Schweizer Illustrierte and L'Illustré are looking for the "Digi-Tal" 2021
Schweizer Illustrierte and L’Illustré are searching for the «Digi-Tal»—Switzerland’s Digital Valley. A rural region that stands out for its digital solutions, inventiveness, and creativity. Six finalists will be selected from among all submissions, and the winner will be crowned “Switzerland’s Digital Valley 2021” during Swiss Digital Day.
Innovative projects and digital quantum leaps are created in Silicon Valley, in the world's metropolises or in urban centers. That is the popular opinion. But rural regions in particular are a place of progress; creativity is often more necessary far from the centers, and flexibility and speed are greater. Together with Swiss innovation representatives, the Swiss Illustrated and L'Illustré The company is therefore putting those rural regions in the showcase that are playing a pioneering role in the field of digitization.
Corona accelerates digitization - in every corner of Switzerland
The farm family offers products from the farm store in the online store. The local museum takes visitors on a virtual tour of the exhibition rooms. From one week to the next, village schools have switched to digital distance learning. The pandemic has presented the Swiss with a whole new set of challenges. In the big city as well as in the remote valley. Not only companies are affected, but also communities, schools, tourist destinations and private individuals. Digital solutions have made inroads in many areas in recent months. With the digitization of services, but also of social interactions.
Regional inventiveness receives award
With the search for the most digital valley in Switzerland, the Swiss Illustrated and L'Illustré innovative regions a platform. To this end, the initiators have teamed up with renowned partners. Swisscom and Blue News, Generali Switzerland, the Gebert Rüf Foundation and Digitalswitzerland, as well as individuals from politics and education, are supporting the national initiative with their expertise. A jury of experts will select the most outstanding projects from all the applications and send six regions to the finals.
The jury of experts is composed of Johanna Gapany (Member of the Council of States FDP), Judith Bellaiche (CEO Trade Association Swico, National Councillor GLP), Martin Vetterli (President EPFL), Roland Siegwart (Professor ETH), Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler (Chief Digital Officer Swisscom), Andreas Krümmel (CEO Generali Switzerland), Pascale Vonmont (CEO Gebert Rüf Foundation), Diana Engetschwiler (Director Public Dialogue & Head of Digital Day) and Christian Wenger (Swiss Autonomous Valley, Wenger & Vieli).
Winning talent is chosen by readers
The six finalists will be announced in the Swiss Illustrated and L'Illustré and thus have the opportunity to convince readers of their digital thought leadership. The "Digi-Valley of Switzerland 2021" will be chosen by the readers. The winning valley will be announced on Digitaltag on November 10, 2021.
"In addition to the award, the winning valley benefits from further presence in the two magazines with a total reach of around 850,000 readers," explains Werner De Schepper, co-chief editor of the Swiss Illustrated. "With this initiative, we want to show that digitization has become part of everyday life across the country."
In addition, the valley receives support from the main partners to continue its success story and to spread it to other regions of Switzerland.
"Despite its small size, Switzerland has repeatedly produced innovations that have gained worldwide recognition," says Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler, Chief Digital Officer Swisscom and member of the Digi-Tal jury. "In areas such as agriculture, tourism or the construction industry as well as in high-precision technology or the pharmaceutical industry. We live in a nation of innovation that is on the verge of taking on a pioneering role in digitization as well. To this end, Swisscom is building and operating modern infrastructure with mobile communications, fiber-optic network, data centers and digital solutions. And it's doing so all the way to the farthest valley. Digi-Tal 2021' gives creative ideas in these regions and valleys a stage".
"Education is the basis for the success of Switzerland as a place to do business and live," says Pascale Vonmont, CEO/Director of the Gebert Rüf Foundation. "How do we learn and teach to train the next generation to be responsible shapers? Schools and teachers across the country are already making relevant contributions through pilot projects. We are pleased to put these pioneers in the showcase and engage them in an exchange."
Interested parties can submit projects by July 15, 2021, at. Digi-tal-switzerland.ch submit
