Rudolfovo and FIŠ on a professional excursion to Switzerland – Geneva and Zurich (August 25–29, 2025)

Between August 25 and 29, 2025, Rudolfovo – Science and Technology Centre Novo mesto and the Faculty of Information Studies in Novo mesto organized a professional excursion to Switzerland, which provided participants with an insight into the workings of leading international organizations, research centers, and companies. The trip took them from Geneva, Annecy, and Annemasse to Zurich and Baden, combining scientific, economic, and social topics.

On the first day, participants visited the headquarters of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, where they were welcomed by President Aleksander Čeferin, accompanied by Ms. Ines Najvirt, who spoke about the work and vision of the European football association. This was followed by a division into two groups. One group traveled to Annecy, France, to the OMRON Automation Center for Autonomous Mobile Robots, where application engineer Lucas Juncker presented the development of autonomous mobile robots. They were also joined by the director of MIEL d. o. o., Industrial Automation, Andrej Rotovnik, who emphasized the importance of robotics for the future of the Slovenian economy. Meanwhile, the other group visited the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), where they gained insight into the work of this central international institution and its role in ensuring cooperation and peace in the world.

The Wednesday program was dedicated to learning about two important organizations in Geneva – the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the CERN research center. Participants learned about current achievements in the field of intellectual property protection and saw up close the research infrastructure behind cutting-edge achievements in particle physics.

Thursday's part of the program took place in Zurich. First, as part of their visit to the Greater Zurich Area, they learned about the economic and innovation opportunities in the region, and then visited one of Europe's leading universities – ETH Zurich. There, they toured the main university building, met with representatives of the Grants Office, and visited the Robotics Systems Laboratory, where researchers presented their latest projects in the field of robotics. After a free afternoon in Zurich, the group headed back to Slovenia, arriving on Friday morning.

The excursion offered a rich combination of scientific, economic, and social content and enabled direct contact with researchers, representatives of institutions, and companies. The meetings provided insight into the latest technologies, international trends, and opportunities for networking, which will be valuable for the future development of science, innovation, and the economy in Slovenia.