immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Schweiz

  • Buildings as carbon sinks

    Buildings as carbon sinks

    The construction industry is one of the largest CO2 emitters in the world. However, projects such as “Beyond Zero” and the “Mining the Atmosphere” initiative could turn the tide. The aim is not only to reduce the harmful greenhouse gas, but to actively bind it in building materials. These materials, which are being tested in the new NEST unit, could revolutionise concrete and insulation materials and have the potential to make the construction industry climate-neutral or even CO2-negative.

    Technology undergoing practical testing
    Nathalie Casas from Empa explains that “negative emissions technologies” (NET) are the key to achieving climate targets: “We need to remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere in order to achieve the 1.5-degree target. NETs, which already work in the laboratory and are now being used in the construction industry, will help us achieve this.” Casas emphasises the urgency of taking action as emissions continue to rise.

    Sustainability in the construction industry
    Corinne Reimann from Implenia sees NET as a great opportunity for the construction industry: “The new materials will finally enable us to make decisive progress in the area of sustainability. The industry has enormous leverage here, but also challenges. Price and acceptance will be crucial.” Reimann emphasises that the functionality and cost-effectiveness of new materials must be ensured in order to enable their widespread use.

    The contribution of architects and planners
    Christoph Kellenberger, co-founder of OOS, sees the early involvement of architects and planners as a decisive factor: “With our knowledge, we can help develop the right building materials from the outset and integrate them into construction practice. We also need to publicise the potential of CO2-storing materials in the industry and show what effects can be achieved with them.” For Kellenberger, the key to success lies in transparent knowledge transfer and practical solutions.

    Political framework conditions and social responsibility
    In addition to technological innovation, the construction industry also requires political and economic framework conditions. According to Casas and Kellenberger, clear cost transparency is necessary in order to promote the widespread use of NET. CO2 emissions must be priced fairly and subsidies could help to offset the initial higher costs of the new materials. “The transformation will only succeed if everyone pulls together – politics, business and society,” says Casas.

    The “Beyond Zero” project shows that it is possible to turn buildings into carbon sinks. However, this requires not only technological solutions, but also the will of politics, business and society to break new ground. The construction industry has the opportunity to develop from one of the largest CO2 emitters into a pioneer of the climate transition – and the potential to do so already exists today.

  • Property developer reduces profits to strengthen future investments

    Property developer reduces profits to strengthen future investments

    SitEX Properties Holding AG generated gross sales of CHF 10.86 million in the first half of the year, the Schwyz-based property development company announced in a press release. In the same period last year, gross sales totalled 32.70 million Swiss francs. Net profit after tax fell from CHF 7.34 million to CHF 1.51 million in the same period.

    “Over the past ten years, sitEX has been fortunate enough to achieve profitable half-year and annual results without exception,” CEO Beat Kähli is quoted as saying in the press release. However, the company, which specialises in real estate in Switzerland and the USA, is currently “in an investment phase, which is why only small profits could be achieved compared to previous years”. According to Kähli, sitEX currently has a development pipeline totalling more than CHF 5 billion. This “secures the basis for future sustainable profits”, according to the company boss.

    In recent years, sitEX has distributed around CHF 60 million of its profits to shareholders. This year and next, however, the company intends to concentrate on repaying liabilities and investments, explains Christoph Stutz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of sitEX.

  • How nonsensical regulations are slowing down residential construction

    How nonsensical regulations are slowing down residential construction

    In Swiss cities, rental flats are scarce and expensive, and there are many reasons for this. One decisive factor is the increasingly long waiting time between planning application and building permit. The number of waiting days has increased by around 12 per cent on average across Switzerland in the last ten years. Whereas a decade ago, building applications still took an average of 118 days to be approved, today the figure is already 133 days.

    The cantons of Geneva, Fribourg and Basel-Stadt are particularly affected, where it takes up to 188 days to review a planning application. The waiting time in the canton of Zurich is also considerable at 152 days. These delays are a symptom of more far-reaching problems in the Swiss construction industry.

    Nonsensical regulations act as a brake
    Architects and experts see nonsensical building regulations as a key obstacle to the rapid construction of new rental flats in urban centres. Peter Sturzenegger, owner of the architectural firm Isler Architekten AG in Winterthur, cites the multiple length allowance (MLZ) as an example. This regulation stipulates that the boundary distance must be increased for buildings over 14 metres in length, which has made many construction projects impossible. In Winterthur, it is planned to abolish this regulation by the end of 2025, but in other cities such as Zurich, the future of this rule remains uncertain.

    Outdated laws and their consequences
    Another example of outdated building regulations is the orientation of living spaces in the canton of Zurich. The Planning and Building Act requires that the majority of living spaces must not face north-east or north-west in order to maximise daylight and prevent mould growth. However, Pascal Müller from Müller Sigrist Architekten AG argues that this regulation is no longer appropriate in the context of today’s urban conditions, such as noise pollution and climate change.

    In addition to the legal hurdles, Müller also criticises the role of the courts. The large number of court rulings and judgements creates uncertainty for building owners, as they constantly change the regulations and significantly restrict the scope for planners.

    Monument protection and energy-efficient refurbishment
    Aargau architect Daniel Huber emphasises the restrictive requirements for monument protection and the complex requirements for energy-efficient refurbishment as further obstacles. For him, the inconsistent implementation of building regulations, which depends heavily on the interpretation of the responsible authorities, is particularly problematic.

    The mass of regulations as a central problem
    The Swiss Federation of Master Builders sees the growing number and complexity of building regulations as the biggest challenge. Jacqueline Theiler, Head of Communications at the association, explains that the increasing density of regulations and the associated appeal procedures considerably lengthen the building permit process. The over-interpretation of existing noise regulations by the Federal Supreme Court is particularly problematic.

    The association is now pinning its hopes on swift changes to the law by parliament in order to get the faltering housing construction back on track and realise the urgently needed flats in Switzerland.

  • New Board of Directors of SBB André Wyss

    New Board of Directors of SBB André Wyss

    André Wyss will join the Board of Directors of Swiss Federal Railways. The Federal Council approved Wyss’ election at its meeting on 21 August 2024. His new role will be officially confirmed at the SBB Annual General Meeting in April 2025. Wyss, a renowned Swiss business leader and CEO of construction and real estate services provider Implenia, is set to take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors from Monika Ribar in 2026.

    Wyss has an impressive career that has prepared him excellently for this task. After training as a chemical technician, he completed a degree in economics and continued his education at the renowned Harvard Business School. Before joining Implenia, he gained extensive international experience at Novartis, where he most recently headed up global production and central services with over 40,000 employees. His involvement on various boards of directors and as President of the Basel Statistical and Economic Society also underline his wide-ranging expertise. In addition to his business experience, Wyss was a major and commander in the Swiss army, which gave him a deep understanding of the political and economic environment in Switzerland.

    A well thought-out election process
    The members of the SBB Board of Directors are traditionally elected at the Annual General Meeting for a term of office of two years. As the sole shareholder, the Confederation exercises the right to vote at the General Meeting. Monika Ribar, who has served as Chair of the SBB Board of Directors for twelve years, will step down in 2026 due to the term limit. The current member of the Board of Directors, Véronique Gigon, will step down at the 2025 Annual General Meeting.

    To ensure a seamless succession at the top of SBB, a comprehensive search process was initiated by the federal government at an early stage. The SBB Board of Directors then decided at an extraordinary meeting in August 2024 to propose the election of André Wyss to the Federal Council. Wyss’ previous experience and his extensive network in the Swiss economy make him the ideal choice for this challenging task.

    A clear transition at Implenia and SBB
    Wyss will end his role as CEO of Implenia at the end of March 2025. He will then concentrate fully on his new role on the SBB Board of Directors. For one year, he will serve on the Board of Directors together with the current Chairwoman Monika Ribar and prepare intensively for taking over the chairmanship. This smooth transition will ensure continuous and stable leadership at SBB and safeguard the company’s strategic direction for the future.

    With the election of André Wyss, SBB is relying on a strong leader who is up to the challenges of the future and can successfully develop the company further.

  • Commission supports selective changes to tenancy law

    Commission supports selective changes to tenancy law

    The National Council’s Legal Affairs Committee has passed two important bills aimed at improving the legal situation in tenancy law. One of the bills stipulates that in future, initial rents can only be contested if the renting party was in an emergency situation at the time the contract was concluded. This is intended to reduce legal uncertainty and avoid lengthy proceedings.

    The second bill deals with making it easier to prove the so-called “local and neighbourhood custom”. This is intended to lower the requirements for the proof of comparative rents and enable the admission of industry-established statistics as evidence. The aim is to improve the comparability of rents and thus prevent abusive rent demands.

    Decision following consultation
    The Commission’s decision is based on the results of the consultation on the parliamentary initiatives of former National Councillor Hans Egloff. Despite the minority motions tabled, the committee was clearly in favour of implementing the initiatives in accordance with the wording.

    The bills that have now been adopted are expected to be debated in the National Council in the 2025 spring session.

  • Swiss sales company in the canton of Schwyz

    Swiss sales company in the canton of Schwyz

    Gira has opened its Swiss branch in Feusisberg. From there, the building technology specialist from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia intends to gain a foothold in the Swiss market with its own sales company. In addition to Switzerland, Gira is also represented in the UK, Austria, the Netherlands and Spain. According to the information provided, importers market and sell Gira products and system solutions in a further 35 markets with a focus on Europe and Asia.

    Alfred Mölzer, who has been Managing Director of Gira Austria GmbH since 2022, will be responsible for the Swiss business. Together with his team, he meticulously prepared the establishment of Gira Swiss GmbH over a period of around one and a half years, according to a company press release. In addition to analysing figures and statistics, numerous discussions were held with market participants from the retail, trade, architecture and construction sectors, according to Mölzer. “This is the only way to get a feel for what makes the market tick and which specific needs we need to fulfil with our range of solutions and services.”

    These have shown the medium-sized technology company that there are opportunities for a successful market entry, particularly in the field of building automation. After all, the company has played a key role in shaping the digital networking of home and building technology with its developments from the very beginning. This will therefore be the “spearhead” of market development.

  • Housing prices develop differently

    Housing prices develop differently

    Anyone looking to buy a condominium had to spend slightly more in July than in the previous month. Specifically, prices for condominiums rose by an average of 0.6 per cent, SMG Swiss Marketplace Group(SMG) reported in a press release on the current Swiss Real Estate Offer Index. The SMG Swiss Marketplace Group combines the digital marketplaces of TX Group, Ringier and Mobiliar.

    By contrast, prices for single-family homes fell by an average of 1.1 per cent in July compared to June. This puts the price level at roughly the same level as at the end of 2023, according to the press release. “For many potential buyers, a single-family home is still difficult to afford despite the recent decline,” Martin Waeber is quoted as saying. According to the Managing Director Real Estate at SMG, buying a condominium with a smaller living space is therefore the only alternative for many. According to Waeber, this is leading to a shift in demand with an impact on the prices of both types of residential property.

    SMG’s property experts observed a 2.2 per cent decline in asking rents across Switzerland in July compared to June. At 3.7 per cent, this was most pronounced in Ticino. Central Switzerland and the greater Zurich region followed with declines of 3.2 per cent each. The smallest decline in asking rents was recorded in north-western Switzerland with an average of 0.5 per cent.

  • The versatile world of wood

    The versatile world of wood

    Utilisation of the wood
    After a certain time, the tree reaches its growth limit. This is the perfect time to fell the tree – it is ready for harvesting. Depending on the tree species, the time until it is ready for harvesting varies between 60 and 150 years. Until then, the tree has had enough time to reproduce through seeds in the gaps in the forest. The plants in the young forest that are best adapted to the local climatic conditions prevail. In this way, the forest remains healthy thanks to natural selection. During thinning, desirable and well-grown trees are left standing as future trees. The abundance of light in the gaps created by felled trees allows a variety of shrubs and annual plants to colonise the ground – increasing biodiversity in a forest managed in this way.

    The majestic forest of Switzerland
    Around a third of Switzerland’s total land area is covered by protected forest. This forest provides protection against natural disasters, is a habitat for animals and plants, a place for recreation and leisure and a source of wood. Sustainability is a fundamental principle that requires the forest to fulfil all these functions in the long term without harvesting more wood than grows back. Enough wood grows in the Swiss forest every ten minutes to build a detached house. Around 60% of Swiss forests consist of conifers and 40% of deciduous trees. A large proportion of the wood felled is processed into sawn timber and planed products, while 10% is used for the production of paper and wood-based panels. A quarter is used directly as firewood. Around 10 million cubic metres of wood grow in Switzerland every year, only half of which is used. Wood is a durable material that regrows itself and plays an important role in the ecological balance. It is therefore sensible and advisable to use our own wood.

    Characteristics of wood
    Wood is a light yet strong material that can bear fourteen times more weight in relation to its weight than steel. Due to its natural cell structure, the static properties of wood are directional. Wood is most resistant along the grain, as it can withstand a hundred times higher tensile forces and four times higher compressive forces in this direction than across the grain. Understanding these static properties is of crucial importance when building with wood. In addition, the warm and pleasant feel of wood gives rooms a special atmosphere. The wood fibres in the installed wood constantly react to the air humidity and thus contribute to a balanced room climate.

    Variety of wood species – differences in the forest and in the home
    Not all woods are identical. The characteristics and appearance of wood vary depending on the tree species – there is a wide range from light to heavy, soft to hard and light to dark. Each type of wood therefore has specific properties that are suitable for different purposes. For example, the heartwood of sweet chestnut or oak, which is preserved with natural tanning agents, is particularly suitable for outdoor use, while long-fibre ash is used for parts subject to heavy wear. Fine-fibre woods such as beech or maple are used in furniture production. Promoting different tree species by using different types of wood helps to increase biodiversity. Each tree grows individually, so its wood may have more or fewer knots, wider or narrower annual rings, be slightly lighter or darker in colour and grow crooked or straight. Each tree trunk and section is utilised according to its qualities. Selected logs of high quality are processed in sawmills into a variety of sawn products such as beams, boards, laths, posts and glulam. Timber that is crooked and knotty or small diameter logs are converted into chipboard and fibreboard in panel mills. The best qualities are processed into veneer. From both an ecological and an economic point of view, it is crucial to determine the appropriate quality for the respective area of application in advance with the supplier.

    Wood-based materials
    The large formats of wood-based materials have made an important contribution to the development of modern timber construction. The production of wood-based materials follows a simple principle: the wood is chopped into boards, chips or fibres and then shaped into a new form with the help of glue. This results in products with standardised properties in a fixed thickness and size. Wood-based materials therefore offer added value and open up a wide range of design possibilities with wood. As a cost-effective building material for everyday use, wood-based materials are indispensable and are available in a wide range from timber merchants and DIY stores.

  • Energy-efficient refurbishments pay off

    Energy-efficient refurbishments pay off

    In a study,Wüest Partner has analysed the economic viability of energy-efficient renovations to the Swiss residential building stock. Two scenarios were analysed for all 931,000 residential buildings that are not yet sustainably heated, the service provider for the real estate industry explains in a press release on the study. In the first scenario, a comprehensive energy refurbishment was analysed, in the second scenario only the replacement of the heating systems.

    In terms of ecological sustainability, both scenarios fulfil the requirements of the Climate Act, explains Wüest Partner. The property service provider’s experts put the investment requirement up to 2050 at between CHF 52 billion and CHF 228 billion. This is offset by increases in value of between 81 billion francs in the case of pure heating replacement and 168 billion francs in the case of comprehensive energy-efficient refurbishment.

    Replacing heating systems alone is therefore economically attractive across the board. In the case of comprehensive energy-efficient refurbishments, investments and increases in the value of the building stock balance each other out overall. In the case of apartment blocks with rental properties, a good half of the refurbishments can cover the costs. In the case of owner-occupied housing, the financial benefit increases due to the considerable savings in heating costs.

    The falling heating costs also benefit tenants of refurbished properties, as they generally more than compensate for a possible increase in net rents, writes Wüest Partner. “Purely energy-efficient refurbishment of rental flats can therefore be socially acceptable, so that ecological sustainability does not have to stand in the way of social sustainability.”

  • AI-supported analysis evaluates leading construction and property companies in Switzerland

    AI-supported analysis evaluates leading construction and property companies in Switzerland

    The Zurich-based swissreputation.group has teamed up with the Hamburg-based IMWF Institute to analyse the media reputation of the most important construction and real estate companies in Switzerland. For the benchmark study “Reputation of construction and real estate companies in Switzerland 2024”, all reputation-relevant statements about the selected companies from Swiss media and other online sources were analysed with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) in the period from June 2023 to May 2024.

    According to a press release, a total of 46 construction companies, property service providers, companies and owners were analysed, including 21 construction companies and property service providers and 25 property companies and owners. In total, over 26,000 statements in Swiss media were analysed using artificial intelligence.

    As in 2023, Implenia from Opfikon ZH took the top spot among construction companies and property service providers. The basis for this is the company’s outstanding visibility. According to the press release, none of the other construction companies come close to Implenia’s media presence. In second place is ERNE in Laufenburg AG, followed by SENN in St.Gallen and LosingerMarazziin Bern. They are followed by Frutiger AG in Thun BE, Eiffage in Glattbrugg, Strabag and Halter AG in Schlieren ZH, Anliker in Emmenbrücke LU and Marti in Lucerne.

    According to the press release, a highly developed, AI-supported text analysis was used to measure reputation. After pre-filtering all media articles from the selected companies, the specially trained algorithm semantically analyses the statements and assigns them to the thematic reputation dimensions of product & service, innovation, profitability, sustainability, management and employer.

    In the ranking of property companies and owners, Swiss Prime Site from Zug is in first place, followed by Mobimo from Küsnacht ZH, PSP Swiss Property from Zug and Swiss Life Asset Managers from Zurich in fourth place, with SFP Swiss Finance & Property Group from Zurich, HIAG from Basel, Fortimo from St.Gallen and Intershop from Basel coming in between fifth and eighth place. The top 10 is completed by UBS Asset Management from Zurich and Investis from Zurich.

  • Solar energy market to grow by 51 percent in 2023

    Solar energy market to grow by 51 percent in 2023

    In 2023, the expansion of photovoltaics in Switzerland grew by over 40% year-on-year for the fourth year in a row. In concrete terms, market growth even amounted to 51 percent. The new record total of 1641 megawatts (MW) corresponds to an area of 0.9 square meters per capita. The total installed capacity at the end of the year was 6374 MW. In terms of installed photovoltaic capacity per capita, Switzerland is in ninth place worldwide. These are the figures from the solar energy statistics for 2023 published by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, which Swissolar summarizes and comments on in a press release.

    Growth was particularly marked in industry and commerce (65%) and multi-family houses (59%). David Stickelberger, Head of Market and Policy at the Swiss Solar Energy Association, sees the trend towards larger systems as “very positive. Roofs are increasingly being fully utilized, which means that the price per kilowatt hour produced continues to fall.” The number of newly installed battery storage systems also rose by 73% compared to the previous year.

    With regard to the new Electricity Act, Swissolar proposes that local electricity communities receive a higher discount on the grid fee. In addition, the minimum purchase remuneration must create more planning security for investors in view of falling electricity prices. And grid operators should be made more accountable by means of long-term purchase agreements for domestic electricity from new renewable energies.

    The renewed fall in electricity prices and the shortage of skilled workers would also slow down growth. The apprenticeships for solar installers EFZ and solar technicians EBA starting in August 2024 would therefore come at the right time.

  • Raiffeisen sees weaker price momentum for property

    Raiffeisen sees weaker price momentum for property

    Raiffeisen recorded a slowdown in price momentum in the second quarter of 2024. Compared to the first quarter, prices for single-family homes rose by 1.3 per cent and those for condominiums by 0.5 per cent. According to a press release, “price momentum is not expected to pick up again any time soon” due to the persistently high interest rates compared to the low-interest phase, says Fredy Hasenmaile, Chief Economist at Raiffeisen Switzerland.

    The financial experts are currently observing the strongest price increases for single-family homes in city centres or tourist regions. “The price trend on the owner-occupied property market is weakening further with the descent from the interest rate peak,” says Hasenmaile.

    Compared to the previous year, prices for single-family homes in southern Switzerland (+11 per cent) and eastern Switzerland (+9.9 per cent) recorded the highest increases. Prices for houses fell slightly in western Switzerland (-1.8 per cent) and Zurich (-1.5 per cent). In contrast, Zurich (+6.3 per cent) and Northwestern Switzerland (+2 per cent) recorded the strongest increases for condominiums. According to the Raiffeisen Transaction Price Index, prices for owner-occupied flats have generally risen slightly in urban municipalities, but are weakening in the centres.

    The index is compiled quarterly and is published at the beginning of each quarter. It is based on real estate transaction data from Raiffeisen and the Swiss Real Estate Datapool(SRED).

  • Housing is becoming more expensive

    Housing is becoming more expensive

    People interested in buying their own home had to dig deeper into their pockets in June than in May. Prices for single-family homes rose by 1.2 per cent last month, explains the SMG Swiss Marketplace Group(SMG) in a press release on the current Swiss Real Estate Offer Index. At the same time, SMG’s experts observed a price increase of 1.0 per cent for condominiums. The SMG Swiss Marketplace Group combines the digital marketplaces of TX Group, Ringier and Mobiliar.

    “The Swiss National Bank’s further reduction in key interest rates on 20 June and the prospect of a further reduction in September will result in lower financing costs for mortgages”, comments Martin Waeber, Managing Director Real Estate at SMG Swiss Marketplace Group, in the press release. “This increases both the attractiveness of owning your own four walls and their affordability.”

    SMG’s property experts recorded a month-on-month increase of 0.4 per cent in asking rents across Switzerland. At 3.3 per cent, rents rose the most in Ticino. This was followed by Central Switzerland with 1.8 per cent and Eastern Switzerland with 1.2 per cent. In the major regions of Zurich and Northwestern Switzerland, however, rents were 0.6 and 0.2 per cent lower than in May.

  • Guidelines to strengthen the circularity of construction projects

    Guidelines to strengthen the circularity of construction projects

    The Madaster Switzerland association and partners from politics, business and science have developed a guideline that can be used to measure the circularity of construction projects in terms of their material mass, Circular Hub reports in a press release. The knowledge and network platform for circular construction in Switzerland acts as the coordination centre for the project Making circularity measurable. The guide “Making circularity measurable: a Swiss circularity indicator” is primarily aimed at planners of construction projects.

    “This guide marks a historic moment for the construction and property industry in Switzerland,” said Patrick Eberhard, President of the Madaster Switzerland association, in the press release. “For the first time, it offers the possibility of making the circularity of buildings measurable and thus supports the vision of transforming the Swiss building stock into a circular material store.” The guidelines can be used for the planning of new buildings as well as for building renovations. In addition to European standards, the specific conditions of the Swiss construction industry are also taken into account.

    The guidelines provide clients, architects and planning offices with assistance in integrating quantified specifications into the tendering process. At a political level, the guidelines should make it possible to quantify specifications for the circular economy in the construction sector.

    A complete list of the companies and organisations involved in the project can be found in the press release. The guidelines have already undergone initial practical testing in pilot projects. The Madaster platform is being used to calculate circularity and analyse specific property data.

  • Supply rents rise

    Supply rents rise

    The monthly rental index compiled by the digital real estate marketplace Homegate in cooperation with Zürcher Kantonalbank closed at 122.4 points in July. Compared to the previous month, the index increased by 0.6 points or 0.5 percent, SMG Swiss Marketplace Group AG informed in a press release. Compared to the previous year, asking rents rose by 4 per cent across Switzerland. There is a pause in the increase in the canton and city of Zurich. However, both show increases compared to the previous year.

    In July, asking rents rose the most in the cantons of Basel-Stadt, St.Gallen and Vaud, by 0.8 per cent each. There was no increase of more than 1 per cent in any canton. Asking rents in the canton of Zurich were below the national figure with an increase of 0.2 per cent.

    Only six cantons showed a decrease in asking rents, led by the cantons of Schwyz (1.9 per cent) and Graubünden (1.3 per cent). Compared to the previous year, however, asking rents have risen across the board, including in Zurich by 6.1 per cent. And the canton of Schwyz also shows a clear increase over the last year (6.4 per cent).

    The Swiss cities surveyed show that asking rents for the city of Zurich did not change in July. Nevertheless, they have risen significantly by 10.1 per cent compared to the previous year. The other cities also show increases in asking rents of between 2.2 per cent in Lucerne and 7.8 per cent in Lugano compared to July 2022. In July, asking rents rose everywhere except in the city of Zurich, with the largest increases in Lucerne (1.7 per cent) and St.Gallen (1.2 per cent).

    The next Homegate rent index is expected to be published on 14 September.

  • Wüest Partner receives Great Place to Work certification

    Wüest Partner receives Great Place to Work certification

    “We are very pleased about the Great Place to Work certification. Commitment, mutual appreciation and trust have always been part of our corporate culture. The award reflects our ongoing commitment to a strong workplace culture in which our employees can develop their full potential,” says Patrik Schmid, CEO at Wüest Partner.

    The Great Place to Work certification is based on the Trust IndexTM, a standardised and internationally recognised survey instrument. Between June 2022 and the beginning of July 2023, Wüest Partner employees in Germany and Switzerland were surveyed on 60 statements regarding workplace culture. The topics of the survey included trust in managers, team spirit, appreciation, respect and identification with the company. The final evaluation is based on the Trust IndexTM score, which is calculated from the average agreement with all standardised Trust IndexTM statements.

    Wüest Partner Germany achieved an impressive Trust IndexTM score of 79 per cent, Wüest Partner Switzerland even 86 per cent. These excellent results underline Wüest Partner’s commitment to creating a positive and trusting working environment in which employees feel valued and supported.

    “Our employees are Wüest Partner’s most important asset. In a highly competitive labour market, it is important to position ourselves as an attractive employer and to set ourselves up optimally for the future. This also includes investing in a good corporate and workplace culture. The award is therefore an additional motivation for all of us to continue on our chosen course,” says Marion Fürbeth, Head Group HR at Wüest Partner.

  • Switzerland has the best higher education system in the world

    Switzerland has the best higher education system in the world

    Switzerland has the best higher education system in the world. This is one result of this year’s ranking by global higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The 13th edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject identified the world’s best university offerings in 54 academic disciplines.

    A total of 32 Swiss university programmes are among the ten best in the world in their respective disciplines. That is 15 percent of all Swiss university programmes – the highest proportion worldwide. The country is thus home to 6 per cent of all the world’s top ten subjects. This share is only surpassed by the USA with 47 percent and the UK with 27 percent. The ranking assessed a total of 1594 universities from 93 countries in 54 academic subject areas.

    Switzerland came out on top in four of these subject areas. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) combines three of them: Earth and Ocean Sciences, Geophysics and Geology. No other university in continental Europe holds first place more often. In addition, Switzerland leads the way in the hospitality university programme with the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. Seven of the world’s ten leading hotel management schools are located here. ETH Zurich is among the top ten with numerous degree programmes such as Architecture (ranked 3rd), Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing (ranked 5th), Chemistry (ranked 7th) as well as in Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy (each ranked 8th). Two of the world’s top ten courses in dentistry are in Switzerland: the University of Bern is ranked 7th here, and the University of Zurich 8th. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) is represented in the world’s top 10 with two subjects: Data Science (9) and Civil Engineering (10). The biggest leap forward in Switzerland was made by the life sciences at the University of Geneva. They improved by 18 places to 62nd place. Mathematics at EPFL also climbed into the top 20.

  • Spherical spheres at Expo 2025 in the Swiss pavilion

    Spherical spheres at Expo 2025 in the Swiss pavilion

    From April 13 to October 13, 2025, the next World Expo will take place in Osaka, Japan. Under the motto “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, Switzerland will present itself as an efficient and leading innovation hub and will show concrete examples from business, science and research. Nüssli, together with Manuel Herz Architekten and Bellprat Partner, won the tender for the design, construction and dismantling of the Swiss presence and is implementing the pavilion in lightweight construction and with a touch of magic. The team is completed by Robin Winogrond Landscape Architects, Studio AA-Morf, and Kyoto Design Lab.

    Swiss ideas, experience and know-how in Japan
    “We are very proud to continue our long tradition as implementation partner of the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka. Despite this long Expo experience, however, the Swiss Pavilion with its pneumatic, spherical construction will also provide us with some sticking points,” says Andy Böckli. Stefan Sekiguchi adds: “To successfully realize the architectural design together with Japanese service providers and according to the applicable guidelines in Japan requires getting to know the country and its people. That’s why we work with our local partner and can benefit from valuable knowledge.” Arnau Bellprat is looking forward to the challenges in the global environment. “In our Spheres, visitors should be able to immerse themselves in an immersive, narrative and fantastic world. They should have a sensory and emotional experience that they will remember for a long time – we call it a biographical note.” Architect Manuel Herz is particularly interested in pneumatic construction, which allows for a building of minimal weight and has a long tradition for pavilions at World’s Fairs. “We are taking an architecture that has been used before for iconic Expo buildings and reinterpreting it.”

    Pavilion embedded in nature
    The concept for the Swiss pavilion focuses on sustainability. Spheres and modular structures made of recycled recyclable materials, as well as plants that overgrow, enclose and sequesterCO2 from the building, make up the single-story barrier-free architecture and contribute to a minimal ecological footprint. The scenography takes up the light exterior appearance of the building and stages the contents in the exhibition with light and color. In the five spheres of the pavilion, visitors experience how Swiss innovation is created from the nutrients of nature as well as with Switzerland’s humanistic tradition and a little magic. They can help shape, explore and ultimately take Swiss innovation out into the world in the form of plant seeds. In the pavilion, they will also meet the mythical figure of Heidi, who acts as a link to the host country, Japan. The care and preservation of nature are also important common concerns that link Japan and Switzerland.

    Cooperation and local support
    The topic of sustainability is taken seriously in the Swiss Pavilion and carefully implemented with academic support. With researchers, lecturers and students from the Kyoto Institute of Technology – in particular with the KIT Design Lab of the Faculty of Architecture – the social, economic and ecological footprint of the appearance is to be analyzed and improved over its entire lifespan.

  • Start-up smino takes over Viennese Bimspot

    Start-up smino takes over Viennese Bimspot

    The start-up smino based in Jona takes over the software manufacturer Bimspot based in Vienna. According to a press release , smino wants to become the standard solution for project management and collaboration in the construction industry in the DACH region.

    The start-up from the St.GallenBodenseeArea offers a digital platform for planning and construction projects in Switzerland. 8,000 companies are already using the smino application, which acts as a data hub for construction projects.

    Bimspot's technology, with which building information from models for digital construction planning (Building Information Modeling/BIM) is brought together, structured and automatically checked for errors and completeness, is to be integrated into the smino platform after the takeover.

    This is intended to expand the range of functions for users in the area of BIM process handling. The Bimspot employees should complement the smino team. From a new location in Vienna, the BIM experts and software developers will promote the further development of the technology and its sale.

    “With this acquisition, we will take over the market leadership in the field of BIM. I am firmly convinced that our two offers complement each other ideally and that we can offer customers further real added value," says Silvio Bee, co-founder and managing partner of smino AG, as quoted in the media release.

  • Roche opens tallest building in Switzerland

    Roche opens tallest building in Switzerland

    Roche has opened a new office building with 3,200 jobs at its headquarters in Basel. At 205 meters, Building 2 is currently the tallest building in Switzerland. The new building has 50 floors.

    With the construction, the pharmaceutical company is once again committed to its headquarters in Basel. "Building 2 is another visible commitment by Roche to the Basel site, where Roche was founded over 125 years ago," CEO Severin Schwan is quoted as saying in the statement. "It is another milestone in our site development, which creates a highly attractive, modern location for our headquarters."

    Roche has invested 550 million Swiss francs in Building 2. Employees who were previously housed in various buildings across Basel are to come together at the new location. The building allows modern forms of collaboration, from teamwork to concentrated forms of work to a combination of distance and office work.

    According to the announcement, the building is "one of the world's most sustainable office towers". It is heated with waste heat from the area and cooled with groundwater. It also has an energy-efficient facade with 50 percent glass and provides a bicycle cellar with 400 parking spaces.

    Another building is expected to open on the site in autumn 2024: Roche is currently building a new research and development center for 1.2 billion Swiss francs.

  • Photovoltaics accelerate growth

    Photovoltaics accelerate growth

    The share of solar power in the total electricity consumption in Switzerland has reached almost 6 percent, explains Swissolar in a statement . The association of the Swiss solar energy industry relies on the solar energy statistics published by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy . According to her, the expansion of photovoltaics in 2021 rose by 43 percent year-on-year to 683 megawatts. In total, systems with a total capacity of around 3.65 gigawatts have been installed. They produced a total of 2.84 terawatt hours of solar power in 2021.

    However, in order to close the gap created by the planned phase-out of fossil fuels and nuclear power, solar power production would have to be increased to 45 terawatt hours per year, says Swissolar. This goal can be achieved by using almost 40 percent of the currently existing roof areas by 2050. In an 11-point plan , Swissolar sets out how solar production can be increased to 25 terawatt hours by 2035. “This would mean that the water reserves in the reservoirs would be sufficiently large even in late winter and spring, despite the nuclear phase-out,” the statement said.

    For 2022, Swissolar is expecting further growth of 25 to 30 percent to 850 to 900 megawatts. Without bottlenecks in personnel and material, the increase could be even higher, believes Swissolar. The association demands reliable framework conditions for this. “Anyone who is now aligning their professional career with solar energy wants to be sure that the politically induced ‘stop-and-go’ of the last decade is a thing of the past,” Swissolar Managing Director David Stickelberger is quoted as saying in the statement.

  • Steiner enters into partnership with House of Lab Science

    Steiner enters into partnership with House of Lab Science

    «Wir freuen uns sehr über die Partnerschaft mit Steiner, um unser bestehendes Flächenangebot für Life Sciences–Firmen um weitere Standorte erweitern zu können. Mit dem Standbein in Basel leisten wir einen Beitrag zu einem der beiden wichtigsten Life Science-Clustern der Schweiz, wodurch wir von bedeutenden Synergieeffekten dieser Ökosysteme profitieren. In Winterthur hingegen demonstrieren wir unsere Kernkompetenz, ein neues Zentrum auch bei vergleichsweise geringen Netzwerkeffekten erfolgreich aufbauen zu können», so Dr. Christian Hugo Hoffmann, CEO von House of Lab Science. 

    Bei der Entwicklung von Immobilienprojekten berücksichtigt Steiner stets gesellschaftliche Trends und antwortet mit innovativen Lösungen auf die Herausforderungen der Zukunft. Im Büro- und Gewerbebereich hat das Unternehmen bereits vor längerer Zeit das nachhaltige und mehrdimensionale Konzept «Manufakt» entwickelt, das nebst modular nutzbaren Räumlichkeiten ein Angebot an geteilten und nach Bedarf benötigten Flächen bietet. Das erste Manufakt-Gebäude konnte im Sommer 2021 nach knapp anderthalbjähriger Bauzeit feierlich eröffnet werden. 

    Steiner und das House of Lab Science verfügen zusammen über das notwendige Know-how, um mit innovativen Gebäudekonzepten auf den wachsenden Flächenbedarf im Bereich Life Sciences, einer Schlüsselindustrie der Schweiz, zu antworten. Während das House of Lab Science unter anderem seine innovative Community-Plattform sowie die exzellenten Kontakte in die Branche und Startup-Welt beisteuert, liefert die Steiner AG das erforderliche Know-How in der Immobilienentwicklung und die dazugehörigen Ressourcen. 

  • Steiner and House of Lab Science are planning new innovation parks

    Steiner and House of Lab Science are planning new innovation parks

    Steiner is collaborating with the young company House of Lab Science , which specializes in offering and operating innovation parks for life sciences companies. As a first step, the two partners have planned the establishment of two new innovation parks in Basel and Winterthur. Steiner AG contributes its expertise in real estate development and its corresponding resources. House of Lab Science contributes its community platform and its contacts in the life sciences industry and start-up scene.

    “With the base in Basel, we are making a contribution to one of the two most important life science clusters in Switzerland, which means that we benefit from significant synergy effects of these ecosystems,” Christian Hugo Hoffmann, CEO of House of Lab Science, is quoted in the press release. “In Winterthur, on the other hand, we are demonstrating our core competence of being able to successfully set up a new center even with comparatively few network effects.”

    The Manufakt concept developed by Steiner is to be used in the construction of the innovation park. These are modular rooms with which areas can be divided as required. The first manufactory building was opened last summer after almost a year and a half of construction, explains Steiner in the press release.

  • Swisspor and Madaster promote circular insulating materials

    Swisspor and Madaster promote circular insulating materials

    According to the press release , the insulation specialist Swisspor AG and Madaster Services Schweiz AG will be working together in the future. The aim is to promote the use of circular insulating materials in construction. With its product and recycling expertise in the field of insulation and sealing, Swisspor, based in Steinhausen, will open up the transition to resource-saving construction, according to the statement.

    Madaster is working on so-called material passports for new and existing buildings. This gives construction waste an identity and can be cataloged and reused as resources to avoid waste. The Madaster service is offered in Switzerland by Madaster Services Switzerland AG in Zurich.

    With Swisspor, the Madaster network will be supplemented with many years of expertise in the development, manufacture and recycling of building products in the field of insulation and sealing, Marloes Fischer, Managing Director of Madaster Services Schweiz AG, is quoted as saying. “Together we can make the medium to long-term increasing volume of insulating materials from demolition and renovation transparent. The goal must be to use as much recyclate as possible for new products.”

    “Swisspor is doing everything it can to increase the recycling rate of insulating and sealing materials,” says Marco Dalla Bona, Managing Director of Swisspor AG. With the Madaster material register, “built-in materials can be traced and later assigned to a new group of uses. If the sector manages to recycle 100 percent recyclable products, we will reduce the use of primary resources to a minimum,” Dalla Bona continues.

  • Report on Swiss private marketing investments

    Report on Swiss private marketing investments

    The main objective of the report is to better understand how investment professionals in Switzerland invest private markets ie. Approach and develop private equity, including venture capital, private debt, private infrastructure and private real estate, in the context of their overall portfolio. Swiss-based investment professionals from across the financial services industry were surveyed, from banks and asset managers to family offices and pension funds, to independent asset managers and fintech companies.

    The five key findings of the report are:

    • Investors seek exposure to private markets investments primarily for performance potential and income diversification. The report reveals that a large number of investors look to private markets as a way to both differentiate portfolios and signal manager and investment quality.
    • Access to private market investment, be it to specific opportunities or to managers, is the most commonly cited challenge. The perceived risk of private investment is a commonly cited reason not to invest. Providing due diligence resources, either in-house or through high-quality external providers, is essential to overcoming these challenges.
    • Swiss investment professionals are particularly experienced and demanding, holding advanced degrees and numerous job titles. This trait bodes well for the growth of private market investments in Switzerland.
    • Restrictions such as minimum investment size and regulations pose formidable barriers to direct investment in private markets. Investment vehicles such as feeder fund structures and structured products are preferred options to gain access for those who cannot or do not want to invest in LP structures.
    • Respondents expect to increase allocation to private markets assets over the next 12 months. This applies in particular to banks and asset managers. Although the interest rate cycle has turned, this does not appear to have dampened investor appetite for private markets so far. How a new regime of higher interest rates and increasing volatility in public markets will affect future private market allocations is admittedly difficult to predict. Important future topics relate to technological progress, health and ESG.


    Laura Merlini, CAIA, Managing Director EMEA of the CAIA Association, said : “If intuitions are often a guide to truth, then this survey confirms the idea of a very sophisticated investment culture in Switzerland, in which portfolio construction and allocation to alternative investments is changing turning customers and long-term investments. Favored Outcomes.”

    “The idea for the survey arose from our desire to provide objective and actionable insights into the Swiss private markets. Thanks to the Swiss chapter of the CAIA Association, we have been fortunate to work with the pre-eminent professional association of the global alternative investment industry. I thank the authors for their exceptional scientific work and Laura Merlini, CAIA, for her unwavering support. May this first and future editions become a focal point for anyone interested in the Swiss aspects of private markets investing,” added Andreas Bezner, CFA, co-founder and CEO of Stableton.

    The survey was conducted during a particularly challenging macroeconomic and geopolitical period in April and May 2022. While respondents pay close attention to interest rates, inflation and economic growth, investors seem to believe in the power of private markets investing and protection against inflation. Therefore, given the history of Swiss financial market trendsetters, the report may be particularly relevant in understanding the current reshaping of global markets and providing clarity and insights related to future-ready investment portfolios.

  • The Circle: Switzerland's largest Minergie building certified

    The Circle: Switzerland's largest Minergie building certified

    Minergie and LEED certification has been an integral part of planning and construction at the Circle for 12 years. In the presence of Christian Appert, CEO Amstein + Walthert AG, Martin Kull, CEO and owner HRS Real Estate AG, Daniel Scheifele, Chief Real Estate Officer, Flughafen Zürich AG, Giorgio Engeli, Head Real Estate Portfolio Management Switzerland, Swiss Life Asset Managers, and Stefan Feldmann, Head The Circle, Flughafen Zürich AG, the team around The Circle celebrated on Monday, June 27, 2022, the goal they have now achieved.

    Beautiful, functional, climate-optimized
    With a good 200,000 m 2 energy reference area, the circle accounted for 6% of the certified Minergie area in the year of provisional certification, but was only one of around 1,900 buildings. This shows the size and importance of this extraordinary building in the Swiss context. The Circle is the largest Minergie-certified building in Switzerland. According to government councilor Marc Mächler, the Minergie certificate means that – in addition to all other requirements and uses – the building is also climate-optimized. Climate-optimized means «that this building does not accelerate climate change and that it uses resources carefully. It is efficient and works almost entirely with renewable energy instead of fossil energy.” 

    Thanks to intensive cooperation between the Minergie certification body and those responsible for the circle, the high requirements of the Minergie quality label for the building envelope and ventilation could also be met. Andreas Meyer Primavesi, Managing Director of Minergie, is pleased that the result ultimately benefits everyone: “Especially with today’s energy prices, every kilowatt hour of energy saved is worth it – not only for the climate, but also financially”.

    Into the net-zero energy future
    With the leading Swiss building label Minergie, more than 12 million tons of CO 2 and 67 million megawatt hours of energy have been saved since 1998 thanks to over 53,000 Minergie buildings compared to the minimum legal requirements. Minergie certifies around 3 million m 2 of energy reference area per year. In close coordination with the cantons, Minergie always leads the way and is therefore a pioneer in cantonal energy laws. This interaction has worked since the beginning and continues successfully. Minergie is currently looking very closely at the energy used and the greenhouse gas emissions in the construction of a building. And secondly, Minergie is striving to improve the operating phase: Extensive, digitized building data is used to measure the energy flows during operation in order to then carry out operational optimization where necessary on the basis of the monitoring. For years, fossil-free operation – even with modernization – Minergie is moving more and more towards net zero. The Minergie-A-ECO standard comes closest to the Swiss net-zero building.

  • The Circle: Switzerland's largest Minergie building certified

    The Circle: Switzerland's largest Minergie building certified

    Minergie and LEED certification has been an integral part of planning and construction at the Circle for 12 years. In the presence of Christian Appert, CEO Amstein + Walthert AG, Martin Kull, CEO and owner HRS Real Estate AG, Daniel Scheifele, Chief Real Estate Officer, Flughafen Zürich AG, Giorgio Engeli, Head Real Estate Portfolio Management Switzerland, Swiss Life Asset Managers, and Stefan Feldmann, Head The Circle, Flughafen Zürich AG, the team around The Circle celebrated on Monday, June 27, 2022, the goal they have now achieved.

    Beautiful, functional, climate-optimized
    With a good 200,000 m 2 energy reference area, the circle accounted for 6% of the certified Minergie area in the year of provisional certification, but was only one of around 1,900 buildings. This shows the size and importance of this extraordinary building in the Swiss context. The Circle is the largest Minergie-certified building in Switzerland. According to government councilor Marc Mächler, the Minergie certificate means that – in addition to all other requirements and uses – the building is also climate-optimized. Climate-optimized means «that this building does not accelerate climate change and that it uses resources carefully. It is efficient and works almost entirely with renewable energy instead of fossil energy.”  

    Thanks to intensive cooperation between the Minergie certification body and those responsible for the circle, the high requirements of the Minergie quality label for the building envelope and ventilation could also be met. Andreas Meyer Primavesi, Managing Director of Minergie, is pleased that the result ultimately benefits everyone: "Especially with today's energy prices, every kilowatt hour of energy saved is worth it – not only for the climate, but also financially".

    Into the net-zero energy future
    With the leading Swiss building label Minergie, more than 12 million tons of CO 2 and 67 million megawatt hours of energy have been saved since 1998 thanks to over 53,000 Minergie buildings compared to the minimum legal requirements. Minergie certifies around 3 million m 2 of energy reference area per year. In close coordination with the cantons, Minergie always leads the way and is therefore a pioneer in cantonal energy laws. This interaction has worked since the beginning and continues successfully. Minergie is currently looking very closely at the energy used and the greenhouse gas emissions in the construction of a building. And secondly, Minergie is striving to improve the operating phase: Extensive, digitized building data is used to measure the energy flows during operation in order to then carry out operational optimization where necessary on the basis of the monitoring. For years, fossil-free operation – even with modernization – Minergie is moving more and more towards net zero. The Minergie-A-ECO standard comes closest to the Swiss net-zero building.

  • Umwelt Arena presents "Building 2050 Urdorf".

    Umwelt Arena presents "Building 2050 Urdorf".

    The Swiss environmental arena has presented its latest future energy policy project, “ Building 2050 ”. According to the press release , the pioneering project in Urdorf shows how, thanks to the use of the latest building technology, residential developments can already become a CO2-neutral power plant in which tenants can live within their own energy budgets without electricity and heating costs.

    The Umwelt Arena is presenting all of these innovations in the new exhibition “Bauen 2050” in Spreitbach from mid-July 2022 with a construction documentary and interactive elements relating to modern construction.

    The pilot project in Urdorf is referred to as a “power house”. The building by René Schmid Architekten AG Zurich shows that surplus solar energy from the summer can be used to produce renewable, non-fossil gas for the winter using photovoltaic systems on the roof and facade. There is also a wind-solar small power station. The facade and roof insulation protects the house against cold and heat. In midsummer, excess heat can be withdrawn from the apartments and used to heat the water. The rest is stored in the ground via the geothermal probes.

    The excess electricity from the summer is used to produce hydrogen in a power-to-gas plant. It is temporarily stored in the existing gas network for the winter.

    The house in Urdorf shows the residents their daily current consumption level in order to control their personal energy budget. There are sun blinds that can be controlled depending on the weather, energy-efficient, networked household appliances of the highest efficiency class and showers with heat recovery as well as CO2-controlled comfort ventilation. Even when using the lift, the braking energy produces electricity.

  • Discover architecture in the Engadin

    Discover architecture in the Engadin

    The format is not new: Open House Worldwide, initiated in London in 1992 and now present in over 40 cities, has already delighted thousands of visitors in Switzerland. The “Open House Zurich” and “Open House Basel” events (the latter took place for the third time in mid-May and counted 21,000 building visits) have been held annually since 2016 and 2018 respectively.

    The aim of “Open Doors Engadin” is to raise awareness of the architectural heritage in the Bergell and Engadin, to bring lay people and experts as well as guests and locals into an exchange, to promote dialogue and for all parties to participate in the public to enable discussion. “Open Doors Engadin” thus contributes to anchoring knowledge about architecture and its importance for the development of our living spaces in the public and enables the population to get to know and appreciate Baukultur objects in their local townscape.

  • Miromico manufactures 26,000 climate sensors for Ecco2

    Miromico manufactures 26,000 climate sensors for Ecco2

    Ecco2 is increasing its production volume from over 11,000 in the past two years to 26,000 climate sensors. As a provider of intelligent solutions for buildings, the company based in Givisiez wants to reduce the consumption of heating energy. These sensors are manufactured by the Zurich high-tech company Miromico , which focuses on development services for integrated circuits, electronic systems and the Internet of Things. As stated in amedia release , Miromico has been Ecco2’s “trustworthy hardware manufacturer” for years.

    With the increased production volume, Ecco2 wants to tackle energy savings of up to 4,000,000 square meters of heated space from 2023, according to its Head of Operations, Alain Wagnières. With this production output, Ecco2 can fulfill its vision of saving 50,000,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually by next winter.”

    In Switzerland this year, Ecco2 won the Prix d’Innovation in the digital category at the annual event for real estate professionals, Rent Switzerland . The company was also awarded the Swisscom IoT Climate Award 2022 in silver.