In terms of promoting innovation, Wisconsin and Switzerland share many similarities, according to Switzerland’s Ambassador to the United States, Martin Dahinden, who spoke Tuesday at the monthly WIN luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dahinden said he “gained an appreciation” for the local innovation after visiting the University of Wisconsin and companies such as Exact Sciences.

Both Wisconsin–in particular, Madison–and Switzerland have “an educated workforce and the availability of talent,” Dahinden said. He also noted the prevalence of bioscience companies in both regions, including Novartis and Roche in his country.

As global competition increases, the ambassador hopes to see more “exchanging (of) knowledge” between Switzerland and other countries.

According to WIN, Dahinden was named U.S. ambassador in 2014. He previously served as director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and headed the Directorate of Corporate Management of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.