State Secretary Martina Hirayama on a science mission to Canada
Bern, 16.06.2026 — Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, will travel to Canada on a science mission from 15 to 19 June. While there, she will attend ministerial-level meetings and visit science and technology institutions in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Discussions will focus on key areas including quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, life sciences and polar research.
The aim of the mission is to consolidate and expand existing cooperation between Switzerland and Canada in the fields of education, research and innovation. The State Secretary will be accompanied by a high-level Swiss scientific delegation including representatives from ETH Zurich and EPFL, the Innosuisse funding agency, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the University of Lausanne and the Swiss Polar Institute.
The itinerary includes visits to research institutes, higher education institutions, research funding agencies and companies, along with discussions with their respective management teams. The Swiss delegation will meet with representatives from the Canadian Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and other education, research and innovation stakeholders to explore new opportunities for cooperation. During her stay in Montreal, State Secretary Hirayama will also take part in the Science Diplomacy Summit, organised by three Canadian universities in collaboration with the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA).
Canada: a key partner for Switzerland in education, research and innovation
Switzerland and Canada work closely together in the education, research and innovation sector. Between 2020 and 2025, the Swiss National Science Foundation funded more than 860 Swiss research projects involving Canadian researchers. In terms of the number of funded collaborations, Canada is Switzerland’s second most important partner outside of Europe. Canada is also an important partner for Switzerland in multilateral projects – for example, in Horizon Europe, in major research infrastructures such as CERN and in space exploration.