Hasler Foundation

The Hasler Foundation (Hasler Stiftung) is a Swiss non-profit foundation based in Bern that promotes information and communications technology (ICT) for the well-being and benefit of Switzerland as an intellectual and industrial centre. Its stated purpose is to help ensure that Switzerland continues to take a leading position in science and technology in the future. It pursues this by financing or co-financing selected educational, research and innovation projects and undertakings in the field of ICT. The Foundation is politically and religiously neutral and free of any commercial interests. Although it is a non-profit-making organisation, it is not a charity in the conventional sense: its support is always results-based, in keeping with the purpose of the Foundation. It provides grants and support to researchers, educational institutions and innovation projects, and it publishes information about what and whom it supports and how to apply. The Hasler Foundation was established in 1948 and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, publishing a short history of those 75 years. It is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland. In recent years it has modernised its processes: from 27 March 2024 it accepts applications only via its website, and since May 2024 all news is published exclusively via its LinkedIn channel. It appointed a new Managing Director starting in August 2024 and published its Annual Report 2023 in April 2024. The Foundation has also been involved in the long-running effort to anchor computer science as a basic subject in Swiss Gymnasium education. After about 40 years, the Federal Council decided on 28 June 2023, in the context of the total revision of the Matura Recognition Ordinance (MAV), to anchor computer science as a basic subject in the Gymnasium; professors Walter Gander and Urs Hochstrasser described this history in an article referenced by the Foundation.

The Hasler Foundation (Hasler Stiftung) is a Swiss non-profit foundation based in Bern. It was established in 1948 and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2023, publishing a short history of those 75 years. The Foundation's purpose is to promote information and communications technology (ICT) for the well-being and benefit of Switzerland as an intellectual and industrial centre, and to play an active role in ensuring that Switzerland continues to take a leading position in science and technology in the future. It provides its support by financing or co-financing selected educational, research and innovation projects and undertakings in the field of ICT. The Foundation is politically and religiously neutral and free of any commercial interests. Although it is a non-profit-making organisation, it is not a charity, in that its support is always results-based, in keeping with the purpose of the Foundation. Over the decades the Foundation has been associated with efforts to strengthen computer science education in Switzerland. After about 40 years, the Federal Council decided on 28 June 2023, in the context of the total revision of the Matura Recognition Ordinance (MAV), to anchor computer science as a basic subject in the Gymnasium. Professors Walter Gander and Urs Hochstrasser described this history in an article referenced by the Foundation. In the 2020s the Foundation modernised its operations. On 26 March 2024 it announced that from 27 March 2024 it would only accept applications via its website, and that submission by e-mail would no longer be permitted. On 23 April 2024 it published its Annual Report 2023. On 7 March 2024 it announced that it would have a new Managing Director starting in August 2024. Since May 2024, all news is published exclusively via its LinkedIn channel.

• 2023

  Foundation turns 75 and publishes a short history of its 75 years.

• 1948

  Hasler Foundation established.

• Federal Council decides to anchor computer science as a basic subject in the Gymnasium in the context of the total revision of the Matura Recognition Ordinance (MAV).

• Announcement of a new Managing Director starting in August 2024.

• Applications accepted only via the Foundation's website; e-mail submission no longer permitted.

• Annual Report 2023 published.

• All news published exclusively via LinkedIn channel.

A politically and religiously neutral, non-profit Swiss foundation that funds results-based ICT education, research and innovation projects to strengthen Switzerland as a science and technology centre.

• ICT research grants

  Financing or co-financing of selected research projects in information and communications technology.

• ICT innovation project funding

  Support for innovation projects and undertakings in the field of ICT.

• ICT education project funding

  Support for educational projects and undertakings in the field of ICT.

1. 1Hasler Stiftung – Describes the work of the Hasler Foundationhaslerstiftung.ch
2. 2Hasler Foundation – Wikidatawikidata.org