Sarah Dégallier Rochat

In this talk, I argue that the Swiss Industry needs to rely on human augmentation rather human replacement. Indeed, Switzerland’s key strengths lie in their unique know-how, innovation capability and both highly competent engineers and well trained technicians. In order to enhance these strengths, Swiss companies need to focus on technology democratization, but also on worker empowerment. Through the concept of Artisan 4.0, I describe a vision of a human-centered digitalisation that leverage human capital to strengthen resilience and agility, while boosting innovation potential.

In this talk, I will examine the gender dimension of algorithms, focusing not only on data bias but also on conscious human decisions in technology design. From the choice of female assistant voices to the mathematical translation of complex social concepts such as justice and equality, these decisions shape human-machine interaction. Based on different examples of bad usage of algorithms, I will show how technological systems are not neutral, but embody and reproduce cultural values and power relationships.

In this seminar, we explore how technology is never neutral, but always embodies certain values and ideologies. Statements such as “regulation hinders innovation” often go unquestioned, yet they reflect specific worldviews about the relationship between technology and society.

This workshop does not aim to prescribe “right” or “wrong” views, but rather creates space for thoughtful reflection on the ideological dimensions of our technological choices. The goal is to go beyond simplistic narratives of progress and considers how we can shape technology to serve our deepest values.

The rapid advancement of digitalization presents unprecedented opportunities while simultaneously creating significant barriers for socially disadvantaged communities. In this talk, I will summarize the findings from a workshop examining the intersection of digital transformation and social vulnerability. Through collaborative analysis and discussion, we identify key challenges that prevent equitable access to digital services and information. The paper presents evidence-based strategies and practical solutions to ensure digital offerings are accessible, usable, and inclusive for all population groups, with particular focus on vulnerable communities. Our findings contribute to the growing discourse on digital equity and provide actionable recommendations for policymakers, service providers, and community organizations working to eliminate digital exclusion.

In this talk, I will examine the practical utility of humanoid robots versus their symbolic appeal. While acknowledging the value of developing more intuitive human-robot interfaces, I question whether anthropomorphic design provides genuine functional advantages or primarily satisfies humanity’s longstanding desire to create machines resembling ourselves. This talk addresses the question of the near-term industrial viability of humanoid robots and calls for identification of compelling use cases that justify their human-like form factor over more specialized robotic designs. I will highlight the tension between technological fascination and pragmatic engineering solutions in robotics development.

This presentation examines how media narratives shape public understanding of artificial intelligence and influence technological development trajectories. Commonly repeated AI-related statements such as "You can’t escape AI" and "You won’t be replaced by AI, but by someone using AI." are often accepted as universal truths despite lacking scientific foundation.
We will reflect on how AI narratives create self-fulfilling prophecies that determine public acceptance and investment priorities in technological innovation.
The presentation advocates for enhanced media literacy and critical thinking skills to counter passive acceptance of imposed narratives. By fostering reflective dialogue about AI representations, communities can actively participate in shaping technological futures that align with collective values and societal well-being rather than accepting predetermined paths.

Human workers remain central to successful digitalization in Swiss industry, where complete automation is often impractical due to complex tasks, small production volumes, or quality requirements for handcrafted products. The most effective approach to digitalization involves creating "Augmented Workers" who combine human flexibility and dexterity with machine efficiency and precision, rather than simply automating everything possible and leaving humans with remaining tasks. Success requires not only developing user-friendly, no-code interfaces that allow workers to program and adapt systems themselves, but also providing tailored training programs that enable employees to fully understand and utilize the technology. By involving workers in the development process and ensuring they can customize system behavior to their needs, companies can achieve higher productivity while maintaining the resilience and responsiveness that human expertise provides.

In this talk, I will examine three dominant AI narratives—human replacement, superintelligence, and existential threat—by critically evaluating their scientific foundations against empirical evidence. I will then explore how these narratives function as powerful tools, analyzing their strategic value for major technology companies and their broader influence on public perception and policy decisions.

I will discuss how AI has impacted the labor market to date, why the horror scenarios propagated by the media persist, and why the foreseeable future lies in collaboration between humans and machines.

How can companies prepare their employees for the work of the future? What is required? The BFH Business Breakfast is a networking event that invites participants to share their experiences over breakfast.

The city of Biel, the Bern University of Applied Sciences, and the Biel City Library invite you to experience the digital future in an inclusive way. Join us to discover how digital technologies can enrich our lives together.

What role do people play in the digital world? This is the topic of the first BFH Business Breakfast. The networking event invites participants to share their experiences over breakfast.

We break down digital barriers and create an inclusive digital future for everyone. That is our mission.

BRIDGE is a joint programme of the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF and Innosuisse - the Swiss Agency for Innovation Promotion. It offers funding at the interface of basic research and science-based innovation.

Ambizione grants are aimed at early career researchers who wish to conduct, manage and lead an independent project at a Swiss higher education institution.

Your partner for the future of automation. Say goodbye to complex training and intricate programming – our user-friendly design makes adapting robot applications as easy as operating your smartphone. Bring flexibility and innovation to your manufacturing processes.

The European University Association (EUA) is the collective voice of the universities of Europe, institutions that have shaped our world for a millennium.

The Swiss Cobotics Competence Center (S3C) offers a space to all companies that want to increase their production line’s flexibility and their workforce’s capabilities.

Innovation Booster Robotics, is a program dedicated to fostering radical innovation in the Swiss robotics ecosystem.

The SNSF awards PtS grants to qualified experts with proven practical experience who wish to join a university of applied sciences or a university of teacher education as a professor, and to newly appointed professors at a university of applied sciences or a university of teacher education who wish to strengthen the academic component of their dual scientific-practical skill profile.

Best Paper Awards for the Article: Empowering Production Workers to Program Robots: A No-Code, Skill-Based Approach, Blanc, Charly and Boudry, Lionel and Sonderegger, Andreas and Nembrini, Julien and Dégallier-Rochat, Sarah.

Award to thank personalities from French-speaking Switzerland for their contributions to the development of innovation in the Swiss Industry.