Category: Institutions & Education

Research project promotes circular economy in the construction industry

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH) are working on the reuse of old building materials, according to a press release. In a project-based interdisciplinary course developed by Prof Dr Catherine De Wolf, prospective engineering students from fields such as architecture and computer science are looking for ways to recycle materials in the construction industry in order to save resources and use materials for longer.

They apply their knowledge during construction site visits, workshops or in the workshop. The ETH researchers spend around 70 per cent of their time in the field. “They learn how to carefully remove materials from existing buildings, document them digitally, integrate them into new designs and finally realise them,” they say. The experience of dismantling a building and reusing this demolition material, which would otherwise end up in landfill, for new construction processes demonstrates “how sustainable construction methods can be implemented in practice”. In the Digital Creativity for Circular Construction course, teams work on realisable projects for external clients and users. Laser scanning, artificial intelligence and augmented reality are used to record the building fabric.

The students’ work has been exhibited at the Kunsthalle Zürich, the Art Genève art fair and the Architecture Biennale in Venice and has been used by external clients and users.

May 2026
Young adults help shape the future of a central area

In the municipality of Adelboden, young adults can contribute to the future use of the car park area. The municipality is organising a creative workshop in the Adelboden leisure and sports arena in cooperation with the Adelboden-Lenk-Kandersteg tourism organisation, Parkhaus AG and Hotel Adler AG to find ideas. On 19 June 2026, 80 young adults up to the age of 35 are invited to develop concrete proposals for a structural redesign. Interested parties can register until 5 June.

According to a press release, approaches that go beyond the “classic planning logic” are in demand. The municipality is keen to make young people’s opinions on the future of their living environment visible. After all, “they make a valuable contribution to the long-term development of the village as a liveable residential and attractive tourist destination”. Before feasibility studies are commissioned, a “broad range of ideas” is required.

Two options will be actively included and discussed in the “transparent, democratically supported” process: a panorama square with a view of the mountains and an adventure pool with existing development plans. There is also room for further and new concepts. The best project ideas will be professionally visualised, publicly exhibited and then examined in consultation with the local population and tourism stakeholders.

May 2026
Federal Council wants to accelerate residential construction

According to its communication, the Federal Council is examining measures to accelerate residential construction. With its report of 22 April 2026, it is responding to five postulates from the National Council and Council of States. It is part of the federal government’s housing shortage action plan. The Federal Council has instructed the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications to submit a consultation draft by the end of 2026.

One of these measures should create the legal basis for a national interest in housing construction. Such a legal basis would then take precedence over, for example, the protection of the townscape or listed buildings. The Federal Council is also having the restriction of the right of appeal for private individuals and the admissible complaints examined. In addition, the procedural costs for objections that are proven to be an abuse of rights could be imposed on the objectors, namely if the objection is clearly aimed solely at preventing or delaying a project.

However, the sovereignty for planning and building authorisation procedures lies with the cantons. The Federal Council can therefore only recommend that they introduce a digital authorisation procedure and set binding deadlines in order to speed up the process. The Federal Council also recommends that planning applications should only be published once they are complete. It also points out that many licensing authorities do not have sufficient staff or expertise to process complex dossiers.

May 2026
Lucerne knocks Zug off its throne

Lucerne is lowering its effective corporate tax rate from 11.91 to 11.66 per cent in 2026, overtaking Zug, which is now at 11.71 per cent. According to PwC, this makes Lucerne the canton with the lowest corporate tax rate in Switzerland for the first time.

The difference is small, but the message is all the greater. In tax competition, it is not only the absolute amount that counts, but also the symbolic effect. Whoever is at the top sends a clear signal to mobile companies and investors.

Switzerland keeps moving
Eight cantons are lowering their corporate taxes slightly, while four are increasing them minimally. Overall, the 2026 tax comparison shows a country that remains active in international competition and does not simply manage its attractiveness.

It is striking that the OECD minimum tax introduced in 2024 has hardly changed the cantonal tax rates so far. PwC speaks of a rather wait-and-see attitude towards the new global framework conditions. This is precisely why competition within Switzerland continues to gain in importance.

Zurich and Bern are coming under pressure
At the other end of the scale are Bern and Zurich. According to PwC, Berne has an effective rate of 20.54 per cent, while Zurich is still at 19.47 per cent despite a slight reduction. Both cantons therefore continue to be among the most expensive locations for companies in Switzerland in terms of taxes.

This is tricky from a location perspective. After all, high economic quality, good accessibility and strong labour markets are not always enough if the fiscal difference is almost twice as high as in Lucerne. The tax factor remains a tough lever in the competition for new relocations and expansions.

More than just a tax ranking
According to PwC, Central Switzerland maintains its role as a particularly attractive business location. In an international comparison, Lucerne and Zug rank at the lower end of the tax burden; in the EU, only Hungary taxes companies more heavily than Lucerne.

This makes it clear what is really at stake. It’s not just about a difference in figures between two cantons, but about the strategic positioning of entire economic areas. Lucerne has taken a small step towards the top. This is precisely what can make the difference in the competition between locations.

May 2026
Zurich sharpens its innovation profile

The canton of Zurich is one of the strongest economic regions in Europe. However, even a top location comes under pressure when there is a shortage of skilled labour, development costs rise and global competition becomes tougher.

This is precisely where the cantonal government comes in. It does not want to boost the innovation centre with individual actions, but rather strengthen it with reliable framework conditions. This Zurich approach is intended to bring research, entrepreneurship and application closer together.

Five fields with a leverage effect
The cantonal government has defined five key areas for the years 2027 to 2030. Semiconductors, space, environmental technologies, health and venture capital. The selection is no coincidence. All five areas combine technological dynamism with real growth opportunities.

At the same time, they show where Zurich is heading. Not in short-term trends, but in fields in which industrial strength, research expertise and new markets overlap. This makes the strategy relevant in terms of economic policy.

From the laboratory to the market
The focus on implementation is particularly interesting. Innovation should be applied more quickly. This is precisely where many strong research centres are losing pace.

For semiconductors, it is about access to chip design, clean rooms and technology transfer. In aerospace, Zurich wants to facilitate the development and scaling of new applications. In the healthcare sector, digital solutions are to be tested, validated and transferred to facilities more quickly. The ambition is clear. Not only invent, but also apply.

Sustainability is becoming a location factor
The focus on environmental technologies is also exciting. Sustainable mobility and recyclable construction are not only seen as an ecological task, but also as an economic opportunity.

That is an important signal. Thinking about security of supply, climate targets and location quality together shifts sustainability from a niche to the centre of location policy. For Zurich in particular, this can create a new profile with international appeal.

Capital is crucial
Innovative companies need more than just good ideas. In the growth phase, they need capital that enables scaling. This is why the strategy also focuses on venture capital.

For the first stage, the Government Council is applying for a framework credit of CHF 23 million. This is not a huge amount. But it marks a political decision of direction. Zurich not only wants to manage its innovative strength, but also translate it into added value and jobs.

May 2026
2000 jobs are on the line in Wettingen

Wettingen has moved to the centre of an economic policy decision. The Aargau cantonal council wants to amend the structure plan in the Tägerhardächer area and thus create the planning conditions for a possible Hitachi Energy campus.

This is a big step. Because it is not just about a single building project. It is about the question of whether Aargau can retain and at the same time expand its industrial substance. In the best-case scenario, around 1000 existing jobs will remain in the canton and up to 2000 new jobs could be created.

Why Tägerhardächer
The location is no coincidence. Hitachi Energy is looking at several options for expanding its capacities and relocating current jobs. The Tägerhardächer area is one of the favoured options.

From a location promotion perspective, there are many arguments in favour of Wettingen. The site is located in the Zurich, Limmattal and Baden area, has good transport links and enables a coherent, expandable campus solution. It is also close to an existing cluster of companies from the energy sector. This increases the appeal of the location far beyond the municipal boundaries.

The price of progress
Wherever development becomes possible, conflicts arise. 10.7 hectares of settlement area would have to be designated for the project. The area is currently located in an agricultural area and is partially overlaid by a settlement separation belt.

This is precisely where the criticism arises. In the consultation process, the loss of cultivated land, the reduction of crop rotation areas, encroachment on the settlement separation belt and traffic issues were criticised in particular. Nevertheless, the cantonal government maintains that the project is appropriate and spatially harmonised from a cantonal perspective. At the same time, attempts should be made to upgrade agricultural land elsewhere so that the loss remains limited.

The region is thinking further ahead than the
factory buildingThedecisive factor now is whether growth and quality of life can go hand in hand. After all, a campus of this size not only has an impact on the labour market. It changes traffic flows, settlement areas and expectations of the infrastructure.

That is why accessibility should not only work for cars. Public transport as well as pedestrian and cycle connections should be designed in such a way that the impact on neighbouring communities remains as low as possible. This is more than just background music. It is a prerequisite for economic dynamism to be accepted regionally.

Nothing has been decided yet
The political will is visible. Wettingen and Baden Regio also support the amendment to the structure plan. However, the company has yet to make a final decision on the location. If it decides against Wettingen, the corresponding resolutions will become null and void.

This is the real message of this dossier. The future does not just fall from the sky. It must be planned, politically supported and regionally balanced. Wettingen now has the chance to prove just that.

May 2026
The silent ascent south of the Gotthard

The EU’s Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2025 confirms Ticino’s “Innovation Leader” status. Only Zurich performs better in Switzerland. There are measurable drivers behind the ranking. The USI and SUPSI universities form the academic backbone, complemented by institutes such as the IDSIA for artificial intelligence and the national supercomputing center. At the same time, SMEs in the canton invest above average in research and development.

Three competence centers, one park
The Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino pools forces at three locations. The Swiss Drone Base Camp at Riviera Airport tests drone technology in real airspace. In Lugano, the Lifestyle Tech Competence Center is driving forward the digitalization of fashion, food and wellness. In Bellinzona, the Life Sciences Competence Center conducts research into biomedicine and oncology. From 2032, the park will move to the Nuovo Quartiere Officine, a 120,000 square meter urban development area in the heart of the cantonal capital.

Lugano relies on digital infrastructure
The city of Lugano has gone its own way in the area of crypto. Over 400 businesses already accept digital means of payment, and more than 100 fintech and blockchain companies have set up shop. Phase II was launched in March 2026 in collaboration with the company Tether. Five million Swiss francs will flow into digital resilience, AI ecosystems and decentralized urban infrastructure by 2030. Lugano is thus positioning itself as Switzerland’s third-largest financial center with technological ambitions.

cHF 60 million and a clear signal
The Grand Council sent a clear signal at the end of 2023. A credit line of CHF 60 million will secure the promotion of innovation, research cooperation and regional economic policy until 2027. CHF 25 million will flow directly into innovation and research synergies. Fondazione Agire, the canton’s innovation agency for over 10 years, supports 20 startup ideas every year via its Boldbrain accelerator and coaches SMEs on digitalization.

What the real estate sector needs to learn from this
Location promotion only develops its full value when it grows beyond strategy papers. Ticino is faced with the task of developing land availability, process reliability and urban quality at the same pace as its innovation projects. For investors, this means a region on the move with high potential and a simultaneous need for patience. Anyone who has the south of Switzerland on their radar today will find a location that wants to deliver and has the means to do so.

May 2026
Research project promotes the reuse of concrete in construction

The Materials and Structures Group of the Institut du patrimoine construit, d’architecture, de la construction et du territoire(inPACT) at the Haute école du paysage, d’ingénierie et d’architecture de Genève(HEPIA) is leading the Concrete Upcycling Techniques(CUT) research project. The project, led by Professor Maléna Bastien Masse, aims to integrate the reuse of concrete slabs into construction practice, as detailed in a press release. The aim is to reduce the industry’s CO2 footprint. The project is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation(SNSF) and is being carried out in collaboration with Professor Corentin Fivet’s Structural Xploration Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne(EPFL).

The project aims to preserve concrete slabs during the demolition of buildings. The slabs are sawn up on site and then analysed by HEPIA researchers. The aim is to find out whether these slabs can be reused. The panels approved for reuse are then used in new buildings. The project is also investigating how they can be joined together during reuse. Advanced techniques and materials such as high-performance fibre-reinforced cementitious composite (CFUP) will be used.

“The construction industry loves concrete. It is an indispensable, versatile, adaptable and cost-effective material, but it is also extremely harmful to the environment. One solution is obvious: reuse,” reads the press release. “By recovering and reusing components from existing buildings for new construction projects, concrete consumption is reduced, resulting in a lower CO2 footprint.”

HEPIA is a Geneva-based university that specialises in education and research in the fields of engineering, architecture and the environment, particularly in the areas of materials and sustainable construction. The university is part of the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland(HES-SO).

May 2026
Fuel cells to support power grids

Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology(Empa) have conducted a joint project on the effect of hydrogen fuel cells in collaboration with the Hälg Group from St.Gallen, the Osterwalder Group, also based in St.Gallen, and Zurich-based H2 Energy AG. The experiment at the Empa Center in Dübendorf showed that the electrical energy generated by the fuel cells could relieve the burden on local power grids in district centers, according to a press release.

The core of the project was to reduce the electricity consumption of heat pumps by producing electrical energy from local district energy cells using hydrogen fuel cells. This energy is fed into the grid to operate the heat pumps, thus reducing the load on the grid. At the same time, the experiment tested using special heat exchangers to supply average temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius to the heating network of the NEST innovation building and the Empa campus in Dübendorf. The test, which ran from October 2023 to September 2025, showed that the district energy cells were able to smooth out peaks in electricity consumption and reduce the overall cost of peak load by 10 percent.

“Our trials showed that fuel cells can effectively balance electrical and thermal peak loads in buildings. This made it clear that hydrogen-based peak load shaving is technically feasible and provides valuable insights for the control of complex energy systems,” Binod Prasad Koirala, Deputy Head of Empa’s Urban Energy Systems research department, is quoted as saying in the press release. When using green hydrogen, the fuel cells also make a contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.

May 2026
Bellinzona dares to undertake a major renovation

There are hardly any inner-city transformation areas of this size in Switzerland. The FFS site in the heart of Bellinzona offers an opportunity that cities such as Zurich and Basel have long since lost. The new district will not be built on a greenfield site, but will interweave the historic city with the area around the railroad station and new development zones. Mixed use, biodiversity and generous open spaces are at the heart of the master plan.

The international competition was won by the team sa_partners, TAMassociati and Franco Giorgetta. Their design breaks up the previously closed industrial area and organizes it around the “Almenda”. A 6.4 hectare central green space that structures the entire district as an ecological and social backbone. The listed “Cattedrale”, which has been a maintenance site for locomotives since 1919, will be retained as an identity-forming focal point and will become the anchor building of the new district.

Innovation at the heart of
The district will also be home to the Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino in future. The park was officially recognized as the location of the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich in November 2024 and is supported by USI, SUPSI, BancaStato, the Ticino Chamber of Commerce and the employers’ association AITI. From 2032, the park and its headquarters will move to a 25,000 square meter area within the new quarter.

Three competence centers are already active: Swiss Drone Base in Lodrino for drone technology, a hub in Bellinzona for life sciences and a location in Lugano for lifestyle tech. Together with postgraduate training courses offered by USI and SUPSI, an innovation cluster with supra-regional appeal is being created. Bellinzona is thus positioning itself as a location between administration, technology and urban quality of life and as a serious alternative to the major Swiss technology hubs.

Setback in fall 2025
The path is not clear. In October 2025, the cantonal administrative court annulled the municipal council’s detailed development plan from April 2023. The financial aspects were insufficiently explained, in particular the costs for the acquisition of public land and the remediation of contaminated sites, which are estimated at CHF 30 to 50 million. The planning process will have to start from scratch.

At the same time, construction work is already underway on the new FFS plant in Arbedo-Castione, a major project costing CHF 755 million that is scheduled to open in 2028. The site will only become available once Officine has relocated. The first realization phase is expected to start between 2030 and 2035 at the earliest, and the overall transformation is likely to take 20 to 40 years. The time pressure is real and the complexity is high.

Model for central Switzerland
Porta del Ticino shows how medium-sized centers beyond the metropolitan areas can deal with large industrial sites. Not monofunctional overbuilding, but development as an urban transformation space with a long-term regional impact. What is being created in Bellinzona can be a benchmark for other cities of the same size. From Aarau to Chur, from Schaffhausen to Sion.

The next few years will determine whether the planning quality can be secured for years to come, whether investments can be bundled and whether the vision can be translated into a resilient realization perspective. The real test has only just begun.

May 2026
Swiss wood to become mandatory

Swiss forests produce 10.4 million cubic meters of wood every year, of which just 5 million is consumed. However, a total of 10 million cubic meters of wood ends up on Swiss construction sites. The rest comes from abroad because it is much cheaper. A resource potential that is lying idle, although the demand is there.

What the National Council is calling for
National Councillor Daniel Ruch (FDP/VD), a forestry contractor from Vaud by profession, has submitted a motion to amend the Forest Act. In future, Swiss wood should be used in buildings that are subsidized with federal funds, without incurring additional costs for the building owners. The National Council has accepted the motion, now the ball is in the Council of States’ court.

The Federal Council puts the brakes on
Federal Councillor Martin Pfister, who represented the convalescing Environment Minister Albert Rösti in the debate, opposed direct subsidies. The federal government already promotes sustainable wood in its own buildings and facilities. There has been a legal basis for this since the 2017 revision of the Forest Act, and there is no scope for new subsidies in view of the tight federal finances, and distortions of competition should be avoided.

Not a new topic, but new pressure
Back in 2021, the National Council adopted a similar motion on the complete value chain of the timber industry by 151 votes to 29, also against the will of the Federal Council. Individual cantons such as Thurgau and Zug have already integrated wood promotion into their legislation at cantonal level. The pressure to act is growing.

What is at stake
Wood is the only completely renewable building material in Switzerland. Those who use it consistently strengthen regional value creation, reduce transport emissions and protect the forest from ageing. Whether the Council of States supports the motion or puts the brakes on it will determine whether this logic is finally enshrined in law.

May 2026
The city shapes the traffic and the traffic shapes the city

Researchers from ETH Zurich and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have correlated geoinformation data from 30 major cities worldwide with traffic congestion data. For the first time, they were able to demonstrate not just correlations, but genuine cause-and-effect relationships between urban changes and traffic flow. The study was published in April 2026 in the journal “Nature Communications”.

Three factors, one traffic jam
The research team led by first author Yatao Zhang distinguished three dimensions. The structure of the road network, the spatial form of the city and the function of individual areas, i.e. whether people live, shop or work there. Surprisingly, it is not only the road network that determines the flow of traffic. An urban sprawl structurally generates more traffic. The concentration of leisure activities in a neighborhood drives up weekend traffic. Mixed-use developments, on the other hand, bring living and working close together, shorten commuting distances and reduce the volume of traffic. “Traffic is created by what people do, not just by the existence of roads,” Zhang sums it up.

Singapore versus Zurich
An international comparison shows major differences. In Singapore, residential areas are clearly separated from the service center and structural changes have a direct impact on commuter flows. In Zurich, this link is much weaker because apartments are spread across the entire city and commutes are shorter and more diverse. Such differences can now be systematically measured and compared for the first time.

What this means for planning
ETH Professor Martin Raubal, who supervised the study, sees great potential for urban and transportation planning. The new method makes it possible to forecast how an intervention, such as the construction of a large shopping center, will affect traffic in the medium term. Cities could use it to better simulate measures before they are implemented. However, more in-depth detailed analyses are still needed before concrete recommendations can be made in Zurich or other cities.

Data from open sources
Open Street Map was the main source of data, supplemented by traffic congestion data from Here Technologies, which is updated every five minutes worldwide. For Los Angeles alone, the congestion values of over 18,000 road sections were included in the analysis. The fact that such a study is based on publicly accessible geodata makes the approach reproducible and scalable.

May 2026
Zurich bundles economic development in one law

The road was long. The Department of Economic Affairs has been developing the legal basis since 2020, the consultation process began in 2022 and the Cantonal Council approved it by 114 votes to 59 in the fall of 2025. On April 30, 2026, the cantonal government put the Location Promotion and Business Relief Act into force on July 1, 2026. What was previously piecemeal now has a clear legal home.

What the law bundles together
The law brings together six central areas of responsibility under one roof: location development, strengthening innovative capacity, supporting established companies, attracting new businesses, location promotion and external economic relations. At the same time, the previous law on administrative relief will be repealed and fully integrated. This will put an end to a double-track race between two separate sets of regulations.

The pressure behind it
Energy shortages, a lack of skilled workers, the OECD minimum tax and the unresolved relationship with the EU are putting pressure on Zurich as a business location. Legally enshrined location promotion should increase the canton’s ability to react and ensure that measures can be implemented quickly and in a targeted manner. The law also provides a basis for the canton to quickly participate in federal crisis support programs.

Business relief as the centerpiece
The previous coordination office will be upgraded to a specialist office for business relief. In future, it will systematically examine all new and amended cantonal laws and ordinances for their impact on companies. The so-called regulatory impact assessment has a clear objective: business-friendly regulations and digitally processed enforcement that saves time and effort.

Zurich as a role model
Zurich is thus positioning itself as a canton that does not leave economic competitiveness to chance. Carmen Walker Späh, Director of Economic Affairs, played a key role in shaping the law, which is one of the last major projects of her twelve years in office. It will be launched on July 1, 2026, when Walker Späh is already completing her year as President of the Government.

May 2026
Research project develops global corrosion index for construction applications

Sky-Frame from Frauenfeld and the WITG are jointly investigating whether a global corrosion index can be developed on the basis of available weather and climate data. This project is being supported with an innovation cheque from Innosuisse. The maximum funding amount of CHF 15,000 from the Swiss Innovation Agency is a credit for a preliminary study. It enables ideas, idea studies and analyses of innovation and market potential to be commissioned from a Swiss research partner and collaboration with this partner to be tested.

The WITG is contributing its expertise in corrosion and the evaluation of material properties to the project with Sky-Frame. According to a press release, the first step involves linking real project locations with available climate databases and systematically analysing existing empirical values from the application. Taking into account factors such as proximity to the sea, wind direction and project-specific microclimate conditions, this will result in an initial, scientifically sound approach to risk classification.

“This project is an example of how innovation ideas do not have to be in the realm of ‘rocket science’ in order to be funded,” says the WITG. Instead, they should offer the company a sustainable benefit and future added value and include a risk component during implementation and thus the possibility of failure.

April 2026
Ticino at a glance – opportunities, pressure and dynamics

The canton, with around 360,000 inhabitants, 100 municipalities and an area of 2,812 square kilometres, has positioned itself as a research and innovation-oriented region. In the EU’s Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2025, Ticino ranks 6th out of 241 European regions, just behind Zurich in Switzerland. According to BAK Economics, the cantonal GDP grew by 0.6 per cent in 2024. An increase of around 1.1 per cent is expected for 2025. The unemployment rate as at January 2026 was 3.3 per cent, slightly above the Swiss average of 3.2 per cent.

This development is important for the property industry because innovation alone does not guarantee a location’s attractiveness. The decisive factor is whether research, entrepreneurship and urban quality come together spatially. With USI, SUPSI, the Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino and the Boldbrain accelerator, the canton has a solid innovation infrastructure. At the same time, the construction industry and market development are under pressure. Construction output fell by 0.2 per cent across Switzerland in December 2025, with an above-average decline in Ticino. Rising construction costs, political uncertainties and complex authorisation procedures are exacerbating the pressure on supply and project calculations in the medium term.

The property market presents a varied picture. The vacancy rate in Ticino fell from 2.08 per cent in 2024 to 1.92 per cent in June 2025, the sharpest decline of all the major regions, but still almost twice as high as the Swiss average of 1.0 per cent. At the same time, asking rents fell by 5.6 per cent in 2024/2025 according to ReMPA. The only region in Switzerland to see a decline, while the national average rose by 2.4 per cent.

The spatial structure remains a challenge. Lugano with 63,600 inhabitants, Bellinzona with 45,300, Locarno with 16,400 and Mendrisio with 15,100 form different sub-regions with their own profiles. Topography, scarce space and demographic pressure also play a role. The FSO forecasts a decline in the labour force of 45,000 people by 2050. The approximately 78,800 cross-border commuters support the labour market, but their number has fallen slightly for the first time. Against the national trend of 411,000 cross-border commuters throughout Switzerland. If you want to invest in Ticino, you won’t get far by simply analysing from afar from Zurich or Basel. You need local partners, market knowledge and an understanding of the specific sub-regions.

At the same time, this mixed situation offers potential. The proximity to northern Italy, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the role as the southern portal of the Gotthard corridor and the high quality of life. At 85.2 years, Ticino has the second-highest life expectancy in Europe, creating conditions that are rarely found elsewhere. If innovation strategy, land policy, mobility and project development can be coordinated more closely, Ticino can significantly strengthen its position as an economic and property region. It is not whether the potential is there, but how consistently it is translated into reality.

April 2026
Rethinking building, Freiburg is looking for pioneers

From 2029, new limits for greenhouse gas emissions and requirements for gray energy in the construction industry will apply in Switzerland. Defined by the revision of the cantons’ model regulations in the energy sector. The pressure on the construction industry is growing. Those who do not invest in new processes and materials today risk expensive adjustments under time pressure tomorrow. The canton of Fribourg has recognized this and is acting with foresight. As early as 2023, it adopted a roadmap for the circular economy that prioritizes structural changes in the construction industry.

Innovation along the entire value chain
The theme of this year’s call is “Rethinking construction, towards circular and environmentally friendly systems”. We are looking for projects that reduce the ecological footprint of buildings right from the planning phase, through local bio-based materials, deconstructable construction systems or digital tools for material tracking. The Swiss Charter for Circular Construction, which is supported by twelve leading organizations from the construction and real estate industry, clearly formulates the goal: “By 2030, the proportion of non-renewable primary raw materials should fall to 50 percent of the total mass.”

Collaboration as a prerequisite
Lone wolves have no chance here. Each project submitted must involve at least three companies, the majority of which must be based in the canton of Fribourg. Academic partners such as the School of Engineering and Architecture HTA-FR can be involved to ensure knowledge transfer and reproducibility of the solutions. Nicolas Huet from INNOSQUARE emphasizes that the challenges of circularity must be overcome and that innovation must take place jointly.

Funding with personal responsibility
The NRP funding covers a maximum of 65% of the total budget, the rest is covered by the participating companies, 10% in cash and 25% as personal contributions. This structure is not an obstacle, it is the program. It ensures that only projects that the companies really support are submitted. Alain Lunghi, Deputy Director of the WIF, sees foresight as the key to the competitiveness of Fribourg companies.

Submit now
Projects can be submitted individually or as part of a consortium via www.promfr.ch/de/nrp. The call is supported by the Economic Development Agency WIF, the Fribourg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the HTA-FR and the INNOSQUARE innovation platform. The deadline is September 9, 2026. Anyone who sees the construction turnaround as an opportunity still has time to act.

April 2026
Whoever blocks, pays

The majority of building permit procedures in Switzerland take place within reasonable time limits. However, there are exceptions and these have a serious impact. Objections and appeals can block projects for years or prevent them altogether. Today, even people who are not directly affected by a project can lodge an objection, for example because they don’t like the color of the neighbor’s planned façade. This is one of the structural weaknesses that the Federal Council is now addressing.

Housing construction becomes a national objective
The strongest lever in the reform package lies in the Spatial Planning Act. Housing construction as part of inward settlement development is to be enshrined there as a national interest. This sounds technical, but has a concrete effect. When weighing up interests, housing construction would be given more weight than the protection of the townscape or listed buildings. Projects that currently fail due to local protection interests would have a better chance of being realized.

Objections with consequences
Anyone who raises objections improperly, i.e. with the sole aim of delaying a project, should in future bear the procedural costs. The Federal Council is considering a legal obligation for the cantons to impose such costs on objectors. At the same time, the right of private individuals to appeal to the Federal Supreme Court is to be restricted. However, the Federal Council rejects flat-rate fees for rejected appeals. Access to legal protection should not depend on your wallet.

The limits of the federal government
Despite the political will, the federal government’s scope for intervention is limited. Building permit procedures are the responsibility of the cantons. The federal government cannot impose binding deadlines for cantonal procedures or the obligation to introduce digital approval processes. It recommends that the cantons introduce such measures on their own responsibility, as they have a demonstrably accelerating effect in the long term. The Swiss Construction Industry Association supports this approach and is calling for leaner processes while maintaining a high level of planning quality.

Consultation
The reform report fulfills five postulates from the National Council and Council of States and is part of the federal government’s housing shortage action plan. DETEC has now been instructed to draw up a consultation draft by the end of 2026. It is likely to be years before concrete legislative changes come into force.

April 2026
Zurich reinvents itself

Government Councillor Carmen Walker Späh openly stated that many good ideas never make it to the market. It is not a lack of creativity, but a lack of the right support at the right time. The canton of Zurich has therefore taken the step this year of joining the international “MIT REAP” program. The aim is to channel funding in a more targeted manner, network players more closely and systematically promote scaling. Zurich has already established itself as a hotspot in the fields of AI, robotics, life sciences and the new space economy. The task now is to secure this lead.

Nothing works without people
Markus Müller, Co-Head of Location Promotion, put it in a nutshell with a quote from medtech entrepreneur Andy Rihs: “Nothing works without people.” Capital alone does not build a future. What makes Zurich strong is the ability to bring together new ideas with the right know-how and the right capacities. Zurich should take on a leading role in the new space economy. According to Müller, innovation is what turns “good” into “leading” in the long term.

You can’t think about the future alone
Futurologist Martina Kühne gave the guests three ideas to take away with them. Think beyond tomorrow, develop visions of the future in the majority and shape the future together. Every vision of the future is like a piece of gymnastics equipment on which you can let your mind run wild. Anyone who does this can develop ideas for a possible and desirable future. Because, according to Kühne, the future doesn’t just happen.

Collaboration as a catalyst
The ETH spin-off Sevensense shows how this theory translates into practice. in 2021, the young start-up impressed ABB with its 3D vision technology for autonomous robots. Today, around 80 percent of the autonomous robots sold by ABB come from Sevensense. Proof of how effective the combination of established capital and fresh inventive spirit can be.

Organs in space, muscles in the lab
Prometheus Life Technologies is even more daring. The start-up uses weightlessness in space to grow organs in three dimensions. This was made possible by a parabolic flight program at the Innovation Park, in close collaboration with the Center for Space and Aviation at the University of Zurich. No less ambitious is Muvon, which is working with the ZHAW on an automated method for muscle regeneration using the body’s own cells. If it can be scaled up, it could be used to treat stress incontinence, which affects a significant proportion of women over 40 in Europe.

A platform that innovates itself
Samuel Mösle, Co-Head of Location Promotion, drew a clear line in the final discussion. The three start-ups presented are at the limits of the imaginable future. The innovation platform will become more interactive and networked in future with the support of artificial intelligence. After five years, the initiative has reached the end of its own start-up phase. Samuel Mösle sums it up precisely: “It doesn’t just say innovation on it, it also has innovation in it.”

April 2026
Digital platform simplifies analysis and development of building constructions

The ZHAW has put its dkon.ch platform online. Students, specialists and interested parties can use it to analyse, compare and develop building designs themselves. According to a statement from the university, this digital tool provides them with information on the impact of individual design decisions on the environment, costs and construction methods. Users can disassemble, rotate and reassemble components in virtual space.

This makes it possible to visualise which materials a construction is made of and how they interact. By linking this with ecological assessment data, variants can be specifically compared with each other. According to the ZHAW, this opens up new possibilities in planning: “If you want to reduce the use of concrete or test alternative materials, for example, you can directly compare different solutions. Changes in the construction become immediately visible and their effects can be understood.”

According to the information provided, a special feature of this platform is the integration of real reference buildings. Their designs, materials and construction processes can be analysed in detail. “dkon.ch creates a direct link between teaching and application,” says Andri Gerber, Project Manager and Co-Head of the ZHAW Institute of Structural Design. “Knowledge is not taught in isolation, but can be experienced in the context of real and concrete construction projects.”

The platform is also helpful for specialists who have to integrate complex requirements and develop sustainable solutions, Gerber continues. That is why dkon.ch is “a tool that can be used both in training and in professional practice”.

April 2026
New head of department to drive strategic development in the economy and labour market

According to a press release, the government of the Canton of St. Gallen has appointed Daniel Müller as the new head of the Office for Economic Affairs and Labour, effective 1 May. He succeeds Karin Jung, who has led the office since 2018 and announced her resignation at the start of the year. Müller is currently carrying out her duties on an interim basis.

The 50-year-old has been working for the canton since 2018. Until now, he was head of business development. A qualified audio and video electronics technician and IT specialist, he studied business administration at OST– the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland. Before joining the Department of Economic Affairs, he worked for the University of St. Gallen, amongst other roles.

April 2026
The material that thinks – without a brain

The material consists of a chain of identical joints connected by an elastic framework. An integrated microcontroller measures the current position, stores past states and exchanges information with neighboring elements. The overall behavior results from the interaction of many simple units. Just like simple organisms that react to their environment without a complex brain.

Learning through repetition
Individual joints are moved into defined positions and the remaining elements are gradually moved into a target structure. The microcontrollers adjust torques in several runs, called “epochs” in the experiment. Stiffness and interactions within the structure change. The “information” is not outsourced to software, but stored directly in the physical structure. First author Yao Du sums it up: “As soon as the system starts to learn, the possibilities of where it can develop seem almost limitless.”

Three abilities in one
The system masters three properties that were previously reserved for biological systems. It learns new reaction patterns to defined inputs. It stores several states simultaneously and switches between these states depending on the input. Previous work by the laboratory had already shown that such structures can move without central control. What is new is the adaptability, as the material chooses its form of movement depending on the environmental stimulus.

Fields of application and next steps
The research team sees the greatest potential in adaptive components that adjust to changing loads, in soft robotics without central control and in systems for unstructured environments such as exploration. From August 2026, research in Amsterdam will be expanded in collaboration with the Learning Machines group. The Dutch research agenda NWA 2026 will dedicate a separate focus to adaptive materials. In addition to technical issues, the focus will also be on control and safe use.

The boundary between material and machine is becoming blurred
Instead of passive materials, adaptive systems are being created whose properties actively change. In the future, time-dependent behavior and the handling of uncertain conditions, so-called stochastic scenarios, will be integrated. This increases robustness and makes the technology suitable for real application environments. Intelligence is not created through central control, but from the interaction of many simple elements.

April 2026
Check early, fail low

SSbD is a holistic innovation framework of the European Union. New chemicals, materials, products and technologies should be developed from the outset in such a way that they are safe for people and the environment – throughout their entire life cycle. There is a clear principle behind this: identify risks at an early stage and correct them cheaply, instead of reacting late and expensively. The EU aptly calls it “fail early and fail cheap”.

64 percent compliance with EU law
As part of the EU IRISS project, Empa examined 15 key EU regulations that are relevant to European industry along the entire value chain. These include the Chemicals, Batteries and Packaging Regulation and the Waste Framework Directive. 64 percent of these regulatory requirements are already covered by the SSbD framework. “In many cases, SSbD requires precisely the data and assessments that companies will later need for regulatory compliance anyway,” explains study author Akshat Sudheshwar from Empa.

PFAS as a cautionary example
The risks of the so-called perpetual chemicals PFAS were recognized by the majority when they were introduced, but ignored for decades. Today, they accumulate in organisms, are not degradable in the environment and cause enormous costs. With an SSbD approach, these risks could have been addressed early on. This example shows what is at stake when companies only plan for safety and sustainability retrospectively.

Additional effort that pays off
SSbD increases the effort in the early development phase, as Sudheshwar also admits. Investing early avoids later costs due to product bans, remediation obligations or market adjustments. The key success criterion for companies is the ability to think about safety and sustainability together at an early stage and to build up the necessary expertise in both areas.

Limitations and need for political action
Reliable data, toxicological information and robust methods are still lacking. The SSbD framework explicitly recognizes this gap and is adaptable. At a political level, the study recommends incentives for companies and regulatory relief as well as patent extensions or economic benefits could make it easier to get started. In the long term, SSbD should be included more frequently in EU regulations, not necessarily as an obligation, but as a strategic orientation.

April 2026
Zurich tests AI in the building permit process

From April 2027, the canton of Zurich will require all municipalities to use the eBaugesucheZH platform. This lays the foundation for digitization, but only the foundation. The content of the applications will continue to be processed in different systems, depending on the municipality or canton. This historically evolved system landscape leads to media disruptions, manual coordination rounds and data inconsistencies.

What the FHNW study shows
The Building Directorate commissioned the FHNW Institute of Digital Construction to conduct a potential study along the entire process chain. 15 fields of action were identified, from initial digital information to building acceptance. The greatest short-term potential lies at the very beginning. Chatbots for the initial consultation, structured submission support and automated preliminary checks could immediately improve the quality of submitted applications and significantly reduce queries. Many improvements can already be achieved with rule-based systems, without generative AI.

Prototype with the city of Kloten
The Innovation Sandbox for AI of the Office of Economic Affairs tested an AI-based preliminary check for the notification procedure together with practice and technology partners, including the city of Kloten. For simple projects such as solar installations or heat pumps, a rule-based system automatically clarifies the admissibility and choice of procedure, and an AI then checks the completeness and quality of the entries. 3336 tests were evaluated. The results are encouraging, even if the reliable interpretation of complex plan representations remains an open challenge.

Humans remain responsible
Both studies agree that complete automation is currently not realistic. Where decision-making logic is clearly defined, rule-based systems are preferable to generative AI. The authority to make decisions remains with humans. Legal issues relating to data protection, liability, transparency and copyrighted blueprints as AI training material must be examined in depth before any implementation.

The results are now being incorporated into the further development of eBaugesucheZH. Individual applications are to be tested in pilot municipalities. Zurich is thus demonstrating how the careful, step-by-step use of AI can work in a complex administrative domain.

April 2026
How Switzerland is training the PropTech specialists of tomorrow

Interdisciplinarity is the key
PropTech is not a traditional field of study. Rather, expertise is created by combining different disciplines. In Switzerland, training programmes combine subjects such as property economics, construction, IT, data analysis, sustainability and management.

This interdisciplinarity reflects the reality of the industry. PropTech specialists need to understand technical solutions, categorise regulatory frameworks and think economically at the same time. Swiss educational institutions are responding to this with modular programmes and practice-oriented formats.

Universities as drivers of innovation
ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne form the academic foundation of many technological developments. Degree courses and research programmes in civil engineering, architecture, computer science and data science provide expertise that flows directly into PropTech solutions.

Universities of Applied Sciences such as HSLU, ZHAW or OST complement this offering with a strong practical focus. Projects in collaboration with companies, start-ups and public institutions enable students to work on real-world problems. This results in a direct transfer of knowledge into application.

Further education for property practice
In addition to academic education, in-service training is becoming increasingly important. Many specialists in administration, valuation, development or management need to catch up on or deepen their digital skills.

In Switzerland, there are a growing number of CAS and MAS programmes with a focus on digitalisation, BIM, data analytics, sustainability and real estate management. These programmes are aimed specifically at practitioners and impart applicable knowledge for everyday working life.

Collaboration with the industry
A key success factor is the close cooperation between educational institutions and the property industry. Companies act as practice partners, provide use cases or participate in the content design of training courses.

This keeps training content up-to-date and close to the market. Students and further education participants benefit from real insights into ongoing transformation processes and establish relevant networks at an early stage.

Entrepreneurship and start-up promotion
Many training programmes integrate entrepreneurial elements. Incubators, innovation programmes and student initiatives promote a spirit of entrepreneurship and experimentation. Students are encouraged to develop their own ideas and pursue them as start-ups.
This combination of education and entrepreneurship is an important driver for the Swiss PropTech scene. Numerous successful companies have emerged from university projects and have been able to establish themselves on the market thanks to targeted support.

Challenges and outlook
Despite the strong educational landscape, the shortage of skilled labour remains a challenge. The demand for specialists in the fields of data analysis, software development, BIM and ESG is outstripping supply.

At the same time, the need for hybrid profiles that combine technology and property practice is increasing. Educational institutions are therefore faced with the task of continuously developing their programmes and addressing new target groups.

April 2026
New police headquarters sets new standards for the workplace

The construction group Implenia is building the new police headquarters in Münster, Germany, on behalf of the project company PPMS Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, to accommodate more than 1,400 staff. According to a press release, the building will provide much-needed additional space for the police force, as well as a modern headquarters featuring short walking distances and attractive new-work concepts. The project is worth more than €200 million.

As the main contractor, Implenia is responsible for the planning and construction of a functional and administrative building designed to bring together virtually all of Münster Police’s existing departments. The turnkey new building will include modern office and laboratory workspaces, a police station, a canteen, training areas, detention facilities and an underground car park.

According to the press release, the project is in line with the strategic focus on “large, complex and specialised property projects”. In the words of Matthias Jacob, Head of the Buildings Division Germany, Implenia is focusing on “partnership-based contract models that allow us to make optimal use of our capabilities for the benefit of our clients and Implenia”.

Construction work is scheduled to begin in summer 2026, following the early completion of the excavation, and is expected to last until October 2029.

April 2026
Location marketing attracts 264 companies to Switzerland

According to a statement from the Conference of Cantonal Economic Affairs Directors, location marketing organisations have attracted 264 new businesses to Switzerland in 2025. These businesses have already created 919 jobs in their first year of operation. This figure is set to rise to a total of 2,687 jobs over the next three years.

This represents significant growth for the cantonal, regional and national location marketing organisations. In the previous year, they had attracted 231 companies, which created 716 new jobs in their first year. This figure is set to rise to 2,135 jobs by 2027. In 2023, 206 companies were newly established, creating 640 jobs in their first year.

Of the 2,025 newly established companies, 60 per cent come from Germany, France, China and the UK. Around 80 per cent operate in the strategic key technologies agreed upon by the federal government, cantons and regions for the years 2024 to 2027. These include the future of healthcare, digital technology, automation, food and the financial sector.

The promotion of Switzerland as a business location is a joint task between the federal government and the cantons. They have commissioned Switzerland Global Enterprise to handle national location marketing.

April 2026
The Zurich economic region is attracting an increasing number of international companies

Greater Zurich Area AG draws a positive conclusion in its 2025 annual report. 98 foreign companies have heeded the call of the location marketing agency for the Zurich economic region and have chosen to establish a new presence within the network comprising nine cantons, the city of Zurich and the Winterthur region. 29 of them are engaged in research and development, whilst 24 intend to establish their headquarters in Switzerland. Together, they plan to create 1,295 new jobs over the next five years.

GZA acts on behalf of the Greater Zurich Area Location Marketing Foundation, positioning the Zurich economic region internationally and supporting companies wishing to relocate here. In doing so, it focuses particularly intensively on the key ecosystems of life sciences, artificial intelligence and robotics. “Innovation determines whether good jobs, entrepreneurial know-how and industrial expertise remain anchored in our region,” says Chairman of the Board Dr Balz Hösly in his foreword. “For a high-cost location such as the Greater Zurich Area, this is not an option, but a strategic necessity.”

With 20 new businesses, blockchain technology was the strongest focus industry in 2025, followed by biotech and pharmaceuticals (15) and artificial intelligence (8). Many of these projects are in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and food & agritech.

For instance, the Israeli food-tech company Aleph Farms has chosen Kemptthal (ZH) as the base for its European operations. There, it is joined by partners across the entire value chain: Givaudan, Migros Industrie and Bühler. TikTok opened an office in Zurich, where it benefits from proximity to brands, agencies, media and individuals who create content for social media. The Canadian firm Blockstream is expanding its Bitcoin infrastructure in Lugano by establishing its headquarters there and acquiring Elysium Lab. The Beijing-based company Baidu Apollo has chosen Zurich as its first European location for its robotaxis.

International visibility is also the aim of the Zurich AI Festival, which is co-organised by the GZA and will continue in 2026. At the same time, preparations are underway for the integration of the canton of Aargau from 2027, according to GZA Managing Director Lukas Huber. He emphasises the role of the associated cantons in the development of the business location: “With their framework conditions, their clusters and their location development, they lay the foundations for this marketing to succeed. We do the promotion – the cantons are excellent product managers.”

April 2026
New open space concept enhances quality of life and biodiversity

According to a press release, Spreitenbach Municipal Council has adopted the open space concept. This establishes a legally binding framework for the future development of open spaces within the municipality’s built-up area. The aim is to safeguard and improve the quality and use of open and green spaces.

The plan’s objectives include strengthening the identity of neighbourhoods, promoting biodiversity and enhancing climate resilience based on the ‘sponge city’ principle – rainwater runoff should be absorbed locally wherever possible.

The plan also includes a catalogue of 21 specific measures. The first measures include the planning and implementation of Neumatt Park, the further development of the Ziegelei site, and the creation of temporary open spaces. Immediate measures are intended to improve the quality of the environment, whilst better signage will indicate the route connections. By the end of 2026, responsibilities are to be clarified, priorities set and initial measures prepared.

The municipal assembly approved the commitment credit for the open space concept, amounting to 170,000 Swiss francs, on 28 November 2023. An interdisciplinary planning team subsequently developed the concept in collaboration with a broadly based steering group.

April 2026
The wood that protects itself

Millions of tons of sawdust are produced worldwide every year. Most of it is burned, and the CO2 bound in the wood is released back into the atmosphere. This is precisely where the research team led by doctoral student Ronny Kürsteiner, under the direction of Ingo Bungert, Professor of Wood-based Materials at ETH Zurich, comes in. The aim is to keep the sawdust in the material cycle for longer.

The trick with the watermelon seed
The binding agent is struvite, a crystalline ammonium magnesium phosphate with known fire protection properties. The problem until now was that struvite was difficult to combine with sawdust due to its crystallization behaviour. The researchers found the solution in an enzyme from watermelon seeds. It controls crystallization in such a way that large struvite crystals are formed, which fill the cavities between the sawdust particles and bind them firmly together. The compressed material is then dried at room temperature.

Three times longer than spruce
The fire tests at the Turin Polytechnic speak for themselves. In a cone calorimeter, a standardized test method for heat exposure, untreated spruce wood caught fire after around 15 seconds. The struvite-sawdust composite took more than three times as long. Once burning, the material quickly forms a protective layer of inorganic material and carbon, which slows down the further spread of the fire. In addition, the struvite releases water vapor and ammonia under heat, which has a cooling effect and deprives the fire of oxygen.

Lighter than cement, better for the climate
Conventional cement-bonded chipboard, which is widely used in interior design today, consists of 60 to 70 percent cement by weight. They are heavy and climate-damaging to produce. The new struvite sawdust boards only require 40 percent binder. They are lighter, have a significantly better carbon footprint and do not end up in hazardous waste landfill after demolition.

Recyclable and suitable for fertilizers
The composite can be broken down into its components. Mechanically in the mill, then heated to just over 100 degrees, whereupon ammonia is released and the sawdust is sieved off. The mineral source material newberyite precipitates as a solid and can be reprocessed into struvite. If the material is not reused, it can be used as a long-term fertilizer. Struvite releases phosphorus, nitrogen and magnesium slowly and in a controlled manner into the soil.

Sewage treatment plant as a source of raw materials
Another cycle is emerging. Struvite is produced in large quantities as an unwanted by-product in sewage treatment plants, where it clogs pipes and is expensive to dispose of. “We could use these deposits as a base material for our building material,” says Kürsteiner. Whether the material will establish itself on the market depends primarily on the cost of the binder. A problem that could be solved with this source.

April 2026
The construction site also wants flexibility

Adrian Dinkelmann, Managing Director of Infra Suisse, put it in a nutshell. Compatibility is not achieved through individual measures, but through a fundamental anchoring in the corporate culture. Two projects funded by the federal government highlight specific areas for action. The framework must be designed in such a way that it accommodates the different realities of employees’ lives.

Not everyone wants the same
Jan Malmström, CEO of the JMS Group, asked around in his company. The result is surprising. The desire for part-time work is strong in the office, but much less so on the construction site. But even there, there is a clear need for more flexibility in everyday life. Standard models fall short. Anyone who treats all employees the same is missing the point.

Co-CEO as a reality check
Sandra Werneyer and Lea Ott at werneyer ott architektur gmbh demonstrate what is possible: shared leadership in the co-CEO model. This works with high organizational and communicative requirements. Their presentation made it clear that new forms of work are not a sure-fire success. They require clarity about which responsibilities can really be shared.

Stereotypes slow down the industry
Dörte Resch, Professor of Applied Psychology at the FHNW, made it clear that image campaigns alone do not change anything. Stereotypes that no longer correspond to the reality of the construction professions must be actively addressed. Authentic career marketing is needed that makes the attractive aspects of the industry visible to everyone. Caroline Farberger, Swedish entrepreneur, added a personal perspective. Inclusion begins with questioning existing thought patterns.

Culture beats concept
The panel made it clear what makes the difference. Olivier Imboden, CEO of Ulrich Imboden AG, describes it like this. When employees share a company’s values, this has a direct impact on its attractiveness as an employer. Sven Stingelin from Frutiger AG added to the construction site perspective and addressed the framework conditions, which are different to those in the office. Thomas Weber from Walo Bertschinger pointed out that project processes have a significant impact on the scope for action. Cornel Müller, founder of Work-ID AG, showed how targeted career marketing opens up new target groups, including through early career guidance.

April 2026