Celebrating 10 Years of the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program

​🎉 You’re Invited: Celebrating 10 Years of the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program supporting Startup Ecosystem Development and International Cooperation in SECO partner countries🎉 

​Hosted during Global Entrepreneurship Week Basel 

​Join us as we mark a decade of engagement with impact through the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program (Swiss EP), initiated by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates. Since 2015, Swiss EP has supported startup ecosystem development, entrepreneurial and institutional capacity building, access to finance and internationalization in seven SECO partner countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, Vietnam, and Kosovo, —creating jobs, accelerating startups, and fostering innovation.

​We will use this special moment in time to take stock, explore different approaches to startup ecosystem development and compare lessons learnt both from Switzerland and Swiss EP’s countries of engagement.

​🌟 What to Expect?

• ​🎤 Keynote by the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs SECO (Economic Cooperation and Development)

• ​💬 Panel Discussion: “From Fragmented Initiatives to Integrated Ecosystems: Comparative Perspectives from Switzerland and SECO Partner Countries” Featuring key ecosystem players from Serbia & Peru, and leading voices from the Swiss startup scene

• ​🚀 Startup Pitches: Hear from Swiss EP-supported startups from Albania, Vietnam, Peru and Bosnia Herzegovina

• ​🔥 Fireside chat: What startups really need to thrive

• ​🥂 Networking Apéro with ecosystem actors, investors, private and public sector partners

​🎯 Why Attend?

• ​Discover lessons from 10 years of start-up ecosystem building, with focus on transition/emerging countries

• ​Connect with international and Swiss startup leaders and support organisations

• ​Explore opportunities for sharing experiences, collaboration and investment

• ​Celebrate the power of entrepreneurship to drive private sector development, competitiveness and sustainable development

​👥 Who Should Join?

• ​Swiss and international startup ecosystem representatives

• ​Angel Investors, VCs, and Family Offices

• ​Economic development professionals

• ​Other experts linked to startup and Innovation-focused initiatives

​⏱️ Program Rundown

​13:00 – 13:30 - Arrival and Registration

​13:30 – 13:35 - Start of event: Swiss EP stocktaking film

​13:35 – 13:40 - Welcome & Context - Malin Borg – Head of Program, Swiss EP

​13:40 – 13:45 - Welcoming Remarks from Tech Park Basel - Representative of Tech Park Basel

​13:45 – 13:55 - Keynote Address - Representative of Economic Cooperation and Development Division, SECO

​13:55 — 14:45 - Panel Discussion: From Fragmented Initiatives to Integrated Ecosystems—Comparative Perspectives from Switzerland and SECO Partner Countries

​This panel discussion will explore different approaches and lessons learned from efforts to build a successful ecosystem. It will compare efforts in Switzerland to facilitate the entrepreneur’s journey and access to funding with experiences from two SECO partner countries, Serbia and Peru.

• ​Participants:

  • ​Kosta Andric – Executive Director, ICT Hub Serbia

  • ​Luis Narro – Director of the Board, Peruvian Association of Seed and Venture Capital, PECAP Peru

  • ​Karin Sartorius, Innovation Manager Life Sciences/ AWA BS, Initiator und Board member POWHER – Female Entrepreneurs Basel

  • ​Katka Letzing – CEO & Co-Founder, Kickstart Innovation (tbc)

• ​Facilitator:

  • ​Camila Cordero – Country Manager, Peru, Swiss EP

​14:45 – 15:30 - Startup Pitches and Fireside Chat

​This part of the event will illustrate how Swiss EP support impacts the end beneficiary—the entrepreneur—and will shine a light on which support, from a founder's perspective, is particularly essential for success.

• ​Startups:

  • ​Dragana Mujanović – CEO & Founder, AIsthesis (Bosnia Herzegovina)

  • ​Arber Kadis – CEO & Founder, Patoko (Albania)

  • ​Thang Nguyen – CEO & Co-Founder, A-Star Group (Vietnam)

  • ​Natalia Cardenas – CEO & Co-Founder, Eolic Wall (Peru)

• ​Facilitators:

  • ​Enrico Fantini & Blagica Eftimova, Swiss EP

​15:30 – 15:45- Closing Remarks

• ​SECO representative

• ​Stephanie Dreifuss – Deputy CEO & Director Partners & Clients, Swisscontact

• ​Kevin Murphy – Chief Technical Advisor, J.E. Austin

​15:45– 16:00 - Celebratory Moment

​16:00 – 17:00 - Networking apéro

​📣 Let’s Celebrate, Reflect on the Past, and Build the Future Together.

​For more information, please contact: Malin Borg, [email protected]

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