The SCTO serves as the umbrella organisation for all activities related to the Swiss Human Research Act.

We offer platforms for dialogue with authorities, both on our own initiative and upon request – for example, representatives and experts from the SCTO network actively participate in working groups. Open discussions between researchers and authorities help them to tackle challenges together.

At the SCTO, we aim to close the gap between fresh and innovative ideas and their practical implementation. To this end, we promote the up-to-date infrastructure necessary for clinical research and encourage research on research (RoR).

Our SCTO Platforms are behind-the-scenes centres of expertise, whose activities and support lead to optimal solutions. Moreover, they act as incubators of innovation and promote networking.

The whole of society depends on excellence in research that provides patients with new and improved therapies. Clinical research makes an essential contribution to this process, as the COVID-19 pandemic has shown.

The SCTO aims to improve quality in clinical research and increase the impact of clinical research on medical therapies. We pursue this aim by improving efficiency, focusing on patient involvement, and remaining committed to developing (inter)nationally valid best practices and implementing them in Switzerland.

Mutual trust and an ongoing exchange between all parties involved in clinical research are critical to ensuring medical progress.

The SCTO liaises between stakeholders – for example, by providing high-quality and independent information and by organising events that allow for direct interaction and promote discussions of controversial issues.