Alain Barbal

Senior Impulse, founded in 2023, is a purpose-driven initiative dedicated to fostering progress through innovative solutions. Bringing together passionate individuals, regardless of age, gender, or social and professional background, Senior Impulse seeks to mobilize the talents and energy of "seniors". Seniors are not defined by age, but by expertise, maturity, and values, and can be active professionals, students, or retirees. These dedicated individuals contribute full- or part-time to launching, managing, supporting, funding, or promoting projects that create meaningful progress in society and its ecosystems. Senior Impulse prioritizes inclusive projects that focus on building bridges, not walls—ranging from low-tech, low-capital ventures to more ambitious ideas. Senior Impulse aims to foster collaboration between companies, academic and R&D institutions, regions, and countries, driving innovation, economic growth, and social progress. Its also actively supports young people in integrating more quickly into the workforce, women to advance their careers and overcome the glass ceiling, and immigrants in Switzerland with economic or social integration. To concretize its objectives, Senior Impulse is being creating a fund to support selected projects, offering opportunities for social/philanthropic investors to contribute to impactful ventures, help drive change, and address real-world challenges.

Novostia is a Swiss medtech start-up pioneering the next generation of artificial heart valves. Founded in 2017 in Neuchâtel and now based at the Biopôle life sciences campus in Lausanne, the company is developing a disruptive solution for aortic and mitral valve disease. Its proprietary valve technology is designed to combine the longevity of mechanical prostheses with the biocompatibility of biological valves—eliminating the need for lifelong anticoagulation therapy. After extensive preclinical development, Novostia successfully entered the clinical phase, with first-in-human implantations completed between December 2023 and May 2024 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Coherent Streams was a Swiss company focused on the engineering and management of innovative solutions across multiple sectors. Founded in 2011 by two visionary professors and researchers, the company initially specialized in R&D-driven project development. As CEO, I led the company during a key phase of its evolution, from 2018 onward, expanding its activities to support the digital transformation of private companies and public institutions. This included the design and implementation of tools, methodologies, products, and strategies tailored to clients navigating technological and organizational change. In 2022, Coherent Streams concluded its operations. A new legal entity, Inspiring Futures, was later established by its founders to continue in a new direction, focusing on strategic advice, trend studies, and scenario-based foresight for public and private organizations.

For over a decade, I served as Director of the Economic Development Agency for the canton of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), working closely with GGBa (Greater Geneva Bern area) and Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) to strengthen the region’s economic positioning at both national and international levels. Economic development typically involves two complementary and inseparable missions—indigenous and exogenous promotion. While often handled by separate teams, my role encompassed both: - On the exogenous side, I focused on attracting foreign entrepreneurs and companies to Neuchâtel and Western Switzerland, supporting their establishment and integration into the local economy, and helping them build meaningful partnerships with regional stakeholders. - On the indigenous side, I supported local entrepreneurs in expanding their businesses internationally, offering guidance and facilitating access to global markets. An essential part of my work also involved building partnerships with foreign regions to foster mutually beneficial economic cooperation. These efforts were supported by a wide range of initiatives designed to improve the business environment, promote public-private collaboration, and enhance the region's overall competitiveness and attractiveness. A truly rewarding and impactful experience!

Created the necessary conditions to enable the growth of the start-up Contributed to the industrialization of photovoltaic cells Elaborated the marketing strategy, developed the portfolio of products and customers Participated in the search for public grants and the raising of venture capital

Brought the company back to profitability. Improved quality, productivity, delivery times, and customer service. Implemented disruptive production methods. Designed new contact lenses. Opened new markets through direct distribution channels.

Improved quality and productivity Decreased production costs and cycle times Introduced new products Acquired quality certifications

Managing production teams working at night and weekends. Improving quality and productivity. Deploying quality assurance programmes.