Innovation Zurich is the platform that makes collaborations in the field of innovation in the Canton of Zurich visible and possible.

Important objectives of the "Innovation Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence" are the development of regulatory expertise, the promotion of AI innovation, the strengthening of knowledge transfer and the generation of impetus for future AI regulation. The sandbox serves as a new type of environment for testing and developing AI technologies.

Between 2022 and 2024, the project team successfully implemented five projects in the areas of smart parking, autonomous systems, automated infrastructure maintenance, machine translation and AI in education. The sandbox has had a positive impact on the AI ecosystem during this period. One of its key elements is interdisciplinary cooperation between partners from administration, business, science and politics.

All players in the AI location should benefit from the knowledge gained and use it for their own AI activities. Based on the positive results and experiences, new sandbox projects will be carried out in a second implementation phase between 2024 and 2026.

As the analysis of these case studies conducted by the «Innovation Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence» has shown, has shown, human translators remain indispensable for translation of official documents. However, training translation models specifically for public administration and integrating public administration terminology into existing solutions can offer clear added value. Specialised Swiss providers of machine translation can increase the quality of translations and improve data security. Use of specific models for public administration that can be adapted to the needs of individual public offices or units is a promising approach in the long term.

Enormous Potential

Artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise and has enormous potential. However, there are still many unanswered questions - also with regard to regulation. The canton of Zurich has been promoting the practical application of AI for a long time. The "Innovation Sandbox" was introduced in spring 2022. It serves as a learning environment - almost like a laboratory - in which companies, organizations and administrations implement AI projects and develop expertise in the field of AI use. This has already resulted in several guidelines on legal aspects and recommendations for the technical implementation of AI applications.

Different Approaches

Similar sandbox projects are also running in other countries, sometimes with different approaches. For this reason, the Canton of Zurich's Economic Development Agency, together with the European AI network CLAIRE, organized the "AI Sandbox Summit" for the first time and invited experts from six European countries: Germany, Belgium, Norway, the UK, France and Spain. The aim was to network, exchange ideas and learn from the experiences of others.

What topics do the projects focus on? What are the conditions of participation for the organizations? In what form are the results presented? First, the sandbox experts shared success factors and cross-national insights. In the second part of the event, the participants developed approaches on how to increase the added value for administration, research and business.

Utilizing Insights

For Raphael von Thiessen from the Location Promotion Canton of Zurich and project leader of the "Innovation-Sandbox," the event at the FFHS Campus Zurich was a resounding success. He stated, "The participants greatly benefited from the exchange and experiences in other countries, identifying areas for improvement in their own projects." Additionally, the possibility of cross-border collaboration was discussed, such as creating a central project database with insights from all European sandbox case studies. The findings from the workshop will soon be published on the cantonal location promotion website and on the website of the European AI network CLAIRE. In the canton of Zurich, the impressions gathered are to be incorporated into the second phase of the "Innovation Sandbox".
Author: Office for Economy - Canton of Zurich

Further Information:

Location Promotion Canton Zurich

European AI Network CLAIRE

The Swiss Space Museum in Regensdorf opened its doors for the first time on December 1. Over the summer and fall, his team transformed two rooms at Trockenloostrasse 101 "into a small but extraordinary museum", writes museum president Guido Schwarz in a press release. Objects from the history of space travel and space exploration are presented on 150 square meters. The exhibits also include contributions from Swiss research and technology to international space travel.

This month, the museum will still be open on December 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on December 28 from 1 to 5 pm. The opening hours for the coming months can be found on the museum's website. The Swiss Space Museum will also be exhibiting at Fantasy Basel in May 2025.

"The Swiss Space Museum is an initiative to disseminate information and activities on the topics of space travel, space exploration and the associated pop culture," reads the museum's self-description. It is intended to "promote a positive perception" of the topics and motivate young people to "engage with science and technology". Behind the Swiss Space Museum is a group of volunteers led by Guido Schwarz, who realized the project with the help of sponsors but without public funding. ce/hs

The canton of Zurich and SBB want to expand public transport services with self-driving vehicles. The vehicles, which could potentially be operated "cost-effectively and flexibly", could improve services in rural areas and conurbations in particular, the two partners explain in a joint press release. The first step will be taken next spring with a pilot project in the Furttal valley. It is intended to provide SBB and the Canton of Zurich with insights into possible business models, forms of service, costs and operation of automated public transport.

During the test phase from spring 2025, the vehicles will be manned by safety drivers while the control system is gradually automated. Once the test phase is complete, the now autonomous vehicles will be monitored by a control center and can request human assistance if necessary. Initially, several self-driving cars are to be made available in the Furttal valley, which can be ordered for a fee via the project app. There are later plans to expand the service to include automated minibuses, which will run both on scheduled services and on individual orders. ce/hs

2x🥇Gold and 2x🥈 Silver - An unforgettable evening ✨

The aim of Best of Swiss Apps is to promote the quality of Swiss app and mobile ecosystems by recognizing outstanding work, bringing ambitious clients together with capable agencies and actively sharing best practices.

241 projects applied for a Best of Swiss Apps Award in 2024. This year's Best of Swiss Apps and Best of Swiss Software Award Night took place on November 19. Uepaa was there and won the race.

We were particularly proud of the two 🏆 golden awards in the Business Impact and Innovation categories.

The jury's verdict in the Business Impact category

The Uepaa Safety app impresses with an advanced lone worker protection solution that ensures the highest safety standards even in the most demanding working environments. The jury particularly praised the intuitive user guidance. Originally developed as a protection system for mountaineers, Uepaa has successfully transferred its expertise to the field of occupational health and safety and has thus established itself in a new, promising market.

The jury's verdict in the Innovation category

The Uepaa app deserves the Gold Award as an outstanding innovation in the field of occupational safety for lone workers. It offers life-saving functions such as a digital dead man's function, 24/7 emergency call, first responder search and precise localization. This solution enables companies to implement legal requirements efficiently. An intuitive design and practical features increase the safety of people working alone. The jury honored the successful implementation with a gold award.

What a glamorous evening - full of goosebump moments and pure joy! 🏆✨

In the tenth year of its Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) Future Banking & Digital Transformation, the HWZ is now working with the Wallisellen-based start-up Trenda. The "strong partner" Trenda operates a "state-of-the-art" trend scouting platform of the same name for Swiss retail banking, according to a statement from the HWZ. According to the information provided, it is already being used by over 50 banks and consulting companies.

Trenda supports the targeted search, monitoring and consolidation of strategically relevant information at all levels, from product management and strategy through to management and the innovation teams. As the HWZ explains, the integration of Trenda into the curriculum, including a Trenda account for all participants, "adds a unique dimension" to face-to-face teaching.

This combination of in-depth teaching and modern technology enables students to keep abreast of the latest market developments, efficiently create their own trend analyses and make data-based decisions in simulated scenarios. According to the press release, the cooperation between the HWZ and Trenda "impressively demonstrates how modern, software-based tools can be integrated into teaching in order to optimally prepare students for the challenges of digital transformation in banking". ce/mm

Patrick Griss, CEO Ventures and Partner at the Schlieren-based innovation service provider Zühlke, has published a playbook for DeepTech companies together with the Bern-based publishing house Stämpfli. The "DeepTech Playbook" is aimed at companies, especially start-ups, that want to tackle the challenges of the transition from science to business, according to a press release. It provides a clear strategic roadmap for each phase of the translation of scientific findings into a marketable product. The focus is on hypothesis-based decision-making, timely risk identification and finding appropriate solutions.

The script is also provided with a terminology chapter for seamless communication between the parties involved. The aim is to improve cooperation between specialists from different disciplines and avoid costly misunderstandings.

Author Patrick Griss has many years of experience in the DeepTech sector. Zühlke's CEO Ventures & Partner has worked on projects from invention to industrialization in more than 40 DeepTech companies over a period of 25 years. Based on his experience, he has developed a catalog of tools for future companies in these areas and presented them in this script. ce/ww

The start-up Oxyle in Schlieren, which specializes in water purification, has commissioned its first installation for the destruction of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) such as industrial chemicals in water in Switzerland, according to a press release. The installation addresses groundwater contamination caused by the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam during fire drills. Oxyle has developed an advanced technology that eliminates PFAS from wastewater and breaks down these chemicals into harmless minerals without any harmful by-products, the report continues.

The system works in three stages. First, PFAS are separated and concentrated by foam fractionation. The concentrate is then processed in two reactors, where Oxyle's catalytic technology breaks down and mineralizes all short, medium and long-chain PFAS. The complete system is housed in a 24-foot container and offers a compact solution for on-site use.

The system treats up to 10 cubic meters of contaminated water per hour. Over the next six months, the system will provide important data on long-term performance and scalability for larger industrial applications.

"This installation in Switzerland marks our transformation from a promising start-up to a proven solution provider. For the first time, our complete PFAS treatment system is ready for use in practice," says Fajer Mushtaq, co-founder and CEO of Oxyle.

Oxyle was launched in 2020 as a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH). ce/gba

The start-up Kyan Health, based in Zollikon, has received 16.7 million dollars from investors. The money from two rounds of financing will be used to expand the platform, which combines employee well-being with measurable business impact, according to a press release.

With predictive analytics, Kyan helps companies to monitor and reduce risks such as absenteeism, staff turnover and presenteeism - working despite illness - while empowering employees to give their best.

The financing includes a previously undisclosed $4 million seed round led by Amplo VC and a $12.7 million Series A round led by venture capital and private equity backer Swisscom Ventures in Zurich. According to the press release, GreyMatter Capital, naturalX Health Ventures, Founderful, Joyance Partners and several angel investors were involved, providing business support as well as money. This brings the total financing of the company, which was founded in March 2021, to 18.4 million dollars.

Kyan Health was co-founded by Vlad Gheorghiu, Konstantin Struck and Ignacio Leonhardt. Gheorghiu was head of the global mental health program at the management consultancy McKinsey. "Mental health is not a flash in the pan - it is the backbone of a thriving workforce," Gheorghiu is quoted as saying. It is about "making mental health measurable and giving organizations the opportunity to act before a crisis occurs."

According to the Kyan report, companies worldwide spend over 94 billion dollars a year on workplace wellbeing initiatives. ce/gba

2x🥇Gold and 2x🥈 Silver - An unforgettable evening ✨

The aim of Best of Swiss Apps is to promote the quality of Swiss app and mobile ecosystems by recognizing outstanding work, bringing ambitious clients together with capable agencies and actively sharing best practices.

241 projects applied for a Best of Swiss Apps Award in 2024. This year's Best of Swiss Apps and Best of Swiss Software Award Night took place on November 19. Uepaa was there and won the race.

We were particularly proud of the two 🏆 golden awards in the Business Impact and Innovation categories.

The jury's verdict in the Business Impact category

The Uepaa Safety app impresses with an advanced lone worker protection solution that ensures the highest safety standards even in the most demanding working environments. The jury particularly praised the intuitive user guidance. Originally developed as a protection system for mountaineers, Uepaa has successfully transferred its expertise to the field of occupational health and safety and has thus established itself in a new, promising market.

The jury's verdict in the Innovation category

The Uepaa app deserves the Gold Award as an outstanding innovation in the field of occupational safety for lone workers. It offers life-saving functions such as a digital dead man's function, 24/7 emergency call, first responder search and precise localization. This solution enables companies to implement legal requirements efficiently. An intuitive design and practical features increase the safety of people working alone. The jury honored the successful implementation with a gold award.

What a glamorous evening - full of goosebump moments and pure joy! 🏆✨