Tag: immobilien

Falling vacancies are driving the strongest rental growth since 2014

The rent index compiled by the real estate marketplace homegate.ch from TX Group in cooperation with Zürcher Kantonalbank ( ZKB ) shows a 1 percent increase in asking rents in Switzerland for the past year. According to a press release , this is the strongest rental growth since 2014. The development varied from region to region. While the mountain regions increased in 2021, growth slowed in many centers. The index rose again in December 2021 compared to the previous month by 0.3 points to 116.4 points. That is an increase of 1.04 percent compared to the previous year.

According to the press release, the Swiss rental housing market has been characterized by rising vacancies for years. A targeted reduction in the number of new buildings in regions with high vacancies caused rental prices to rise. With a plus of one percent, asking rents in 2021 recorded moderate, but nonetheless the strongest growth since 2014. In the corona pandemic, the willingness to spend on housing also tended to increase somewhat.

The development varied from region to region. The trend in asking rents in French-speaking Switzerland was mostly down. Valais and Vaud recorded positive increases, while in the rest of western Switzerland mainly rent declines predominated, according to the announcement. In the canton of Zurich, rents rose by 1.1 percent and in Aargau by 2.1 percent. The increase was clearer in the mountain regions. In Graubünden, asking rents rose by 4.7 percent, in Uri and Nidwalden by 2.7 percent and 2.5 percent. The increase can be explained by the popularity of holiday properties in the mountains during the corona pandemic.

In larger cities, asking rents even fell in some cases, in Geneva by 1.9 percent and in Lausanne by 0.3 percent. Zurich shows only a small growth of 0.5 percent. The front runner is Bern with annual growth of 2.6 percent.

January 2022
Verit and Flatfox offer completely digital rentals

Zurich -based Verit Immobilien AG , together with the rental portal of Bernese Flatfox AG , offers a fully digitized rental and rental process. According to a press release , this will conclude a pilot project lasting more than a year and extend the offer to all of Switzerland for the first time. From the application to the conclusion of the tenant deposit to the signing of the rental contract, the entire process is digital. That goes as far as ordering the name badges for the new tenant. It is not only the tenants who benefit from the time savings, according to the press release. For the owners, the chance of seamless follow-up letting increases

Shortly before the end of the year, Verit Immobilien and Flatfox opened the first digital rental deposit as part of the electronic re-letting process, around a year after the first rental agreement was electronically signed by the tenant and landlord. The successful pilot project will now be offered at all Verit locations in Switzerland. After Verit started with Flatfox, ELCA Informatik , Skribble , Helvetia Versicherung , SwissCaution , FirstCaution and, for a rental deposit account, Hypothekarbank Lenzburg are now also involved in the offer.

Verit Immobilien uses the Flatfox platform to handle the entire process. Martin Frei, Chief Digital Officer at Verit, is quoted as saying: "The entire process of re-letting takes place seamlessly digitally via the Flatfox platform – from the time a potential tenant becomes aware of an offer to the formally valid issue of the rental agreement . "Of course, this also applies to all intermediate steps such as initial contact, registration, deposit, credit check and ordering of tags."

January 2022
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.

January 2022
Watt d'Or honors innovative companies

The Swiss Watt d'Or 2022 Energy Prize was awarded on January 6th. The Federal Office of Energy ( SFOE ) has been presenting this seal of approval for energy excellence every year since 2007 on the occasion of its New Year's event. The prizes are not endowed. They should motivate business, politics and the general public to discover the advantages of innovative energy technologies for themselves.

Schaerraum ag received the award in the building and space category. In just eight months of construction, she built a climate-neutral multi-storey residential and office building made of regional wood in Horw LU. According to a press release by the SFOE, it produces 50 percent more electricity than it needs. In addition, the rental prices are around 20 percent below the local average. This is made possible by the modular planning principle RaumRaster.

In the renewable energies category, Verora AG is awarded to a group of farmers from the Zug mountain region. Since 2012, it has been producing biochar from tree and shrub cuttings with a pyrolysis system that has been further developed in-house. As a feed additive, it reduces the formation of gas during the digestion of cows and the smell of ammonia in the barn. It also increases the nutrient content of fertilizer and compost and binds CO2 for centuries.

No winner was chosen in the mobility category this year. SBB receives the Watt d'Or 2022 in the energy technologies category. It has developed intelligent load management software that replaces the construction of new, expensive electricity production plants. In the event of peak loads, for example when many trains are accelerating at the same time, it switches off the train car and point heating for a short time. In this way, SBB can flexibly control 70 megawatts by 2023, according to the SFOE: "It is thus assuming a role model for the general electricity grid in Switzerland."

January 2022
Home prices continue to rise in the 4th quarter

The prices for owner-occupied residential property rose significantly in Switzerland in 2021. According to the Raiffeisen Switzerland transaction price index, this dynamic rise in prices continued in the fourth quarter. According to a press release , private homes were 1.6 percent and condominiums 1.8 percent more expensive than in the previous quarter. Calculated for the whole year, i.e. compared to the 4th quarter of 2020, prices for single-family houses rose by 10.3 percent. Condominiums were 7.2 percent more expensive than a year ago.

“The price dynamics on the market for owner-occupied residential property will therefore remain high. Prices are rising across the country and in all types of communities, ”Martin Neff, chief economist at Raiffeisen Switzerland, is quoted as saying. The price development is strongest in tourist regions.

According to the quarterly published index, house prices in tourist municipalities rose by 13.6 percent within one year, much faster than in other types of municipalities. In the case of condominiums, too, prices rose the most in tourist communities, with a plus of 12.3 percent. Condominiums were also 9 percent more expensive in the major centers year-on-year.

Broken down by region, the price pressure is highest in the Eastern Switzerland region with a plus of 13.3 percent, followed by the Central Switzerland region (+11 percent). In the regions of Bern (+5.5 percent) and Lake Geneva (+5.8 percent) the price increase was lower. In the case of condominiums, prices rose the most in the southern Switzerland region, at 9.4 percent. Western Switzerland recorded the lowest price increases of 5.8 percent compared to 2020.

January 2022
Nova Property purchases for real estate funds

Nova Property Fund Management AG is expanding its Swiss Central City Real Estate Fund. The fund will be expanded by two residential properties and two residential and commercial properties in attractive locations in Zurich, Basel and St.Gallen, the company, which operates as fund management company, informed in a press release . The investment amount mentioned is 43 million francs. The transfer of ownership of the two properties in Zurich took place in mid-December of last year, that of the properties in Basel and St.Gallen on January 3 of this year.

All four properties together had a usable area of 2,400 square meters of living space and 660 square meters of commercial space, explains Nova Property. All properties are fully let and generate target rental income of 1.4 million francs per year. The Swiss Central City Real Estate Fund holds properties in central locations throughout Switzerland.

January 2022
A year to forget? Not for homeowners and tenants!

2021 is unlikely to be remembered as a bright year – the never-ending pandemic sends its regards. However, a reliable source of positive news has been the real estate market. Owners of condominiums were able to post an increase in value of 7.3 percent over the course of the year, while the increase in single-family houses was almost as high at 6.9 percent. This is shown by the evaluation of sales advertisements as part of the Swiss Real Estate Offer Index, which is collected by the Swiss Marketplace Group in cooperation with the real estate consultancy IAZI.

The reason for the significant increases in value is probably not solely due to the changes in living requirements due to the pandemic. The economy is also developing solidly, immigration is continuing and the supply of land is becoming increasingly scarce. At the same time, consumer prices have risen sharply, which further increases the attractiveness of tangible assets such as home ownership as protection against inflation.

No bad news for tenants either
2021 also meant it with tenants: inside not bad. Anyone looking for a new apartment was able to benefit from a minimal decline in asking rents of 0.3 percent over the year on average. The fact that the rent trend tipped into the red is thanks to a veritable year-end spurt: In December, a nationwide drop of 0.9 percent was registered.

What will 2022 bring for the Swiss real estate market? “Under the current conditions, the new year should also come up with rising property prices. Whether the trend turns around is largely up to the monetary authorities: The American central bank (Fed) has announced that it will raise the key interest rate faster than planned. If the European (ECB) and Swiss monetary authorities (SNB) join in, prices would also fall in this country, ”says Martin Waeber, Managing Director Real Estate, Swiss Marketplace Group.

January 2022
BEKB, ewb and GVB launch myky platform

The three Bern companies BEKB , ewb and GVB have launched the myky website. Its aim is to offer homeowners expert knowledge and services from a single source on the platform, according to a media release . Myky stand for my key, my key.

First of all, the platform offers an interactive renovation planner. This should help to find and implement meaningful renovation measures. “Customers have an overview of the energetic state of their home at all times and can plan the renovation measures holistically and in a way that optimizes costs,” says the press release.

The initiators hope that users will be actively involved in the further development of the platform. It is desirable that homeowners, investors and companies network with one another and “actively participate in the development of the home universe with their own inputs, questions and requests”.

For companies, myky should offer the opportunity to maintain customer relationships. “The myky project helps us, for example, to support the owners on their way to sustainably refurbished homes in all financial matters and beyond,” said Armin Brun, CEO of BEKB, in the media release.

January 2022
Implenia separates from Gravière de la Claie-aux-Moines

Implenia AG is selling its majority stake of 66.67 percent in Gravière de la Claie-aux-Moines SA ( GCM ). The construction and real estate company from Opfikon informs in a message that the stake will be sold to Walo Bertschinger SA Romandie as well as to Vigier Holding AG and H 2 M Participations SA. Shareholder Walo Bertschinger SA Romandie had previously held the remaining third of the GCM. Even after the entry of Vigier Holding AG and H 2 M Participations SA, the stake held by Walo Bertschinger SA Romandie will remain a minority stake, according to the announcement. The parties involved have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

“Implenia is selling its stake in GCM SA to suitable owners in order to continue to focus on the defined core portfolio and advance its asset-light strategy,” the company explains in the press release. As part of the corporate strategy, Implenia wants to concentrate on “integrated construction and real estate services in Switzerland and Germany as well as tunnel construction and related infrastructure projects in other markets”.

January 2022
Holcim takes over Malarkey Roofing in the USA

The global Zug-based building materials company Holcim has signed an agreement to take over Malarkey Roofing Products . Malarkey is a leader in the American residential roofing market, according to a press release . It is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The transaction is valued at $ 1.35 billion and will be 100 percent cash-funded. Holcim expects to realize synergies of $ 40 million per year by year three.

Malarkey Roofing Products is forecast to have net sales of $ 600 million in 2022. According to the announcement, the company can point to double-digit growth in the highly profitable roof-top housing market in the USA with a volume of 19 billion dollars. Both companies have set themselves the goal of sustainable building.

“The acquisition of Malarkey Roofing Products is an excellent start for our ‘Strategy 2025 – Accelerating Green Growth’, with which we are expanding our Solutions & Products division and becoming one of the world’s leading providers of roofing systems,” Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch is quoted as saying. With Malarkey, Holcim is positioning itself as a full-range roofing provider. The strategy to accelerate green growth is to expand this area to 30 percent of the Group’s net sales by 2025.

Gregory Malarkey, President of Malarkey Roofing, founded in 1956, sees Holcim as the right partner. “For decades we have been looking for a company that aligns with our vision, shares our values and can help us accelerate our growth strategy.” Like Malarkey, Holcim also focuses heavily on promoting the circular economy and the transition to sustainable construction, Malarkey becomes further quoted.

January 2022
Credit Suisse brings Mama Shelter Hotel to Zurich

A Mama Shelter hotel will move into the skyscraper at Zurich Oerlikon train station. Credit Suisse Asset Management has concluded a corresponding contract with the operating company KNSA Hospitality on behalf of a real estate fund, Credit Suisse informs in a message . The opening of the first Mama Shelter hotel in Switzerland is planned for the second half of 2024.

The listed building had previously housed the Swissôtel, which went bankrupt in 2020. The successor Mama Shelter will occupy nine of the total of 28 floors. A total of 132 apartments, mostly with 1.5 to 2.5 rooms, are to be built on the remaining floors. The base of the building will also have a publicly accessible city balcony with a bar, the message says.

The hotels of the Mama Shelter brand are not only designed as typical hotels, but also as meeting places, work and living spaces, is further explained in the communication. The concept also provides for innovative gastronomy and a co-working zone. The renovation work is to begin next March.

January 2022
Building is getting more expensive

The construction price index rose by 2.7 percent between April and October of the current year. The price level in the construction industry has increased by 4.1 percent within a year. This is shown by figures from the Federal Statistical Office . As a media release shows, the additional costs in building construction and civil engineering are causing prices in the construction industry to rise compared to the previous half-year.

Property developers have to dig deeper into their pockets for the shell construction, from earthworks to windows and doors, in all major regions. The most noticeable increases in building construction costs are in the Swiss Plateau with 3.4 percent and in Central Switzerland with 3.2 percent price increases.

With the exception of Eastern Switzerland and Ticino, construction prices in civil engineering rose. In this sub-area of the construction industry, too, the regions Mittelland with 2.2 percent and Central Switzerland with 3.4 percent are most affected by the rising cost level. The price increases had the most pronounced effects on "smaller track construction" and somewhat less markedly on "fees".

January 2022
Room dividers made of UV-C light remove SARS-CoV-2 viruses from aerosols

A research team from the Tropical Institute at the LMU Klinikum Munich and the Technical University of Munich, in cooperation with the start-up Smart United GmbH, has developed an invisible "protective wall" made of UV-C light.

In their study, published as a preprint on medRxiv, they were able to show that the UV light barrier they developed prevents the spread of pathogens via the air in indoor areas by killing the pathogens traveling along on the aerosol particles.

The protection rate was checked using model organisms. These included E. coli, S. aureus and a coronavirus. At air speeds of 10 cm / s, inactivation rates of over 99 percent are achieved.

Double protection system eliminates over 99 percent of pathogens

“Our system can be hung from the ceiling like a lamp to separate rooms. The UV-C light is bundled and radiated downwards. As with a protective curtain, pathogens are inactivated as soon as they “float through” on aerosol particles, explains PD Dr. med. Andreas Wieser, specialist in microbiology, virology and infection epidemiology at the Tropical Institute of the LMU Klinikum.

Professor Christoph Haisch from the Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich adds: “In addition, the system disinfects the breathing air in the room with its patented protective mechanism by sucking it in and slowly blowing it into the light area of the UV-C light wall. In addition to the direct barrier effect of the light wall, this prevents an accumulation of infectious aerosols in the room. "

Safe virus spread protection for small and large areas

A health hazard from the system's UV-C light is avoided by using special shut-off devices. As soon as an object or part of the body comes into the radiation area, the area is automatically switched off. This also happens when you want to go through; so you can move completely freely in the room.

Thanks to innovative special optics, the applicable requirements of occupational safety and the strict exposure limit values for UV radiation as well as other legal requirements can be complied with. In addition, ozone generation is avoided by the innovative LED light source and the special optics.

The UV-C virus protection wall can be used as an invisible room divider and subdivide larger rooms into smaller “virtual” rooms, which are so isolated from the air. It can thus become an important part of an aerosol hygiene concept for rooms and buildings.

"We are currently doing everything we can to make our virus protection walls available to the market as quickly as possible," says Reiner Prohaska, managing director of cooperation partner Smart United. “In parallel to the scientific validation of the system, we have already started to prepare production with well-known suppliers from the automotive industry. From the beginning of January we will start planning the rooms with our first customers. From the beginning of April we will be delivering the first UV-C light virus protection walls – with the aim of giving people back a piece of normalcy. "

December 2021
CLEMAP successfully collects capital

CLEMAP has successfully completed a seed round, the young company from Zurich informs in a message . No information is given there about the amount of capital collected under the leadership of Malco Parola, investor in the Swiss ICT Investor Club ( SICTIC ). CLEMAP intends to use the funds for the further development of its B2B energy platform and further market entries. Founded in 2017, the company has specialized in products for intelligent networks, factories and buildings since 2020.

In the financing round that has now been concluded, the investors were convinced “by the new national and international cooperation”, writes CLEMAP. CLEMAP's charging management for electric vehicles and energy monitoring solutions for intelligent factories are named as further capital magnets in the communication. The young company is already active on the Italian market with the latter. The load breakdown product CLEMAP One is already being used in intelligent buildings.

In connection with the seed round, the start-up is also changing its board of directors. SICTIC investor Parola takes a seat as a new member. Pascal Kienast will hand over the presidency to the ex-CEO of Repower, Kurt Bobst. With Gino Agbomemewa as CEO and Pascal Kienast as COO, however, the management of CLEMAP will remain unchanged.

December 2021
Swiss Prime Site buys Akara Group

Swiss Prime Site buys the Zug-based Akara Group . The transaction is to be completed in mid-January retrospectively to the beginning of the year, the Solothurn real estate company informs in a message .

The takeover is intended to strengthen the real estate fund division (Swiss Prime Site Solutions) at Swiss Prime Site. According to the announcement, Akara manages real estate investments totaling around CHF 2.3 billion. The partner companies have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

"We are very pleased to be able to acquire an innovative, dynamic and at the same time established company with the Akara Group", René Zahnd, CEO of Swiss Prime Site, is quoted in the press release. "The fund provider's business model and corporate culture are a perfect match for Swiss Prime Site Solutions."

The Akara Group consists of Akara Funds AG, Akara Real Estate Management AG and Akara Property Development AG. They are to be integrated into Swiss Prime Site Solutions in the course of next year. The portfolio of real estate assets under management, including the projects under development, will thus reach a volume of over CHF 6.5 billion, writes Swiss Prime Site. The real estate company expects to post a contribution to the operating result at EBIT level of CHF 27 to 28 million in the real estate funds division in 2022.

December 2021
Ina Invest takes over the implementation of Bredella in Pratteln

Ina Invest will take over the majority of the CERES Group Holding AG, informs the real estate company based in Opfikon in a message . Further shares in the company of the Lucerne investor Hermann Alexander Beyeler go to Ina Invest investment partners not named in the communication.

The Bredella development area in Pratteln is named as the heart of the new acquisition. The industrial and commercial park located here is to be replaced in the next 20 years by a city quarter with 70 percent living space and 30 percent commercial space.

Ina Invest writes that the market value of the properties on the 82,600 square meter area at Pratteln train station will increase from around CHF 300 million today to over CHF 1 billion. The commercial space in Bredella currently generates around 8.6 million Swiss francs in rental income. HRS Real Estate AG and Implenia as general contractors are to take on the implementation of the project in equal parts.

Ina Invest intends to pay part of the purchase price in the form of shares. Specifically, 10 percent of Ina Invest's share capital is to be transferred to Hermann Alexander Beyeler. Ina Invest intends to offer the current tenants on the site "in the course of the site development further suitable areas on the site".

In the same communication, Ina Invest communicates the appointment of Daniel Baumann as CFO. The business economist who works at Implenia has "supported Ina Invest in all business matters" since the company was spun off from Implenia and the subsequent IPO in summer 2020. Baumann will take up his new office at the beginning of 2022.

December 2021
Early contract extension with the main tenant of the Escher-Wyss area

Allreal acquired the Escher-Wyss-Areal in 2002 and has been MAN ever since
Energy Solutions Schweiz AG (“MAN”) the main customer on the 38,362 square
meter plot of land in Zurich-West with a usable area of around
87,000 square meters.

The long-term partnership between MAN and Allreal is being continued,
in which the lease, which expired on December 31, 2023, was prematurely extended by five years to at least December 31, 2028 under the same conditions as before. This involves around 32,000 square meters of commercial and storage space and around 11,500 square meters of office space.

This means that the Escher-Wyss-Areal will continue to be the largest private industrial site in the future.
location in the city of Zurich. According to the 2021 semi-annual report, MAN is one of Allreal’s five largest tenants, accounting for 6% of total rental income from commercial properties.

December 2021
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."

December 2021
SWISSBAU WILL BE POSTPONED TO MAY 2022

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, the requirements for official approval from Swissbau in January 2022 are not met. Last Friday, the MCH Group, as the organizer of Swissbau, was informed by the canton of Basel-Stadt that, in accordance with the ‘COVID-19 regulation, special situation’, the refusal to hold Swissbau from January 18 to 21, 2022 would be issued.

In initial discussions with leading exhibitors from all areas, despite the great disappointment, there was clear support for a postponement to the coming spring.

Swissbau 2022 has been postponed and will now take place from Tuesday, May 3 to Friday, May 6, 2022 in Basel.

December 2021
Swiss Prime Site: Acquisition of the Akara Group in Zug

Acquisition of the founder-managed and successful Akara Group, Swiss Prime Site, strengthens the business model in the services segment with the intended takeover of the founder-managed Akara Group from Zug. Akara Funds AG was founded in 2016 by Karl Theiler and Jonathan van Gelder and developed into a fund provider regulated by FINMA with a focus on residential and commercial real estate.

The group also includes Akara Real Estate Management AG, which provides real estate services in the areas of development, realization, management and marketing, and Akara Property Development AG, which manages a limited partnership for collective capital investments (KmGK). The group employs a total of around 50 specialized real estate specialists, all of whom will be taken over. The real estate assets under management total around CHF 2.3 billion and consist of the “Akara Diversity PK”, a real estate fund for tax-exempt pension schemes, the private equity product “Akara Property Development 1 KmGK” for qualified investors and a development pipeline (including Akara Tower, Baden) of over CHF 240 million. René Zahnd, CEO of Swiss Prime Site: “We are very pleased to be able to acquire an innovative, dynamic and at the same time established company in the Akara Group. The business model
of the fund provider and the corporate culture are a perfect match for Swiss Prime Site Solutions. “

Karl Theiler, CEO Akara adds: “The future membership of the Swiss Prime Site Group enables us to bundle our strengths in the area of funds and to significantly expand our market position.” The two contracting parties have agreed not to disclose the sales price. The acquisition will be financed 35% from Swiss Prime Site shares and the authorized capital provided for this purpose. The remainder of the transaction amount is paid from freely available funds.

Significant expansion and strengthening of the group-wide investment platform
The closing of the transaction is expected to take place in mid-January 2022 retrospectively to January 1, 2022. It is planned to integrate the Akara Group or the respective companies into Swiss Prime Site Solutions in the course of the 2022 financial year and to merge the two fund management companies. The intended merger will make Swiss Prime Site Solutions one of the leading Swiss real estate asset managers with real estate assets and under management (including development pipeline) of over CHF 6.5 billion and an expected EBIT contribution of CHF 27 to 28 million in 2022. With the acquisition, Swiss Prime Site Solutions can significantly expand its customer base and expand the existing investment platform with additional product and fund categories such as real estate private equity investments. To ensure an orderly transition, the two company founders will continue to work for the company until July 2022. There is also the option of further collaboration on a mandate basis. Anastasius Tschopp, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Solutions, sums up: “I am delighted to welcome the Akara team to our place and, together with Swiss Prime Site Solutions, to shape them into an even more quick-witted real estate asset manager. The two companies complement each other perfectly in terms of customers, employees and know-how. “

December 2021
Reinforcement of the PRIVERA management

As of January 1, 2022, PRIVERA will strengthen its management team. Andreas Wegmüller will be the new Head of Management Switzerland and a member of the PRIVERA management team.
Andrea Wegmüller is a federally certified real estate trustee. He has a master's degree in real estate management and has been part of the PRIVERA team for 5 years. He is currently regional manager for management in the east.
Andrea Wegmüller will continue to head the management region East directly and will also be responsible for the West region on an interim basis. The Central Region will continue to be headed by Nicole Kuhn. From January 1, 2022, Nadja Abdelrahim will be the new head of the Wallisellen branch. Ms. Abdelrahim is a real estate manager with a federal certificate and has been a team leader at PRIVERA Wallisellen for almost three years.
About PRIVERA AG
A company of the Investis Group – has its headquarters in Gümligen. It is the leading independent Swiss real estate service provider. PRIVERA AG covers all real estate services along the life cycle of a property and thus offers its customers the decisive added value. Thanks to the nationwide network of branches, PRIVERA AG has a high level of regional market competence and excellent local relationships.
Media contact PRIVERA AG
Alisha hero
Communication specialist
T: 058 715 63 32
alisha.held@privera.ch
www.privera.ch

December 2021
Bauwerk Schweiz is under pressure

Five Swiss experts have worked out why Switzerland is facing major challenges and how they can be tackled sensibly and efficiently. To this end, they have drawn up a so-called roadmap entitled “The Swiss structure is under pressure to adapt”.

With its bird's eye view of the entirety of buildings, streets, supply and disposal networks, traffic and much more, according to a report by the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ), the group wants to give a new impetus to the Swiss construction project that began ten years ago, and thus research and advance practice. Today Switzerland is facing massive challenges, for example due to climate change, natural hazards and population growth.

Under the direction of Peter Matt, Fritz Hunkeler, Hans Rudolf Ganz, Laurent Vulliet, Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne , and Empa Deputy Director Peter Richner identified five segments that are particularly affected by the upcoming challenges: the building stock, the Infrastructures for freight and passenger traffic as well as drinking water and sewage networks. They rate the need for action and the potential for impact in passenger transport and buildings as particularly high.

According to Richner, the group is pursuing several goals with the roadmap: “To show the importance of Switzerland as a structure for our society, to specify the need for action and, above all, to raise awareness that we can only develop a target-oriented strategy from an overall perspective. "

December 2021
Swiss Proptech: Launch of Immowise, the very first digital solution to support co-owner meetings

The solution was developed to meet market expectations and to facilitate the preparation, implementation and follow-up of general meetings of condominiums in Switzerland. It takes into account the specifics of each condominium and thus offers a digital tool that is suitable for both the administrators and the co-owners. All steps are optimized, regardless of whether the general assembly is being held in person or remotely, so that during the meeting you can concentrate on the exchange, advice and decision-making.

A 100% Swiss platform, adapted to the specifics of Switzerland
Immowise was developed by wise.swiss and is the first platform that was created for the digitization of general meetings of condominium owners on the Swiss real estate market. It is aimed at all institutions or persons entrusted with the administration and organization of owners’ meetings, regardless of whether they are real estate companies, independent administrators, self-governing owner associations or housing associations.

The digital tool adapts to the specifics of each co-ownership. It enables the administrator to manage all phases of general meetings on the platform: management of invitations, creation and updating of the agenda, calculation and determination of the quorum, recording of notes and comments, recording of voting results and surveys. It is also possible to create digital protocols that are directly accessible on the platform.

“Our solution aims to reduce the time required for the preparation, implementation and follow-up of general meetings by 20 to 30% while at the same time ensuring data security. The initial feedback from our customers has been very positive, both for remote use and for remote use on site
confirms the usefulness of such a solution, “says Gilles von Burg, Director of Immowise.

Digitization of the processes so that the managing directors can concentrate on the advice and the exchange with the floor owners at the GV
Digitization not only saves time, it also makes it possible to provide the co-owners with all the information they need to take decisions in the owners’ meeting.

Condominium owners can securely connect to the platform from their computer, tablet or smartphone and access all information about their building’s general meetings. This contributes to an optimal preparation of the general assembly for all participants.

The administrator can thus fully fulfill his role as chairman of the meeting, focus on communication between those involved and optimize decision-making.

“With the various solutions from wise.swiss, we are already supporting the digitization of companies and we have several real estate companies among our customers. The concept of a specific platform for managing general meetings was born in 2019 at your request, the pandemic drove the development forward, and so do we are pleased to be able to offer you a tailor-made, one hundred percent Swiss solution today, “adds Sebastian Chiappero, CEO of wise.swiss.

The Immowise Terms of Use
Immowise is available in two different offers: one-time use of the platform for the organization of a general meeting or an annual subscription for the complete digital management of the real estate portfolio.
Photos of the Immowise solution are available: https://bit.ly/3bdIF1y

About Immowise
Immowise was founded in 2021 and is the first Swiss solution for the digitization of general meetings of joint owners. Developed and hosted in Switzerland, this application helps administrators and condominium owners prepare, manage and follow up on general meetings. It complements the wise.swiss software suite launched by EPwise AG in 2020, which offers public administrations and companies a range of digital communication and event organization tools (eventwise, partnerwise and fundwise).

wise.swiss/immowise

Media contact
Voxia communication
Hertha Baumann
T. 043 344 98 49 I email: hertha.baumann@voxia.ch

December 2021
Partners Group cooperates with StoryBuilt

The Partners Group , a global manager of private market investments, has partnered with the Texan real estate developer StoryBuilt , according to a press release . Both have formed a joint venture with a capitalization of $ 1 billion. It will fund 17 of StoryBuilt's existing projects as well as future acquisitions and developments in the most dynamic American cities of Austin, Dallas, Denver and Seattle.

Projects include apartment buildings, condominiums, and mixed-use properties. "The Partners Group offers StoryBuilt a strong future in which we can accelerate our growth and steadily increase our property acquisitions and developments," said co-founder Anthony Siela in the press release.

Scott Egarian, executive board member of Private Real Estate Americas at Partners Group, sees “strong thematic investment opportunities in the housing market in growth cities” for his company. The housing shortage there “should support demand in the years to come. We believe StoryBuilt has the right offer. "

December 2021
Hächler donates to the old Rütibuck scout home

The Wettinger construction company Hächler is providing the Pfadi Hochwacht Baden home association with CHF 10,000 as a contribution to the renovation of the old Rütibuck scout home. According to a press release , the Hächler Group supports a non-profit organization every year. The donation of 10,000 francs replaces the usual gifts to business partners at Christmas and the turn of the year.

Who Hächler gives the donation to is never an easy decision, says the media release. There are many institutions that are worth supporting. This year Hächler chose the home club Pfadi Hochwacht Baden. He is the bearer of the old Rütibuck scout home in Baden. This was used by the scout department between 1932 and 1973. They then moved into the new youth center and the old scout home has since been available to children and youth organizations, school groups and sports clubs for weekly camps, training weekends or festivities.

This winter, the old Rütibuck scout home will be renovated and the outer shell will be subjected to an urgently needed energetic renovation, according to the Hächler announcement. That includes the renovation of the statics, the insulation of the outer walls, replacement of the old windows with triple-glazed wooden windows. The house will also have central heating and there will be a “gentle renovation inside” with adjustment and refreshment work such as painting and modernization of toilets and showers.

The donation to the old scout home is also the cover story of the company newspaper “ Der Hächler ”. An interview with Stefan Zantop, founding member of the Pfadi Hochwacht Baden home association, is printed there. And there are tips on donations or active help with the renovation.

December 2021
Lucerne University of Applied Sciences offers training in digital construction

From March 2022, the Techik & Architektur department at HSLU will be offering modular advanced training courses in digital construction. According to a media release , she wants to close the skills gap of numerous specialists in whose training digitization has not yet played a role.

The HSLU starts with two Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS): Digital Construction – Ordering & Development and Digital Construction – Design & Planning. In the following semesters, the modules Management & Collaboration, Fabrication & Creation and Operation & Maintenance are to be added. The expansion to Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) and Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) is in preparation. Those who take part in the further training will become "a professional in digital ordering, planning, building and operation and will receive an in-depth overall view of the digital value chain and the lifecycle data management of tomorrow".

As the HSLU notes, there is a lot of catching up to do in the construction industry when it comes to the application of digitally based processes, methods and technologies. Hundreds of corresponding advertisements can already be found on job portals. The curriculum is based on specific practical tasks and international requirements. "In this way, the participants create the best conditions for positions at home and abroad," says co-program director Markus Weber.

December 2021
Madaster wins pom + as a partner

Madaster wants to strengthen the circular economy in the construction and real estate sector. For this purpose, it offers digital tools such as material passports and indices for recording the economic and circular value of buildings on its platform. In addition, companies are networked that are committed to circular economy in the construction and real estate sectors. With pom + Consulting AG ( pom + ), the Swiss cadastre for materials has now won another comrade, Madaster Switzerland informs in a message . The consulting company pom +, based in Technopark Zurich, specializes in construction and real estate companies.

"In order to really achieve the goal of climate neutrality in the construction and real estate industry, an all-round view from planning to use is just as important as anchoring a sustainable real estate strategy," says Jürgen Marc Volm, partner and expert for circular economy at pom +, in the message quote. "Thanks to the data transparency over the entire project life cycle on Madaster, we can combine our expertise with the potential to answer future-oriented questions about the correct use of materials and material dismantling more easily."

Madaster's building passports record data about the materials used in a building. In this way, future recycling of the material is made possible. The networking should make it easier for companies to disseminate knowledge in circular construction and to jointly develop approaches for a circular construction and real estate industry. With pom +, Madaster has gained a new partner "who integrates the concept of circularity in all services over the entire life cycle," says Marloes Fischer, Managing Director of Madaster Services Switzerland.

December 2021
Aesch gets a sustainable heating network

Primeo Energie and the municipality of Aesch are planning to set up “a large and sustainable district heating network”, the energy service provider from Basel informs in a message. It is supposed to supply large parts of the municipality with "renewable wood district heating". The investment required for this is estimated in the communication at CHF 20 million.

In a first step, the partners want to develop the north of Aesch. After that, the network will gradually cover the remaining areas, according to the announcement. The existing heating networks of Primeo Energie and the community and residents' community in Aesch are to be renewed and merged in the new network.

The plans also provide for the establishment of a new heating center. It will be built in the Weidenring and, in addition to two boilers, will also have a heat pump, explains Primeo Energie. Wood chips from the Aescher forest and the Angenstein district are mainly used as fuel. The peak load is absorbed by an oil boiler.

In total, the planned heat generation amounts to around 16 gigawatt hours, writes Primeo Energie. According to the company, the share of renewable energy in heat production will be over 80 percent. In this way, more than 3000 tons of CO2 emissions could be avoided each year.

The planning application for the association should be submitted by the end of this year. The first heat supplies could be realized at the beginning of the heating period 23/24, writes Primeo Energie. Interested property owners can already set up a connection.

December 2021
GZA receives strategy award from "Financial Times"

As part of the fDi Strategy Awards 2021 , Greater Zurich Area AG ( GZA ) receives the specialist award for advanced manufacturing. The strategy prizes are awarded to global location promotions that have particularly distinguished themselves in certain areas in the current year. fDi intelligence is the department for foreign direct investment (fdi) of the London business newspaper ” Financial Times” .

For this year’s edition, four jurors from the fDi team reviewed 34 locations and agencies that stood out in various fDi Intelligence rankings in 2021. The main prizes were awarded in the four main categories Global Cities of the Future, African Tech Ecosystems, American Cities of the Future and Tech Cities of the Future.

Best investment promotion agency (IPA) was the New York City Economic Development Corporation. It also received the award for the highest degree of sustainability. Berlin Partner for Business and Technology received the award for the best aftercare services.

In addition, the jury awarded prizes for outstanding achievements in specific sectors. She noted that the greater Zurich area, as Switzerland’s financial metropolis, has a strong concentration of companies using the most modern manufacturing processes. As stated in the judgment in favor of the GZA, this “in combination with the clusters for robotics and intelligent systems in the city” indicates “that the location will be an attractive center for high-tech manufacturing”.

December 2021
Swarm is supposed to give wings to solar folding roofs

Dhp technology , based in Zizers, wants to raise fresh funds from investors for further growth. To this end, the manufacturer of the folding solar roof called Horizon is now starting a swarm financing campaign, according to a media release . The goal is between 1 million and 3 million francs. The minimum investment is estimated at 120 francs. The campaign is expected to last until the end of January 2022. It will be carried out on the platform of the Zug-based provider Conda.ch .

With the solar folding roof from dhp, solar modules are retracted and extended on a cable construction. The control takes place automatically and is based on the weather data. For example, the system can protect itself from a storm.

According to dhp, the roof is particularly suitable for sewage treatment plants. There are 800 of these in Switzerland and around 80,000 in Europe. In addition, Horizon can be used in park, commercial and logistics areas. The company estimates the economic potential in Europe at around 60 billion euros.

The solar folding roofs have been manufactured in a factory in Zizers since 2019. Twelve dhp systems are currently in operation. The next ones are already waiting for delivery.

On the one hand, the solar folding roof is to be further developed with the fresh money. On the other hand, sales abroad are to be promoted.

December 2021