Events

A day that opens up new perspectives

Leave everyday life behind you and open your eyes to new possibilities. The Zurich SME Innovation Day brings together committed entrepreneurs to discuss ideas and new approaches, develop practical solutions and gain fresh impetus.

What you can expect

In plenary sessions, workshops and in-depth discussions, topics that affect SMEs today and tomorrow will be addressed:

• Exploiting digital opportunities: Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, gamification
• Rethinking collaboration: cooperation with start-ups, company organization, new management models
• Staying healthy: mental and physical balance in everyday working life
• Securing funding: new and alternative ways for innovative projects
• Attracting skilled workers: Lateral entry, training, development of skilled workers, future skills
• Initiate innovations & utilize funding opportunities

Expert knowledge from various specialist areas is also available on site. Take the opportunity to ask questions, exchange experiences and discuss concrete solutions for your business challenges.

Why take part?

The Innovation Day offers inspiration, promotes exchange and provides the opportunity to make valuable contacts and develop ideas in a targeted manner.

Participation fee:

CHF 120 for participants from the Canton of Zurich

CHF 180 for participants from other cantons

With the code KMU-25 we offer a 25% discount on the participation fee.

Venue

ZHdK Toni Campus, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, 8005 Zurich

Registration and more information at:

www.kmu-innotag.ch

It pays to promote health in the workplace. After all, healthy employees are more productive and motivated and make a significant contribution to a company’s success. Are you at the very beginning? And would you like to know how you can improve the health of your employees? Take the first step towards occupational health management with us. Get information, tips & tools in our free intro session.

Artificial intelligence is reorganizing the food system: from the raw material source to the plate. In research and development, in production and through autonomous systems, data-based applications are pushing the boundaries of established value creation logic. Innovative ecosystems are emerging at the customer interface, in which retail, industry and technology are merging into integrated offerings. Whoever controls the data flows in this system in the future will not only shape products and prices, but will also decide on the standards for health, sustainability and consumer confidence. For the industry, AI is becoming a strategic lever for resilience, growth and differentiation.

The 6th International Food Innovation Conference will look at how a new generation of technologies is confronting the food system with new rules of the game. The focus is on strategic questions that managers need to answer now in order to ensure innovative strength and competitiveness. Together with international thought leaders from science, industry, trade and technology, we will discuss the following key questions:

• Innovation in R&D: How are AI-supported development processes changing the speed of the innovation cycle, future product portfolios and health and sustainability promises?
• Smart production: How do autonomous production environments work in which networked AI systems control and monitor processes, energy use, quality and food safety?
• Customer Journey: How do manufacturers and retailers develop highly personalized customer experiences through AI-supported customer journeys? And how can companies become genuine health and sustainability partners through data cooperation without violating their customers’ data protection and autonomy?
• Resilience and food security: How does AI as a risk radar help to secure the supply of raw materials in times of climate change, water scarcity and geopolitical shocks?
• AI boundaries and responsibility: What governance, data and talent strategies enable the responsible use of AI in sensitive areas such as food safety, health promises, transparency and regulatory compliance?

The International Food Innovation Conference is aimed at decision-makers from the food industry and trade – from global FMCG groups to brand manufacturers and retailers. It provides strategic impetus for all those who want to understand AI as a lever for resilience, growth and new value creation logics, without losing sight of the social and ecological consequences.

The conference will be held in German and English.

Inbox Zero & Tasks

Learn a tried-and-tested system for organizing emails, tasks and digital work professionally.

During the training, you will work directly in Outlook and Microsoft 365 on clear methods for Inbox Zero, prioritization, task management and focused implementation in everyday work.

AI in particular is creating more and more inputs, ideas, tasks and open loops.

The training shows you how to maintain an overview despite the growing flood of information, make clear decisions and consolidate digital work under one system – instead of just constantly reacting.

For people who work with a lot of information, interruptions and open tasks every day – and want to regain more clarity, control and mental calm.

Our Colab becomes an open playing field for ideas, projects and people who move things forward. What does that mean in concrete terms? Our community curates workshops, talks and a marketplace – and above all: lots of good conversations with people who don’t just think about “what if”, but simply get started. In between coffee from Café Auer & Co. and DJ and drinks in the evening.

Go Ahead – the new free event format with keynote speeches, quick-fix sessions and community exchange for anyone who wants to get started on their own.

Meet like-minded people and get ideas for your company. Simply bring your business idea, website, social media channel, flyer, your questions and personality and give it a try – our experts are ready to help you and your business move forward with know-how and 1:1 advice.

The first CEF Dialogue will take place on June 24, 2026, 18.00 at the Zeughausareal Uster. The series is moderated by the ZCCE (Zurich Center for Creative Economies) of the ZHdK.

The topic of the first workshop is: How do SMEs shape circular value creation for a sustainable future?

Guests are: Architecture firm arento, circular economy start-up neunoi

Followed by Switzerland-Canada World Cup public viewing on the grounds

The event is free of charge. Registration and further information at: https://www.zhdk.ch/veranstaltung/61309

Reserve the next dates in the series:

• Tuesday, August 25, 2026: How (micro)-entrepreneurs create scope for themselves and others
• Thursday, October 22, 2026: How do SMEs combine human intuition with artificial intelligence?

The Intelligent Insurer Re/Insurance Outlook Europe 2026 brings reinsurers, brokers, insurers and other reinsurance ecosytem leaders together to tackle real challenges, exchange insights, build partnerships, and drive innovation — through meaningful discussion and high-value networking.

In this issue, #WORKITUP sheds light on the role of HR in a working world in which algorithms are involved in decision-making and AI agents act independently – in the interplay between people, technology and leadership.

Between innovation and psychological foundations, we will discuss specific use cases, new future skills and the question of how leadership and culture need to be shaped in times of agentic AI.

How can chemical substances and materials be developed to be safe, sustainable and marketable from the outset? Find out how Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) opens up new opportunities for the industry at Empa’s upcoming Technology Briefing.

Has sustainability become obsolete in times of crisis?

Many companies are currently asking themselves this question.

When budgets get tighter, projects are prioritized and everyday life gets tough: Is sustainability the first thing to fall by the wayside? Or exactly what you should understand right now?

We talk openly about this at this Circle.

• What actually pays off in terms of turnover, efficiency or employees in the end?
• What is really useful and what can we do without?
• Where do companies fail in practice and why?

Insights that are rarely heard elsewhere:

Kalina Oroschakoff, (former) climate correspondent Neue Zürcher Zeitung / independent journalist – Neue Zürcher Zeitung puts things in perspective and asks the uncomfortable question: Is the sustainability agenda still relevant in times of crisis? Between the energy crisis, geopolitical pressure and economic uncertainty, it shows why sustainability has long been more than just an image issue and is increasingly becoming a business necessity.

• What does this mean in concrete terms for SMEs?
• What are the risks of postponing the issue?
• And how can sustainability be approached in a pragmatic and economically sensible way?

Nicholas Hänny, co-founder and CEO of NIKIN, one of Switzerland’s best-known sustainable clothing brands, gives us honest insights into best practices and failures from 10 years of sustainability at the company. Using concrete examples and practicable lessons learned, he shows what has worked and what has failed in the interplay between ecology, social issues and the economy. Which measures actually create business value and which do not?

Networking, exchanging ideas, thinking ahead

The Sustainability Circle brings together companies from the region that deal with the same issues.

Take the opportunity:

• Get to know the FRZ Sustainability Advisory Board:
• Experienced specialists who deal intensively with these questions and are available to you on this evening for an uncomplicated exchange.
• Networking with the right players
• to take concrete ideas with you
• and find out what the next step can be for your company

We are looking forward to meeting you!

Program

• 15:30 – 15:45 Arrival for optional strawberry picking
• 15:45 – 16:45 Strawberry picking and guided tour of the wild culture garden
• 16:30 – 17:00 Arrival of the remaining guests and welcome drink with aperitif
• 17:00 – 18:30 Presentations and Q&A
• 18:30 – 20:30 Fresh Jucker dinner

Jucker dinner straight from the field

Look forward to an extensive dinner with fresh ingredients straight from the farm!

Among other things, the chef prepares delicious specialties on the grill directly on site. Of course, there are also tasty vegetarian options.

What contribution do innovative technologies such as automated driving make to climate-friendly mobility? How can the sharing economy in mobility be scaled up further?

We will be discussing these and other questions at the Zurich Climate and Mobility Conference 2026, hosted by the Office for Mobility (AFM) and the Office for Waste, Water, Energy and Air (AWEL) of the Canton of Zurich.

The conference is aimed at politicians as well as employees and managers from the mobility and climate sector in business (e.g. consulting, start-ups, fleet operators, other mobility experts), administration and research. The conference is being held in cooperation with the International Lake Constance Conference, which the Canton of Zurich will chair in 2026.

Secure your ticket now and discuss with us exciting approaches and levers on the way to net zero in mobility!