immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Beteiligung

  • Shareholder communities of GZO AG Spital Wetzikon support reorganisation options

    Shareholder communities of GZO AG Spital Wetzikon support reorganisation options

    The development of reorganisation options for GZO AG Spital Wetzikon is progressing. The shareholder communities continue to support the hospital operations and are prepared to consider financial participation in a reorganisation. They have shown the hospital’s managers what conditions are necessary for such a measure to be considered by the shareholder communities.

    Stable care despite debt restructuring deferral
    Wetzikon Hospital has been in debt restructuring deferral since the beginning of May. As those responsible at GZO AG assure the shareholder communities, hospital operations are running well despite the challenging conditions. Comprehensive emergency and healthcare provision continues to be guaranteed.

    Conditions for financial participation
    The Board of Directors and management of GZO AG have a duty to develop viable solutions for reorganisation. Based on current knowledge, the shareholder communities assume that they will be expected to make a financial contribution to the reorganisation. They have explained to the Board of Directors and the Executive Board of GZO AG which requirements and documents must be met for such a financial contribution. A central point is the existence of an economically viable concept for the Wetzikon hospital of the future. Those responsible for the hospital are currently working intensively on the relevant foundations, although this will take some time due to the complex situation (ongoing hospital operations, new building, etc.).

    Suspension of the appeal to the cantonal government
    GZO AG immediately lodged an appeal with the administrative court against the decision of the cantonal government not to grant financial support to Wetzikon Hospital. Following an in-depth analysis of the situation and careful consideration, the GZO Board of Directors and the mandated experts from the shareholder communities agreed to seek a suspension of the appeal. The shareholder communities have informed the Health Directorate in writing that they support the request for suspension in the interests of the case.

    Future of Wetzikon Hospital
    The shareholder communities have made it clear that they will consider making a financial contribution to the reorganisation of the hospital as soon as a viable economic concept is available. This demonstrates their commitment and support for Wetzikon Hospital in order to ensure continued stable and comprehensive healthcare provision.

  • BKW acquires majority stake in HelveticWind

    BKW acquires majority stake in HelveticWind

    BKW has increased its stake in the HelveticWind cooperation to 60 per cent. The remaining 40 per cent will remain with Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich (EKZ). This strategic decision, which was signed on 5 July 2024, marks a significant realignment of the cooperation between the energy supply companies. Previously, BKW held 29 per cent and EKZ 20.2 per cent of the shares in HelveticWind.

    Successful cooperation in Germany and Italy
    HelveticWind operates a total of six wind farms, four of them in Germany with an installed capacity of 67 megawatts (MW) and two in Italy with 52 MW. BKW, which is already active as a service provider for the plants, has extensive expertise in the maintenance and optimisation of these wind farms. With the acquisition of the majority stake, BKW can further expand its existing portfolio of renewable energy generation plants.

    Future-oriented planning and CO2 neutrality by 2040
    Margarita Aleksieva, Head of Wind & Solar at BKW, is enthusiastic about the majority acquisition: “We want to help shape the energy transition in the coming decades and be CO2-neutral in the energy business by 2040. In this context, we are also examining the repowering potential of the six wind farms. Our aim is to optimise the existing sites in the future and increase our energy yield thanks to the latest technology.”

    Thanks to long-standing partners and outlook
    BKW would like to thank its departing partners Energie Wasser Bern, Genossenschaft Elektra Baselland and SN Erneuerbare Energie for their many years of collaboration. The reorganisation of the cooperation will enable BKW and EKZ to continue their partnership successfully and drive the energy transition forward together.

    History and objectives of the HelveticWind cooperation
    The HelveticWind cooperation was founded in March 2010 by Energie Wasser Bern and BKW. The original aim was to realise a wind power portfolio with an installed capacity of over 100 MW, which has since been exceeded. The German wind farms include Gross Welle, Lüdersdorf-Parstein, Sendenhorst and Wulkow, while the Ventisei and Eolo wind farms in Italy are part of the portfolio.

    With its majority stake in HelveticWind, BKW is strengthening its position in the field of renewable energies and taking an important step towards a sustainable energy future.

  • Laurent Decrue new member of the Board of Directors of newhome.ch AG

    Laurent Decrue new member of the Board of Directors of newhome.ch AG

    Laurent Decrue brings extensive entrepreneurial experience and digital expertise to the Board of Directors. As founder of the moving company Movu, former CEO of Bexio and co-founder and CEO of Holycode, he is a valuable asset to Newhome. Decrue succeeds Prof Dr Dr Christian Wunderlin.

    Digital expertise for future direction
    Dr Roman Timm, CEO of Newhome, is delighted with the new addition: “With Laurent, we have been able to gain one of the most influential figures in the Swiss start-up landscape. He brings with him important entrepreneurial expertise as well as in-depth digital knowledge. This supports our strategy towards a customer-centric, transparent and industry-friendly platform.”

    Laurent Decrue is pursuing ambitious goals: “My aim is to make the property market as open and transparent as possible to ensure that pricing in the Swiss property landscape is not distorted by a monopoly position. I am convinced that Newhome can help to improve the property search in Switzerland.”

    In February 2024, Manuel Bächi and Andreas Schiller joined the Board of Directors as part of AXA’s investment in Newhome.

  • Walo sells Kern Tunneltechnik to PERI

    Walo sells Kern Tunneltechnik to PERI

    The Dietikon-based construction company Walo Bertschinger has sold its majority stake in Kern Tunneltechnik SA, based in Paradiso, to PERI in Weissenhorn, Bavaria, a company specialising in formwork and scaffolding technology, according to a press release. The Walo Group had been a shareholder of Kern since 2017 and acquired a majority stake in the company in 2021, which is one of the leading providers of high-tech solutions in tunnelling, according to the press release.

    “With the sale of its majority stake to the German family-owned company PERI, one of the largest international manufacturers and suppliers of formwork and scaffolding systems, Walo is opening up new development and growth prospects for the Kern Group,” said Leandro A. Testa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Walo International AG.

    According to the company press release, Walo has also concluded a cooperation agreement with the Kern Group. The company currently has around 80 employees at three locations. Under the current management of CEO Reiner Kern, it will operate as an independent business segment under the name Kern within the PERI Group. “The merger with PERI opens up new perspectives for both companies and allows us to be stronger on the market in the future – worldwide,” Kern is quoted as saying.

    “In recent years, together with its CEO Reiner Kern and his team, we have turned the Kern Group into a disruptive and revolutionary market player,” Chairman of the Board of Directors Testa is quoted as saying. The new combination of the strengths of PERI and the Kern Group makes it an even stronger success partner for Walo. PERI International had a turnover of 1.8 billion euros in 2022 and is active in 65 countries with 9100 employees.

  • Flatfox becomes part of the Swiss Marketplace Group

    Flatfox becomes part of the Swiss Marketplace Group

    According to a joint press release from SMG Swiss Marketplace Group and Mobiliar, the Zurich-based digital network company has acquired a majority stake in Mobiliar subsidiary Flatfox. With the acquisition and sole control by SMG, Flatfox will be integrated into SMG Real Estate. Flatfox has already been involved in the digitalisation of the rental process in Zurich, Bern and Fribourg in recent years. With the ImmoScout24 and Homegate portals, SMG Real Estate now wants to drive this process forward throughout Switzerland. The aim is for users to benefit efficiently from Flatfox’s digital solutions throughout the rental process on SMG’s property marketplaces, according to the press release.

    “In future, it will be even easier for tenants to find a new home – digitally and in the shortest possible time,” Martin Waeber, Managing Director Real Estate at SMG, is quoted as saying in the press release. The acquisition of Flatfox also offers benefits for corporate customers. “Combining the services of Flatfox and SMG Real Estate will enable them to organise their business even more efficiently, visibly and therefore more successfully in future,” says Waeber. The SMG Swiss Marketplace Group unites the digital marketplaces of TX Group, Ringier and Mobiliar.

  • Binding Prize for Biodiversity 2023 awarded to eco-neighbourhood in Lausanne

    Binding Prize for Biodiversity 2023 awarded to eco-neighbourhood in Lausanne

    The “Pra Roman” site development by the Codha cooperative and the “Sur le Pra” association won the Binding Prize for Biodiversity 2023 because the development takes on the ecological and social networking functions for the neighbourhood and the city in an extremely exemplary manner and the project was approached in a participatory manner from the very beginning. The 2023 prize was announced as part of the annual theme “groundbreaking site developments”.

    Ecologically networked living spaces
    The “Pra Roman” housing estate with twelve apartment buildings on an area of 22,000 square metres is located on the outskirts of Lausanne. The surrounding area was integrated into the planning and construction of the 2020 development in an exemplary manner. For example, the award-winner created alternating humid wildlife corridors with integrated small structures for amphibians and small mammals and to promote wild plants. This awareness of taking responsibility for ecological connectivity in a larger system is central to the promotion of biodiversity in the settlement area.

    Involving residents in planning
    Raising residents’ awareness of biodiversity promotion was an important part of the “Pra Roman” project from the very beginning. Codha, the developer and cooperative for non-profit housing, initiated the association “Sur le Pra” at the beginning of the planning phase and developed a participatory process. Future residents met early on for site tours or nature observations and, with a high degree of design freedom, designed their near-natural outdoor spaces in workshops, which they later realised independently. The building owner supported them financially.

    Vegetable garden enables encounter and sensitisation
    One of these green spaces is the community vegetable garden. Here people exchange ideas and get to know nature as a basis for life. The culture of sustainable living and land use runs like a thread through the entire “Pra Roman” project. The surrounding ecosystems are observed, imitated in their diversity and connected with the settlement area.

    “We are convinced that this excellent example will encourage other real estate developers to think about biodiversity at an early stage and involve many people,” says Peter Lehmann, vice president of the jury for the award.

    Recognition prize goes to the Areal Bach project in St. Gallen
    In addition to the main prize, the Foundation also awards a recognition prize of 25,000 Swiss francs for smaller sites. The Areal Bach, an interim use near the St.Fiden railway station in St.Gallen, receives this prize because it impressively demonstrates the potential of the many fallow areas in the cities. With its perseverance and commitment, the Areal Bach association overcame resistance, seized the opportunity and, together with the population, ecologically upgraded the areas and revitalised them with creative ideas. It has managed to get many stakeholders on board to realise a jointly supported, multifaceted project. A temporary green oasis was created from a non-place, which can lay the foundations for biodiversity and quality of stay for the planning of a future area development.

  • PSI researches for low-CO2 cement

    PSI researches for low-CO2 cement

    A research team wants to bring previously unknown processes in the hydration of cement to light. Through a deeper understanding, it wants to pave the way for low-carbon cements. Under the leadership of the University of Malaga, the French University Grenobles Alpes, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility(ESRF), also located in Grenoble, and the Paul Scherrer Institute are involved in the study.

    According to a PSI statement, the biggest disadvantage of the current proposals for low-carbon cements is the slow hydration kinetics in the first three days. However, it is precisely the understanding of the processes involved in cement production in the early stages that is “crucial”, explains study first author and PhD student at the University of Malaga, Shiva Shirani. “That’s why we developed a method to get a complete picture of the hydration of Portland cement.”

    To do this, the scientists combined complementary experimental approaches at the ESRF and the Swiss Synchrotron Light Source at PSI. Near-field ptychotomography revealed the hydration of commercial Portland cement, according to the release.

    “Understanding the mechanics of the slowest processes will hopefully lead to strategies to reasonably accelerate the hydration of low-carbon cements,” said co-author Professor Miguel A.G. Aranda. This could be done, for example, by using strength-increasing admixtures “to allow early removal of the formwork”.

  • ACRON acquires certified sustainable office property in Leudelange, Luxembourg

    ACRON acquires certified sustainable office property in Leudelange, Luxembourg

    “With our participation in the fully rented office building WOODEN, designed according to the ecological state of the art, we are offering German investors, among others, a direct investment in a sustainable property. By investing in this project, investors have the best prospects for a stable and promising investment," says Kai Bender, Managing Director of ACRON GmbH.

    Wooden SA is the owner of the WOODEN office property, whose floor space of 9,462 m² is fully let to renowned financial companies. Among other things, the building will house the headquarters of Bâloise Assurances Luxembourg. The Baloise leases around 82 percent of the total floor space for up to 15 years. The remaining 18 percent will be used by the CLE (Compagnie Luxembourgeoise d'Entreprises) until at least the end of 2028.

    The first wooden office building of this size in Luxembourg is a "pioneer project" at a desirable location in Leudelange. The growing importance and rapid development have already made Leudelange the most important conurbation in Luxembourg and one of the top locations for real estate in the country.

    The tenants are expected to be able to move into their office space from the end of 2022.

    This investment opportunity is open to semi-professional and professional investors from Germany via ACRON LUX REAL ESTATE I SCS (ISIN: LU2399210942), which was founded specifically for this purpose. After the investment in this club deal has been fully placed with 10 to 15 investors, the composition of the group of investors will probably not change until the exit. The company's goal is to develop WOODEN, hold and manage the property and later sell it for a profit.

    BREEAM is the world's leading certification system for sustainable construction, which includes the entire life cycle of buildings – from new construction to use and maintenance. WOODEN was rated "BREEAM Excellent". The WELL Building Standard was developed to promote health and well-being in buildings worldwide. The types of wood used in the property come exclusively from sustainable forestry from PEFC-certified forests in the greater Luxembourg area. For every tree felled, one or two new ones are planted.