"International appeal begins with international visibility."

The Zurich AI Festival showcases the Greater Zurich Area’s innovative spirit on the international stage. For the first time, Winterthur is also part of the program. We spoke with Sabine Müller of Greater Zurich Area AG about why the festival is important, what role Winterthur plays in the innovation ecosystem, and what she is particularly looking forward to.

What is the goal of the Zurich AI Festival?
Sabine Müller: The Greater Zurich Area is one of the world’s leading centers for research and innovation, but it is still not widely recognized as such on the international stage. The Zurich AI Festival highlights this strength. It demonstrates why our region is one of the world’s most exciting hubs for AI and deep tech, and makes it even more attractive to companies, talent, and investors.

What sets the Greater Zurich Area apart as an AI and deep tech hub?
Here, cutting-edge research, an exceptionally high concentration of AI talent, international tech companies, and strong industry partners come together in a compact area. The Swiss Deep Tech Report 2026 confirms this strength: Switzerland leads Europe in per-capita deep-tech funding, and one in four newly founded startups is already active in the AI/ML sector. What’s crucial, however, is the ability to bring ideas to life: Here, AI isn’t just researched—it’s also transformed into products, applications, and businesses.

The festival takes place at various locations. Why did you decide on this concept?
If you want to understand our region, you have to experience it. That’s why we’re opening the doors to the places where cutting-edge research, robotics, and AI are actually taking shape. Many of these places are otherwise rarely accessible. The festival highlights where innovation happens and provides direct access to our innovation ecosystem, which is often not very visible.

What role does Winterthur play in the AI and innovation ecosystem, and what does the premiere of “AI Meets Reality” at the Vitus site mean?
Winterthur combines technology, sustainable sites, and education. Transformed industrial sites like the Vitus and the ZHAW are creating an environment where industrial heritage, applied research, and new technologies come together directly. The fact that Winterthur is participating in the Zurich AI Festival for the first time with “AI Meets Reality” fits perfectly with the festival’s concept. We showcase innovation right where it’s created and applied. I’m particularly looking forward to the presentation by Davide Scaramuzza, one of the most internationally renowned professors of robotics and perception at the University of Zurich. He was recently interviewed by MIT Technology Review. Leading figures bring the strengths of our innovation hub to life.

What are you most looking forward to at the Zurich AI Festival 2026, and what should companies definitely not miss?
I’m looking forwardto the encounters—both spontaneous and planned. The festival brings together international decision-makers with the Swiss innovation ecosystem. Initial conversations lead to connections, which may later develop into collaborations and, in the best-case scenario, concrete business establishment projects.
I’m deliberately choosing not to highlight any single program item. Every event has been carefully curated by the ETH AI Center. Companies should tailor their program to their own strategic questions—that is precisely where the festival’s strength lies.

Origins and Sponsorship of the
The Zurich AI Festival is jointly sponsored by the ETH AI Center, Greater Zurich Area AG, the City of Zurich, the Canton of Zurich, and Zurich Tourism . Greater Zurich Area AG is backed by nine member cantons, the Winterthur region, and the City of Zurich. Additional international visibility is provided by the collaboration with Choose Europe, the network of leading European economic regions competing to attract businesses and talent.