A platform for the promotion of technical professions at the BioArk in Visp

To help overcome the shortage of qualified personnel in these fields, Lonza and the Department of Economics and Education (DEF) have set up an area for the promotion of MINT disciplines in Visp.

In order to meet the challenges of the digitization of its economy and to address the shortage of qualified professionals in the MINT fields (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology), the canton of Valais and Lonza have joined forces to create MINTworld, a space dedicated to discovery and innovation at the BioArk in Visp. This project is mainly aimed at compulsory school pupils and their teachers, but is also open to other target groups such as people undergoing retraining or returning to work.

MINTworld offers teachers the opportunity to practice and deepen the subjects of the French-speaking curriculum and Lehrplan 21 under real conditions in laboratories and rooms called “Makerspaces”. Lonza instructors specially trained for this project accompany the groups of visitors in the various modules. The aim is to get the students interested in MINT subjects by asking questions from everyday life and to approach them in a practical way.

A showcase of Valais innovation at the service of research, education and the economy

The platform aims to bring together industrial players and basic training in order to promote MINT professions and to show the existing prospects in Valais in these fields. The project is the result of a public-private partnership and provides for co-financing of investments and the coverage of operating costs only by the private sector, on the basis of an agreement concluded for a period of ten years.

The pilot phase will start in the spring of 2023 with schools in the Upper Valais region, and MINTworld will be accessible to all students in the canton and their teachers from the start of the 2023/2024 school year.