The global race for DeepTech talent is accelerating. From OpenAI and Anthropic to Meta and Google, leading players are competing for the same small pool of world-class engineers and researchers. For companies hiring in Switzerland or Europe, talent is now the decisive strategic asset.
A New Whitepaper Co-Created with Greater Zurich’s DeepTech Ecosystem
To support international tech companies in building and scaling teams in Europe, a new whitepaper “Navigating the European DeepTech Talent Landscape in 2025” has been co-authored by:
- Greater Zurich Area Ltd (GZA) – global expansion and ecosystem experts
- ANYbotics – a robotics pioneer scaling DeepTech teams from Zurich
- ETH AI Center – one of Europe’s leading AI research hubs
- Rockstar Recruiting – DeepTech and AI recruiting specialists based in Zurich
The paper explains why Greater Zurich has become one of Europe’s most attractive DeepTech hubs: world-class universities, dense corporate R&D, a thriving startup scene, high retention, and a very business-friendly regulatory environment.
“Greater Zurich represents an investment in sustained quality that ultimately delivers better value over time.”
– from the whitepaper
As the whitepaper notes, Switzerland consistently tops global talent rankings and combines high productivity, long tenure, and moderate corporate tax with exceptional quality of life.
Read the Whitepaper
You can browse the full PDF directly below in an A4-style viewer, or open it in a separate tab for later:
Why Talent Density Beats Cost Arbitrage
Recent high-profile AI poaching battles between Meta, OpenAI, and other labs show the true market signal: exceptional talent is scarce, and its impact is multiplicative.
“If quality and skills of your employees are crucial for your business, the key question is: do you simply want lower cost or top-tier talent and productivity?”
– ETH AI Center, quoted in the whitepaper
The whitepaper argues that while salaries in Greater Zurich are higher than in some EU hubs, longer tenure, higher productivity, and low volatility often make the total cost of talent competitive or even lower over a multi-year horizon.
Six Concrete Strategies to Hire in Switzerland & Europe
Based on the roundtable discussion and the whitepaper, here are six practical strategies for HR leaders, line managers, CTOs, and founders who want to build strong DeepTech teams in Switzerland and across Europe.
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01
Be Present in Local DeepTech Communities
Switzerland is a physical market – trust is built at meetups, lab events, conferences, and through personal referrals. Sponsor hackathons, give tech talks, contribute to open-source and university projects. Visibility in these circles beats cold outreach.
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02
Leverage Academic Ties Early
Build structured relationships with ETH Zurich, ETH AI Center, ZHAW, EPFL and other universities. Professors, lab managers, and alumni networks are powerful connectors for both internships and senior hires.
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03
Work with Specialist DeepTech Recruiters
For robotics, applied AI, or hardcore infrastructure roles, generalist recruiting often fails. Partner with local DeepTech specialists like Rockstar Recruiting who already know the market, the salary bands, and the candidate pools – instead of trying to build everything in-house from day one.
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04
Lead with Purpose, Not Only Pay
The whitepaper highlights that Swiss professionals care strongly about mission, impact, and work-life balance. Projects in sustainability, health, robotics, or security often attract talent even if you’re not the absolute top payer in the market.
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05
Offer Competitive & Predictable Packages
Strong base salary plus bonus is standard. Equity helps, but clarity on pension contributions, vacation, remote/hybrid policy and career paths is often just as important – and supports long-term retention.
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06
Run a Fast, Respectful Hiring Process
The whitepaper recommends 3–4 interviews plus one practical exercise as a good rule of thumb. Decide quickly, communicate clearly, and treat candidates’ time with respect – it’s one of the strongest differentiators in a competitive market.
Plan Your Next Hiring Step in Greater Zurich
Whether you’re opening your first European engineering hub or expanding an existing AI, robotics, or software team, the whitepaper provides a practical playbook for hiring and retaining DeepTech talent in Switzerland and Europe.
“If hiring the best minds in tech is a priority, Greater Zurich should be on your map.
