immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Category: Zurich

  • The Valley gets ecological heating and cooling from EKZ

    The Valley gets ecological heating and cooling from EKZ

    Mettler2Invest has commissioned EKZ with the ecological heating and cooling supply of The Valley, the energy supplier informs in a press release . The company was awarded the contract in the corresponding tender in autumn 2021. “EKZ convinced us with a comprehensive technical and ecological overall concept, with great flexibility and thorough advice,” Peter Mettler, CEO of Mettler2Invest, is quoted in the press release.

    The energy supplier will install ambient air heat pumps on the historic site of the Maggi factory. Mettler2Invest receives the so-called energy carefree package for site developers, explains EKZ. The systems remain the property of the energy supplier. Site developers and property owners benefited “from manageable costs and a carefree package for all questions relating to energy supply”.

    Within the agreed 30-year contract period, EKZ wants to avoid around 44,000 tons of CO2 through the systems. Commissioning is scheduled for autumn next year. The Valley area has a floor space of 21,650 square meters and offers space for around 125 companies.

  • Zurich's center should become idyllic

    Zurich's center should become idyllic

    The visualizations presented by the planning teams Van de Wetering Atelier für Stadtbau and Studio Vulkan Landschaftsarchitektur show “an idyll in the middle of the big city”, says a report in the “Tages-Anzeiger” on the planned redesign of the area between the main station and Central. Both concepts rely on green promenades, spacious squares and little traffic.

    Pedestrian traffic has top priority in the Van de Wetering Atelier urban planning concept. “Pedestrians the size of the Street Parade stream through the Hauptbahnhof and Central area every day,” Han van de Wetering is quoted in the article. He therefore wanted to “clean up and create spacious, green spaces”.

    In the concept of Studio Vulkan Landschaftsarchitektur, great importance is attached to close public transport connections and access to services. To this end, a new public transport stop is to be set up at Europaplatz and car traffic is to be concentrated on two main axes.

    According to the report, both teams expected a “reduction in motorized private transport in the city center” in the long term. Above all, the civil engineering office recognized that both visions would avoid shifting traffic to the districts or to other urban axes and that the detailed development of the properties and the logistics for goods and trade would be retained. In a next step, the concepts are to be appraised by internal and external experts.

  • Villmergen is planning two heating networks

    Villmergen is planning two heating networks

    The municipality of Villmergen and AEW Energie AG are examining the realization of two independent heating networks. According to a media release from the energy supplier, the municipality is planning a heating center for renewable heat in the Perimeter Dorf together with the electricity company of the city of Zurich ( ewz ). Both want to invest around 7 million Swiss francs for this. A second network is to be created with AEW as an investor in the perimeter of industry. In an initial phase, AEW is providing around CHF 10 million for this.

    The prerequisite for the implementation of this plan is the approval of the voters at the municipal assembly on November 25, 2022. The first heat delivery is planned for the 2024/2025 heating period.

    According to AEW, the added value remains in the region: the Rietenberg forest area is to supply fuel for the village, and operation is ensured by the Villmergen municipal works. This could be used to heat 340 households in a CO2-neutral manner. That corresponds to a saving of 352,000 cubic meters of natural gas or 750 tons of CO2 emissions.

    The heat from the industrial heating network would be produced largely from regionally grown wood and waste wood, as well as oil to cover peak loads. This can heat 700 households in a CO2-neutral way. This saves around 640,000 cubic meters of natural gas annually, which would cause 2,900 tons of CO2 emissions.

  • Epic Suisse goes to the SIX Swiss Exchange

    Epic Suisse goes to the SIX Swiss Exchange

    Epic Suisse has completed the IPO on the SIX Swiss Exchange , as stated in a press release . The entry expands the circle of listed real estate companies to 18 companies.

    According to SIX, the newcomer to the stock market finds the best conditions for achieving its growth goals. SIX CEO Jos Dijsselhof is quoted as saying that Epic Suisse is evidence of “the continued interest of investors in SIX-listed real estate companies”.

    Epic Suisse from Zurich emphasizes a broad base of investors who rely on the business model. The real estate company, founded in 2004, went public with an opening price of CHF 68 per share, which corresponds to a market capitalization of CHF 693 million.

  • Location promotion Dietikon presents interim report

    Location promotion Dietikon presents interim report

    The interim report on the promotion of the city of Dietikon covers the period from November 2021 to April 2022. According to the press release , it is intended to provide an overview of the activities carried out in the reporting period. As particular highlights of this work, the communication highlights the progress made in the Cleantech Hub Dietikon project, which started last autumn 2021, and in the Smart City Dietikon project.

    According to the report , the mayor and location promoter visited 14 companies in the area of economic development and offered them help with various matters. Demand for commercial space remains high. There are regularly more rental requests than offers. We are looking for logistics areas and workshops with truck access and high ceilings. The number of start-ups and liquidations is said to be relatively constant.

    According to the report, there are also bottlenecks in the supply of suitable commercial premises at the Cleantech Hub Dietikon. But the project is making progress. A core team has been working intensively on the structure since October. The Cleantech Hub Dietikon association was founded on February 15. There are currently several inquiries from start-ups who would like to rent space in the Cleantech Hub.

    Regarding the progress of the Smart City Dietikon project, it is said that the implementation of the first sub-projects has been delayed. An e-mobility charging station at Zelgliplatz, an e-bike charging station at Velohaus and public WiFi at Kirchplatz are already in operation.

    There are other reports on the “Mitenand für Dietike” ideas competition, the NetzwerkStadt for an attractive center and on city marketing and on fresh markets and seasonal markets such as the spring market.

  • Sulzer area gets new signage

    Sulzer area gets new signage

    The transformation of the Sulzer area, initiated more than 20 years ago, has turned the former “forbidden industrial city” into a lively district “with many new residents, workers and numerous uses for customers”, writes the Winterthur city administration in a statement . This transformation is now almost complete, it says there. The work in the last sub-area Lockstadt should also be completed in the next few years.

    The new district is now to be given uniform signage. It is based on “a simple signage concept appropriate to the area” and is intended to “ensure good orientation for visitors and customers,” explains the city administration. Street signs and house numbers are rust red, taken from the color palette of the former industrial area. The signposts in and through the area are also designed in rust red.

    The area-specific signage should not only simplify orientation, but also “maintain and strengthen the identity of this special part of the city”, according to the statement. The concept and corresponding adjustments to the ordinance on street naming and the guidelines for building labeling in the area have already been approved by the city council.

  • Zurich is to become a solar city

    Zurich is to become a solar city

    ewz is expanding its citizen participation model ewz.solarzüri . As the energy supplier announced in a press release , around 3,300 additional solar systems on public buildings in the city of Zurich are now available to its customers. In this way, tenants can also contribute to the construction of additional solar areas. The price is 250 francs per square meter, the payment on the electricity bill is 80 kilowatt hours per year for a period of 20 years.

    The largest of the planned new solar systems are in Höngg: on the Lachenzelg Ost school building (1860 square meters) and on the waterfront school building (1170 square meters). 100 square meters are planned on the roof of the Dunkelhölzli residential building in Altstetten, and 165 square meters on the Altstetten train station. If 80 percent of an area is sold through this type of swarm financing, the respective system is realized by ewz.

    In this case, clean electricity will be generated by ewz.solarzüri from January 2023 on over 37,000 square meters. According to ewz, further locations are in the works.

    “With the solar strategy , we in the city of Zurich have the ambitious goal of producing more solar power,” City Councilor Michael Baumer, head of the industrial operations of the city of Zurich , to which ewz also belongs, is quoted in the statement. “Because only together can we make Zurich a solar city – every square meter counts!”

  • Plans for the Attisholz area are issued

    Plans for the Attisholz area are issued

    A competition for landscape architects was carried out for the design of the Attisholz area in Riedholz. According to a media release from Halter AG , those that are to be pursued have been selected from the six projects submitted. The Schlieremer construction group is the landowner of the area. The projects will now be presented to the public. The exhibition opened on Thursday, May 19, at 5 p.m. in the evaporation plant building. The exhibition will remain open until June 2nd.

    The government council of the canton of Solothurn approved the usage plan for the Attisholz area in Riedholz in December. The project page from Halter states that cellulose was industrially produced on the site for 130 years. Since the end of 2016, Halter AG has been working with the local municipality of Riedholz and the canton of Solothurn to find a new use for the area.

    Six teams led by landscape architecture offices took part in the competition that has now been held. In the program, the creation of a sustainable and changeable basis for the development of a living space for all users was formulated as a core task. The aim was to design the mostly public open spaces on the eastern part of the site in detail.

    The assessment committee consisted of experts in landscape architecture and urban planning, representatives of the municipality of Riedholz, the office for spatial planning of the canton of Solothurn and the landowner Halter AG. The committee unanimously recommended the study by DnD Landschaftsplanung ZT Wien and Freimüller-Söllinger Stadtbau ZT Wien for further processing.

  • Wooden floor is designed to absorb sound

    Wooden floor is designed to absorb sound

    According to a press release , researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) are working on a world first in soundproofing wooden buildings. In particular, it is about reducing footfall noise. The researchers use a physical theory from the 1990s.

    The theory is about so-called acoustic black holes. Parabolic recesses in a material should be able to “swallow” vibrations such as sound. However, this theory has not yet been tested in either timber construction or building acoustics. Stefan Schoenwald, head of Empa’s building acoustics laboratory in Dübendorf, has now carried out precisely such experiments with his team.

    In its experiments, the team has already calculated acoustic spectra on the computer. Then it tested whether the computer model corresponded to reality. In fact, there were only deviations of up to 5 percent, which the researchers explain, among other things, with the natural variation of the wood.

    The researchers now also want to develop a method that can automatically show the best arrangement and shape of the acoustic black holes on any ground size and shape. Then it is necessary to look for industrial partners. During the tests, Empa has already cooperated with the timber construction company Strüby AG in Seewen SZ.

  • Innovation Hub in Horgen opens its doors

    Innovation Hub in Horgen opens its doors

    Beijing, Singapore, Paris, Horgen – with immediate effect, an Innovation Hub is also open to customers, partners and interested trade visitors in Switzerland. A visit is worthwhile for anyone who would like to get a first-hand impression of the future-oriented products and solutions from the tech group Schneider Electric and Feller AG. The exhibits and audiovisual media convey everything worth knowing about modern living and working environments, which are right on the pulse of the times. Visitors have the opportunity to discover innovations at their own pace and to be inspired by the pioneering technologies.

    One company, two brands: the best of both worlds

    The Innovation Hub maps the entire spectrum of the energy and automation specialist Schneider Electric and its subsidiary, Feller AG. The innovations and technological developments at all levels, in the full breadth and depth of the portfolio, are presented on 500 square meters. In addition to intelligent products and solutions for industrial automation, the energy networks of the future, building automation and the connected home as a networked, digitized home also play a large role. Other topics such as energy efficiency in residential construction and e-mobility round off the diverse world of experience.

    Innovation and technology impulses: A place of experience and knowledge transfer

    Theoretical knowledge of modern digital technology is only one side of the coin. Nothing beats experiencing the advantages of future living and working environments under real conditions. “With our new Innovation Hub, a comprehensive world of experience has emerged. Here not only networked automation solutions are presented in an attractive environment, but also the networking of knowledge is promoted,” explains Tanja Vainio, Country President Schneider Electric Switzerland. The interdisciplinary competence center offers the ideal environment to hold training sessions or expert forums in the future.

  • The Hammer Group Zurich continues to grow

    The Hammer Group Zurich continues to grow

    MAKK AG has achieved an excellent position with its innovative and attractive range of products and services. Their business is divided into the areas of “cloakrooms & changing cabinets”, “transport equipment & laundry logistics”, “ladders & work platforms” and “waste bins & recyclables collectors”. The customer-specific solutions are developed, produced and assembled in Switzerland.

    «MAKK is an excellent addition to the Velopa range. Values and corporate culture go well together. Together we can create added value for our customers,” states Claudio Ammann, Head of Corporate Development at the Hammer Group.

    “With the Hammer Group, I have found a partner within the framework of my successor who convinced me with their entrepreneurial concept and who, together with the existing team, can use their strengths to further expand the market position of MAKK,” says Albert Keel, the previous one owner, out.

    The takeover of MAKK AG by the Hammer Group will take effect retrospectively as of January 1, 2022. Together with the previous managing director Emilio Melliger and all employees, the new owner will fully continue and develop the previous activities. The change of ownership does not result in any changes for customers and partners, the contact persons remain the same. The previous owner Albert Keel will continue to support the company in an advisory capacity.

    Harry Kramis, CEO of the Hammer Group, put it this way: “I see attractive medium-term synergy potential in the merger of MAKK AG and the Hammer Group. Our goal is to exploit this step by step. This will make us an even more attractive partner for the customers of all our subsidiaries.”

  • The Cube: There is nothing to buy in this store

    The Cube: There is nothing to buy in this store

    The Cube showroom designed by Wincasa meets changing customer needs and has its finger on the pulse of the times. Today’s customers want more than just shopping. It’s about being entertained with additional offers and making a stay in a shopping center an experience. The Cube meets this changing customer need. The retail space in Sihlcity in Zurich is the first of its kind in Switzerland. Others are to follow after a first test phase.

    Experience and try without buying

    Under the motto Experience Innovation, a wide variety of innovative products from a wide variety of industries are presented and exhibited in The Cube. The Cube is a place of experience and experience. Customers can test the products live, try them out and give immediate feedback. To underline the showroom character of The Cube, nothing can be bought on site. The products are only available online from the respective manufacturers. A win-win situation: The providers receive direct and honest feedback from consumers, generate new leads and attract attention in a special environment. Customers, in turn, have the opportunity to exclusively test and experience new, exciting products.

    Retail of the future

    The showroom concept is also an answer to the challenges of stationary retail. It connects online and offline and delivers real feedback, data, exclusivity, new leads and fans in return for the experience. For project manager Christian Bliggenstorfer, this is a forward-looking step: « A shop concept of this kind is unique in Switzerland. We can test new formats in The Cube, offer customers something new and at the same time gain new insights into the retail of the future. »

  • Majority stick to working from home

    Majority stick to working from home

    Hybrid work remains trendy, writes Steiner AG in a statement on the Office Barometer 2022 from the Zurich-based real estate service provider, which specializes in project development and implementation. According to the study carried out by Marketagent.com Schweiz AG on behalf of Steiner, 42 percent of those surveyed would like to split their working hours between the office and at home. A quarter would like to continue working from home even after the home office obligation has been lifted. A full return to the office is the aim of 33 percent.

    The so-called office types reject the home office mainly because of the more difficult communication there on an interpersonal and professional level, explains Steiner. The same reason is given by the Hyprid types as why they only want to do part of their work at home. On the other hand, the home office types, who mostly have workplaces in open-plan offices, see no disadvantages in working from home either for themselves or for the company.

    Steiner has been “intensively dealing with the working world of the future for several years,” the company explains in the press release. Among other things, Steiner held an internal competition on the subject. The company intends to use the ideas submitted there to develop offers in the office sector. The company’s own employees should also benefit from this, explains Michael Schiltknecht in the press release. “At Steiner, employees can get actively involved when it comes to developing their own workplace environment,” says the Steiner CEO.

  • Westhive takes in 6.3 million Swiss francs

    Westhive takes in 6.3 million Swiss francs

    Westhive AG has successfully completed a round of financing. According to a press release , Fairway Family Office , MA Ventures and other private and institutional investors have participated. With the fresh capital of CHF 6.3 million, Westhive wants to open up new co-working locations and further develop the software for management.

    In the rapidly growing market for flexible office space, the technological infrastructure sets the pace. According to the information, “access to the locations, the booking of meeting rooms, the discounts for the in-house restaurants” are controlled via the smartphone. The offices should offer users many conveniences and be functional. In addition to flexibility, this “high convenience” is a decisive advantage over conventionally rented office space.

    According to co-founder Andreas Widmer, the investments mean that the company, which was founded in 2017, is “an ideal starting point”. In addition to the growth capital, the new shareholders bring “great potential for synergies” to the company. Westhive members have access to the entire infrastructure for co-working spaces at all company-owned locations.

  • ETH researchers build a dome from construction waste

    ETH researchers build a dome from construction waste

    A group of researchers from the Circular Engineering for Architecture Labs ( CEA ) at ETH have built a dome from construction waste. The aim of the project led by assistant professor Catherine De Wolf in the Department of Civil, Environment and Geomatics was to show the advantages of the circular economy and digitization for the construction industry, according to a press release .

    In doing so, the scientists should go through the entire reuse cycle of building materials – from the dismantling work to the design of a new building and its construction. Before the demolition of a car warehouse in Geneva, they collected usable old components under the guidance of demolition specialists.

    They stored and installed the parts on the Hönggerberg campus with the help of a self-programmed algorithm. This independently calculated the optimal geometry and dimensions of the wood supply in order to use it as efficiently as possible. “The aim was to design the computer program in such a way that it does not cut the largest bars into small pieces and leaves as few residues as possible,” doctoral student Matthew Gordon is quoted as saying in the press release.

    The participants also saved information on each component, which was marked with a QR code, in a database. The idea of the prototype: Architects could find out “when which materials from demolition objects will be available and plan them in new buildings”.

    Because in the project it turned out that the procurement of used components is one of the biggest challenges. “Ideally, the companies would be informed about demolition or dismantling as soon as possible, so that they can start looking for buyers for the materials right away,” De Wolf is quoted as saying in the press release. In fact, this often happens at short notice.

  • Swiss Life Asset Managers aligns real estate funds with sustainability

    Swiss Life Asset Managers aligns real estate funds with sustainability

    Zurich-based Swiss Life Asset Managers AG is renaming its real estate fund Swiss Life REF (CH) Swiss Properties. With the addition of ESG in the fund name and documents, the asset manager is signaling its efforts for more sustainability in accordance with environmental, social and governance factors (ESG), according to a press release .

    Accordingly, the company has been pursuing a sustainability strategy since 2018. In this context, the real estate fund’s properties are to be “gradually optimized with regard to ecological and social criteria as well as aspects of good corporate governance”.

    For better energy and CO2 efficiency, fossil heating systems in existing buildings are to be replaced and new objects are to be checked for sustainability before they are bought. For repairs and investments, the company intends to use a specially developed construction guideline in the future. According to the information, it contains, among other things, minimum energy requirements and “specifications for the targeted use of building certifications”.

    Swiss Life Asset Managers wants to introduce social standards when dealing with tenants. According to the press release, this is reflected in regular surveys of their satisfaction. They should also be informed about sustainability issues.

  • The LIMMIviva construction project ends with savings

    The LIMMIviva construction project ends with savings

    The Limmattal Hospital Association completes the LIMMIviva new construction project for the acute hospital. The construction was realized between 2014 and September 2018. This was followed by relocation and commissioning. The project can now be considered completed. According to the media release, less was spent on the costs than estimated. The approved commitment credit of 275.7 million francs, including two supplementary credits, was undershot by around 0.8 million francs.

    In a construction project lasting several years, adjustments to the original project are quite common, according to the hospital association. This also applied to the new building project for the Limmattal hospital. The high dynamics of the healthcare system meant that the project was continuously adapted to changing requirements in over 100 supplements. Such supplements usually lead to significant additional costs. During the construction of the Limmattal hospital, together with the Bern-based construction company Losinger Marazzi AG , which was commissioned as general contractor, additional costs that caused additional costs were compensated for by optimizations in other areas.

    With the hospital financing introduced in 2012 and an amendment to the municipal law, the Limmattal Hospital Association was able to finance the investments of around 270 million francs itself, without the help of the municipalities and thus without burdening the taxpayer. 220 million francs of outside capital was raised through the issue of two bonds.

  • The world's tallest residential building made of wood is being built in Lokstadt

    The world's tallest residential building made of wood is being built in Lokstadt

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    The study contract for the construction of the Rocket and Tigerli houses has been completed, as informed by Ina Invest in a press release . A jury made up of representatives from the city of Winterthur and architects selected the concept by the architecture offices of Cometti Truffer Hodel Architects from Lucerne and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects from Copenhagen from nine designs.

    The winning design shows an “outstanding architectural completion” of the former industrial site. As can be seen in the media release, the decision is based on a “non-anonymous study order in the form of a digital, one-step process with pre-qualification and interim discussion”. In addition to urban planning and architectural aspects, the focus was on sustainability and innovation. At the heart of Lokstadt, on Dialogplatz, the Rocket high-rise with a terracotta facade is to reach a height of 100 meters into the sky.

    Mixed use is planned for the entire residential area. In the Rocket high-rise, a diverse range of residential properties is to be created over 32 floors. According to the Lokstadt development team, the architectural concept is characterized by flexible planning.

    The base building Tigerli is intended for student apartments and non-profit housing. A Radisson Red Hotel is to be housed on part of the area, including the listed industrial halls.

  • Brulé and Prajer establish the Domi Living house brand

    Brulé and Prajer establish the Domi Living house brand

    From Switzerland, 80 to 100 houses are to be built worldwide that will bear the Domi Living signature, five to seven also in Zurich. Behind this new real estate brand are Canadian designer with British citizenship Tyler Brulé and Zurich real estate entrepreneur Thomas Prajer .

    Domi Living was founded in Zug in July 2021 and, according to its website, sees itself as a real estate and lifestyle consultancy. It aims to “create elegant, intuitive real estate and revitalize urban neighborhoods around the world. In doing so, we combine design and site development at a high level with access to a sophisticated, influential global audience.” The buildings in Asian and North American metropolises are to be realized under license by local entrepreneurs.

    In order to reach an exclusive target audience, both business partners have good prerequisites. A seasoned journalist, Brulé is the owner of the glossy magazine Monocle . He also owns the Zurich design agency Winkreative with offices in London and Tokyo. Among other things, she gave her logo and name to the then new Swiss airline in 2002. He also owns the radio station M24 and cafés in Zurich and London. He was also involved in the design of the Koya apartment building in the Andermatt Swiss Alps holiday village.

    “We want to create a global brand with Domi Living,” said Thomas Prajer of the “Handelzeitung”. The first building of this new brand is to be built on Zurich’s Gold Coast, on a site in Küsnacht owned by Thomas Prajer. Prajer will also contribute the other Domi Living properties in Zurich. According to the information, he has bought around 50 high-quality plots of land in the Zurich area, which he will develop with his company Xania Real Estate . It was founded in March 2022.

  • Forum develops scenarios for the Papierwerd area

    Forum develops scenarios for the Papierwerd area

    The Paperwerd Forum was launched on April 11 under the direction of the Office for Urban Development. Here, 55 experts from various disciplines, representatives of politics, clubs, organizations and associations as well as the residents are to work out “the basics for the future of the Papierwerd area”, writes the building department of the city of Zurich in a statement . “We would like to have a broad debate with the interest groups and the population about the possible scenarios for the Papierwerd area,” Corine Mauch, Mayor of Zurich, is quoted there as saying. The scenarios range from preservation to partial preservation and demolition to new construction.

    The results of the dialogue process should form the basis for the city council’s strategy for the development of the area. The handling of the provisional globe will also be discussed, according to the statement. “Even if the Globus provisional is not listed as a historic monument, the building is definitely relevant in terms of architecture, urban planning and social history,” André Odermatt, head of the building department, is quoted as saying.

    The Papierwerd area is part of the area around the main station and the Central. For this, the civil engineering office creates a master plan as a superordinate consideration. Richard Wolff, Head of the Civil Engineering and Waste Management Department, explains that it will be “incorporated into the strategic process for the Papierwerd site”, but will not anticipate it.

  • 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.”

  • New recycling center focuses on circular economy

    New recycling center focuses on circular economy

    The city of Zurich is planning to set up a sustainable, innovative recycling center on the Juch site in Zurich-Altstetten. It is intended to replace the Hagenholz recycling center. The city council has now approved an additional loan of 4.24 million francs for the implementation of the project, the civil engineering and waste disposal department of the city of Zurich informed in a statement .

    The construction of the new recycling center is intended to serve as a pilot project for circular construction. On the one hand, the reuse of as many elements as possible from the Hagenholz recycling hall and other components owned by the city is planned. On the other hand, value is placed on a simple and independent renewal of components in the new recycling center.

    The operating concept of the center is also based on the principles of the circular economy. It is planned to repair disposal goods as far as possible and to recycle them.

    The new recycling center on the Juch site is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2026. At a later date, the city of Zurich also wants to replace the Werdholzli recycling center with an equivalent recycling center in Zurich-North, explains the Civil Engineering and Waste Management Department.

  • Two women strengthen the board of the SVSM

    Two women strengthen the board of the SVSM

    At the General Assembly of the Swiss Association for Site Management ( SVSM ) in Baden on March 31, the members elected two new board members: Jasmina Ritz and Katharina Hopp. According to the announcement on the association’s website , the general assembly took place as part of the SVSM Dialogue Site Management 2022 in the garden hall of the Villa Boveri in Baden. During the dialogue, more than 30 people followed the practical presentations on site management in Baden, in the Wil region and in Upper Valais.

    With the election of Jasmina Ritz, Managing Director of the Limmatstadt AG location promotion, there are now three Limmattal residents on the seven-strong SVSM board. President Beny Ruhstaller is also head of the office of the Niderfeld landowners’ association, Albert Schweizer is a founding member of the SVSM and head of Schlieren location promotion.

    When asked, Ritz explains her motivation for the position on the board: “I would like to campaign for more visibility and awareness of our profession, to make our performance and impact more recognizable. Our work cannot be reduced to company settlements. We are designers, drive projects forward, bring people together, open doors and are ambassadors for our locations.”

    Katharina Hopp, who was also elected to the SVSM board, worked until 2021 as head of site development at the Baselland location promotion. From summer 2022 she will work at AXA Investment Managers as an ESG/Asset Management Analyst.

  • Acquisitions drive Poenina's growth

    Acquisitions drive Poenina's growth

    According to a statement by Poenina Holding AG , the building technology company from the Glattal generated operating income of CHF 383.2 million in the 2021 financial year. In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to growth of 26.8 percent. The operating result at EBIT level increased by 41.3 percent to CHF 21.2 million in the same period. A net profit of CHF 16.9 million was booked, which is 34.1 percent more than in 2020.

    In the statement, Poenina states “two inorganic effects” as the background to the development of sales. On the one hand, three acquisitions in the financial year are mentioned here. On the other hand, the merger with Caleira AG in June 2020 had an impact over an entire reporting year for the first time. Poenina attributes the increase in profitability to “continued internal process improvements” and the waning impact of the pandemic.

    In January of this year, Poenina announced the start of merger negotiations with the Burkhalter Group , which specializes in electrical engineering. The background is the Energy Strategy 2050 planned by the federal government. “In the course of the constructive merger talks”, the board of directors is now applying for the implementation of the merger, Poenina informs in the press release. Poenina is to be merged into Burkhalter and Poenina shares are to be exchanged for newly created Burkhalter shares at a ratio of 1 to 0.73. The approval of the general meetings of both companies is still pending.

  • Steinfels Swiss lays the foundation stone for a new factory

    Steinfels Swiss lays the foundation stone for a new factory

    Steinfels Swiss laid the foundation stone for its new building in Winterthur on March 30, the Coop subsidiary, which specializes in the production of sustainable cosmetic and hygiene products for the retail trade, hospitals and gastronomy, informed in a statement. “With the new building, we are investing in the Winterthur production site and expanding our range of cosmetic products,” Christian Koch, CEO of Steinfels Swiss, is quoted as saying. “In this way we can meet the increasing demand for cosmetic products, especially for sustainable alternatives.”

    In the new production building, the company wants to renew its cosmetics production and realign the production of detergents, the press release explains further. The internal flow of goods should be automated. The end of the construction work is scheduled for the end of 2023. The new production premises offer space for 150 employees.

    Steinfels Swiss had the old production building demolished for the new building project worth CHF 35 million. The new building is intended to set “standards in terms of sustainability”, the company explains in the press release. On the one hand, it is built according to the Minergie standard. On the other hand, a large part of the required electrical energy is to be produced with the company’s own photovoltaic systems. Steinfels Swiss will obtain the thermal energy required for production from Stadtwerke Winterthur in the form of waste heat.

  • Settlements reach pre-corona level

    Settlements reach pre-corona level

    Company settlements are increasing again after the Corona dip. The Greater Zurich Area AG (GZA), as the location marketing organization for nine cantons, was able to settle a total of 125 companies in 2021, an increase of 36 companies compared to the first Corona year 2020. According to a statement by the GZA, 42 companies came from the USA (+20 ), 19 from Germany (+4), ten from Italy (+5) and five each from China (-6), Great Britain and Singapore.

    Overall, the companies created 582 jobs in the economic area, an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous year. In the next five years there should be a total of 1843 jobs.

    The ICT sectors are most strongly represented with 42 companies, followed by the life sciences with 25 companies and the machine industry with 18 and financial services with 13 companies. The life sciences companies created 235 jobs, followed by the ICT companies with 154 jobs.

    However, the importance of the companies for the location goes beyond the number of new jobs. “We specifically address those companies that achieve high added value and strengthen the existing ecosystem,” said GZA Managing Director Sonja Wollkopf Walt at a digital media conference.

    One of the newly settled companies is Benchling . The American provider of cloud solutions for life sciences wants to create up to 150 jobs in the Circle at Zurich Airport. The Chinese pharmaceutical company Hengrui already has its European headquarters in Basel and is now setting up a research and development site in Zurich.

    The German RegTech company targens will sell its software for compliance solutions to banks in Switzerland and Liechtenstein from Schwanden GL. Ruedi Becker, the Swiss head of the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg subsidiary, was able to convince his superiors of the advantages of Glarus together with the GZA.

    That pleases the Glarner location promoter Christian Zehnder. So far, Glarus has been strong in manufacturing and food production. “We want to get away from our traditional image,” he said. “When companies settle here, however, we depend on the strong partner GZA, who markets the location internationally.”

    Sonja Wollkopf Walt sees it similarly: the settlement of targens strengthens the ecosystem as a whole and sends the signal that the economic area extends beyond Zurich and Zug. “In the Greater Zurich Area there is the ideal location for every company.”

    The Greater Zurich Area includes the cantons of Glarus, Graubünden, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Ticino, Uri, Zug and Zurich.

  • Canton of Zurich launches new shop for geodata

    Canton of Zurich launches new shop for geodata

    The Office for Spatial Development of the Canton of Zurich has developed a shop for geodata . According to a press release , users receive free access to spatial data in the canton of Zurich and can order them at the touch of a button.

    With the new shop solution, use-restricted, i.e. non-open data is now also being added. Previously, cantonal geodata sets were available to users free of charge as open authority data via the GIS browser maps.zh.ch or a geoservice and could only be called up manually.

    A total of over 500 products from the geographic information system can be viewed and ordered in the geodata shop, including data on buildings, air, noise and climate. Later, data on buildings and land, so-called object data from the ObjektwesenZH platform, will also be added.

  • The SVIT real estate fair and Digital Day 2022

    The SVIT real estate fair and Digital Day 2022

    The Zurich Real Estate Days took place from March 18th to 20th. Under the roof of the newly renovated congress center, the “SVIT Immobilien-Messe”, the “SVIT Digital Day” and the “Digital Kompass Schweiz” were held there for the first time. Over the three days, there were a total of more than 2,500 visitors and more than 50 exhibitors at the fair.

    The “SVIT Immobilien-Messe” was held for the twelfth time and was a complete success. Due to the intensive construction activities in the economic area of Zurich, the fair has found its place in the agenda of visitors. Those interested in home ownership or first-time rentals found what they were looking for at the “SVIT Immobilien-Messe”, because existing properties and properties that are only in the planning stage are also presented.

    For the third time, but for the first time combined with the SVIT real estate trade fair, the “SVIT Digital Day” took place on Friday, March 18, 2022. The latest digital trends for the real estate industry were shown by around 40 exhibitors. The practice-oriented specialist presentations by Joel Hadwiger (Sales Manager casavi), Luc Zehnder (Account Executive Intrum AG) and Erich Birchler (CEO BMT AG) were also very exciting.

    The “Digital Compass Switzerland” is an innovation of the SVIT Zurich. The tool accompanies real estate players on the way to digital transformation, because the efficiency of a real estate company depends heavily on its software and its interfaces. The SVIT platform shows specific applicable solutions that are specifically tailored to the Swiss real estate industry.

    We look forward to all upcoming SVIT events.

  • Forum UZH takes next hurdle

    Forum UZH takes next hurdle

    The UZH Forum has completed its preliminary project and thus completed the first phase of the project planning, the UZH informs in a press release . The planned nine-story building for the UZH research and education center will form “the future hub of the University of Zurich in the heart of the Zurich Zentrum university district,” the statement said. A large part of the building is to be made accessible to the public.

    The cost of the new building is expected to amount to CHF 598 million. The Government Council of the Canton of Zurich has now referred a corresponding loan application to the Cantonal Council, the State Chancellery of the Canton of Zurich informed in a separate statement . According to her, the Forum UZH provides “the urgently needed additional space for teaching and research”. In addition, the Communications Department of the Government Council emphasizes the function of the planned research and education center as a “link between the three traditional institutions of the University of Zurich, the University Hospital Zurich and the ETH Zurich “.

    The seven above-ground floors of the Forum UZH are reserved for research and teaching. Law, economics and modern philology will occupy the top four floors. In addition, seven of the 40 locations of the university library will move into the new building. In the center of the building there will be an inner forum in the form of a large hall that breaks through the entire structure, which gives the building “an open, pleasant atmosphere across all floors”, writes the UHZ in its press release. The Forum UZH is scheduled to open in 2029.

  • Aargau Verkehr receives the first train of the new Limmattalbahn

    Aargau Verkehr receives the first train of the new Limmattalbahn

    Aargau Verkehr AG (AVA) has received the first of eight light rail vehicles for the new Limmattalbahn. The Tramlink, a low-floor tram that was broken down into three parts, was built by Stadler Rail , based in Bussnang TG, at its plant in Valencia, Spain, and brought to Bremgarten by heavy-duty truck. According to the press release , the parts were then reassembled there by technicians from Aargau Verkehr and Stadler Valencia to form the 44.3 meter long light rail system. By November, the Tramlink fleet will be successively completed with a further seven light rail vehicles.

    From the timetable change on December 11, 2022, the eight Stadtbahn trains will transport passengers on the Limmattalbahn between Killwangen-Spreitbach and Zurich Altstetten. Line 20 then serves a total of 27 stops over a distance of 13.4 kilometers.

    The first railway that has now been delivered is to be used in the Limmattal from summer when the infrastructure for the Limmattalbahn is ready. Test drives are made from the new depot in Dietikon.

    According to AVA, the light rail vehicles procured jointly with BLT Baselland Transport AG belong to a modern and comfortable generation of vehicles. According to the AVA website , the Tramlink models are multi-articulated low-floor trams. With stepless entry and exit, you meet the requirements of the Disability Equality Act. In addition to full air conditioning, a passenger information system and comfortable seats, there are functional compartments with space for prams, wheelchairs and heavy luggage. All tram links are equipped with emergency call stations.