immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Category: International

  • Holcim buys Polish company Izolbet

    Holcim buys Polish company Izolbet

    According to a press release , Holcim is taking over the Izolbet company, which is headquartered in the Polish city of Gostynin. This offers special construction solutions and has four production sites in Poland. Over the past three years, Izolbet has reportedly achieved double-digit growth in revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBIDTA).

    With the takeover, the Zug-based cement group intends to strengthen its presence in the areas of renovation and thermal insulation, among other things. The acquisition also complements Holcim’s recent investment in a new dry mortar production facility in Kraków.

    “Construction solutions are a key focus for Solutions & Products expansion in Europe, particularly with the recent acquisitions of PRB Group in France and PTB-Compaktuna in Belgium,” says Miljan Gutovic, Head of Region Europe, Middle East and Africa at Holcim , quote. “I am delighted to welcome all Izolbet employees to the Holcim family to start our next growth chapter together,” he added.

  • Hilti receives award as an attractive employer

    Hilti receives award as an attractive employer

    Hilti has received the Great Place to Work award for the seventh time, according to a media release. A representative anonymous employee survey and analyzes of the company’s HR work were therefore decisive for the evaluation. Two-thirds of the perspective of the workforce was included.

    The Great Place to Work assessment provides information about the quality and attractiveness of the company’s workplace culture. An excellent and future-oriented workplace according to the criteria of the international research and consulting institute is characterized by trust between employees and managers, sustainable value creation, effectiveness of management, lived values, the commitment and motivation of employees to innovate and the extent to which the team members can reach their potential.

    According to Philip Janssen, Head of Headquarters Human Resources at Hilti, 91 percent of employees would recommend Hilti to their friends and family as a great place to work. “For us as an HR department, it shows that our efforts to promote an employee- and performance-oriented company culture are visible and important to our team members.”

    The Liechtenstein provider of machines, products, services and software for the construction industry has also received the Benefits Award from Swibeco, which is given for additional services provided by a company.

  • Hybrid buildings made of wood have a future

    Hybrid buildings made of wood have a future

    Mr. Wappner, wood is one of the oldest building materials in Central Europe. We all know stilt houses or medieval half-timbered houses. Nowadays, however, wooden buildings are rare. Since when has wood been forgotten, especially in the urban context of construction, and why?

    It is correct: the building material wood was used much more frequently for the construction of buildings in the past. This is mainly due to the fact that wood has always been available in sufficient quantities in our Central European regions – also because the climatic conditions in Germany and many other European countries favor rapid regrowth. Due to the enormous effort in building in the past centuries, craftsmen over many generations have developed excellent knowledge and skills to deal with this material in an increasingly creative, skilful and efficient way. We still benefit from that today.

    Especially in the urban context, however, wood fell into oblivion in the course of industrialization from the middle of the 19th century or received industrially manufactured competition as a building material. Machine-made building materials such as brick or concrete were increasingly preferred. Because they could be produced cheaper, faster and in large quantities. In addition, many of our cities used to be built entirely of wood and have burned down several times in their history. Wood was therefore anchored in people’s minds as a source of danger. Structural fire protection in connection with dense inner-city development has always been an issue in urban planning. In contrast, in the industrial age, more fire-resistant building materials provided better safety evidence and thus more trust among people. This is one of the reasons why industrial building materials have increasingly replaced wood, especially in European urban planning.

    How do you explain the current boom in timber construction?

    The timber construction boom was clearly triggered by the growing ecological awareness in society. Wood is so attractive as a building material because we work with a renewable, resource-saving and circular raw material. With wood we can store CO 2 in buildings and thus counteract the energy-intensive production of other building materials and their use with a sustainable and environmentally friendly statement. The CO 2 balance of wood is unbeatably good compared to other building materials. But wood is not infinitely available, so we have to use the resources wisely.

    The current boom is also made possible by extensive research in recent years – especially in regions such as Vorarlberg, Graubünden or South Tyrol, but also in the Black Forest and the Allgäu. Today we have a great deal of knowledge about the material, which is paired with the centuries-old handed-down craftsmanship experience. There are now excellent opportunities to optimally test the load-bearing capacity and fire resistance of wood in long-term tests.

    Digitization plays another major role. CNC technology and other technical revolutions were a real quantum leap here. Thanks to the technically based use of machines, wood can now be processed and pre-produced down to the millimeter. This then happens directly in a workshop, where the components can be prefabricated in the dry and some can already be assembled. This high degree of prefabrication of modular wooden elements saves a lot of time and money.

    As a result of all these developments, wood as a building material has become very exciting again in recent years – and trust in the material has grown enormously. In addition, wood also has many other advantages that people appreciate: it smells good, looks familiar and feels pleasant.

  • Sika sells construction machinery business

    Sika sells construction machinery business

    The Zug-based building materials group Sika , based in Baar, has agreed to sell its company Aliva Equipment to the Finnish Normet Group Oy . Aliva is a manufacturer of machines and accessories for sprayed concrete and achieved sales of 12 million Swiss francs last year, according to a press release . Since the shotcrete machine business accounts for only a small part of the Group’s sales, Sika has decided to divest it.

    The Normet Group is a global supplier of machinery and services in civil engineering. The acquisition gives the group access to Aliva’s global dealer network and strengthens its presence in the Swiss, Austrian and German markets.

    “Sika has found the right strategic partner for the Aliva Equipment business in Normet Group. Normet specializes in civil engineering and will invest in the long-term growth of Aliva’s business, people, products and technology. As part of the core business of a global company, new opportunities will open up for the strategic development of Aliva and its employees. For their part, customers can continue to count on first-class machines and reliable support,” Ivo Schädler, Regional Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Sika, is quoted as saying in the press release.

  • Acquisition makes Bauwerk the world market leader

    Acquisition makes Bauwerk the world market leader

    The Bauwerk Group acquired Somerset Hardwood Flooring from Somerset in the US state of Kentucky at the beginning of May. As a result of the takeover, Bauwerk is generating annual sales of around 400 million Swiss francs, making it the global market leader for quality parquet. The two transaction partners have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the takeover.

    With the takeover, Bauwerk intends to strengthen its own presence in the USA and Canada. The new acquisition, which specializes in solid parquet, can also benefit from Bauwerk’s expertise in multi-layer parquet, writes the Bauwerk Group. Somerset Hardwood Flooring will remain as a brand under the new owner. The brand will be managed by former Somerset Hardwood Flooring sales manager Paul Stringer.

    “With Somerset Hardwood Flooring we have found the ideal partner for the US expansion of the Bauwerk Group,” Patrick Hardy, CEO and President of the Bauwerk Group AG, is quoted in the press release. “All the requirements that we placed on an acquisition, such as a good market positioning, own production and a bond with values and employees, apply to Somerset Hardwood Flooring.”

  • Zurich is at the forefront of the circular economy

    Zurich is at the forefront of the circular economy

    The Zug-based building materials producer Holcim and the New York media company Bloomberg are launching the Circular Cities Barometer. The Circular Economy Barometer highlights the top 25 cities leading the shift towards circular living. According to the current status, the cities of Seattle, Copenhagen and Zurich are currently in first to third place in the four categories of buildings, municipal systems, municipal facilities and strategies.

    “The circular economy is a key element to respecting the limits of our planet and taking serious action on climate change. With the rapid urbanization of our world, cities are at the center of this shift from a linear ‘take-make-waste’ economy to a circular ‘reduce-reuse-recycle’ economy,” said Jan Jenisch, CEO of Holcim. This barometer gives unique insights into the most innovative circular cities around the world.

    Created in collaboration with Holcim, the barometer aims to “draw attention to what is making cities around the world circular. We hope that with these insights we can inspire other cities to take action to enable change,” said Lauren Kiel, general manager for Bloomberg Green at Bloomberg Media.

    The Circular Cities Barometer uses its own algorithm to measure the transition of 25 cities from a linear to a circular economy, according to the media release on the method. All regions of the world are represented.

  • Nüssli expo pavilions have received numerous awards

    Nüssli expo pavilions have received numerous awards

    Despite the pandemic, the Nüssli project teams built ten country pavilions for the Expo in Dubai on time. As the company has now announced , they have received numerous nominations and a total of 23 awards.

    Five pavilions have been nominated for one of the Expo’s governing body’s prestigious BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) awards . The German and Kazakh received gold and silver in the Theme Interpretation category. The Japanese Expo building also won gold in the Exhibition Design category. Silver and bronze in the architecture category went to Austria and China. The pavilions of Belarus, Germany, Kazakhstan and Luxembourg received one, and the Japanese pavilion even two Honorable Mentions in the various categories.

    With its unusual and sustainable architecture, the Austrian Pavilion attracted a lot of attention. It also won the renowned Global Architecture & Design Award 2021 , the BLT Built Design Award 2021 , the Austrian Green Planet Building Award and the German Design Award 2022 .

    According to the information provided, the Austrian pavilion consumed 70 percent less energy than comparable buildings. The structure and facade of the Kazakh building can be largely recycled. And when the Baden-Württemberg house was built from wood, 200 tons of CO2 could be saved compared to conventional steel structures. According to Nüssli, these three examples are “exemplary for the innovation and sustainability of Nüssli’s pavilion range.

  • GenTwo launches first real estate certificate in the Metaverse

    GenTwo launches first real estate certificate in the Metaverse

    Three companies are partnering to launch the Metaverse’s first digital real estate investment product, the Criptonite Metaverse Real Estate AMC. Zurich-based securitization specialist GenTwo Digital , Lisbon-based luxury brand NFT marketplace Exclusible and Geneva-based cryptocurrency asset manager Criptonite have joined forces. To celebrate the launch of the Actively Managed Certificate (AMC) Criptonite Metaverse Real Estate, the Crypto Night Party will be held in Decentraland on the evening of April 8th. This is GenTwo’s web3 conference organizer AssetRush ‘s first event.

    According to a press release , the focus of this “exclusive investment product” is digital luxury real estate, i.e. NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens), in the Metaverse, a future giant network of virtual worlds including a virtual economy and virtual societies. The investment product is intended to allow institutional investors to participate directly in the development of the Metaverse and digital assets.

    “We are proud to announce our next major Metaverse investment product given the incredible opportunities offered by the Metaverse,” GenTwo CEO Philippe Naegeli said. “We believe our curated luxury digital properties will give both new and crypto-savvy professional investors the confidence they need to take their first steps into the Metaverse,” said Exclusible co-founder Romain Girbal. “Thanks to this AMC, you don’t have to be a ‘geek’ to invest in the Metaverse.”

  • Amberg Engineering receives an order from Deutsche Bahn

    Amberg Engineering receives an order from Deutsche Bahn

    Amberg Engineering won the drawing of lots for planning the new railway line between Innleiten and Kirnstein near Rosenheim in Bavaria. In a joint venture with Obermeyer Infrastructure , the consulting company based in Regensdorf is to process the order from Deutsche Bahn (DB) in the Brenner Nordzulauf project , according to a press release . Both companies are already working together on an ongoing project on the Brenner Base Tunnel.

    The Innleiten-Kirnstein planning section in the Brenner-Nordzulauf rail network expansion project includes, among other things, the planning of the two Ringelfeld and Steinkirchen tunnels, including the technical tunnel equipment, the planning of the rails and roads as well as the planning for the new construction of flyover structures, troughs, noise protection walls and supporting structures.

    The digital process Building Information Modeling (BIM) is contractually mandatory. “We are very pleased to be able to show our planning expertise in such an exposed overall DB planning project. In addition, together with those involved in the project, we can further develop the BIM methodology in infrastructure planning,” Christoph Heiter, an engineer at Obermeyer Infrastructure, is quoted as saying.

  • Building technology for the largest UPS distribution center in Europe

    Building technology for the largest UPS distribution center in Europe

    Apleona Wolfferts has been commissioned with the heating, cooling and ventilation trades as well as fire protection for the latest expansion stage of the freight and handling center of the parcel service provider United Parcel Service (UPS) at Cologne-Bonn Airport. Europe’s largest UPS hub, built in 2005, is currently being expanded to include four multi-storey dispatch halls, each with an area of 6,000 square meters and a ceiling height of up to ten meters, as well as three seven-storey office towers. Completion is scheduled for August 2022.

    In addition to the HVAC systems, the Apleona subsidiary is also equipping the new dispatch halls with smoke extraction systems. In addition, it installs the sanitary facilities in the office towers and also provides the execution and assembly planning as well as the coordination of all other building services. The client for the major order is the general contractor, Baugesellschaft Walter Hellmich GmbH. Builder is UPS.

    Managing Director of Apleona Wolfferts, Horst Kever: “Such complex construction projects are logistically challenging due to the tight schedule and the size of the building. The sensitive airport area also increases the requirements due to explicit security regulations. This applies to the entire construction team and Apleona Wolfferts plays a key role through the commissioned coordination, which we fulfill through professionalism, adherence to schedules and commitment.”

  • Patron Capital and Sonar Real Estate acquire Frankfurt Prisma

    Patron Capital and Sonar Real Estate acquire Frankfurt Prisma

    The aim of Patron Capital and Sonar Real Estate is to reposition the landmark office building, which was built in 2001 and has been vacant since the beginning of 2022 when the only tenant moved out. To this end, the building, which has 42,450 square meters of rental space, will be modernized in accordance with sustainability aspects once the conception and planning phase has been completed. As part of this, the building technology – especially the air conditioning technology – will be brought up to date in order to be able to provide future tenants with ultra-modern and sustainably designed office space.

    The areas on the ground floor, including the open lobby, are to be opened to the public. This is intended to support the change from the former office location “Niederrad” to the “Lyoner Quartier” with gastronomy and fitness facilities.

    Holger Hosang, Managing Partner of Sonar Real Estate, comments: “The observation and implementation of ESG criteria in revitalization and project developments is now part of our corporate philosophy. We not only pay attention to ecological aspects, but also increasingly to the social impact of our projects and have the corresponding expert know-how in-house. Due to its architecture and size, the ‘Prisma’ is a particularly exciting project at an excellent micro-location within the Lyon district. We want to retain the landmark character of the property for future tenants and at the same time develop it into a modern and ESG-compliant building.”

    Christoph Ignaczak, Senior Partner at Patron Capital, adds: “With Sonar, we have a partner at our side with whom we can fully implement our Manage-to-ESG strategy from day one. The goal is to provide an ultra-modern and attractive office property that is also a lively place – and this at a location that has happily developed and diversified in recent years. We are firmly convinced that future tenants will appreciate our concept.”

    Ashurst LLP advised the buyer and Taylor Wessing the seller on legal issues. For Patron Capital and Sonar Real Estate, Noerr was also responsible for the tax and Witte Projektmanagement for the technical side. Colliers acted as exclusive transaction advisor for the seller.

    Funding is provided by HSBC. Patron was advised by Laurus Property Partners on the creation of the financing concept. BNP Paribas Real Estate had previously prepared a valuation report required for this.

  • New principle for the industrial flat roof

    New principle for the industrial flat roof

    More stability under heavy loads

    Due to the wavy structure of the F100 W skylight dome, the glazing absorbs loads better and distributes them evenly. This results in better load transfer and more rigidity, allowing the skylight to remain watertight in higher wind speeds and withstand more wind and snow. According to LAMILUX, the load-bearing capacity for snow has also been increased, depending on the size and variant of the skylight, by up to four times that of skylights previously available on the market. The new dome light has been checked and tested for resistance to heavy rain with 8 liters per square meter and minute and simultaneous hurricanes of up to 115 km/h and the highest hail resistance class HW5. This means that the wave-shaped dome light can withstand hailstones of up to 50 mm in size, which hit the dome light from sky high with a final speed of 111 km/h.

    More safety in extreme weather

    Precisely because extreme weather occurs irregularly and suddenly, it is particularly important to protect roofs from the dangers of environmental influences. “As a manufacturer of daylight systems, we see it as our duty to adapt our skylights to the constantly changing influences in order to preventively protect buildings from extreme weather events. That’s why it was our goal to once again optimize the functionality and stability of our well-known classic skylight. This is how the LAMILUX F100 W skylight dome came about – with an innovative wave shape,” explains Niklas Braun, Technical Manager for the Daylight Systems division of the LAMILUX Heinrich Strunz Group.

    More convenience during installation

    In addition to technical advantages, the new product impresses with even easier installation on the roof, because the constructive improvement of the geometry without additional material does not generate any additional weight. Following the tradition of the other LAMILUX daylight systems, the new F100 W skylight dome is also delivered to the construction site completely pre-assembled. So nothing stands in the way of an uncomplicated installation for processors.

  • JPI Hospitality acquires Hotel Rotterdam City

    JPI Hospitality acquires Hotel Rotterdam City

    The hotel is located in Rotterdam at Schiekade 658 in the up-and-coming Oude Noorden district in the middle of the two canals Spoorsingel and Provenierssingel and around 800 meters from the main train station. Oude Noorden is characterized by attractive and trendy shopping and dining options.

    Daniel Jelitzka, founder of the JP Immobilien Group and Chairman of the Advisory Board of JPI Hospitality: “We are committed to high-quality, functional hotels with development potential in attractive locations, which we are transforming into top destinations with a clear idea and contemporary branding. Rotterdam offers the best chances here. The city is considered an up-and-coming market and is already seen as the ‘coming Amsterdam’. However, there is still a need to catch up in the hospitality sector. With our hip hotel, we will fill exactly this gap.”

    The building was built in 1940 and renovated in 2008 and currently has 115 rooms, a brasserie, a lobby lounge and a breakfast area on a gross floor area of around 5,600 square meters. The hotel has considerable potential for upgrading, such as an increase in height of up to 70 meters and thus an increase in room capacity.

    Christian Walter, Global CEO of the PKF hospitality group: “We see great potential in the hospitality industry in Rotterdam – especially in the lifestyle and serviced living segment. The city stood in the shadow of Amsterdam for a long time. But a healthy emancipation has been observed for years, accelerated by the hotel development moratorium in the Dutch capital. Many developers, operators and investors are now looking for alternatives – and are finding them. We see a promising development area in the Oude Noorden district in particular. There is still plenty of room for an exciting, hip lifestyle hotel concept in the up-and-coming quarter.”

    As a city lifestyle hotel with a high proportion of leisure activities, the Hotel Rotterdam perfectly fulfills the conditions desired by the JPI Hospitality Investors Club and fits in well with the range of recently acquired hotels: “We will be here, as in other locations before redesign an existing structure with a clear concept and develop it into a hip lifestyle hotel,” says Lukas Euler-Rolle, Managing Partner and CEO of JPI Hospitality.

    Gebhard Schachermayer, CAM and hotel expert at JPI Hospitality emphasizes that “thanks to its ideal location, the hotel will attract not only guests from all over the world but also the local population and will therefore become a lively meeting place”.

    Rotterdam, the city on the Rhine-Maas Delta, is home to the largest deep-water port in Europe, is just over 20 minutes by train from the Schiphol hub and is home to global players such as Unilever. “Certainly less touristy than Amsterdam, the city is no less interesting and can be described as ‘quirky’, creative and free-spirited. In the Benelux region, comparisons with Antwerp can certainly be drawn. The city offers a good club scene and a variety of exciting gastronomic concepts and shopping opportunities – with the rougher charm of a cosmopolitan port metropolis,” concludes Walter.

  • Catella Group withdraws from real estate consulting business in Germany

    Catella Group withdraws from real estate consulting business in Germany

    After a strategic review of the Corporate Finance division, Catella has decided to end its activities in Germany on June 30, 2022. After the restructuring, the future focus will be on the areas of investment and asset management. With the real estate funds of Catella Real Estate AG (CREAG) and Catella Residential Investment Management (CRIM) as well as the project development company Catella Project Management (CPM), Germany will continue to be the largest market for them.

    The Catella Group is one of the leading specialists for real estate investments and fund management and is active in 14 European countries.

  • Presence Switzerland is satisfied with the presentation at the Expo

    Presence Switzerland is satisfied with the presentation at the Expo

    At the end of March, the world exhibition in Dubai came to an end after six months. According to a press release , Presence Switzerland is satisfied with Switzerland’s performance. As a unit of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Presence Switzerland was responsible for running the Swiss pavilion during the Expo.

    According to Presence Switzerland, the Swiss Pavilion received a total of 1.7 million visitors. Among them were people from around 100 different nationalities. This made the Swiss Pavilion one of the most popular and most visited pavilions at the Expo.

    The Swiss Pavilion also served as a platform for exchange with trading partners. More than 50 companies and 20 institutional partners and universities have used it for this purpose. In addition, 987 official delegations visited the pavilion, including 90 prime ministers, ministers and governors from different countries.

    A survey showed that the majority had a good or very good impression of the Swiss presence. The pavilion has also had a positive impact on how Switzerland is perceived in areas such as innovation, tourism, sustainability and Swiss products.

    The Swiss pavilion also received three prizes: the World Expo Award from Exhibitor magazine as the best medium-sized pavilion, the 2A Certificate & Veneration and Innovative Achievement Memorial Icon from 2A magazine and an award for architecture and landscape from the Committee of Experts of the Bureau International des Expositions ( BIE ).

  • MIPIM 2022: Between desire and reality

    MIPIM 2022: Between desire and reality

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    MIPIM 2022 took place from March 15th to 18th – and it was far from the industry euphoria of three years ago under the impression of a conflict almost 2,000 kilometers away. While the Ukraine was at least visually represented with a mostly deserted stand, there was hardly a trace of Russia or Russian cities. Only a few obvious gaps in the trade fair room allocation indicated that there had also been cancellations at short notice.

    Interest rates are rising again…
    The industry buzzwords ESG, impact investing and interest rates were also part of the discussions in many places. From the Federal Reserve Bank in the USA alone, further interest rate hikes are expected this year, which would result in key interest rates of just under two percent at the end of the year. The market assumes that other central banks (UK, EU, CH) will follow suit, albeit with a time lag. For Switzerland, this means that negative interest rates will soon be a thing of the past. In the case of ten-year federal bonds, a value of 0.425 percent was already reached on the Wednesday of the fair (March 16, 2022) – a level that was last recorded at the end of 2014.

    … and what next for decarbonization?
    The topic of sustainable or green investments was also represented in many MIPIM panels and discussions. But even if there are now many options for measuring sustainability as well as certificates and labels: the coming years will challenge the construction and real estate industry on many levels. On the side of the energy sources alone, the change away from fossil fuels to renewable ones has added another dimension with the Ukraine-Russia conflict. It is now time to reassess the oil and gas factors in the real estate industry’s decarbonization efforts. It remains to be seen whether this will ultimately lead to oil and gas heating systems being discarded sooner in this country.

    Farewell to old braids
    Other significant changes are also becoming apparent in the traditional asset classes. The traditional real estate classifications such as residential, office and retail are becoming more diverse. This has already been shown in recent years thanks to online shopping, coworking and coliving. The hospitality forum on the Thursday of the trade fair, for example, showed that there is also something new happening in the hotel industry. Swiss Life Asset Managers announced the new camping investment class there and is even considering launching its own fund product in this area. In general, it can be said that the star classifications are becoming less important for hotel users, with the focus increasingly being on the extraordinary experience, special locations and trips close to nature and the local people.

    Propel Awards for newcomers
    The four winners of the PropTech competition Propel were also chosen this year at the real estate fair in Cannes: From the 20 finalists, centralF (optimization tool for workplaces) in the data category, Apricot (leasing for homebuyers) in the investment category, OakTree Power ( Demand optimization for building energies) in the sustainability category and Parametric Solutions (software solution for project developments) in the user experience category. A Swiss proptech startup was not represented in the global competition.

    Swiss project wins MIPIM competition
    On the evening of the Thursday of the fair, however, there was an award for an outstanding Swiss construction project: the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus received an award in the “Best Cultural and Sports Infrastructure” category. The museum extension designed by the Danish Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) includes a new glass structure that integrates into the landscape by means of two spiral structures. Inside, the museum offers a glimpse into the history of watchmaking in the Vallée de Joux.

    25th anniversary of Swiss exhibition stands
    The two Swiss networks Swiss Circle for German-speaking Switzerland and Horizon Léman for western Switzerland also had something to celebrate this year. The exhibition stand organizers and initiators Roman H. Bolliger and Yves de Coulon were delighted to receive congratulations and two “birthday cakes” from the MIPIM organizer RX on their 25th anniversary. The handover took place after the MIPIM event “Forum Suisse”, where Swiss industry players from Swiss Prime Site, Mobimo, M3 and Wüest Partner discussed the topic of “mobility and its consequences for the real estate industry”. In 2022, more than 50 companies from Switzerland used the two trade fair platforms Swiss Circle and Horizon Léman for international exchange on the Côte d’Azur.

  • Power Integrations opens new plant in Biel

    Power Integrations opens new plant in Biel

    Power Integrations , a company specializing in power electronics, has opened a new plant in Biel. This covers around 4600 square meters and also houses offices and laboratories. The Biel-based operation specializes in so-called gate drivers for high-power applications such as solar and wind energy, electric locomotives and efficient DC transmission lines. In addition to production, the location is also used for the development of prototypes. In total, around 60 engineers and other technology experts are employed.

    Power Integrations has reportedly invested around $20 million in the Biel site. The facility was planned and built by the Biel architects GLS Architekten . A photovoltaic system with an output of 25 kilowatts is located on the roof.

    Power Integrations’ presence in Switzerland dates back to the acquisition of Biel-based CT-Concept Technologie AG in 2012. Headquartered in San Jose, Power Integrations employs around 770 people worldwide.

    “We are excited to open our new, permanent headquarters in Biel, bringing together all of our local employees under one roof and giving us ample room for the growth we expect in the years to come,” said Balu Balakrishnan, CEO of Power Integrations , quoted in the communication.

    Biel’s Mayor Erich Fehr (SP) welcomes the investment. “The fact that such an innovative and fast-growing company has settled here speaks for the attractiveness of our city and our region as a business location,” he says.

  • Switzerland and UAE discuss city of the future

    Switzerland and UAE discuss city of the future

    On March 21 at the Expo in Dubai , the Swiss pavilion brought together experts from universities in Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, private companies and public actors under the motto “Smart Connected Cities”. It is about intelligent solutions for the management of water, mobility and other challenges in cities that are becoming increasingly dense. Some of these projects have already been implemented in Switzerland and could be imitated in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region.

    The event was organized by the University of Applied Sciences in Western Switzerland ( HES-SO ). It is the Leading House MENA officially commissioned by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation . Its goal is to promote scientific cooperation between Switzerland and the countries of the MENA region.

    During implementation, the HES-SO worked together with Swissnex , the Swiss Embassy in the UAE and the Swiss Business Hub Middle East . “International cross-technology cooperation that offers networked solutions for the exponentially growing demand of a growing population and the associated densification of living spaces are the only way to master the challenges,” says Dante Larini, project manager of Swissnex in the Swiss pavilion, in a press release quoted. “The event showed us how much and how seamlessly technology can transform the way cities are managed and the daily lives of their residents.”

    Josef Spillner from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ) gave a keynote speech on the opportunities and risks of cyber-physical spaces. The cooperation between the ZHAW and the private university of the Emirate of Sharjah ( Sharjah University ) was also presented at the event.

  • Swiss pavilion receives award

    Swiss pavilion receives award

    The Swiss Pavilion at Dubai Expo has won a gold medal. According to a press release , it was voted the best pavilion for medium-sized country presentations at the World Expo Awards organized by Exhibitor magazine.

    A central showpiece in the Swiss Pavilion is the artificially generated fog. The effect changes constantly for the visitor, so that at the end a Swiss mountain panorama becomes visible. The expert jury also voted the fog the third best staging element of the Expo in terms of theme and implementation.

    The Zurich scenography agency Bellprat Partner AG is behind the Swiss fog. According to the information, she worked on the development of the Swiss Pavilion for more than five years. She was also supported in the implementation by Zurich architects OOS and Lorenz Eugster ‘s office for landscape architecture, also in Zurich. The partners worked on behalf of Presence Switzerland .

    The Swiss pavilion was not only well received by the jury of the World Expo Awards. With a total of 1.5 million visitors so far, it is one of the five most popular buildings at the entire Expo. Overall, the world exhibition in Dubai has so far had over 19 million visitors. It runs until the end of March.

  • Implenia is building a climate change laboratory in Düsseldorf

    Implenia is building a climate change laboratory in Düsseldorf

    The construction services company Implenia has won the general contractor contract for the EUREF campus in Düsseldorf . According to the client EUREF AG , “a visible place of the future will be created as a real model on this innovation campus for the energy and mobility transition, which can be implemented in many major cities around the world”. EUREF has already set up a first campus of this kind in Berlin .

    The Düsseldorf campus will offer 3,500 employees from established companies, start-ups, science and research an inspiring environment on 105,000 square meters of gross floor space. In addition, it is to become part of a network of environmentally friendly energy producers and storage facilities in the region and meet all of the federal government’s CO2 climate protection targets for 2045 from the start. The project volume amounts to CHF 186 million.

    “Sustainability is one of Implenia’s five corporate values,” CEO André Wyss is quoted as saying in a press release . “We are therefore very pleased that we can build a research and development campus whose work focuses on sustainability and which is itself geared towards CO2-neutral operation.”

    According to Implenia, the schedule is “ambitious”: The first phase of construction should be completed and ready for occupancy by mid-2024. The second construction phase will run continuously with a time delay and will be completed by mid-2025. In order to be able to keep to this schedule, Implenia has been working with BIM (Building Information Modeling) right from the start, i.e. with digital modelling, combining and recording all relevant planning, construction and management data. In addition, a so-called lean cycle plan is used for execution.

  • UBS sells stake in real estate company in Japan

    UBS sells stake in real estate company in Japan

    UBS Asset Management and Mitsubishi Corporation have agreed to sell their Mitsubishi Corp.-UBS Realty Inc. (MC-UBSR) joint venture to American private equity firm KKR & Co. Inc. , UBS Group AG and UBS AG announce in a press release. The transaction, which is still subject to the approval of the relevant authorities, is expected to be completed in the coming month. The sale has “no impact on UBS’s asset management, wealth management and investment banking business in Japan,” explains the major Zurich bank.

    The sale marks the end of a 20-year success story for the joint venture. According to her, MC-UBSR has developed into one of Japan’s largest asset managers in the real estate sector. “We believe KKR is well positioned to continue to grow the business,” Suni Harford, President of UBS Asset Management, said in the statement. For UBS, the sale is expected to generate a gain in asset management and an increase in core capital (CET1) of around $0.9 billion.

    “The Japanese market remains a cornerstone of our Real Estate & Private Markets business in Asia Pacific going forward,” said Harford. Real estate investments in Japan are to be offered to clients through the UBS Japan Advisors unit.

  • Dutch central bank builds with new strength

    Dutch central bank builds with new strength

    The Dutch Central Bank uses CO2-neutral concrete in the renovation of its Amsterdam headquarters. This is made possible thanks to a collaboration between the Dutch New Horizon Urban Mining BV and the Swiss start-up neustark , according to a LinkedIn announcement .

    New Horizon’s technology makes it possible to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete by 75 percent, they say. For this, cement is obtained from concrete recycling material. The remaining footprint is offset by neustark. The start-up has developed a technology with which CO2 from the atmosphere can be permanently stored in recycled concrete. For this purpose, liquid CO2 is introduced into demolition material.

    Neustark is a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ) based in Bern. The company works with Holcim , among others, to drive innovation and sustainability in the construction sector. As part of the collaboration, neustark is investigating the CO2 conversion potential of Holcim’s recycled demolition concrete. Holcim, in turn, optimizes the concrete produced by neustark.

  • Strabag is an active partner on Engineers' Day

    Strabag is an active partner on Engineers' Day

    Strabag Switzerland will take an active part in the day of engineers and will present a pilot project in Küsnacht in an online lecture. According to the media release from the Schlierem construction company, the start is on Friday, March 4, at 11 a.m. The lecture goes until 12:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Internet via Microsoft Teams. On the Engineer’s Day website, access is possible by clicking on it without prior registration. The speakers are Stijepan Ljubicic, Technical Group Manager BIM, and Christian Häni, Technical Group Manager Traffic Routes Engineering at Strabag.

    BIM stands for Building Information Modeling and describes the model-based planning, implementation and operation of construction projects, with the aim of optimizing the transfer of knowledge, the quality of the results and the efficiency of all those involved, according to Strabag. On March 4th, Strabag will present its project for the renovation of the Schiedhaldensteig in Küsnacht in the live presentation. Strabag is the total contractor and is responsible for the planning and construction management as well as the execution – model-based using the BIM 5D program. In Küsnacht, the upper part of the Schiedhaldensteig was rehabilitated in a very narrow and steep traffic area and the sewage pipes were replaced. At the same time, the existing gas, water and electrical lines at the plants on Lake Zurich were renewed.

    Even before the actual Engineer’s Day, a networking event will take place on Thursday, February 17, at the JED in Schlieren. Zurich government councilor Carmen Walker Späh and Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin will be taking part. According to a press release from the Limmatstadt AG location promotion, a panel discussion will highlight the qualities and potential of engineers from various disciplines.

  • Sika wants to grow in Africa

    Sika wants to grow in Africa

    Sika is positioning itself for further dynamic growth in Tanzania and the Republic of Ivory Coast. The company has moved into a new location in the East African economic center of Dar es Salaam. There, the Zug-based company now also produces mortar and tile adhesive in addition to concrete additives. This shortens the transport routes, according to a press release from the company.

    In the Republic of Ivory Coast in the west of the continent, Sika has doubled the size of its factory premises. With new areas for storage, offices and laboratories in Abidjan, Sika can double the production capacities for tile adhesive and repair mortar in the medium term and expand storage capacities. The neighboring countries of Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Mali and Sierra Leone will also be supplied from there.

    Sika is committed to “sustainable business activities in Africa” in the long term, Regional Manager EMEA, Ivo Schädler, is quoted as saying. “At both locations, we produce high-quality solutions that are used for large infrastructure projects.” As examples, he cites the metro project and the expansion of the seaport in Abidjan, the Standard Gauge Railway and the Julius Nyerere hydroelectric power station in Tanzania.

  • AFIAA Anlagestiftung erwirbt Büro- und Geschäftshaus in Lissabon

    AFIAA Anlagestiftung erwirbt Büro- und Geschäftshaus in Lissabon

    Das zwölfgeschossige Gebäude mit rund 9600 Quadratmetern Gesamtmietfläche wurde im Jahr 1969 erbaut und 2018/2019 umfassend modernisiert. Es hat ein «Energy Performance Certificate» der Stufe A, was der zweitbesten Klassifizierung entspricht. Der Standort zeichnet sich durch seine repräsentative Lage im Prime-CBD von Lissabon sowie durch eine hervorragende Verkehrsanbindung aus. Die Flächen sind derzeit zu 98 Prozent vermietet, überwiegend an das Versicherungsunternehmen Generali Seguros Portugal. Die Immobilie ist für das Portfolio AFIAA Global bestimmt. Es handelt sich um das zweite Investment von AFIAA in der portugiesischen Hauptstadt.


    «Wir haben uns aufgrund des langfristigen Mietvertrages mit einem bonitätsstarken Hauptmieter und der hohen Bauqualität für den Ankauf entschieden. Die im betreffenden Teilmarkt herrschende Flächenknappheit lässt zudem eine hohe Wertstabilität und mittel- bis langfristiges Wertsteigerungspotenzial erwarten. Für Lissabon sprechen das im Vergleich mit anderen europäischen Core-Märkten attraktive Rendite-Risiko-Verhältnis, positive wirtschaftliche Aussichten und eine bemerkenswerte Resilienz. Selbst während der Corona-Pandemie gab es hier eine stabile Nachfrage nach Büroflächen», sagt Sebastian Feix, Head of Transactions von AFIAA.


    AFIAA wurde bei der Transaktion von Cushman & Wakefield sowie rechtlich von Morais Leitão beraten.

  • Brivo integrates alarm management from Sitasys

    Brivo integrates alarm management from Sitasys

    Brivo, Inc. from the US state of Maryland has entered into a partnership with Sitasys AG from Solothurn. The North American inventor of cloud-based access control and the so-called Smart Spaces technology integrates the cloud-based alarm management evalink talos from Sitasys into its platform. This integration is available on evalink marketplace .

    “For customers who value central monitoring, we are pleased about the partnership with Sitasys AG’s evalink technology,” said Brivo founder and CEO Steve Van Till in a press release . This would allow security professionals to manage access, alarms and video surveillance more easily and save time, “without sacrificing performance”.

    The Brivo integration combines alarm centers, tracking systems, cameras and access control in a unified security platform called Brivo Access. It uses analytics, business intelligence, and machine learning “to generate actionable insights from big data.”

    “We are convinced that the integration of Brivo with our evalink technology will strengthen our overall offering and create added value for our joint customers,” says Peter Monte, CEO and founder of Sitasys AG. “The integration of cloud systems makes it easier for users to work in different tools within one platform and thus more efficiently.”

  • Wüest Partner Germany: Establishment of an ESG team

    Wüest Partner Germany: Establishment of an ESG team

    “I am pleased to be able to support Wüest Partner even more intensively from now on,” says Gerhard Hoffmann, the new Director ESG and Sustainability at Wüest Partner Germany . Reconciling ecology and economy using state-of-the-art technologies has always been the primary goal of his work. At Wüest Partner he has the best prerequisites for this. “Now the task is to form an interdisciplinary and highly motivated team of experienced experts.” Above all, in order to strategically and operationally advance the increasingly important topics on the German market, says Hoffmann.

    Many years of expertise in the sustainability segment
     For more than four decades he has been dedicated to his mission of reducing CO2 emissions by developing sustainable energy concepts in the real estate industry. The graduate engineer and graduate industrial engineer is involved in numerous international research and development projects with a focus on regenerative energy supply. He has developed energy concepts for over 900 buildings and worked on more than 1,400 sustainability projects. The licensed BREEAM auditor sits on the working groups of the ZIA Central Real Estate Committee . He is also a member and senior auditor of the DGNB German Sustainable Building Council .

    «Ideal cast for a highly complex market»
    As an independent consultant, Hoffmann has already successfully accompanied the implementation of the Wüest Climate Tool on the German market. In doing so, he “significantly shaped an important milestone in the company’s history,” writes the company. The new position is the logical continuation of a successful collaboration, says Rüdiger Hornung , partner and managing director of Wüest Partner. This is “the decisive step on the way to a sustainable future in the real estate industry”. Hoffmann is the “ideal person to promote sustainability and energy efficiency in our highly complex market, both professionally and personally”.

    Swiss group represented in four countries
    Wüest Partner (founded in 1985), headquartered in Switzerland, currently has eleven locations in four European countries. The Swiss office locations are in Zurich (headquarters), Bern, Geneva and Lugano. In Germany (market entry: 2007) the group has branches in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Main, Hamburg and Munich. There are other locations in Paris and Lisbon. The group also owns the two subsidiaries Datahouse and Durable , each with 100 percent ownership.

  • Linking EuroAirport to the district heating network is progressing

    Linking EuroAirport to the district heating network is progressing

    The expansion of the heating network to the planned connection of the EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is progressing. The construction company SMCE forage et tunnel based in Sierentz has drilled two 90 meter long tunnels under the A35 motorway in Alsace, according to a press release from Primeo Energie from Münchenstein. The pipes that will transport the heat to the airport in the future will then be laid in the tunnels.

    The heat comes from the biomass power plant in the Alsatian town of Saint-Louis. It is operated by the energy company R-CUE , a subsidiary of the energy supplier Primeo Energie. So far, R-CUE has been supplying the equivalent of 5,000 households with heat via the existing district heating network of 12.3 kilometers and producing electricity at the same time.

    With the EuroAirport, a large heat consumer is added. The airport alone has a heating energy requirement of 3000 apartments. Its connection to the network “will reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by 90 percent” and thus decarbonize its energy mix. At the same time, the connection saves on heating costs, according to the press release.

    Other urban and commercial areas are later to be connected to the district heating network in the Saint-Louis metropolitan area, including the Saint-Louis hypercentre, the centre, south and north zones, the Lys development zone (ZAC) and the Technoport. In total, the network is to grow to a length of 30 kilometers.

    By 2030, up to 68 gigawatt hours of additional heat are to be distributed each year. This corresponds to 10,000 households and requires the construction of a new biomass heating plant, the press release continues. The expansion of the Saint-Louis heating network was decided at the end of 2020.

  • New parcel logistics should relieve cities

    New parcel logistics should relieve cities

    A new pilot project by the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse is testing an alternative distribution system for parcel shipments in Zurich. It is intended to reduce delivery traffic in cities. A media release from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ) quoted the Federal Office for Spatial Development, according to which the volume of parcels will increase by 75 percent by 2040 due to the growing online trade and the freight traffic will increase by 37 percent as a result.

    The ZHAW Institute for Sustainable Development in Winterthur is leading this project. Companies such as H&M , Zalando and Ikea are involved. In addition to the city of Zurich, the project partners are also Swiss Post , DPD and Cargo Sous Terrain . The desired solution provides for the interaction of three distribution centers, so-called hubs. The project also aims to provide cities with assessment criteria that they can use to find suitable locations.

    “Today every truck drives through town once and distributes the goods. With a hub in the city center, from which the fine distribution takes place, you can bundle much better, ”Maike Scherrer from the ZHAW is quoted as saying. A digital backbone based on artificial intelligence is to organize the shipment allocation to different means of transport in such a way that as few transport kilometers as possible are driven. Free transport capacities can be auctioned online. It is important that the distance to the home address is short so that the parcel recipients can walk to the Microhub as much as possible.

  • Implenia is building district heating tunnels in Hamburg

    Implenia is building district heating tunnels in Hamburg

    Implenia will build a 1.2 kilometer long tunnel for Wärme Hamburg , the construction and real estate company from Opfikon informs in a press release . The tunnel is to connect the north of Hamburg to a new heating network. To do this, it will cross under the Elbe around 2 kilometers west of the Elbe tunnel for the motorway.

    The work is divided into two phases, with the planning phase starting in October. Implenia has now received the order for further planning and construction work from the beginning of 2022, according to the announcement. The total order volume there is estimated at around 75 million francs.

    The work should be completed by the first quarter of 2025. To this end, Implenia will first create diaphragm walls for the start and finish shafts with a depth of up to 42 meters. A tunnel measuring 1.16 kilometers long and around 4.5 meters in diameter is then to be drilled between them and lined with precast concrete elements. Implenia is also responsible for planning and installing the operating technology for the district heating pipeline.

    "We are very pleased that we are able to create this large and complex infrastructure project for our customer Wärme Hamburg", Erwin Scherer, Head of Tunneling at Implenia, is quoted in the press release. "The fact that we are making a contribution to improving the sustainability of heat generation gives us additional motivation, because sustainability is an Implenia corporate value that we will also live by in this project."