PX Group sponsoring the 2026 edition.

Micronarc does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through cantonal and federal public-sector channels under the NPR framework. Distribution runs through six cantonal economic promotion offices (PromFR, Innovaud, OPI Geneva, NECO, CimArk, and Canton Jura) and through its digital channels (website, LinkedIn, newsletter, and Micronarc Magazine). Its customer segments are SMEs and start-ups in micro-nanotechnologies (primary), academic institutions and research centers, and co-contractors providing technology, business, or service innovations.

Name

Micronarc

Legal name

Micronarc

Website

https://micronarc.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Micronarc is a publicly mandated regional cluster platform, founded in 2007 and governed by six Western Swiss cantons, that promotes micro and nanotechnology SMEs and research institutions through an interactive ecosystem mapping tool, the annual Alpine Meeting conference, group trade show stands, and the Prix Micronarc award.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Neuchâtel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public/government funding: Supported by the 6 cantons of Western Switzerland (Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Geneva, Valais, Jura) under the New Regional Policy (NPR) administered by SECO. Activities are approved by Association Réseau Innovation Suisse Occidentale (ARI-SO).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Micronarc is a communication, exchange, and promotion platform for the micro-nanotechnology sector in Western Switzerland. It develops and promotes the regional scientific, technical, and economic position in micro and nanotechnologies through an interactive ecosystem cartography tool, annual and themed events (conferences, workshops, breakfasts, networking), turnkey group exhibition stands at major trade shows, and an annual co-contracting award (Prix Micronarc).

Product overview

Micronarc operates as a communication and exchange platform for the micro-nanotechnology ecosystem in Western Switzerland, supported by the six cantons (Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Geneva, Valais, Jura). Rather than a single product, Micronarc offers a portfolio of services: the interactive Cartographie Micronarc mapping tool, the annual Micronarc Award (CHF 5,000 prize plus exhibition space), the Micronarc Alpine Meeting conference, themed Événements thématiques (including workshops on digital transformation, AI, sustainability, and microtech-to-medtech), turnkey Stands groupés exhibition solutions at major trade shows, downloadable Kits média, and the Micronarc Magazine publication. The platform also facilitates networking through micro/nano breakfasts, company visits, and maintains an archive of events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cartographie Micronarc (Interactive Ecosystem Mapping Tool) Interactive digital mapping tool that catalogs the entire ecosystem of micro and nanotech companies, academic institutions, and research centers in French-speaking Switzerland. It enables users to explore the ecosystem by expertise, target markets, products, services, and canton, with free access subject to registration for qualitative and secure data management.
• Micronarc Alpine Meeting (Annual Conference) Two-day annual conference on innovative equipment, processes, and technologies for micro-product manufacturing, featuring high-level presentations, networking sessions, and a small exhibition. Held in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, and intended for the micro-nanotech community.
• Themed Events & Workshops (Événements thématiques) Regular organization of public and professional events including conferences, thematic workshops, collaborative workgroups, roundtables, company visits, networking events, and sector studies covering digital transformation, sustainability, AI in industry, international development, and microtech to medtech diversification.
• Group Exhibition Stands (Stands groupés) Turnkey group exhibition stand solutions at major international trade shows (EPHJ, SIAMS, Micronora, Sensor+Test, Swiss Medtech Expo) that enable micro-nanotech companies to showcase their products and services with shared logistics under the Micronarc banner.
• Prix Micronarc (Annual Co-contracting Award) Annual co-contracting award recognizing SMEs and startups registered in French-speaking Swiss cantons that provide technological, business, or service innovations contributing to customer success in the micro-nanotechnology ecosystem. The prize includes CHF 5,000 plus turnkey exhibition space on a Micronarc group stand and visibility for the winners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Platform operational since 2007, organizing regular events and supporting ecosystem growth

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• FSRM (Swiss Foundation for Research in Microtechnology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Micronarc executive secretariat. FSRM is a foundation dedicated to microtechnology research that provides institutional support and infrastructure for Micronarc operations.
• ARI-SO (Association Réseau Innovation Suisse Occidentale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproves Micronarc activities as the governing association for innovation in Western Switzerland.
• AlpICTmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four sectoral platforms governed by the six cantons of Western Switzerland, focused on ICT/digital sector.
• BioAlpsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four sectoral platforms governed by the six cantons, focused on life sciences and biotech.
• Cleantech-AlpsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four sectoral platforms governed by the six cantons, focused on clean technologies.
• PromFRmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCantonal economic promotion office for Fribourg, representing Micronarc at the cantonal level.
• InnovaudmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCantonal economic promotion office for Vaud, representing Micronarc at the cantonal level.
• OPI GenevamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOffice of Promotion of Industries and Technologies for Geneva canton.
• NECO (Neuchâtel Economic Ecosystem)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEconomic development organization for Neuchâtel canton.
• CimArk SAmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCantonal economic promotion office for Valais.
• Canton JuramajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEconomic promotion office for Jura canton.
• Alliance (Technological Innovation Coaching)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCoaching organization supporting technological innovation in products and processes for SMEs and start-ups.
• Platinn (Business Innovation Coaching)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCoaching organization supporting business innovation for SMEs and start-ups in Western Switzerland.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CSEM (Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology): Swiss R&D center for microelectronics, MEMS, and nanotechnology headquartered in Neuchâtel. Comparable as a larger, established micro-nanotech institution in the same region whose member companies and research outputs overlap with Micronarc's mapped ecosystem.
• FSRM (Fondation Suisse pour la Recherche en Microtechnique): Swiss Foundation for Research in Microtechnology, which hosts the Micronarc executive secretariat at its Neuchâtel headquarters. Directly comparable as a larger, more established microtechnology institution that overlaps with Micronarc's domain and provides institutional infrastructure.
• Swissmem: Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industry association. Comparable as a national-level industry association that also serves precision manufacturing and MEM-tech member companies overlapping with Micronarc's ecosystem.

Regional players

• BaselArea.swiss: Economic promotion and innovation agency for the Basel region. Comparable as a publicly-backed regional cluster/economic development organization with a different geographic focus (Northwestern Switzerland) and a broader sector mandate than Micronarc.
• Greater Zurich Area: Official investment promotion agency for the Greater Zurich economic region. Comparable as a publicly-backed regional economic promotion organization with a different geographic footprint but overlapping cluster-building, event, and ecosystem-marketing activities.

Others

• ARI-SO (Association Réseau Innovation Suisse Occidentale): The umbrella association of Western Switzerland innovation actors that formally approves Micronarc's activities. Comparable as a broader ecosystem orchestrator that sits one level above Micronarc in the regional innovation governance hierarchy.

Direct peers

• BioAlps: The life sciences and biotech sectoral cluster platform of Western Switzerland, governed by the same six cantons and ARI-SO. Directly comparable to Micronarc as a sister cluster organization with identical governance, funding structure, and event-based GTM model.
• Cleantech-Alps: The cleantech sectoral cluster of Western Switzerland, the fourth ARI-SO-governed platform alongside Micronarc, BioAlps, and AlpICT. Operates the same cluster-promotion, event, and ecosystem-mapping model focused on clean technologies.
• AlpICT: The ICT/digital sectoral cluster of Western Switzerland, one of the four ARI-SO-governed platforms alongside Micronarc. Comparable mandate (promote regional sector, connect ecosystem, organize events) with the same cantonal and federal public funding architecture.

Emerging players

• Swiss Nanoscience Institute: University of Basel-affiliated research network advancing nanotechnology in Northwestern Switzerland. Comparable as a regional nanotech research and ecosystem-building organization focused on a different Swiss geography than Micronarc.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/micronarc
• Xx.com/micronarc
• Facebookfacebook.com/micronarc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Micronarc