Switzerland leads in robotics: 217 companies and 7'000 jobs

Context

TL;DR

• 217 companies in Swiss robotics
• 109 directly produce robots
• 87% have fewer than 100 employees
• Approximately 7’000 jobs in the sector

Key facts

• Companies in the sector → 217
• Direct manufacturers → 109
• Spin-offs from ETH and EPFL → approximately 80%
• Companies with fewer than 100 employees → 87%
• Jobs → approximately 7’000

A snapshot of the sector

217 Swiss companies are linked to the robotics sector, and 109 of these directly design and manufacture robots. The latest economic monitoring report published by Raiffeisen describes a rapidly growing ecosystem closely linked to university research. Drones, underwater robots, and medical and industrial applications are all part of the same snapshot.

In July 2026, in Geneva, humanoid robots from Geneva-based company RB Labs were among the audience at an AI summit. The episode belongs to the public dimension of the sector, while Raiffeisen’s data mainly measure companies, spin-offs and employment.

From research to companies

More than half of the companies originate from Swiss universities and research institutes. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) play a central role: approximately 80% of university spin-offs active in robotics originate from the two institutions. This share directly links academic research to the creation of new business ventures.

Drones, snakes and seabeds

Researchers at the University of Zurich aim to use unmanned systems to inspect pylons, bridges and cargo ships. The technologies can also be used in fires and to search for survivors. Roboa, a company founded at ETH Zurich, develops snake-shaped robots to inspect pipes and hard-to-access spaces. Tethys Robotics develops underwater robots to monitor offshore infrastructure and carry out other operations in marine environments.

The majority of companies in the sector are small in size: 87% employ fewer than 100 employees. Approximately 7’000 people are employed in the sector overall. This structure shows that Swiss robotics also includes specialized companies born from research, in addition to industrial applications.

In terms of financing, Switzerland stands out in the European landscape. The European Spinouts Report 2025 puts the venture capital raised by robotics spin-offs originating at ETH at approximately 785 million dollars, and the amount flowing into ventures linked to EPFL at approximately 508 million. Anyone observing the labor market can use annunci di lavoro nella robotica to verify how this research translates into concrete positions.

Operational details

Impact on employment and the economy

An already high industrial density

The figure that speaks most clearly to those working in factories is density: in Switzerland, there are 29 industrial robots for every thousand employees in the manufacturing sector. The figure is higher than that recorded in France, Austria, Canada and China. The comparison shows that automation is already measurable in Swiss factories, not only in experimental projects.

The tasks most exposed

According to the estimates contained in Raiffeisen's report, robotics could affect approximately one in three jobs in Switzerland in the future. To interpret the figure in practical terms, it is necessary to consider the activities performed, not only the sector indicated in the contract.

The flow of capital confirms the variety of applications. Investments concern minimally invasive surgery and agriculture, including autonomous systems for weed control. In tests in Aargau, the robot trained with artificial intelligence eliminated 90% of weeds on the second pass. Robotics is therefore entering activities beyond manufacturing, with uneven effects on jobs.

The labor shortage remains a separate problem

The report puts a limit on the idea that robots can automatically make up for the shortage of skilled labor. Among occupations characterized by a particular shortage of workers, only 17% also show above-average exposure to robotics. In activities involving extensive human contact, such as assistance, care and support for people, adoption is expected to be more gradual. According to the analysis, human skills will remain difficult to replace at least in the medium term.

For those seeking opportunities, the catalog of aziende che assumono allows one to move from the general figure to the employers to examine, without mistaking a profession's exposure for an individual forecast.

Useful tools to protect your net income

To reduce FX leakage, compare CHF-EUR exchange options and banks for cross-border workers.

Key points

How to use this data for guidance

The growth of the sector provides an indication, not a ready-made choice. Anyone living or working in Switzerland can turn the data into a structured professional assessment, without assigning the same level of exposure to robotics to every role. The following procedure helps prepare an application or assess a possible move into an activity connected to the sector.

An operational sequence

1. Map your current job. Write down the tasks you perform and compare them with the categories indicated in the study: support staff, electricians, machinery and plant operators, metalworking workers. If the job involves assistance, care or accompaniment, note the high level of human contact, associated with more gradual adoption.

2. Choose an area of interest. The source indicates applications in drones, mobile and underwater robots, minimally invasive surgery, industry and agriculture. Identifying a specific field helps you read job advertisements without treating robotics as a single occupation.

3. Check the company profile. The monitoring distinguishes the 109 companies that design and directly produce robots from the total of 217 companies linked to the sector. Before applying, check what activity the company describes and whether it is consistent with the area chosen.

4. Compare the role and opportunities. Examine the responsibilities required, the interaction with machinery or autonomous systems, and the level of human contact. Set yourself a personal deadline to complete this assessment before submitting the application, then update the evaluation for each new position.

A one-page grid can contain four items: current activity, application area, exposure indicated by the study, and required human skills. This framework prevents reading the overall number of jobs as a guarantee for every profession. The report in fact notes that many human skills will remain difficult to replace at least in the medium term.

To compare current income with a new opportunity, the final step is to use the calcolatore stipendio.

Source: rsi.ch