Science and politics in dialogue for a democracy fit for the future
With the Franxini Project, we foster a goal-oriented and trust-based cooperation between researchers and political decision-makers.
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We are a trustworthy, effective, and independent partner for sciences and politics.
We ensure that actors from
politics and from research understand each other.
Our offer
The Franxini Project offers a cohesive programme: Always with the aim of improving the basis for decision-making, we offer innovative formats and collaborative methods to strengthen the important dialogue between research and politics. As a non-profit association, we are independent and dynamic.
For one, we provide researchers with practical knowledge on the Swiss political system and offer coaching so that scientists can work together with politicians effectively.
For another, with our exchange formats, we bring together stakeholders from research, politics, administration and civil society so they can share their expertise and together develop solutions.
For researchers:
Do you have research findings that could contribute to solutions? Would you like to know when, how, and where you can get involved in the policy process? We provide you with the relevant skills to work effectively with policymakers.
For politicians:
Are you in politics or administration and need to know what the newest research findings are for a given topic? We connect you directly and efficiently with the relevant researchers, ensuring that you receive the input from research at the right time and in the form that is relevant to you.
For partner organizations:
Would you like to enable your researchers to be in contact with politics and administration? Do you have a topic that needs to be addressed with representatives from academia, politics, civil society or industries? We will tailor our programme directly to your needs.
Founded on the initiative of Reatch.
As a grassroots think tank, Reatch has been advocating for a research-friendly culture for the last ten years. With the Franxini Project, we strengthen this commitment and promote fruitful cooperation between researchers and politicians. Thanks to our extensive network of researchers and politicians, we speak the languages of both politics and science. This enables us to bring together stakeholders from both worlds.
News
What an honour – the Franxini Project has been nominated as a finalist in the democracy category for The Innovation in Politics Awards 2025!
This recognition affirms our belief that inclusive political dialogue and long-term thinking have a place at the heart of democracy. It shows the impact that innovative, grassroots initiatives like the Franxini Project by Reatch can have beyond their immediate circles. We are very excited to see our work in democratic innovation and future-oriented policymaking gain international visibility: It’s a huge motivation to keep building bridges between science and politics—and to keep reinforcing the future of democracy in Switzerland.
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Evidence-informed policy can only be effective if politics, science, and society understand and trust each other. An increasing distrust of science in turn often goes hand in hand with distrust of democracy and its institutions. Scientific information serves as a basis for political decisions without replacing the plurality of opinions. Science and an understanding of scientific methods also protect citizens from data manipulation, misuse of evidence and disinformation. A high level of trust in research and researchers thus also promotes trust in political decisions – particularly when the interactions between politics and research are transparent.
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We are truly honoured for this very important recognition, especially so because it is awarded by a Europe-wide jury of over 1,000 citizens. The winner will be announced at the Awards Conference in Vienna on September 17th 2025 – stay tuned!
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On the dedicated platform you can read a summary of the Franxini Project and its goals.
The Franxini Project is supported by:
