Boldness, speed, a willingness to experiment and take risks: entitled “The Startup Mindset,” the 2026 edition of fribourg.swiss, the official magazine of the Fribourg Development Agency (FDA), explores the mindset that drives startups and the ecosystem that supports their growth. From research and technology transfer to business support, innovation sites and collaboration with established companies, the magazine examines the many facets of Fribourg’s startup scene and shows how the startup mindset extends well beyond startups themselves. The new edition was unveiled at the Marly Innovation Center (MIC).

Startups play an important role in Fribourg’s economy. Whether they emerge from academic research or the industrial sector, they operate within an ecosystem that has expanded considerably in recent years. With “The Startup Mindset,” the 2026 edition of fribourg.swiss takes an in-depth look at this world while also exploring how the startup mindset is spreading beyond young companies.

“Startups bring the energy and capacity for experimentation that are essential to an economy that must constantly reinvent itself. They also play a vital role in bringing innovation to market, transforming promising ideas into concrete solutions that create value and jobs. To succeed, they can draw on Fribourg’s close-knit and exceptionally well-connected ecosystem,” says Olivier Curty, State Councillor in charge of economic affairs.

Different paths, a shared mindset

As they grow, startups themselves need to adapt their organizations. Bcomp, which now employs 80 people, explains how the agility of its early days must gradually be balanced with the processes required of an industrial company. Venturi Lab, by contrast, never went through a startup phase but applies some of the principles commonly associated with startups, including short cycles of design, testing and improvement.

The magazine also explores the complementary relationship between young companies and established businesses. Overney Technologie partnered with the family-owned SME Zbinden Posieux to turn an innovation for the agricultural sector into a product suitable for industrial production: one brings the concept and technological expertise, while the other contributes its production capabilities and R&D experience.

A diversified “portfolio”

For Jerry Krattiger, Managing Director of the Fribourg Development Agency, this diversity is a key component of economic development: “Startups must be part of the mix in any high-performing economy, alongside SMEs and large companies. They bring new technologies, explore new markets and create new opportunities. The goal is not to rely on a single model, but to bring together different players that complement and strengthen one another, thereby ensuring the constant renewal that a dynamic economy needs.”

This diversity is underpinned by a network that supports companies at different stages of their development. Fri Up assists entrepreneurs, while universities, their institutes and competence centers such as ChemTech help bridge the gap between research and industrial production. Innovation sites such as AgriCo, bluefactory, Le Vivier and the MIC provide environments tailored to companies’ needs.

Marly Innovation Center hosts the launch

The 2026 edition of fribourg.swiss was presented on September 23 at the Marly Innovation Center. Following welcoming remarks by Jerry Krattiger, Mathieu Piller (Marly Innovation Center), Olivier Curty and Noam Rey (CIC Switzerland, principal partner of the magazine) discussed entrepreneurship and the startup mindset.

Marc Pauchard, strategic advisor on innovation, research and ecosystem development, then presented key aspects of the startup mindset that SMEs can draw on to foster innovation. The panel discussion, “What Startups Can Teach Us,” brought together Brigitte Baumann, business angel and founder of efino; Sarah Cattin, CTO and co-founder of Xemperia; Ciril Stebler, CEO and co-founder of velocorner.ch; and Yann Steulet, Managing Director of Fri Up.