Services · Research & NETWORK

Where Personal Connections Become Joint Projects

Maintaining a strong network between Toolpoint members and research teams is one of our core activities. Personal contacts often lead to cross-company projects — and Toolpoint creates the conditions for those connections to happen, year after year.

ABOUT THIS SERVICE

A Network Built on Trust and Proximity

Research & Network is at the heart of what makes Toolpoint distinctive. Unlike arms-length industry associations, Toolpoint fosters genuine personal relationships between decision-makers, researchers and professionals across the cluster — relationships that translate into real cross-company projects over time.

Toolpoint managers can find suitable partners more readily because the needs of individual players are known from ongoing 1:1 engagement. All connections and discussions are treated with full confidentiality — creating a safe environment for open dialogue at every level of the organisation.

Personal Relationships

Toolpoint creates structured opportunities for members to build genuine, lasting professional relationships — not just transactional contacts. These personal ties are the foundation of every successful cross-company project.

Full Confidentiality

Every connection made and every need shared through Toolpoint is treated with complete discretion. Members can engage openly, knowing that commercially sensitive information is never exposed outside the relevant group.

Industry-Academia Bridge

Toolpoint actively bridges the gap between its member companies and leading Swiss research institutions — facilitating joint projects, internships and knowledge transfer that benefit both sides of the partnership.

Annual Events & Touchpoints

Toolpoint provides a structured calendar of events throughout the year — each designed to foster a specific type of connection, from CEO-level relationship building to hands-on technical workshops with the international research community.

Top of Toolpoint CEO Event

The flagship annual gathering of Toolpoint’s most senior members — a carefully curated event that specifically promotes contact among decision-makers at the highest level of the cluster. The format combines an intellectually engaging keynote address with unstructured time for meaningful one-to-one conversation.
  • Frequency
    Once per year - annual event
  • Audience
    CEOs, managing directors and senior leadership of Toolpoint member companies
  • Format
    Keynote Address | Peer Networking | Decision-Maker Dialogue

Annual Delegates Meeting

Once a year, Toolpoint gathers its delegates for an exchange of information across the full membership. Far from a passive reporting session, the Delegates Meeting is designed around interactive segments — giving participants the opportunity to actively develop ideas, explore potential synergies and establish new working relationships across organisational boundaries.
  • Frequency
    Once per year — all members invited
  • Audience
    Delegates representing all Toolpoint member companies
  • Format
    Information Exchange | Interactive Workshops | Synergy Development

Specialist Workshops & Symposia

Complementing the annual networking events, Toolpoint organises focused workshops on a variety of technically specific topics. These events bring together the international scientific and engineering community with Toolpoint member companies — ensuring the cluster is connected to the cutting edge of its most important specialisms.

Research Connections That Matter

Toolpoint works closely with major Swiss universities and promotes joint projects with member firms. Knowledge and technology transfer is actively pursued — and graduates and students gain in-depth insights into leading industrial companies.
Also See
Toolpoint also provides graduate students and interns with placements at member companies.
Learn more about Careers →

Confidentiality Commitment

All connections and introductions facilitated through Toolpoint’s research and network activities are treated with full confidentiality. Members can share their needs and build relationships with the assurance that no information is disclosed to other parties without consent.

All Toolpoint Services

Education & Training is one of six service pillars Toolpoint provides to its members. Explore the others below.

Education & Further Training

Scientists, engineers and researchers working on product development and laboratory innovation.
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Policy Action & Representation

Advocacy with political institutions and regulatory bodies on behalf of the lab science cluster.
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Services for Members

Tailored member support including the Who-is-Who directory, job postings and IP consultations.
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Innovation & Technology

Joint R&D projects, technology platforms and the Toolpoint Innovation Process.
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Cluster Expansion

Close collaboration between Toolpoint members, academia, government and cross cluster dialogue.
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Events & Community

The Swiss Symposium on Lab Automation, Top of Toolpoint CEO event, and more.
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