Tag: immoNews

Groundbreaking for the new community center in Spreitbach has taken place

The construction of the new community center in Spreitbach has started with the ground-breaking ceremony. According to a press release by fsp architects from Spreitenbach, the new administration building is designed for a population of 15,000. When the old community center was built in 1964, Spreitenbach still had around 9,000 residents. According to the municipality's website , there are now 12,079, of which 5,986 are Swiss and 6,093 are foreigners.

Planning for the new parish hall began in 2016. A first draft with a planned cost of more than 18 million Swiss francs was rejected. The new cost plan provides for expenditure of CHF 13 million and was approved in early 2020.

According to an article in the "Aargauer Zeitung", architects, entrepreneurs and members of the building commission were present at the start of construction, as well as mayor Markus Mötteli (centre) and councilor Roger Mohr (SVP). "For the building commission and the planners involved, this is a big moment and the step from theory to practice," says architect and overall project manager Markus Schärer from fsp Architekten. With the new community center in a central location between the village and the commercial zone, the population will have a center and point of identification, according to the statement by fsp architects.

According to the planning, the new community center should be ready in June 2023. It will also have an underground garage as well as a parking lot. A photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof to supply energy. The old parish hall may later be converted into a school building.

January 2022
Steiner AG sells housing project in Suhr to Corpora

13 apartment buildings with a total of 146 apartments are to be built on Neumattweg Ost in Suhr. The superstructure is designed for use by different age groups and family sizes, Steiner AG informed in a press release . The real estate developer from Zurich has decided to sell the project to Corpora Immobilien AG from Aarau before it is actually implemented.

"With Corpora Immobilien AG, Aarau, we were able to sell this extensive project to an investor with development expertise and local roots, who will ensure the successful further development and realization of this attractive residential development," project manager Daniel F. Hauri is quoted as saying in the press release. No information is given there on the purchase price for the approximately 1.6 hectare area. Steiner cites an adjustment to the portfolio that was initiated last year as the reason for the sale.

January 2022
Architonic ArchDaily takes over Designboom

The ArchDaily online platform, founded in 2008, is geared towards the needs of architects and designers. Among other things, ArchDaily offers a database of innovative architectural programs and information on products and materials used by the industry. Around two years ago, ArchDaily merged with Architonic, which has been part of the NZZ Media Group since 2015. Launched in 2003, the platform offers a research tool for architects.

Architonic ArchDaily has now taken over the international online magazine Designboom, the NZZ media group informed in a statement . "Our companies are international market leaders and, thanks to the selective selection of their content, enjoy a high level of credibility in the industry," Stephan Bachmann is quoted as saying in the press release. According to the Architonic ArchDaily CEO, the three platforms "each cover specific interests in product, project and news content". Together they counted more than 270 million visits a year.

Even after the transaction, Architonic, ArchDaily and Designboom are to continue their independent branding. Legally, the companies Architonic ArchDaily and Designboom will be merged into the organization DAAily Platforms. The parties involved have agreed not to disclose the purchase price for the takeover.

January 2022
Innovation from Studer Innotec enables solar self-sufficiency

According to Studer Innotec , the next 3 is the world’s first intelligent inverter charger for private or company-owned photovoltaic systems. It represents “the future of self-consumption” and enables “full energy self-sufficiency” for everyone. With their own charging stations for battery-powered cars, electromobility will become cheaper solar mobility, according to Studer’s website. In addition, neighborhood microgrids, so-called mini-grids, would also be possible in remote rural areas. “With the next3, we are ready to play a very active role in the energy transition,” says Studer Innotec on its website.

The next3 allows complete control over the production, storage and distribution of its electrical energy. In addition, it can operate with the public power grid, according to a media release. It is therefore suitable for grid-independent (off-grid), grid-dependent (on-grid) and hybrid systems. Installation and wiring is easy. The company also explains further technical specifications in a video .

“This new approach completely breaks through the previously known technical and economic limits,” says Studer Innotec. “It’s disruptive.” By turning your own living space or business building into a self-sufficient system, you contribute to a stable power supply, protect yourself against price fluctuations and ensure that your electric vehicle or company car fleet is charged every day.

January 2022
Sika posts record sales

Sika generated record sales of 9.24 billion Swiss francs in the 2021 financial year, the Zug-based group specializing in specialty chemicals in the construction and automotive industries, which is active around the world, reports in a press release. Compared to the previous year, this corresponds to growth of 17.1 percent in local currencies. Organic growth is put at 15.1 percent year-on-year in the announcement. A number of acquisitions made during the reporting period contributed 2.0 percentage points to sales growth.

"As expected, the challenging year 2021 ended very successfully for Sika", CEO Thomas Hasler is quoted in the announcement. "We benefit from various growth platforms and are excellently positioned to achieve long-term success." Hasler expects government investment programs to further boost sales growth in the future. In addition, the CEO sees an enormous need for sustainable solutions in the construction industry.

In the year under review, Sika sales in the construction industry grew faster than the market, the press release further explains. Sika shows double-digit growth year-on-year in all regions of the world. The strongest growth in sales, at 21.0 percent, was in the Americas region. In the separately reported business with the automotive industry (Global Business segment), Sika returned to the growth zone in the reporting year after a decline in 2020. Specifically, growth of 4.3 percent was achieved in local currencies.

The group plans to communicate its detailed annual report for 2021 on February 18. In doing so, Sika expects to be able to report a disproportionately high increase in the operating result at EBIT level and an EBIT margin of 15 percent.

January 2022
Holcim concrete is supposed to charge electric vehicles

Holcim has entered into a strategic partnership with the start-up Magment . The young company based in Oberhaching near Munich is working on a wireless inductive charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. According to Magment's understanding, they should be charged where they go instead of having to go where they are charged. This reduces the need for charging stations and at the same time saves time, according to a message from the Zug-based building materials manufacturer.

Together, the development departments of both companies have created a "unique concrete with high magnetic permeability" for road surfaces. The technology is currently being tested at Purdue University in the US state of Indiana. Applications for industrial floors to charge robots and forklifts while driving are also in preparation.

Magment CEO and co-founder Mauricio Esguerra believes that both companies will be an “important companion for the sustainable electric transport of the future” “by developing superior qualities” of magnetizable concrete technology. Holcim is also pleased to “develop concrete solutions with Magment to advance electromobility,” said Edelio Bermejo, Head of Holcim's Global Innovation Center. The Zug-based company is shifting "the limits of innovation by working with start-ups all over the world in order to take on a pioneering role in terms of sustainability".

January 2022
Emanuel von Graffenried Appointed as Local Chair Romandie of ULI Switzerland

For more information, contact media@uli.org

ZÜRICH (XX JANUARY 2022) – The Urban Land Institute Switzerland (ULI) has announced the appointment of Emanuel von Graffenried, associate director at CBRE Building Consultancy in Lausanne, as Local Chair Romandie of ULI Switzerland who officially began his voluntary two-year term on 1 January 2022.

ULI is the world’s oldest and largest network of cross-disciplinary real estate experts, with more than 45,000 members globally and more than 4,000 members across Europe. ULI Switzerland involves over 100 leading real estate stakeholders from the private and public sectors representing all disciplines within the Swiss commercial and residential property market.

With the appointment of Emanuel von Graffenried the ULI Switzerland wants to strengthen its activities in the western part of Switzerland. In particular in the areas Lausanne, Geneve and Fribourg, a lot of urban development triggered by environmental and social issues are expected to impact the whole region. Professor Jürgen M. Volm, Chair of ULI Switzerland says: “Emanuel is highly passionate to establish ULI in the Romandie. He has a very strong network and can motivate young members to contribute in ULI’s Young Leader and NEXT programmes.”

Emanuel von Graffenried is an accomplished real estate industry expert with experience in real estate analysis, development strategy and project management. Before moving to CBRE, von Graffenried was Business Development Manager B2B, deputy head of partnermanagement at MoneyPark AG and before Managing Partner at Ateliers GEC SA. With a Master of Science in Architecture from EPFL and a federal degree from USPI Formation as Expert for Real Estate Valuation, he is member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), member of REG A for professional architects and professional member of the SIA.

“I am very pleased to support the further growth of ULI Switzerland and to contribute with my network and expertise to further knowledge exchange within Switzerland and the whole DACH region. I am looking forward to having a positive impact and exchanging views on the future of the built environment and the sustainability of the Swiss building stock”, said von Graffenried.

Sabine Georgi, ULI DACH CEO, said: “Emanuel is a very engaging and motivating real estate expert. With his network in the western part of Switzerland he can accelerate the expansion of ULI Switzerland. His open and kind attitude enables him to connect real estate professionals of every age. ULI Switzerland has been expanding rapidly within the DACH region and we look forward to seeing the next stage of growth under Emanuel’s chairmanship.”

Since its founding in 2014, ULI Switzerland has successfully held over 30 events with more than 1,000 participants, including various formats such as roundtables, breakfasts, summer dinners and site tours, in addition to webinars. It also has an active Young Leaders group (for members aged under 35), which benefits from a mentoring programme enabling professionals at the beginning of their career to benefit from experience of renowned senior executives.

For more information about ULI Switzerland and its programme of events, visit switzerland.uli.org.

January 2022
Betterhomes has the most successful financial year

In 2021, Betterhomes had the most successful financial year since it was founded 16 years ago, the brokerage company from Zurich, which is active in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, informs in a message . According to her, Betterhomes brokered 3006 properties in Switzerland last year. In Germany there were 1687 placements. Both values represent new record values for Betterhomes.

The company attributes this success to its hybrid business model of technology and local expertise. "Due to the dried up market, all brokerage companies are in a challenging position when it comes to winning new brokerage contracts," Cyrill Lanz is quoted as saying in the press release. For the founder and CEO of the Betterhomes Group, a large personal network is the key to success for real estate agents. "That is why, in addition to our in-house technology, we have been relying on strong local sales with a large internal and external network since the company was founded."

Betterhomes has planned a technology platform for broker and customer software for this year. It should be launched in the first half of 2022. Based on this platform, Betterhomes plans to expand beyond the DACH region into other European countries in the second half of the year.

January 2022
Vebego drives the development of cleaning robots

Vebego wants to be the driving force in the development of cleaning robots. A media release from Vebego AG states that digitization is also a strong driver for innovations and further development in the cleaning industry. “As an innovative company”, Vebego wants to help determine, shape and drive digitalization. Cleaning robots and their development are therefore a big topic in the company.

Vebego has been analyzing the market and customer needs for five years in order to be able to make cleaning even more innovative and flexible in the future and to be able to further expand it while maintaining the cleaning quality. The company works with partners such as Soobr , a technology company based in Stettlen BE.

Vebego started with the needs-based planning and execution of cleaning tours by Soobr. By optimizing resources, the assignments of employees could be planned more efficiently. Robotics is still not a sure-fire success. Cleaning robots are currently not yet fully autonomous and continue to require regular support from people. Vebego tested the robots and used the mature models in a field test. Two models are currently in continuous use.

Vebego is working with its partners on further developing the models in the direction of autonomous robots. It should be noted that workplace design has changed significantly in recent years. The pandemic with the resulting increased work from home brought changes not only in terms of land use. The associated cleaning planning had also been given a further boost.

January 2022
Building cooperative receives 40,000 francs from the climate fund Stadtwerk Winterthur

The municipal energy supplier Stadtwerk Winterthur has given the building cooperative 40,000 francs more than housing from its climate fund. It wants to finance the pilot operation of a self-learning heating controller in two houses on the 2000-watt Hobelwerk area in Oberwinterthur, according to a media release .

The heating controller was developed by the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) in Dübendorf. It is supposed to optimize the heating systems in a climate-friendly way, "by including solar power production on the roof, the interaction between main heating (heat pump) and peak load (pellet boiler) as well as the load on the power grid," the media release said. This offers knowledge for the climate-friendly use of energy with the lowest possible load on the power grid in buildings.

January 2022
Basel area relies on solar power from the roof

The canton of Basel-Landschaft is going on the solar power offensive. The canton's own buildings will be equipped with photovoltaic systems, the canton administration informs in a message . So far, 2177 modules with an area of almost 3900 square meters have been installed on the roofs of the secondary schools in Hinterzweien in Muttenz, Gerenmatt in Arlesheim, Laufental in Laufen, Lärchen in Münchenstein and Rheinpark in Birsfelden as well as the Werkhof Kreis 3 in Sissach and the new technical college in Muttenz been. They can generate around 800,000 kilowatt hours of solar power a year. This means that the electricity requirements of the respective location can be completely covered, writes the cantonal administration.

According to the announcement, further plants are already being planned. "The canton's largest photovoltaic system in the future" is to be tackled shortly. It is being built on the new building of the Augusta Raurica Collection Center in Augst. More than 400 modules are planned here, which could deliver around 450,000 kilowatt hours of solar power a year. The plans also include systems on the roofs of the Tannenbrunn secondary schools in Sissach and Frenke in Liestal and the Arxhof action center in Niederdorf.

The building authority is following the instructions of the district administrator with the solar offensive, it says in the message. According to them, the canton should "on the one hand be a role model for other investors and on the other hand cover the growing demand in schools and other buildings with as much self-produced solar power as possible". The district administrator provides the funds for the investments via building loans and as part of the investment program.

January 2022
Baden promotes charging stations for electromobility

The city of Baden financially supports the construction of new charging stations as part of its energy promotion program. According to a press release , half of all new registrations are already electric or hybrid vehicles. The city of Baden wants to make the switch easier. That is why new charging stations for electric vehicles will be funded with 25 percent of the investment costs from now on.

According to the city, the offer applies to existing apartment buildings and condominiums with three or more residential units. Shared garages of individual units are also taken into account. The expansion of the electrical infrastructure will also be promoted, according to the press release. Not only could the applicant install a charging station in the underground car park, but others could also be added. That can be done at the same time or later. The aim of this funding is that tenants can also become electromobile.

The funding program is broken down on the city's special website for electromobility. For electric charging stations, there is a subsidy of 25 percent of the investment costs, but no more than 1,000 francs per charging point. To develop the charging infrastructure, there are also 25 percent of the investment costs in communal underground car parks, but no more than CHF 500 per parking space. The development costs include the creation of power and communication lines to the parking lots.

The application for funding can be downloaded by clicking on this page and on the city's environmental blog.

January 2022
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
Swisscom takes over majority of e-government specialists

Swisscom announces the acquisition of the Zurich-based Innovative Web Group. With the takeover, the telecommunications company wants to expand its activities in the areas of web solutions and e-government for public administrations and municipalities, according to a press release. The Innovative Web Group remains legally independent. The takeover will not result in any changes for customers or employees. The parties have agreed not to disclose the company valuation.

The Innovative Web Group, founded in 2000, is well positioned in the segment of e-government solutions for Swiss municipalities and cities, cantons, municipal utilities, schools and other administrative-related organizations. With the acquisition of the group of companies, Swisscom expects new growth potential for its “Municipalities and Associations” business area, which is mainly handled by the subsidiary Swisscom Directories AG with the municipality platform Localcities .

Localcities provides information and advice on all aspects of official, economic, social and cultural life in the community. In association with Innovative Web, the foundation stone is to be laid in order to “use technical modules reciprocally and develop new, innovative solutions for almost every need of the around 2,200 Swiss communities, regardless of the size of the community”, says Stefano Santinelli , CEO Swisscom Directories AG, quoted.

January 2022
Shared micromobility harms the climate

Shared micromobility is more harmful to the climate than expected. This is shown by a study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ). This becomes clear if the evaluation of the climate impact of micromobility also includes how electric scooters and bicycles are actually used: “At first glance, e-scooters and e-bikes are climate-friendly because they do not have internal combustion engines,” says Daniel Jan Reck from the Institute for Transport Planning and Systems at ETH Zurich in a report by ETH. “Ultimately, however, what is decisive for their carbon footprint is which modes of transport they typically replace.”

The transport researchers working with Reck were able to show in their study that shared e-scooters and e-bikes in the city of Zurich mainly replace sustainable modes of transport: walking, using local public transport and cycling. They do more harm than good to the climate. “I think the sharing principle makes sense,” said Reck. “With micromobility and its climate impacts, however, the situation actually seems to be the other way around.”

The picture is different for privately used e-scooters and e-bikes. These replace more frequent journeys with one’s own car. This is why private micromobility reduces CO2 emissions “and benefits the climate on balance”. That is why it makes sense for authorities to promote commuting by means of private micromobility.

For his research, Reck received the Young Researcher of the Year Award from the International Transport Forum of the OECD in summer 2021. The think tank of the industrialized countries, based in Paris, awards the prize to young researchers whose work is important in matters of transport policy.

January 2022
Artificial intelligence analyzes CO2 emissions from traffic

An analysis method developed at the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) can make statements about how the consumption of a country’s vehicle fleet changes from year to year. This new method is based on math and deep learning techniques. According to a communication , it is able to show where politicians and car buyers could start to reduce CO2 emissions.

Analyzing this has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Because vehicles can no longer be divided into classic segments such as small, medium and luxury classes due to technical innovations. In addition, new vehicles are getting bigger and heavier. In addition, the cubic capacities would decrease, while the efficiency of the engines would get better and better at the same time.

That is why the Empa Vehicle Drive Systems department describes its analysis technology as an “important breakthrough”: It enables “CO2 emissions to be assessed separately and an accurate automatic vehicle classification to be carried out by analyzing large databases,” explains researcher Naghmeh Niroomand. “This makes it easier to analyze changes in fleets in a country or a large company.” Thanks to this new method, “subjective and expert-based factors” would be eliminated and databases from all over the world would be comparable.

For Switzerland, the team was able to calculate the average CO2 emissions of newly registered cars. If less heavy vehicles such as SUVs were on Swiss roads, this would be the most effective way of promoting decarbonization, says Niroomand. It would also be helpful to buy vehicles with lower performance in the same vehicle class.

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
Stefan Metzger takes over at digitalswitzerland

According to a media release , Stefan Metzger will take over the management of digitalswitzerland from January 2022. The previous managing director, Nicolas Bürer, is stepping down at his own request. Bürer led the initiative for around five years. Last year he was also responsible for the operational merger with the ICTswitzerland association.

“I would like to thank Nicolas for his commitment to digitalswitzerland,” said President Sascha Zahnd. Bürer has “successfully further developed the initiative and transformed the once regional vision for Zurich into a nationwide and now even global movement,” he adds. According to Marc Walder, digitalswitzerland founder and Ringier CEO, digitalswitzerland has grown to become “the most relevant location initiative in Switzerland” under the leadership of Bürer.

With Metzger, digitalswitzerland is gaining “a proven expert in the field of digital transformation” with global experience, according to Walder. The press release describes Metzger as a digital expert. For 13 years he served the Swiss business of the global IT consulting firm Cognizant as Country Managing Director. Metzger has been committed to digitalswitzerland for a year and was also a member of the Executive Committee.

Diana Engetschwiler, head of the Swiss Digital Day launched five years ago, will also become the deputy managing director of digitalswitzerland from the beginning of 2022. She succeeds Sébastien Kulling, who is moving to the digitalswitzerland foundation as managing director.

The aim of digitalswitzerland is to position Switzerland as the world’s leading, digital innovation location. The initiative currently has 240 organizations among its partners.

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