Bern is hoping to ramp up research with London as its relationship with Brussels starts to disintegrate after their failed talks to strike up a permanent economic deal. Swiss leaders don't believe "dogmatic" eurocrats are willing budge on their final three demands, making a deal being reached this year highly unlikely. The deadlocked talks have left relationships with Brussels, who blocked EU-based investors from trading on Swiss exchanges, strained over the summer.

Failure to strike a permanent treaty could also see Swiss researchers blocked from the single market.

Economy minister Guy Parmelin said this could lead the country's top scientists to turn to new markets, including Britain after Brexit.

He said: "I think the EU would weaken itself, it no longer cooperated with Switzerland on research.