Why innovation doesn't work without a vision, how interdisciplinary teams develop solutions, and why technology must always serve a purpose: Dr. Alexander Schavkan, head of cross-ING's Park Innovaare location, talks about new technologies, trends, and his relationship with the innovation park.

cross-ING moved into Park Innovaare a few months ago: What does cross-ING do? 

cross-ING is an interdisciplinary engineering company headquartered in Winterthur. We support companies from a wide range of industries in developing innovative solutions – from the initial idea to market-ready implementation. Our expertise ranges from mechanical engineering and electronics to software development and project and process management. We rely on an agile, cross-functional team of around 200 engineers who work on forward-looking projects with passion and expertise. 

What is cross-ING's relationship with Park Innovaare? And what is the interim assessment? 

cross-ING has been a tenant at Park Innovaare since November 2024, but we have supported the development of the ecosystem as a shareholder from the very beginning.

This has enabled us to significantly expand our network, initiate exciting projects with partners from the park and the region, and strengthen our innovation potential in a targeted manner. The inspiring environment and access to shared infrastructure—labs, workshops, clean rooms, and highly qualified specialists—are clear advantages of the location and enable our customers to develop prototypes with manageable investments.

Which industries or companies in Aargau are among your most important partners or customers—and how do you shape these relationships?

In Aargau, we primarily work with companies in the mechanical engineering, energy, and medical technology industries, as well as with research institutes. Our most important partners and customers include established industrial companies as well as innovative SMEs and start-ups that focus on agile development and technological excellence. The most important thing for us is trust and the resulting long-term cooperation.

Park Innovaare and the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI are closely linked. Do you also see yourself as a bridge builder between research and industry?

The proximity to the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI is of great strategic importance for cross-ING. Our presence in Park Innovaare enables us to pick up on research impulses at an early stage and translate them into industrial development projects. In this way, we make an active contribution to the innovative strength and competitiveness of our customers and partner companies.

You are a physicist yourself and previously worked for Park Innovaare? How does that influence your current work?

My background in physics and my previous work at Park Innovaare shape my current work in several ways. As a physicist, I have worked on similar facilities, such as SLS and swissFEL, which gives me a deeper understanding of the research world and helps me evaluate innovation projects and technological business models. My time at Park Innovaare also gave me valuable insights into the interface between research and industry—in particular, how scientific excellence can lead to marketable innovations.

How does cross-ING respond to new technology trends such as artificial intelligence, automation, and additive manufacturing—and what role do these play in your customers' everyday lives?

These developments are playing an increasingly central role in our customers' everyday lives—whether it's to increase efficiency, customize products, or shorten development cycles. We have also successfully integrated these areas into our network of competence centers.

We see our task as not viewing new technologies as an end in themselves, but as tools that can be used specifically to solve concrete challenges. In doing so, we support our customers from feasibility analysis and prototypical implementations to integration into existing systems.

What are the biggest obstacles to introducing new technologies or implementing projects? What advice do you often give companies?

One of the most common obstacles when introducing new technologies is a lack of common understanding of the goal among those involved in the project. Unclear requirements, insufficient resources, or underestimating the importance of change management can also significantly delay implementation. Technological challenges can usually be solved—the human and organizational factors are often decisive.

Our advice to companies is therefore: Take enough time at the beginning to conduct a thorough needs analysis and develop a common goal. Small, focused pilot projects help to identify risks early on and build acceptance. And last but not least: Involve your employees at an early stage – because new technologies only unfold their value if they are understood and supported in everyday life.

Are there any technologies where you say, “Something revolutionary is happening here”?

Yes, definitely. Right now, cybersecurity solutions are becoming more important than ever. With new EU regulations, increased use of smart applications, and the integration of artificial intelligence, new, even more secure systems are needed for every provider that has sensors and data exchange in their products.

Encryption technologies based on quantum phenomena and algorithms that are secure against quantum computers will soon be of immense importance. NIST has already confirmed the first lattice-based encryption standards. Whether and when quantum computers will arrive is still unclear, but stronger algorithms and true quantum encryption will definitely be needed.

Switzerland regularly ranks among the top countries in innovation assessments. How would you rate the innovative strength of Swiss industrial companies?

Swiss industry is characterized by remarkable innovative strength. At the same time, we are seeing growing interest in agile methods and a more open culture of innovation—a promising path to remaining at the forefront in the future. However, there is often still a gap between ideas and their industrial implementation.

Are there any current innovation projects that you are particularly proud of – especially in the context of sustainability, digitalization, or Industry 4.0?

As part of the Baden Summer School 4.0, we are organizing a hackathon, for example, which aims to find solutions to a problem in the field of predictive controls. In this case, the issue is temperature control in a vacuum, which should be controlled using AI wherever possible. To make the challenge as realistic as possible, we are receiving real data from a test chamber at the Paul Scherrer Institute.