Adjust the financing of ETH and EPFL to Swiss economic growth.
ETH and EPFL are the backbone of our innovation. But their financing does not keep pace with the growth of student numbers and the economy. The initiative calls for a stable financial foundation that grows dynamically with the development of Switzerland.
Problem
- The number of students at ETH and EPFL has massively increased over 20 years, while federal contributions have stagnated when adjusted for inflation. This underfunding leads to overcrowded lecture halls and endangers the quality of supervision. Our educational success is increasingly at risk.
- Despite the economic slowdown, the shortage of engineers and technicians remains at a record level (rank 3 in the skilled labor shortage index 2025). By 2033, 54,000 specialists will be missing in ICT alone. ETH and EPFL are central to closing this gap and securing our prosperity.
- The current BFI message foresees real cuts adjusted for inflation. This forces universities to take drastic measures such as dismantling entire research branches. This is poison for the long-term planning security of Switzerland's most important raw material: knowledge and education.
- Every franc invested in ETH and EPFL generates five francs of value creation for Switzerland. Savings measures in this area are economically nonsensical: We save on education today and lose many times over in prosperity, tax revenues, and jobs tomorrow.
- More and more foreign students are studying at ETH and EPFL. We finance their education, and the know‑how partly flows abroad (e.g., China). The tuition fee should be adjusted in accordance with the economic benefit for Switzerland.
Solution
- To secure the relevance of universities for prosperity, the federal contribution will be legally linked to the real gross domestic product (GDP). If the Swiss economy grows, the funds for research and innovation will automatically grow proportionally.
- Funding follows the students: The initiative introduces a dynamic budget based on the number of enrolled persons. This ensures that the quality of teaching and the supervision ratio remain stable despite increasing demand.
- Federal contributions will be mandatorily adjusted to inflation (national consumer price index) and specific cost increases in the scientific sector (e.g., energy, laboratory materials).
- A one-time correction factor compensates for the funding gap of the last 10 years.
- Funding is based on a base contribution that is adjusted annually by inflation and the average GDP growth.
Benefit
- Stable finances allow ETH and EPFL to invest in long-term research projects such as artificial intelligence or quantum technology.
- An excellent supervision ratio and state-of-the-art laboratories attract the world's best researchers and students. The Swiss economy directly benefits from this through innovative spin-offs, highly qualified labor, and a first-class knowledge culture domestically.
- By linking funding to success, Switzerland remains independent of foreign technologies. We secure our status as a world innovation leader, which guarantees future tax revenues and sustainably secures prosperity for the next generation.
Public support
Total votes: 21
Breakdown: FullyOnBoard: 10, NeedForDiscussion: 6, SoundsGood: 3, NoChance: 1, Concerns: 1
Discussion
- Felix Kramer (2026-04-03): More investment does not necessarily mean more output. The goal must be to deploy scarce resources optimally. There is certainly a lot of room for improvement at ETH. Often one has to say goodbye to the old in order to make space/room/money for new things.
- ↳ Thomas Mathis (2026-04-18): I have worked many years at ETH. The output is very good, and the professors are highly motivated (sometimes even over‑motivated, which can take a toll on the staff and assistants). They have a very lean structure and give the professors a lot of freedom. The money is well invested, and there is clearly still room for improvement, but the key to success and to the motivation of the professors at ETH (and that’s why they are known worldwide and the best in the world are eager to come here) is that they take the approach: give the money directly to the professors. Most other universities in the world have funds and pots, and professors have to constantly write grant applications. That costs them a lot of time and keeps them from doing research. But the most important question: what is output in basic research? Papers, citations, indices? Unfortunately, that has nothing to do with qualitative output, only throughput. Breakthroughs often take years before they yield results.
- Daniel Holenwerg (2026-03-20): Who will still do manual work in the future? With the armchair scholars, no one has bread in their hands in the morning.