CSEM, Insel Gruppe, and University of Bern extend Bern medtech collaboration for three more years

The applied research partnership between CSEM, the Insel Gruppe, and the University of Bern has been extended for three years, building on 32 medtech projects launched since 2023 and reinforcing Bern’s ambition to become a leading international medical hub by 2030.

The applied research partnership between CSEM, the Insel Gruppe, and the University of Bern has been extended for a further three years, covering 2026, 2027, and 2028. The extension follows the Bern Grand Council’s resolution of 3 June 2025 and builds on the positive results achieved since the collaboration launched in 2023, when the Grand Council approved a CHF 11.5 million credit to establish a CSEM digital health research presence on the Insel Campus.

Between 2023 and 2025, 24 collaborative projects were launched through the Bern Medtech Collaboration Call (BMCC), spanning gynecology, neurology, cardiology, diabetology, pulmonology, and surgery. From approximately 90 project proposals submitted by research teams at Inselspital and the University of Bern’s Faculty of Medicine, 32 were selected for collaboration with CSEM, a 35.5% acceptance rate reflecting the evaluation committee’s focus on clinical relevance and technical feasibility.

Current projects include ELAINE, a wearable electrode abdominal band for continuous monitoring of pregnant women and their babies before and during childbirth, developed in collaboration with the Women’s Clinic at Inselspital. The technology is being brought to market readiness through the planned start-up VidaSense, supported by Innosuisse and the EU project Newlife, with a clinical study expected to begin in 2026. Several other projects are advancing CSEM’s continuous optical blood pressure monitoring technology across cardiology, pediatrics, neurology, and neurosurgery, a research line that previously led to the founding of Aktiia in 2018 and the launch of its medically certified blood pressure monitor Hilo.

For a broader perspective on CSEM’s role in Switzerland’s innovation ecosystem, listen to our Getting Serious podcast conversation with Dr. Alexandre Pauchard, CEO of CSEM, in which he explores what keeps Switzerland at the top of global innovation rankings.