The Swiss Space Ecosystem is characterised by a decentralised and heterogeneous structure that lacks a unified national space coordination strategy. While Switzerland is internationally active, particularly through its membership in the European Space Agency, the national innovation environment appears fragmented. Start-ups, which play a key role in technological innovation and commercialisation, face difficulties in navigating this ecosystem. The increasing relevance of commercial space initiatives and the expanding number of actors in the field highlight the importance of understanding existing barriers and promoting better integration. Against this background, the topic of this thesis is of significance for innovation policy and practice. This thesis addresses two central questions: How are Swiss space start-ups connected and supported by other actors in the ecosystem and what challenges do they face? The aim is to identify structural and operational barriers that hinder collaboration and growth, as well as to evaluate the nature of connections between start-ups and ecosystem actors such as academia and research, governmental organisations, and the established industry. The study applies a qualitative research approach. First, an in-depth qualitative literature analysis was conducted. It serves as the theoretical foundation. This was followed by the database collection of the Swiss Space Ecosystem and guided expert interviews with selected ecosystem representatives, which serves as the empirical foundation. The data was analysed using thematic coding to identify patterns, challenges, and connection dynamics. The analysis reveals a mixed picture. Start-ups maintain strong ties with academia and research institutions but experience limited access to governmental and established industrial partners. Many actors perceive the support landscape as unstructured and lacking transparency. Key hurdles for start-ups include insufficient follow-up funding, restricted access to customers, and high administrative complexity. These structural issues contribute to a perception of weak coordination within the ecosystem. The thesis concludes that while Switzerland possesses strong research capabilities, high quality manufacturing expertise and innovative start-ups, the ecosystem requires improved coordination, communication, and support mechanisms. Recommendations include the establishment of a national-wide space innovation strategy, better communication and transparency, and stronger cross-actor exchange formats. Further research is needed to explore the roles of investors and additional governmental organisations to develop a more holistic picture of the ecosystem’s dynamics.
Janek Wogawa (Thu,) studied this question.