immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Author: immovestuser

  • Sika raises the bar

    Sika raises the bar

    Sika closed the first quarter of 2021 with record sales of just under 2.0 billion francs, the Zug-based building materials group announced in a press release . In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to growth of 10.2 percent. Sika writes that growth of 12.6 percent was achieved in local currencies. The announcement puts organic growth at 11.1 percent.

    All market regions of the globally active group contributed to the positive development. In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa), a year-on-year increase in sales of 13.2 percent in local currencies to 914.7 million Swiss francs was achieved. The Americas region grew by 6.2 percent in local currencies. In the Asia / Pacific region, sales in local currencies rose by 25.8 percent to 422.8 million Swiss francs. In business with the automotive industry (Global Business), growth of 2.7 percent in local currencies was achieved after a minus in the previous year.

    "In the new year we were able to seamlessly build on our strong performance from the fourth quarter of the previous year", Paul Schuler, chairman of the group management, is quoted in the announcement. As a consequence of the development, Sika is adjusting its growth targets for the year as a whole upwards. Instead of the 6 to 8 percent originally communicated, the aim is now to achieve double-digit sales growth in local currencies. The margin on the operating result (EBIT) is also to be increased to 15 percent for the first time this year. In the previous year, an EBIT margin of 14.4 percent was achieved.

  • Homeownership prices are rising sharply

    Homeownership prices are rising sharply

    In 2020, home ownership prices rose by 5 percent across Switzerland and by 4 percent in the canton of Zurich. Ursina Kubli, Head of Real Estate Research at Zürcher Kantonalbank ( ZKB ), sees one reason for this in the low mortgage interest rates. They are an important financial incentive to buy your own home, she is quoted in a ZKB press release , which summarizes the current issue of the ZKB specialist magazine " Immobilien aktuell ". On the other hand, the supply is scarce, "because the construction industry is still concentrating on rental apartments, while many older people willing to sell are hesitant to sell them." And thirdly, the personal living situation has become increasingly important in the pandemic.

    Despite the precarious economic situation and the corresponding uncertain prospects for the labor market, there are still many willing to buy when there is a shortage of supply. This allows the conclusion that the wage segments relevant for the home sector have so far been little affected by the economic slowdown.

    Because people over the age of 60 currently own more than half of all single-family houses and condominiums and even more than 80 percent of multi-family houses in the canton of Zurich, the ZKB expects an additional supply on the real estate market in the coming years and decades. Gaining more living space by reallocating vacant office space is attractive, but often proves to be a "resinous niche strategy" due to regulatory hurdles.

    As a result of the pandemic, the micro-location of a property is becoming increasingly important. Sunlight is one of the most important factors. Thanks to extensive computing power at 100 million geographical points, the ZKB real estate research team succeeded for the first time in evaluating the actual duration of sunshine at a wide variety of places. One result: the city of Zurich is clearly surpassed by other Swiss cities in the winter months.

  • Sascha Zahnd is to lead digitalswitzerland

    Sascha Zahnd is to lead digitalswitzerland

    The digitalswitzerland general assembly is called upon to approve a change at the top of the location initiative: Sascha Zahnd is to take over the presidency of the executive committee on July 1, informs digitalswitzerland in a message . The Bernese succeeds Ivo Furrer. Furrer had already announced when he took office that he would give up the presidency after three years in office.

    By the end of 2020, Zahnd was "one of the closest employees of Tesla founder Elon Musk", the message further explains. At Tesla , the designated President of digitalswitzerland had acted as European boss and Vice President Global Supply Chain. Zahnd had previously worked for ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse and IKEA . He is currently active for mytheresa.com and Valora AG , among others.

    "Sascha Zahnd is one of the most impressive top managers in Switzerland with a lot of international experience," Marc Walder, founder of digitalswitzerland, is quoted in the press release. The designated president of the location initiative stands for “innovation, transformation and entrepreneurship”. According to Walder, digitalswitzerland wants to continue campaigning for the country's digital transformation. Here the pandemic "relentlessly exposed Switzerland's existing weaknesses".

    Ivo Furrer will stay on digitalswitzerland as a member of the board of directors. The vice presidency is to remain with the FDP National Council (SG) and entrepreneur Marcel Dobler.

  • There are great price differences in real estate

    There are great price differences in real estate

    Homegate.ch finds big differences in the purchase price of residential properties within Switzerland. Geneva and Zug are proving to be the most expensive cantons to buy a home, as the real estate platform belonging to TX Markets AG writes in a press release. Interested parties can only buy a 1.5 room apartment there for CHF 500,000. The same amount of money can be used to buy a three-room apartment in the canton of Zurich. In the cantons of Uri, St.Gallen and Jura, the budget is even enough for a 4.5 room apartment.

    Homegate.ch also detects major differences in property prices within the individual cantons. In some municipalities in the canton of Zurich (Elgg, Gossau or Mönchaltorf), a 3.5-room apartment can be purchased for CHF 500,000. In other municipalities (City of Zurich, Horgen or Männedorf) the money is only enough for a 1.5-room apartment.

    Overall, the purchase prices for real estate have risen in all cantons over the past ten years. Real estate has risen most in price in the canton of Zug. There the prices for a 4.5-room condominium rose from CHF 900,000 in 2010 to CHF 1.3 million in 2020. That corresponds to an increase of 45 percent.

    The rental prices are also very different depending on the canton. And here, too, Geneva and Zug prove to be particularly expensive. The city of Zurich also has comparatively high rental prices. Appenzell Ausserrhoden or Jura are considered cheaper. In the past ten years, rental prices have increased less than purchase prices.

  • Innovation in Real Estate

    Innovation in Real Estate

    From the numerous applicants, 5 entries were nominated. The award ceremony is scheduled for June 21, 2021. The winner will be chosen through a public vote by SVIT members. Today the first contribution of a nomination from the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden
    More information at:
    https://lnkd.in/gxHvt_U

  • Dietiker city council presents new energy and climate strategy 2050

    Dietiker city council presents new energy and climate strategy 2050

    The Dietikon City Council has approved the new Energy and Climate Strategy 2050 with seven specific fields of action. The strategy focuses on the expansion of renewable energies, energy efficiency and security of supply, according to a media release .

    Among the seven goals named in the new strategy, the intention to reduce the city administration's energy-related greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2030 stands out. For the population and companies, the goal of freedom from greenhouse gas emissions then applies to 2040. And by 2050, non-energy-related emissions, such as in agriculture or waste recycling, should be offset with zero emissions or with so-called negative emissions. The concrete implementation should begin immediately. The municipal energy planning will be revised by the end of the year.

    "The strategy allows us to implement climate protection and the energy transition in Dietikon in an even more targeted manner," said City Councilor Anton Kiwic, Head of Building Construction and President of the Energy Commission. Dietikon is thus making its contribution to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and for the future quality of the location for the population and the economy.

    A small six-page brochure on the new strategy with many links on climate policy is available on the website of the City of Dietikon. There it says: Dietikon will be climate neutral. To do this, we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 at the latest. In addition, we remain committed to the goals of the 2000-watt society and, as the energy city of gold and smart cities, play a pioneering role in national energy and climate policy.

  • Schaffhausen receives new data center

    Schaffhausen receives new data center

    The Geneva data center operator Safe Host is investing in the Schaffhausen community of Beringen. He wants to build a data center on the site of the former SIG tennis club. According to a press release, the building application was submitted on April 9th. There are two projects to be approved: On the one hand, the data center itself with its ancillary buildings. On the other hand, a new substation for the electricity company of the canton of Schaffhausen ( EKS ). The latter should, among other things, enable the feed-in of larger amounts of renewable energies.

    The data center will generate solar power itself. Photovoltaic shelves will be installed on all free roof areas and on the south facade. In addition, the office complex is heated with the waste heat generated by the data center itself. The rainwater is also stored where possible and processed for cooling.

    According to the announcement, the municipality of Beringen sees the project as a "further milestone in the development of the industrial quarter". The local council is convinced that such a “high-tech building” has a “signal effect” in Beringen.

    The architectural office Schmidli Architekten + Partner from Rafz ZH is responsible for the planning. This has already been entrusted with the planning of Safe Host's data center in Rafz, which is currently still under construction.

    The Beringer data center is already the fifth owned by Safe Host. In addition to the new data center in Rafz, the company also has three centers in the greater Geneva area.

  • Switzerland needs 87 million tons of material a year

    Switzerland needs 87 million tons of material a year

    Researchers at the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) investigated the question: How much does Switzerland consume? The basis was the mass and energy flows for the year 2018. According to the press release , this means that domestic material consumption is 87 million tonnes net per year. That is the mass of material needed to keep the Swiss economy running. This includes, for example, buildings, streets, cars and electricity.

    As an example of outflowing masses, the announcement mentions that 12 million tons end up in the final disposal. The export in the research year 2018 amounted to 18 million tons. A large part of the incoming material remains in the system and allows the "warehouse" to grow by 52 million tons per year (as of 2018). The total weight of the “material warehouse” in Switzerland is around 3.2 billion tons.

    The study is the fourth part of the MatCH project. The abbreviation stands for "Material and energy resources and associated environmental impacts in Switzerland". The project was launched in 2013 on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and extended over several stages. The first part recorded all material and energy flows in the construction sector; the second covered mobility. And part three was devoted to the production and consumption of the other goods that are imported, obtained domestically and exported.

    The work now presented is part four, which brings a synthesis of the findings from the three previous ones. The team also analyzed how the behavior of the population affects greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to per capita consumption data, the researchers also analyzed personal behavior. The message states that if all residents behaved like the fifth of the population with the most exemplary lifestyle, Switzerland's total greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 16 percent. If, on the other hand, everyone behaved like the fifth with the least ecological lifestyle, emissions would rise by 17 percent.

  • Axpo wants to produce hydrogen

    Axpo wants to produce hydrogen

    Axpo wants to produce green hydrogen from the hydropower of the Rhine in the future. For this purpose, a hydrogen production plant at the Eglisau-Glattfelden power plant is to be put into operation as early as autumn 2022, according to a media release . This should produce 350 tons of hydrogen annually. According to Axpo, this can save over 1.5 million liters of diesel per year in road traffic.

    The new hydrogen production plant will have an output of 2.5 megawatts. However, it can be expanded to 5 megawatts. Axpo is also planning to implement additional systems at other locations. The company has already set up its own department for the hydrogen business area.

    Axpo works with Opfikon-based Hydrospider AG to transport the hydrogen to the filling stations. This is a joint venture between H2 Energy , Alpiq and Linde GmbH . Both Axpo and Hydrospider see great potential for hydrogen in the mobility sector. There are already more than 50 trucks with fuel cells in Switzerland today. According to the partners, it should be more than 1,600 by 2026.

    Axpo had already planned a hydrogen production plant for the same power plant in 2015. At that time, however, the project was not pursued because the sales volume of hydrogen remained below the company's expectations. "Since then, the fight against climate change has gained significantly in importance and hydrogen has proven to be a suitable energy source for the decarbonisation of mobility and industry," said Guy Bühler, Head of Hydrogen at Axpo, quoted in the press release.

  • Office floor in NEST is being built so that it can be recycled

    Office floor in NEST is being built so that it can be recycled

    The office unit in NEST called Sprint is intended to set new standards for circular building. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place in mid-April. It should be finished in summer. Sprint is located on the first floor of NEST in Dübendorf. The three-storey modular building is the research and innovation center of the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) and the water research institute of the ETH Domain ( Eawag ).

    As stated in a press release by Empa, those involved in the planning concentrated on finding the most general solutions possible for a later dismantling. In doing so, they follow a design approach that facilitates future changes and dismantling to recover systems, components and materials. Today's buildings have to be built in such a way “that their components can be fed back into cycles”, says Kerstin Müller, managing architect at baubüro in situ and managing director of Zirkular GmbH .

    Your colleague Oliver Seidel points out that reusing materials is often associated with lower costs. “But the added value lies in another area: Re-use is more sustainable. And in terms of quality there is no loss. ”On the contrary. For example, the aesthetics of an old wooden parquet floor represent added value.

    "For the first time, Empa is combining the approach of reuse and the market requirements of fast and flexible construction," Enrico Marchesi, innovation manager and project manager at NEST, is quoted as saying. "With the new 'Sprint' unit, we want to show that these needs can be met together."

  • Sonova inaugurates zero-energy building

    Sonova inaugurates zero-energy building

    Sonova Holding AG has realized one of the first zero-energy company buildings in Murten, Freiburg, writes the hearing aid manufacturer from Stäfa in a press release . The new Wireless Competence Center will accommodate 180 employees from the Phonak Communications subsidiary and serve the development of miniaturized communication and hearing protection systems. The new building is part of Sonova's sustainability program. By the end of the year, the hearing aid manufacturer wants to have made all of its business operations CO2-neutral.

    “As one of the first zero-energy company buildings in Switzerland”, the new building in Murten “also belongs to the first generation of CO2-neutral buildings worldwide,” Sonova CEO Arnd Kaldowski is quoted in the press release. According to her, the building adapts to the respective outside climate, so that the temperature inside is always between 21 and 26 degrees. High and perfectly adapted window areas guarantee maximum natural light incidence and regulate the air renewal via controllable ventilation blades. The humidity is regulated by walls and ceilings plastered with lime.

    A photovoltaic system installed on the roof of the building will generate around 260,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, the press release further explains. This is more than Sonova needs to run its Competence Center. The excess electricity is to be fed into the power grid.

  • Global Real Estate Run: Global event for innovation and sustainability in the real estate industry

    Global Real Estate Run: Global event for innovation and sustainability in the real estate industry

    In the home office, slowly but surely, the ceiling is falling on the head of some people. Even if Corona continues to require you to keep your distance from one another, it is time for a sense of community. For this reason, the Global Real Estate Run initiative is launching a run for everyone.

    On April 30, 2021, 6 kilometers must be completed in a time window of 24 hours: every participant is free to run, run or walk. Anyone can take part – anywhere in the world. The run is of course 100 percent corona-compliant: the 6 kilometers are completed on a route of your choice, regardless of location. Registration on the Globalrealestaterun.com website is required to participate. Each participant then has access to a geotagged app that is compatible with other running apps.

    In addition to the community feeling and the health aspect, the initiators would like to draw attention to innovation and sustainability in the real estate industry. The real estate industry is currently responsible for around 30 percent of all CO2 emissions. This proportion must be reduced quickly and efficiently. And everyone can contribute something. Because sustainability is not a local but a global issue. Just like the Global Real Estate Run.

    Of course, the initiators have also made sustainability a priority: thanks to the commitment of the main sponsors Homegate, SPG Intercity Zurich AG and PropTechMarket, a tree can be planted for each participant. This is done in cooperation with qualified organizations in suitable regions and under fair conditions. The goal: to get as many people as possible to complete the 6 kilometers on April 30th – and thus to plant as many trees as possible.

    Individuals, families, teams and entire companies can take part. Employees and customers can thus be offered variety and distraction. There are therefore special event packages for companies and teams. Participation is free for private individuals – a voluntary amount can be added at your own discretion.

    In order to shorten the time until April 30th, the initiators continuously publish exciting and informative articles on the topics of innovation and sustainability in the real estate industry on Globalrealestaterun.com. This includes, for example, a checklist on how private individuals can save energy.

  • Sika invests in Qatar

    Sika invests in Qatar

    Sika has increased the production capacities for concrete admixtures at its location in Qatar's capital Doha, informs the Zug-based building materials group in a press release . In addition, the production of epoxy resins has now also started there, it says there. They are needed for the production of floor coverings and adhesives.

    The expansion investments are intended to put Sika in a better position in the competition for major government contracts in Qatar. Here, the national procurement policy stipulates that primarily domestically manufactured products are procured, explains the group. According to the announcement, high investments in the supply infrastructure for energy and water are pending in Qatar.

    "Our latest investment in Qatar positions us for further growth and strengthens our competitiveness in the country", Sika Regional Manager EMEA Ivo Schädler is quoted in the press release. "As a result of the expanded production, we are assuming a significant increase in demand and volume for our high-quality adhesive and flooring solutions for our business."

  • Switzerland falls behind in the country ranking

    Switzerland falls behind in the country ranking

    The Best Countries Report was published for the sixth time this year. It rates 78 nations across a range of categories, including economic impact, education, and quality of life. It is produced by US News & World Report in collaboration with the BAV Group and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania .

    Last year, the ranking was still headed by Switzerland. This year, however, the country has dropped three places to fourth. Canada now takes the top spot. Both Japan (second place) and Germany (third place) have overtaken Switzerland.

    However, Switzerland is still seen as the best location for companies. As the country report shows, it once again took first place in the Open for Business category this year. Above all, it scores with its low corporate taxes and the transparency of government practices.

    As a location for entrepreneurship, however, Switzerland has fallen from fifth to seventh place since the previous year. In contrast, it was able to move up from seventh to fifth in terms of quality of life. In the remaining categories, Switzerland did not make it into the top seven countries this year.

  • LafargeHolcim green building solutions receive certificate

    LafargeHolcim green building solutions receive certificate

    Among the 1000 solutions identified by the Solar Impulse Foundation that protect the environment in a profitable way, ten are from the building materials group LafargeHolcim . In 2018, the Lausanne Foundation of environmental pioneer Bertrand Piccard set out to find, evaluate and certify at least 1000 solutions worldwide. Now they are presented to decision makers to accelerate their scaled application.

    According to a company release, LafargeHolcim's products that have been awarded this environmental label include the green concrete ECOPact, which enables CO2-neutral construction, as well as bioactive reef concrete, which restores marine ecosystems, and 3D printing technologies for the faster creation of affordable housing and infrastructure.

    "It's great to see companies like LafargeHolcim committed to implementing several such solutions that are positive for the planet," said Piccard. "Given the global reach and size of the company, that can make a real difference in tackling today's climate crisis."

    LafargeHolcim CEO Jan Jenisch is proud of his company's “strong contribution” to the goal of the Solar Impulse Foundation. "More than half of our development activities focus on sustainable building solutions," he is quoted as saying. "Today's confirmation of our clean technologies is a great encouragement for our teams to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation for sustainable building."

  • ewz involves citizens in further solar systems

    ewz involves citizens in further solar systems

    ewz offers people who want to actively participate in the energy transition the opportunity to acquire stakes in photovoltaic systems. This type of crowd financing enables the construction of new systems, for example on school roofs. According to a press release , ewz is offering a total of 4,000 square meters of new space for this purpose.

    Of this, 1,100 square meters of photovoltaic area are now available on the Falletsche municipal school building in Leimbach. The Rebhügel school buildings in Wiedikon, Kolbenacker in Seebach and Mattenhof in Schwamendingen will go online in the course of the year. A maximum of ten square meters of participation at CHF 250 per household can be purchased on the Internet. In return, customers receive 80 kilowatt hours of sustainably produced solar power from Zurich per square meter of participation credited to their electricity bills.

    The last square meters of participation are still available for the first large-scale high-alpine solar system in Switzerland, which has already been completed on the ewz dam in Graubünden's Bergell. Because the yield is more than twice as high as in the Unterland, both the participation price and the credit are higher there.

  • Energie Zukunft Schweiz takes over Broenner AG

    Energie Zukunft Schweiz takes over Broenner AG

    According to a press release, Energie Zukunft Schweiz AG has taken over Broenner AG from Lucerne. The project developer for renewable heating, photovoltaics and energy efficiency is thus expanding its portfolio to include Broenner AG's competencies in the field of building technology: process energy for industrial and commercial customers, planning of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and cooling as well as heating networks.

    Thomas Birrer, founder and managing director of Broenner AG, is satisfied with this succession plan. It offers employees a perspective "from which our customers also benefit, since we can bring our competencies into a larger network".

    According to the managing director of Energie Zukunft Schweiz AG, Aeneas Wanner, Birrer and his employees impress “with their high level of competence and innovative strength. With their specialized know-how, they are an ideal addition to our rapidly growing team. This puts us in an even better position to support our customers holistically in the implementation of the energy transition. "

    The location and all jobs are to be retained. In addition to the previous branches in Basel, Lausanne and Zurich, Energie Zukunft Schweiz will thus have a new location in Central Switzerland in Neuenkirch.

  • New energy solutions at the start

    New energy solutions at the start

    The use of fossil fuels still dominates, especially in the area of heating living space. Thanks to innovative technologies, new climate-friendly alternatives are emerging here – for example, heating with sea thermal systems or the use of waste heat from computers. Both approaches use existing heat sources to heat buildings.

    Lake thermal energy is one of the youngest forms of energy generation and makes use of the lakes as huge heat stores. In summer, the lakes absorb the sun's warmth and give it off slowly. Even when it is below zero, the lake water retains a certain temperature in the depths – ideal for extracting heat from the water in the lower layers and using it as a natural source of heat. The water is then returned to the lake in a cooler condition. This is harmless to the ecosystem and to a certain extent even counteracts climatic warming. With this technology, the largest lake thermal project in Switzerland is successfully launched in Lucerne.

    The Paris startup “Qarnot” takes a different approach and relies on the waste heat from computers. Instead of laboriously cooling computers in large server rooms, they are built into radiators. In this way, data flows in the radiators instead of water. The decentralized computing power is sold to large companies, the digital radiators themselves to private households. After the initial investment, they no longer have any heating costs. The more heat is desired, the more data power is generated. The data is encrypted and is not saved, so it is not possible to trace which data is flowing. The same thing works with hot water boilers – an entire residential complex in Bordeaux has already been equipped with this technology. Due to the increasing amounts of data around the world, the future potential seems enormous.

    Read more about intelligent solutions here:
    https://proptechmarket.net/loesungen

  • JED gets neon and icons

    JED gets neon and icons

    The JED in Schlieren is to be supplemented by art in architecture, informs a corresponding report on the website of the center in Schlieren. Art in architecture creates identity and meaning and shows the way, it says at the beginning. The owner Swiss Prime Site hired the artists Roland Ammann and Gregory Gilbert-Lodge to realize the works of art in JED.

    Glassblower Roland Amman comes from Neonhaus Ammann and has dedicated himself to the creation of three-dimensional works of art from neon after the lighting industry switched from neon to LED. For the JED he will create three oversized letters, a J, an E and a D. Amman has already installed the first work of art on the ceiling of the Jake barista bar. At first glance, the object, which looks like a fragile shining ball, turns out to be a J on closer inspection, says the report. “I like it when my art has several levels and the hidden only becomes recognizable at a second or third glance,” artist Ammann is quoted there.

    On the wall of the barista bar, visitors can already see the first work of art by Gregory Gilbert-Lodge in the JED. The independent illustrator has provided the bar with an oversized portrait of its namesake Jake in green. Jake is supposed to represent building J and give the bar “a face”, it says in the report.

    Gilbert-Lodge designed portraits of Eve and Didi for buildings E and D. “The fictional characters in the JED should act as icons,” explains the artist in the report. The values and ideas embodied by them, "even an attitude towards life", are what the icons give to the individual buildings, says Gilbert-Lodge.

  • LafargeHolcim becomes Holcim again

    LafargeHolcim becomes Holcim again

    At this year's General Meeting, the Board of Directors will propose that the name of the LafargeHolcim Ltd. in Holcim Ltd. to change, informs LafargeHolcim in a message . The aim is to increase the “efficiency and impact” of the globally active company and build on “the legacy of the group”. The various LafargeHolcim brand names will remain unaffected by the group's name change.

    The company, which was founded in Holderbank AG in 1912, had been operating under the name Holcim since 2001. After the merger with the French building materials manufacturer Lafarge, the group was renamed LafargeHolcim in 2015.

    In addition, the general assembly on May 4th is due to vote on the relocation of the headquarters from Rapperswil-Jona to Zug. This will complete the restructuring of the Group's office locations, which was initiated in 2018, writes LafargeHolcim.

    In addition, upcoming changes to the Board of Directors will be communicated in the notification. Its Vice President Oscar Fanjul has decided to resign, LafargeHolcim informs. Fanjul was nominated for the Board of Directors by Lafarge in 2015. He had "played a central role in the successful merger of Lafarge and Holcim and made a significant contribution to making the company the leading global provider of building materials and solutions that it is today," said Chairman of the Board Beat Hess in the press release.

    Jan Jenisch, who has been CEO of the Group since September 2017, is also to be elected to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting. This serves to ensure continuity in management, explains the group.

  • Despite the pandemic, Switzerland is attracting companies

    Despite the pandemic, Switzerland is attracting companies

    The location promotion by the federal government, regions and cantons can look back on a successful year, explains the Conference of Cantonal Economics Directors ( VDK ) in a press release . Once a year, it compiles statistics on the number of foreign companies relocating to Switzerland. According to the latest VDK survey, a total of 220 foreign companies settled in Switzerland in 2020.

    Compared to the previous year, this corresponds to a decrease of 9 percent, explains the VDK in the announcement. The new settlements booked in the previous year would have created 1168 jobs but at the same time 11 percent more jobs than the settlements in the previous year. Even with the new jobs forecast for the next three years, the value of 2019 was exceeded by 21 percent with an expected 3,583 jobs.

    As in the previous year, most of the settlements in the year under review came from the ICT and life sciences sectors. In terms of origin, French, American and Chinese companies in particular were drawn to Switzerland.

    The national location promotion aims to advertise, above all, value-added and innovative companies, writes the VDK. The communication refers to the “successful cooperation” between the federal government, regions and cantons. In addition, the VDK emphasizes the role of the Swiss Business Hubs. These representations of the official Swiss organization for export promotion and location promotion, Switzerland Global Enterprise ( S-GE ), are active abroad as part of the Swiss embassies or consulates general.

    The task of the Swiss Business Hubs is to “market Switzerland as a leading innovation and technology location” and to identify “companies with settlement potential”, explains the VDK. S-GE will present specific settlement projects to the regions and cantons, "which will then campaign for a settlement in their canton in a federal competition". Align Technology is mentioned in the announcement as an example of success. The American medtech company is run by former ABB boss Joe Hogan and relocated its European headquarters from the Netherlands to Rotkreuz ZG in the reporting year.

  • Map helps with the restructuring of the energy system

    Map helps with the restructuring of the energy system

    For the first time, progress in the expansion of renewable energies can be publicly viewed and checked. For this purpose, according to a press release , the Swiss Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ) is making its geospatial base data available online for all around 110,000 electricity production plants in Switzerland. More than 100,000 of them are currently photovoltaic systems.

    All systems are displayed transparently on the Internet on an interactive map and updated monthly. According to the SFOE, this would enable the municipality and cantons to monitor the local expansion and, if necessary, take measures to accelerate it.

    In addition to the location of the system, the data also shows its output in kilowatts and the date on which it was commissioned. All systems with an output of more than 30 kilovolt amperes and small systems with more than 2 kilowatts that have been voluntarily registered are included. The database also contains systems that are funded through a feed-in or one-off payment, additional cost financing or an investment contribution.

  • Flatfox buys furniture

    Flatfox buys furniture

    Mobiliar acquired Flatfox on April 7th, informs the insurance cooperative in a message . The Zurich-based company has developed a platform with a free marketplace for real estate. Flatfox also offers corporate customers digital tools for the rental process.

    With the takeover of Flatfox, Mobiliar wants to strengthen its real estate business. Founders and employees should remain active for Flatfox under the umbrella of Mobiliar, explains Mobiliar. In addition, the new acquisition will continue to operate under the brand name Flatfox. The two partners have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

    The insurance cooperative is already active in the real estate sector together with Ringier with the marketplace Scout24 Schweiz AG as well as with the craftsmen platform buildigo and the tenant platform aroov. The aroov tenant platform developed jointly with Garaio REM is to remain independent, but will cooperate with Flatfox in the future. "The interaction between aroov and Flatfox offers private customers attractive services and complete solutions for real estate professionals, thanks to which they are present with the right offer at the right time with the tenants," explains Mobiliar COO Andrea Kleiner in the press release.

    In addition to this offer on the tenant market, Mobiliar is planning to launch an offer for owners of residential property this summer, the press release further explains. The corresponding Liiva platform was developed by Mobiliar together with Raiffeisen.

  • Rental prices drop slightly in March

    Rental prices drop slightly in March

    The prices for rents fell in March compared to the previous month by 0.4 percent. This short-term development is only reflected in the national averages. In the most expensive and densely populated regions, rents rose in March, according to the latest data from the Swiss Real Estate Offer Index. In the long term, too, prices have increased on average.

    Tenants in the Lake Geneva region had to pay 0.2 percent more in March, and even 0.9 percent in the greater Zurich region. According to a press release, rents in north-western Switzerland also rose by 0.3 percent, in eastern Switzerland by 0.2 percent and in Ticino by 1.9 percent. In Central Switzerland, on the other hand, rents fell by 1.2 percent. Over the year as a whole, rental prices rose by an average of 0.6 percent for the country.

    In the case of home ownership, prices have also developed differently, depending on the type of residence. While those interested in condominiums benefited from an average of 0.4 percent lower prices in March, buyers of single-family homes had to add 1 percent.

    In the past twelve months, home prices even rose by a record 7.2 percent. While the square meter cost 6398 francs in March 2020, it was 6857 francs in March of this year.

    In the case of condominiums, the plus of 3 percent was somewhat more moderate. Here, the price per square meter rose from 7,366 francs in March 2020 to 7,587 francs in March 2021.

    The data of the Swiss Real Estate Offer Index is created in real time on the basis of advertisements on the real estate platform ImmoScout24 and in cooperation with the real estate consultancy IAZI AG .

  • Implenia is renovating the St.Gallen city motorway

    Implenia is renovating the St.Gallen city motorway

    The Federal Roads Office has commissioned ARGE Stadtautobahn with the renovation of the St.Gallen urban motorway between the St.Gallen West and St.Gallen East connections, Implenia explains in a press release . The construction and real estate company from Dietlikon has a 30 percent stake in ARGE Stadtautobahn. In addition to construction work, Implenia will take over the commercial management of the project for the renovation of the St.Gallen city motorway.

    The repair work should start at the end of May and be completed by the end of 2024, Implenia further explains in the communication. During this period, coverings, drainage, edge closures and noise barriers will be renewed and some bridges, galleries, support structures and the Stephanshorn tunnel will be renovated. In addition, the construction of a new passerelle is planned.

    "The renovation of the St.Gallen city motorway is a complex, large-scale project," Christian Späth is quoted as saying in the communication. The Head Civil Engineering Division Implenia is looking forward to being able to “combine Implenia's accumulated expertise in bridge, tunnel and road construction with our extensive experience in managing large infrastructure projects”.

  • WWZ Group defies the pandemic

    WWZ Group defies the pandemic

    According to a statement from the WWZ Group , the Zug-based energy, telecommunications and water supplier generated total net sales of CHF 227.6 million in the 2020 financial year. In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to a marginal decrease of 0.3 percent.

    "Despite the corona pandemic, WWZ was largely able to achieve its goals," CEO Andreas Widmer is quoted as saying in the press release. "Although energy sales fell as a result of the lockdown and the warm weather, we were still able to keep net sales at the previous year's level." In addition, the group has pushed ahead with "expanding our strategic growth areas", explains Widmer.

    The CEO particularly points out the area of district heating. In the year under review, the group's flagship project, Circulago, put the first district headquarters into operation. Circulago uses the energy of the Zug lake water to generate heat and cold.

    In the year under review, WWZ invested a total of 87.0 million francs in maintaining the infrastructure and expanding district heating and telecommunications networks. As a result of these high investments and increased depreciation, the operating result at EBIT level fell by 10.8 percent year-on-year, explains WWZ. Specifically, an operating result of 37.4 million francs was achieved. At 39.0 million francs, consolidated profit was 19.1 percent lower than in the previous year.

    For the current year, the group assumes that investments, operating costs and depreciation will remain high. "The transition from fossil natural gas to renewable district heating and the establishment of further growth areas will temporarily burden the income statement," explains WWZ CFO Andreas Ronchetti Salomon. However, the group is well equipped to continue its strategic development “even under difficult conditions”.

  • Limmatstadt welcomes Integral as a new shareholder

    The location promotion organization Limmatstadt AG has got a new shareholder in Schlieremer Integral design-build AG. According to managing director Jasmina Ritz, the Limmatstadt now has a total of 170 shareholders and twelve network partners.

    According to a press release, Integral design-build AG has specialized in the area of new working environments. However, the Schlierem-based company also offers overall services for interior design in general. This ranges from workplace management and design to turnkey handover. Integral takes over all phases of development, planning and implementation of working environments, it says there. With the maximum use of digital processes and 3D tools, the new working worlds would be visualized and a smooth planning and construction process would be ensured.

    Last year, Integral implemented the new work environment for Halter AG and its sister companies in JED Schlieren .

    The company was founded in 2016 as W21 Innenausbau AG by Peter Pfiffner – owner of Pfiffner AG in Altstetten – and Michael Peter. Today, Integral, as a sister company of Halter AG, has twelve employees in the areas of architecture, design and execution. The company is currently overseeing 30 ongoing projects across Switzerland.

  • The innovation award is intended to promote the Unterland location

    The innovation award is intended to promote the Unterland location

    SMEs based in the Zürcher Unterland can apply for an innovation award for the first time. The official announcement takes place in summer. This award is being launched by the new business and trade council of the Zürcher Unterland location association. It is endowed with 5000 francs. It is donated by the Zürcher Kantonalbank .

    According to a press release, the ZKB Innovation Prize Zürcher Unterland will be awarded for the first time on October 1st at the new Zurich North business symposium in Glattfelden ZH. Both the innovation award and the business symposium are viewed by the Zurich Unterland Economic and Commercial Council, which was founded last autumn, as its first two “flagship events”.

    According to Co-Managing Director Darius Daftarian, the Zürcher Unterland is still insufficiently perceived as a business location in a cantonal comparison. What is missing is “a regional and supra-regional awareness of the strength of the location”.

    This is one of the reasons why the new economic and trade council wants to promote knowledge transfer for SMEs. To this end, existing economic and trade networks would have to be merged. "When different people with different backgrounds meet, everyone can benefit," said Michael Ricklin, President of the Dielsdorf ZH district trade association, quoted in the press release.

  • Caleira lets poenina grow

    Caleira lets poenina grow

    According to a message from the poenina Group , the building technology company from Glattal generated operating income of 302.2 million francs in the 2020 financial year. Compared to the previous year, this corresponds to growth of 19.4 percent.

    The merger of poenina with the Caleira Group, which was consolidated at the end of June 2020, is mentioned as the background to the strong growth. Caleira is an amalgamation of twelve companies from seven cantons that specialize in building envelopes and building technology. In 2019, Caleira had a turnover of 112.0 million francs.

    In the top-selling area of sanitary ware, poenina earned 112.4 million francs in the year under review, while the heating and cooling business area earned 88.3 million francs. 38.4 million francs were realized in customer service.

    At 15.0 million francs, poenina's operating result was 1.3 percent lower than in 2019. In contrast, net profit increased by 2.4 percent to CHF 12.6 million. Despite the sharply increased number of shares due to the merger with Caleira, poenina intends to distribute CHF 2.00 per share to the shareholders as in the previous year.

    For the current year, the building technology group is assuming good market conditions in the building construction segment. The group plans to continue its growth strategy, writes poenina. The company also wants to strengthen its presence in Switzerland through further acquisitions.

  • The coworking industry is optimistic about the future

    The coworking industry is optimistic about the future

    The coworking industry can look back on a difficult 2020, as stated in a press release by the industry association Coworking Switzerland . According to a survey, 56 percent of the association's members suffered losses in the past year. After the restrictions in spring 2020 and a subsequent recovery, the obligation to work from home, which was declared in autumn, hit the industry hard. In addition, the community concept is one of the essential aspects of the coworking concept, but is difficult to maintain in times of contact restrictions.

    For the time after Corona, however, the industry is looking positively to the future. Many employees would like to not return to the office to the extent they were used to after the crisis. Instead, they want to make their working hours more flexible and use other locations for their work, according to Coworking Switzerland. The home office is an option here, but then there is no social exchange. In this respect, coworking spaces are the ideal alternative.

    Coworking Switzerland refers here to a study by Deloitte. According to this, only 12 percent of those surveyed want to continue their work in the usual framework after the crisis. On the other hand, 62 percent would like more flexibility in the future, with 44 percent viewing the lack of social contacts in the home office as the greatest challenge.

    The industry wants to take advantage of this opportunity. With 150 coworking spaces, there is a nationwide offer in Switzerland. Coworking Switzerland is now also starting a campaign in which attention is drawn to the advantages of coworking spaces. The association also produced a video for this.