inspire is the Swiss competence center for production technology, carries out research and basic development, focusing on production machines and manufacturing processes and acts as a transfer platform for the timely implementation of scientific findings in industrial practice. As a technology transfer institution, inspire strengthens the innovative power and thus the international competitiveness of production engineering in Switzerland. The main activities are the provision of scientific methods and their permanent further development through its own research and development work, the implementation of interdisciplinary projects together with industry and the operation of an information centre, as well as the training and continuous further education of specialists from the Swiss economy. inspire was founded in 2004 by OPET, ETH Zurich, Swissmem and several industrial companies. It has been a strategic partner of ETH Zurich since 2010 and currently employs more than 80 people at its locations in Zurich, St. Gallen and Dubendorf and Manno. The turnover is CHF 11.5 million (2019).