News

Proteins are the building blocks of life – and the docking sites for pharmaceutical compounds. Therefore, understanding exactly how proteins function and react to stimuli opens up new possibilities in pharmaceutical research. Four researchers have now been awarded a prestigious ERC Synergy Grant to investigate how proteins respond to electric fields. Their method will be prototyped using the X-ray free-electron laser SwissFEL at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, with the aim of expanding to other large research facilities in the future.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) and the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) have carried out a large-scale, internationally coordinated operation against a suspected criminal organisation. The operation targeted individuals suspected of involvement in a criminal organisation, of committing offences under the Narcotics Act, and of engaging in aggravated money laundering.

Federal Council Vice-President Ignazio Cassis will represent Switzerland at the 20th Francophonie Summit, to be held on 15 and 16 November 2026 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Under the motto ‘Reinvest in Peace for Shared Prosperity and Sustainable Stability’, the summit will focus on peace and cooperation. The election of the secretary-general of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF) is also on the agenda.

In the 3rd quarter 2026, the employed population grew by 0.5% and ILO unemployment stood at 5.6%

In laboratory experiments, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have discovered how brown carbon from wildfires promotes the formation of harmful nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere. This could improve prediction of the effects wildfires have on air quality and climate. The results have now been published in the journal Science Advances.

The Confederation engages in “communication abroad” to cultivate Switzerland's image internationally and to guard against image crises. Presence Switzerland, a unit of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), implements measures relating to communication abroad: appearances at major international events, project funding, communication content, the organisation of delegation trips, and monitoring of how Switzerland is perceived abroad. Presence Switzerland follows the Federal Council's Strategy for Communication Abroad and coordinates with the many federal agencies that communicate abroad on Switzerland's behalf. The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) examined whether Presence Switzerland uses the funds for communication abroad coherently and effectively. It concluded that Presence Switzerland should prioritise its activities more rigorously and gear them towards achieving an impact among the relevant target groups.

The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) is the Confederation’s specialised agency for national and international issues in its field. In particular, it supports innovation and vocational training projects. In 2022 the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) conducted an audit of how this funding is granted. It examined whether the funding was justified and effective. The SFAO issued four main recommendations, one at the highest level of priority. The SFAO therefore conducted a follow-up audit on the implementation of these key recommendations. It concluded that SERI has implemented the four recommendations.

Foreign policy and science diplomacy were the focus of FDFA State Secretary Alexandre Fasel's visit to Brussels on 10 and 11 November 2026. On Tuesday, he met with Kajsa Ollongren, the secretary-general of the European External Action Service (EEAS), for political consultations. On Wednesday, at the European Commission's European Research and Innovation Days, he highlighted how Switzerland fosters trust through anticipatory science diplomacy. This approach is also being pursued by Switzerland in the run-up to the Global AI Summit 2027 in Geneva. Mr Fasel invited the European states and their partners to take part in this preparatory process.

The Swiss Confederation issued two bonds by auction on 11.11.2026: 0.50%, maturity 27.05.2030 (reopening) and 0.50%, maturity 28.05.2040 (reopening). The issuance volume (excluding own holdings) amounts to a total of 185.060 million francs.

As young people’s career aspirations change and more opt for general education pathways, companies in some sectors are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit apprentices. Researchers at the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training SFUVET presented their trend report on current developments in the Swiss apprenticeship market today. Innovative vocational education and training (VET) projects were also recognised with the Enterprize 2026 awards at the national conference.

Life cycle assessment is used to quantify the environmental impact of products and services and forms an important basis for political decisions. However, the necessary data is always difficult to capture completely. A study by the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI now shows that four established hybrid methods can be reduced to just two: a first step towards open-source software that could enable such analyses even without in-depth mathematical knowledge.

New synthetic drugs pose considerable health risks – consumers cannot assess the consequences of taking them. To combat these designer drugs effectively, the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) is adding further substances to the Narcotics List Ordinance with effect from 10 November 2026. This makes them subject to the Narcotics Act: their manufacture, trade and use are illegal.