immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Bauinnovation

  • Rethinking building, Freiburg is looking for pioneers

    Rethinking building, Freiburg is looking for pioneers

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

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

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

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

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

  • Innovation competition for construction start-ups in the third round

    Innovation competition for construction start-ups in the third round

    The Basel Startup Academy and the Swissbau trade fair have announced the third Swissbau Startup Challenge. The cooperation promotes young companies from the construction and property industry that actively contribute to its transformation. Accordingly, there is a special focus on the circular economy. In a message on LinkedIn, the event partners are delighted to “have BaselCircular on board as a partner here”.

    Start-ups that are no more than two years old and scale-ups that have been around for less than four years can take part. They have the opportunity to take part in a pitching round and receive professional feedback on their business idea. At the same time, they will be supported at boot camps and workshops organised by the Startup Academy and by the Swissbau industry network.

    The top teams will perform in front of an expert jury and the trade fair audience at the final at Swissbau. The trade fair will take place from 20 to 23 January 2026. The young companies can also optionally book a presence at the Infopoint there at a discounted price.

    The Swissbau Circular Award will also be presented for the first time at the finale. With this award, the event partners want to identify and support new, creative solutions for sustainable construction and bring together start-ups, established companies and experts to work together on solutions. The aim is also to highlight the importance of the circular economy in the construction and property industry. Registration for the challenge is open until 31 March.

    Swissbau is a trade fair organised by the MCH Group based in Basel.

  • Research into resource-efficient construction driven forward at NEST

    Research into resource-efficient construction driven forward at NEST

    The STEP2 module in the NEST research and innovation building at Empa celebrated its inauguration on August 29, Empa announced in a press release. New technologies for resource-saving construction are being tested in the new module. The approaches installed in STEP2 were developed by Empa in collaboration with research and industry partners. BASF and the architecture firm ROK were the main partners.

    STEP2 features, among other things, a noise-insulating ribbed filigree concrete ceiling and a 3D-printed concrete staircase. The façade with integrated shading and controlled natural ventilation is designed as a test platform. A window element with a 3D-printed structure will be the first to be tested here. All innovations serve to reduce material and energy consumption in construction and promote the circular economy.

    “At the same time, it is very important to us that we develop solutions that are marketable and actually have a future in the construction industry,” said Enrico Marchesi, Innovation Manager at NEST, in the press release. Main partner BASF wants to use STEP2 to “incorporate BASF’s broad chemical know-how into concrete, new and sustainable solutions for the construction sector in collaboration with the other partners”, explains Olivier Enger, Senior Innovation Manager at BASF. “In practice, a construction project of this kind requires close cooperation between all parties involved, from conception to implementation,” says architect Silvan Oesterle from ROK.