immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Innovationsoekosystem

  • Zurich reinvents itself

    Zurich reinvents itself

    Government Councillor Carmen Walker Späh openly stated that many good ideas never make it to the market. It is not a lack of creativity, but a lack of the right support at the right time. The canton of Zurich has therefore taken the step this year of joining the international “MIT REAP” program. The aim is to channel funding in a more targeted manner, network players more closely and systematically promote scaling. Zurich has already established itself as a hotspot in the fields of AI, robotics, life sciences and the new space economy. The task now is to secure this lead.

    Nothing works without people
    Markus Müller, Co-Head of Location Promotion, put it in a nutshell with a quote from medtech entrepreneur Andy Rihs: “Nothing works without people.” Capital alone does not build a future. What makes Zurich strong is the ability to bring together new ideas with the right know-how and the right capacities. Zurich should take on a leading role in the new space economy. According to Müller, innovation is what turns “good” into “leading” in the long term.

    You can’t think about the future alone
    Futurologist Martina Kühne gave the guests three ideas to take away with them. Think beyond tomorrow, develop visions of the future in the majority and shape the future together. Every vision of the future is like a piece of gymnastics equipment on which you can let your mind run wild. Anyone who does this can develop ideas for a possible and desirable future. Because, according to Kühne, the future doesn’t just happen.

    Collaboration as a catalyst
    The ETH spin-off Sevensense shows how this theory translates into practice. in 2021, the young start-up impressed ABB with its 3D vision technology for autonomous robots. Today, around 80 percent of the autonomous robots sold by ABB come from Sevensense. Proof of how effective the combination of established capital and fresh inventive spirit can be.

    Organs in space, muscles in the lab
    Prometheus Life Technologies is even more daring. The start-up uses weightlessness in space to grow organs in three dimensions. This was made possible by a parabolic flight program at the Innovation Park, in close collaboration with the Center for Space and Aviation at the University of Zurich. No less ambitious is Muvon, which is working with the ZHAW on an automated method for muscle regeneration using the body’s own cells. If it can be scaled up, it could be used to treat stress incontinence, which affects a significant proportion of women over 40 in Europe.

    A platform that innovates itself
    Samuel Mösle, Co-Head of Location Promotion, drew a clear line in the final discussion. The three start-ups presented are at the limits of the imaginable future. The innovation platform will become more interactive and networked in future with the support of artificial intelligence. After five years, the initiative has reached the end of its own start-up phase. Samuel Mösle sums it up precisely: “It doesn’t just say innovation on it, it also has innovation in it.”

  • The Zurich economic region is attracting an increasing number of international companies

    The Zurich economic region is attracting an increasing number of international companies

    Greater Zurich Area AG draws a positive conclusion in its 2025 annual report. 98 foreign companies have heeded the call of the location marketing agency for the Zurich economic region and have chosen to establish a new presence within the network comprising nine cantons, the city of Zurich and the Winterthur region. 29 of them are engaged in research and development, whilst 24 intend to establish their headquarters in Switzerland. Together, they plan to create 1,295 new jobs over the next five years.

    GZA acts on behalf of the Greater Zurich Area Location Marketing Foundation, positioning the Zurich economic region internationally and supporting companies wishing to relocate here. In doing so, it focuses particularly intensively on the key ecosystems of life sciences, artificial intelligence and robotics. “Innovation determines whether good jobs, entrepreneurial know-how and industrial expertise remain anchored in our region,” says Chairman of the Board Dr Balz Hösly in his foreword. “For a high-cost location such as the Greater Zurich Area, this is not an option, but a strategic necessity.”

    With 20 new businesses, blockchain technology was the strongest focus industry in 2025, followed by biotech and pharmaceuticals (15) and artificial intelligence (8). Many of these projects are in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and food & agritech.

    For instance, the Israeli food-tech company Aleph Farms has chosen Kemptthal (ZH) as the base for its European operations. There, it is joined by partners across the entire value chain: Givaudan, Migros Industrie and Bühler. TikTok opened an office in Zurich, where it benefits from proximity to brands, agencies, media and individuals who create content for social media. The Canadian firm Blockstream is expanding its Bitcoin infrastructure in Lugano by establishing its headquarters there and acquiring Elysium Lab. The Beijing-based company Baidu Apollo has chosen Zurich as its first European location for its robotaxis.

    International visibility is also the aim of the Zurich AI Festival, which is co-organised by the GZA and will continue in 2026. At the same time, preparations are underway for the integration of the canton of Aargau from 2027, according to GZA Managing Director Lukas Huber. He emphasises the role of the associated cantons in the development of the business location: “With their framework conditions, their clusters and their location development, they lay the foundations for this marketing to succeed. We do the promotion – the cantons are excellent product managers.”

  • A panorama of the digital property industry

    A panorama of the digital property industry

    PropTech stands for digital, technological and data-based solutions that improve, automate or transform processes, products or business models in the property sector. These include software platforms, AI analyses, smart building systems, digital transaction models, data-based refurbishment and valuation tools, energy optimisation solutions and immersive technologies such as 3D visualisations, augmented reality and digital twins. PropTech thus spans the entire life cycle of a property. From planning and development to management, refurbishment and transaction.

    Blurred boundaries of the term
    With the growing awareness of PropTech, the desire of many start-ups to be part of this field is also growing. Companies from neighbouring areas such as FinTech, GreenTech, Bau-Tech, InsurTech or generic software providers are increasingly positioning themselves as PropTech, even if real estate is only a peripheral topic. As a result, tools are subsequently framed as property solutions and the sector appears larger in maps, reports and rankings than it actually is in the narrower sense. The PropTech Map Switzerland thus not only shows the strength of the ecosystem, but also its conceptual vagueness.

    Clusters, categories and regional hotspots
    The map reveals a clear geographical concentration. PropTech companies are particularly densely represented in the regions of Zurich, Zug, Lausanne and Basel. These are all locations with universities, technology parks and a high economic density. Many companies are spin-offs from ETH and EPFL, which emphasises the strong research and technology focus of the Swiss scene. In terms of content, the map spans a broad spectrum from asset management, construction and development to digital marketplaces, rental and sales platforms, 3D and smart building technologies, energy and climate tools, blockchain applications, financial platforms and specialised software services.

    Growth, internationalisation and more professionalism
    The continuously increasing number of entries shows that dozens of new companies are added every year, along with established market players that are digitally expanding their business model and international providers that are tapping into the Swiss market. Many PropTechs have long been operating beyond national borders and are scaling their solutions into European and global markets. At the same time, the ecosystem is professionalising. The PropTech Map not only depicts logos, but also the thematic orientation and positioning of the companies. The map thus becomes a central point of orientation for investors, property companies, administrations and universities.

    You can find the PropTech Map Switzerland here