Switzerland holds leading positions in a number of international rankings in research and innovation. It is one of the countries with the highest spending on R&D in relation to their gross domestic product. The private sector accounts for more than two-thirds of Swiss R&D expenditure, which currently amounts to over 3 percent of GDP. Government agencies at various levels and research institutions ensure to provide a fertile ground for excellent research and successful innovation. Basic research mainly takes place at the federal institutes of technology and at universities. Applied research and development as well as the transfer of knowledge into marketable innovations is primarily facilitated by the private sector and universities of applied sciences. Collaborations of all these diverse players of innovation form the innovation ecosystem in Switzerland and accelerate the transformation of research results into marketable products and services.