The article explores the system of State Financing of Research and Development (R&D) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Switzerland. Authors outlined the results of their analysis of key state institutions of financial support. The innovative vector of Swiss economy with a focus on its own financial resources, a developed national scientific and educational environment, as well as mechanisms of tax incentives for scientific and innovative activities of large, small and medium-sized enterprises at the re-gional level allowed Switzerland to become one of the leaders in the world innovation market. Russia can borrow the experience of Switzerland in the development of multichannel and targeted financial support for innovative activities of SMEs carrying out R&D in areas of scientific and technological development and focus on the production of science-intensive products. A certain exemption from the income tax and a reduc-tion in the rate of insurance tax to SME employees engaged in innovative activities in priority sectors of Rus-sia, the introduction of tax incentives and tax deductions such as patent boxes and super deductions will en-sure the increase of the number of SMEs and in their contribution to GDP, will boost a competitiveness of the manufactured high technology products. The Swiss case will help to improve the mechanisms for integrating academic and university science with government and non-government organizations and SMEs in order to accelerate the commercialization of scientific research and the development of international network coopera-tion. The development of forms of integration cooperation between financial investors and youth small enter-prises, start-up leaders and technology start-ups adapted to the Russian realities will allow to increase the level of interaction between the state in the field of higher education and science with large business and SMEs and to solve the priority tasks of training qualified personnel in innovation-oriented sectors of the economy.