(CONNECT) According to a company press release, over 1,000 students have already secured a place to study at Siemens ' Zurich StudyHub in January 2026. There, students can concentrate on their preparations at individual study stations and in group rooms during the intensive examination phase, including WLAN, coffee and other drinks and snacks. All services are provided by Siemens, while catering is donated by the Valora Group.

According to a company statement, this is Siemens' response to the high demand for additional learning opportunities in the Zurich region. During exam periods, long queues formed outside Zurich's universities and libraries.

The study spaces can be booked online. The individual places are fully booked. There is capacity for group rooms. These can be booked in the morning or afternoon for a minimum of five and a maximum of ten people.

In this second year of the Study Hub, Siemens is making an additional offer: its HR team holds a so-called Career Session once a week. Siemens employees from the Human Resources department will be on hand to give tips on CVs and to answer questions and provide information on career opportunities. ce/mm

"I want to know why!"
This curiosity attracts over 3,500 children to Children's University of Zurich every year - everyone is welcome, regardless of their background or school performance.
Here they experience how exciting science can be. And for many, it is more than just a visit to the lecture hall: it is the moment when the spark of curiosity is ignited - and the joy of learning is (re)awakened.

This is made possible by the support of the University of Zurich and contributions from foundations and companies. In order to secure the offer in the long term and keep it open to all children, the Children's University of Zurich is now open to private supporters for the first time.
Because every child - whether they go on to study or do an apprenticeship - should experience this: Learning can be a lot of fun.

Developing the joy of learning - shaping the future.

Every year, over 3,500 children discover how exciting science can be at Zurich Children's University. And that learning is a lot of fun. Because every child - whether they go on to study or do an apprenticeship and regardless of their background - should experience how enriching curiosity and knowledge can be.

This experience makes children more motivated and committed. 

Support this commitment: With just one franc per day or by taking on a course sponsorship, you can make a direct contribution and gain visibility as a partner of a future-oriented educational initiative.

(CONNECT) An interdisciplinary team at UZH is investigating the biological, neurological and psychological mechanisms of stress. Aim of the project STRESS also aims to investigate how stress resilience can be increased, explains UZH in a press release on the project. "Chronic stress can have a negative impact on our entire body - brain, immune system, cardiovascular system, blood count, bone quality and microbiome," neurobiologist Isabelle Mansuy is quoted as saying.

Mansuy and her co-researchers have identified self-regulation as a key factor in dealing positively with stress. "Resilient people are characterised by cognitive and emotional flexibility," explains neuroscientist Christian Ruff. "In other words, the ability to adapt optimally to the situation in moments of stress and then get back on track as quickly as possible."

The researchers' findings from the laboratory have already provided approaches for practical training to strengthen stress resilience. The change in pupils, for example, allows us to see from the outside "how strongly the arousal system in our brain is activated", explains psychologist Birgit Klein. This can be used for new feedback training. The STRESS project has already spawned two spin-offs that aim to bring corresponding training tools to market maturity. ce/hs

(CONNECT) ETH has been ranked 11th in the World University Rankings 2026 by "Times Higher Education" for the fourth time in a row. The London-based magazine on higher education awarded ETH an overall score of 93.1 out of a possible 100 points this year, the same as in 2023 and practically the same result as last year (93.0 points). According to a statement from ETH, this means that it remains the best-ranked university outside the English-speaking world.

As in 2025, the University of Oxford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology lead the ranking. Third place is now shared by Princeton University and Cambridge University, pushing Harvard University down to fifth place.

The overall ranking is based on five aspects: teaching, research conditions, research quality, knowledge transfer to industry and internationality. ETH achieved the best results with 10th place for research conditions (97.2 points) and 14th place for teaching (88.5 points). It received 94.5 points for its research quality and 95.1 points for its internationality.

In terms of knowledge transfer to industry, the four Swiss universities ranked behind the ETH (83.7 points), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne(EPFL, 35th place) and the Universities of Bern (108th place), Basel (120th place), Lausanne (125th place), Geneva (166th place) and the University of Italian-speaking Switzerland (251st to 300th place) have significantly higher scores of close to 100, with Geneva still coming in at 85.7 points. In addition to knowledge transfer (99.9 points), EPFL achieved its best ratings for research quality (87.5 points) and internationality (95.4 points).

A further five Swiss universities are included in the 2026 THE ranking: the University of St.Gallen (351-400th place), the University of Fribourg (401-500th place), the University of Neuchâtel (601-800th place), the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (1001-1200th place) and the HES-SO University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (1201-1500th place). ce/mm

The shortage of qualified specialists poses major challenges for many Swiss companies. The Perspectives program, initiated by Swisscontact in cooperation with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), offers an innovative solution: It enables young, well-trained professionals from Tunisia to gain work experience in Switzerland for up to 18 months - without cantonal quotas or job registration requirements.

The offer is aimed at university graduates or people with at least two years of vocational training aged between 18 and 35. The so-called L permits are issued directly by the SEM and apply to all sectors - from engineering and architecture to IT. Swisscontact supports Swiss companies in the selection of suitable candidates and accompanies them through the entire process: from recruitment and visa application to arrival and integration in Switzerland.

Perspectives offers real added value to companies that have difficulty finding suitable specialists, for example. The young talents not only bring up-to-date know-how with them, but also enrich the companies with their intercultural skills and high motivation.

The program currently runs until 2026 with the option to extend. Since its launch, around 200 young Tunisians have already gained valuable work experience in Switzerland - a win-win situation for both sides.

(CONNECT) "New ideas and forward-looking solutions emerge at UZH from the diversity of talents and perspectives," is how UZH introduces a statement on its Annual Report 2024. According to the report, the number of students at Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral level rose to a new high of 28,476 in the reporting year. Compared to the previous year, 518 more students were enrolled. The most popular subjects mentioned in the press release are law, human medicine and psychology.

The number of lecturers increased by 471 year-on-year to 6262 members of the teaching staff. They are divided into 742 professorships, 773 titular professorships, 1194 private lecturers and 3553 teaching staff. For the first time, the proportion of women in professorships has exceeded 30 percent, writes UZH.

In the financial section, UZH reports a consolidated total turnover of just under CHF 1.7 billion and a positive annual result of CHF 1.0 million for the reporting year. At CHF 362 million, third-party funding income almost reached the high of CHF 366 million recorded in 2022. The Canton of Zurich contributed CHF 763 million to the university's operations.

The annual report also features a whole series of stories about studying and teaching, research and the campus community. The Canton of Zurich's Director of Education, Silvia Steiner, and UZH Rector Michael Schaepman discuss interdisciplinary diversity and the role of UZH in society in an interview. Further chapters are dedicated to current projects and developments in studies and teaching as well as research and innovation at the university. ce/hs

The new platform brings together centrally a comprehensive collection of information, tools and support for existing and potential new training companies. This includes topics such as drawing up training plans, obtaining a training permit and information on completing an apprenticeship. In addition, interested companies receive information about cantonal project funding.

(CONNECT) The University of Zurich hosted a gala ceremony to highlight special achievements in research and innovation. According to a press release, the winners of the FAN Awards, the UZH 3R Awards and graduates of the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowship Program were honored.

"In the fast-paced world of research, we often rush from one milestone to the next and forget to properly appreciate what we have achieved," Elisabeth Stark, Vice-Rector Research, is quoted as saying. In her speech, she emphasised "the return to competitive research funding" from the European Research Council.

A team of four researchers from the fields of spiritual care, computer science, computational linguistics and educational science received the UZH Postdoc Team Award. The work is of particular social relevance and provides answers to religious and spiritual questions on the basis of thousands of UN documents. According to the university, the UZH Postdoc Team Award was initiated in 2022 and honours interdisciplinary postdoc teams for outstanding and independent scientific achievements.

Zoe Marti from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Stephanie Santschi from the Faculty of Humanities and Stefano Statunato from the Faculty of Law received the FAN Award, which is endowed with CHF 5,000. The Fund for the Advancement of Young Academics (FAN) of the UZH Alumni thus promotes outstanding achievements in the fields of law and economics, medicine and natural sciences as well as the humanities and social sciences.

Fabiola Jörger on the one hand and Markus Seeger and Johannes vom Berg on the other also received the UZH 3R Award. This award recognises UZH employees who are committed to refining and reducing animal experiments (Replace, Reduce, Refine). Finally, two graduates of the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowship Program, Celestin Mutuyimana and Thomas Look, were honoured. ce/hg

(CONNECT) Planzer and the ZHAW have inaugurated the Planzer Logistics Research Lab. According to a press release, the joint laboratory at the ZHAW in Winterthur is intended to create space for "concrete solutions for the future-proof and sustainable design of logistics". At the same time, it is intended to unite science, practice and the promotion of young talent in one place. Four research projects supported by Innosuisse and the European Union are currently underway.

The four research projects deal with the question of how urban areas can be supplied sustainably, according to a statement from the laboratory. They combine new mobility approaches, modern data usage and innovative ways of working and include both traditional and future-oriented new means of transportation. Among other things, the aim is to achieve "spatially compatible, fast, reliable and personal delivery of all consignments with a minimal footprint for all areas supplied and the environment", according to the lab's project description on the ZHAW website.

Planzer wants to use the laboratory not only to benefit from research expertise, but also to promote young talent. The lab is intended to provide a place where young adults can gain access to the world of logistics, be inspired and be supported in their education and career. ce/nta

(CONNECT) Some of Europe's preeminent university centers for deep tech innovation are offering their best tech talent the newly created Relativity Collective. The program of this name is intended to bring together outstanding entrepreneurial talents across borders and open up new, more ambitious horizons for them. "With the right environment, the best will be able to skip the start-up phase and directly build a European scale-up with global impact," said Alexander Ilic, co-founder of the participating ETH AI Center at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), in a press release.

According to the report, the Relativity Collective start-up program is being set up against the backdrop that while Europe produces exceptional talent, networks for young entrepreneurs are largely local. "As a result, many of the peer relationships that most influence ambition, speed and scale are formed too late - after the founders' reference points and trajectories are already established." Accordingly, the program is designed as a targeted intervention in this early phase.

The first group of up to 25 future founders brings together students and doctoral students from six universities. In addition to ETH, these are the Finnish Aalto University in Espoo, the Center for Digital Technology and Management, a joint research and teaching institute of the Technical University of Munich and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden's largest technical university in Stockholm and EnSpire Oxford, the Entrepreneurship Institute of the University of Oxford.

This group will meet in March 2026 for a three-day face-to-face program. The entire programme is organized by Rise Europe, an alliance dedicated to strengthening European start-up ecosystems. The initiative reflects a shared belief that building the next global technology giant in Europe requires more than just capital and infrastructure. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Two new projects are receiving financial support from UZH's university funding program TRANSFORM. According to its press release, the CrimeLab project will receive CHF 1.5 million in funding over the next four years. The CrimeLab will be a transdisciplinary center for crime research. It is intended to bundle the research that has been carried out for some time at various faculties of UZH, as well as in non-university institutions such as the Zurich Forensic Science Institute, the Zurich prison system and the city and cantonal police.

"However, it was often left to chance whether the various research groups knew about each other and whether they pooled their resources in interdisciplinary projects," law professor Thierry Urwyler is quoted as saying. He is a member of the CrimeLab Board of Directors. Urwyler is convinced that a common platform and a common data pool are needed to create such links. One of the four main research areas deals with new forms of crime, such as criminal law and autonomous mobility or new types of crimes involving artificial intelligence (AI) such as phishing and ransomware attacks.

The Responsible AI project aims to ensure that AI is used responsibly. It will receive CHF 1.7 million from the TRANSFORM funding program. This project also aims to bundle, better network and make visible the expertise available in many university areas. It focuses on transparent, fair and socially responsible AI systems and the associated ethical, legal and social issues.

A professorship is to be created at the Department of Informatics and the Department of Mathematical Modeling and Machine Learning. "In view of the dominance of large tech companies, universities play an important role as independent bodies for critical and responsible AI research," says professor Reinhard Furrer, one of the project leaders. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Goncalo Catarina, a researcher at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in Dübendorf, is working on a computer model to better understand two-dimensional nanographene. All previous models of the novel quantum material have reached their limits, according to a statement from Empa. For this project, the scientist was awarded the Empa Young Scientist Fellowship, a grant for exceptionally talented young researchers.

Nanographene molecules are a two-dimensional structure of carbon molecules with a hexagonal arrangement, i.e. six carbon atoms each form a ring. This honeycomb structure, which is made of pure carbon and arranged regularly and flat next to each other, has very special properties. Their special behavior can no longer be described using classical physics; the molecules exhibit so-called quantum mechanical phenomena. They could be used in future electronic components such as sensors, communication technologies or components for quantum computers.

"Standard models, which can be used to calculate most materials, do not work for such quantum materials," Goncalo Catarina is quoted as saying in the press release. Due to the fundamentally different properties of nanographene, conventional calculation methods cannot be used here. The aim of his work is to develop models that apply specifically to nanographenes. He wants to use ab initio invoices for this purpose. This method calculates molecular properties directly from the Schrödinger equation and thus dispenses with empirical approaches. "A functioning theoretical model that can also make predictions could pave the way for concrete applications for nanographenes," Catarina adds to his project

The project is called CarboQuant and is being carried out with the support of the Werner Siemens Foundation and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). ce/eb

UP4mint is an information portal for parents and caregivers of children between the ages of 8 and 12. It conveys in a low-threshold and varied way why STEM skills are crucial for the future.
The portal bundles content from renowned organizations from education, civil society and business. Contributions from independent experts supplement the range. The content is carefully curated by an editorial team and continuously expanded. UP4mint is a project from the strategic partnership between ETH Zurich and UBS.
Interest in STEM subjects does not only arise at school and in lecture halls. It starts at home, with joint discovery, experimentation, questions and amazement. Parents have a significant influence on their children's choice of education and career.
UP4mint shows where STEM skills are useful in everyday life and how easily they can be promoted. UP4mint motivates parents and caregivers to promote the acquisition of these future skills in their children.

(CONNECT) The STEAM Challenge is looking for six pioneering and amazing projects that combine technology, creativity and innovative spirit. The six selected individuals, teams, companies or organizations will face the verdict of the jury, the audience and the invited comedians Gülsha Adilji, Reena Krishnaraja and Zukkihund on stage at Spirgarten Zurich on 3 March 2026.

The anagram STEAM in the name of the challenge stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics and is another short form for MINT+, i.e. mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology plus art and entrepreneurial thinking. "The aim is to have six great projects on stage," said the project team from the Canton of Zurich's Office for Economic Development in a press release. "Our aim is to promote STEM+ skills, make them visible and get the public excited about the STEM+ world in an entertaining way."

The project should therefore have a clear STEM+ or STEAM connection. It should address a relevant social problem, be little known to the general public and have at least reached the prototype stage. The jury criteria are social and societal added value, originality, feasibility, potential for the Zurich location as well as team dynamics and the ability to cooperate.

In addition to fame and honor, the prizes include media visibility before and after the event as well as professional pitch training. Applications, including a two-minute video, must be submitted by January 5, 2026, 12 noon, according to the call for entries, to standort@vd.zh. The finalists will be announced on January 16. Project partners are Innovation Zurich, the Informatiktage and the Future Lab Zurich. ce/mm

(CONNECT) The Swiss Technology Award has been presented for the 38th time. Winners in three different categories have been nominated for one of "Switzerland's most important innovation awards", as the organizers put it in a press release. The newly launched Swiss Technology Award Night was held on November 26 as part of the Open-i conference at the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich.

Chiral Nano AG came out on top in the Inventors category. This is aimed at companies that have achieved a breakthrough in research or development and are now in the process of demonstrating its functionality. Chiral, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), has developed a robotic arm that can incorporate nanomaterials "precisely and quickly" into electronic components.

The Start-ups/Rising Stars category recognizes young companies that have already "taken concrete action" to implement their business idea. This year, this applies to Navignostics AG, which is active in precision oncology. It can use single-cell proteomics technology to analyze tumor and immune cells in tissue. This enables personalized treatment decisions to be made.

SWD AG came out on top in the Industry Innovation category, which is reserved for established companies. SWD is active in the field of electrical sheet packages. These are central components for optimizing the magnetic flux in electric motors.

The Swiss Technology Award is supported by CSEM, Helbling and Innosuisse. ce/jh

The Office for Economy of the Canton of Zurich has won the prestigious Digital Economy Award 2025 in the "Digital Excellence - GOV & NPO" category with its Innovation Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence. At yesterday's award ceremony in the Hallenstadion, the jury praised the Sandbox as a "beacon of digital innovation with a lasting social impact". With the AI Sandbox, the canton has created an innovation support program for AI that is unique internationally.

The Innovation Sandbox for Artificial Intelligence was launched in 2021 with financial support from Metropolitan Zurich. It offers companies and start-ups a secure test environment to try out innovative AI technologies. It promotes the exchange between business, science and administration and supports projects with practical data and use cases. Eleven pilot projects have already been successfully implemented in two phases - from smart parking and drone inspections to AI in education. Current projects include AI-generated medical reports, automated building permit procedures and the detection of deepfakes.

Innovation Sandbox as an International Role Model

The jury was particularly impressed by the combination of technology, regulation and social benefits: Legal issues are clarified together with data protection authorities and experts, innovative ways of accessing data are created and the results are systematically documented in publicly accessible best practice reports. The AI Sandbox thus provides practice-based impetus for the further development of the AI legal framework.

Sandbox Project Manager Raphael von Thiessen explains the success of the Sandbox as follows: "The focus is not on theory, but on the concrete implementation of AI projects. This is precisely why the Sandbox has established itself as a model for national strategies and international cooperation. Its impact extends beyond project boundaries: it creates trust, accelerates innovation and lays the foundations for a responsible digital future."

Aware of the importance of artificial intelligence, the cantonal government allocated CHF 2.9 million to the Office for Economy in the spring to strengthen the canton of Zurich as a leading innovation location for AI through various measures. Carmen Walker Späh, the Government Councillor responsible, is therefore particularly proud: "The award confirms the pioneering spirit of the Canton of Zurich and shows how important it is to test new technologies responsibly. The award is both an incentive and an obligation to actively help shape change through AI - for companies, the administration and the population of the Canton of Zurich."

About the Digital Economy Award

The Digital Economy Award is organized by the ICT trade association swissICT. Every year, companies and organizations that promote digital transformation and digitalization in Switzerland are honoured in various categories. In total, over 40 jurors assess the ideas, projects and companies at the Digital Economy Award.
The Digital Excellence Award NPO/GOV recognizes organizations that have increased their impact or performance thanks to digital initiatives and projects. In addition to the Office for Economy the municipalities of Uster, Kloten, Horgen and Thalwil together with JAXForms with the digital administration portal "Amtomat" and the non-profit association Swiss Guardia with an innovative QR code system were also nominated in the "Digital Excellence - GOV & NPO" category.

(CONNECT) The NOMIS Foundation and the Collegium Helveticum, also based in Zurich, have agreed a joint research partnership. The new collaboration is intended to strengthen Zurich as a leading science center, according to a press release. The Collegium Helveticum, a joint institute of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Zurich University of the Arts, offers a broad spectrum of research across national and disciplinary boundaries. Together with the NOMIS Foundation, this international character is to be strengthened. To this end, a NOMIS Senior Fellowship will be launched from September 2026. International researchers can take advantage of the resources and academic environment of the three universities during a study visit to Zurich lasting several months.

The partnership between the NOMIS Foundation and the Collegium Helveticum covers all areas of the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. The three participating universities can nominate suitable international candidates until January 15, 2026. ce/ww

The Responsibility Lies With Us

In order for AI to find its way around human language, it needs a "map" with around 13,000 dimensions - and yet it influences us. "AI shapes our language - and therefore also our behavior," emphasized Nathalie Klauser, founder of the AI start-up Intersections.

For example, a study by the Max Planck Institute has shown that since the emergence of AI, certain words (e.g. delve, swift, comprehend) have been used significantly more often - even by people who do not actively use AI. In view of this cultural feedback, Klauser believes it is essential that AI is built in such a way that it does not harm us - and society must ensure this: "In the end, we humans are always responsible."

AI must be technically robust, legal and ethically justifiable. Tools such as Goblin, an AI that helps neurodivergent people to tackle tasks - such as spring cleaning - in a structured way, show that this is possible. At the same time, however, there are also ethically problematic issues. Logistics service provider Planzer, for example, optimized its routes with AI. The result: employees no longer had time to go to the toilet.

It Does Exist – the “Good” AI

Apertus proves that artificial intelligence that meets legal and ethical values is possible. The AI developed by Swiss universities is the first system to fulfill the European "AI Act" - and thus also the criteria that Klauser demands: Control, integrity, transparency and participation.

"With Apertus, we are contributing to the research and development autonomy of our location," emphasizes researcher Imanol Schlag. Unlike the applications of large AI companies, Apertus is not profit-oriented. This is why the researchers were able to base their development on the interests of society.

And so even a piece of Swiss identity has a place in the AI: Apertus also "speaks" a little Swiss-German. Nevertheless, it is a model for the world: "The data used reflects the diversity of the internet - around 40 percent of the training data is not in English."

Young People Lead the Way With Their Own AI Projects

Swiss youth prove that AI is not just a tool for research labs or tech giants: in the AI Challenge, schoolchildren dedicated themselves to developing their own AI applications - and received awards for their efforts.

Mitul and Tanish developed the "AI Personal Trainer" and won the "AI for Good" category. The software helps with rehabilitation exercises - making physiotherapy accessible to everyone.

Levin won the "Creative Coding" category with "Mentis", a software program that sorts your own notes and links old ideas with new ones in order to structure your thoughts more clearly. Levin has learned a lot: "My view of AI has changed: I am positively surprised, but - because I now understand it better - also a little disenchanted."

AI Challenge 2025

The challenge is organized by the ETH AI Center in cooperation with the Office for Economy, Canton of Zurich, and the Cantons of Schwyz and Zug. This year, almost 100 young people between the ages of 13 and 19 took part. Between January and August, they translated their ideas into code with the help of doctoral students from the ETH AI Center.

The finalists were:

• Safe Route (Cecile and Brahmiti) shows the fastest and safest way through the city.
• Mess Check (Lisa) uses a photo to recognize whether a room is tidy.
• Next Read (Emilia and Nora) recommends books based on genre, number of pages and your own bookshelf.
• Trend prediction (Thibault, winner of "Best Thesis") analyzes whether new word trends will prevail.

Everyone Has Ideas

Levin also won over Asel-Maria (48) with his project. She attended the event because she wanted to understand AI - which is scary to her - better. Although her fears have not been allayed, she finds programs like Mentis particularly helpful and important for young people.

And spontaneous ideas also emerged from the audience: for example, a spreading aid, a matching tool for true love, a chemistry assistant or an intelligent photo album.

The message of the event was clear: AI affects us - and we can all help shape it.

(CONNECT) The report "Top 100 Women in AI + Data in Switzerland" aims to show that women in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) are crucial for fair, trustworthy and innovative systems: "The more diverse the teams, the less bias, the better the results - and the smarter the AI," says the report, which was presented by the Greater Zurich Area(GZA) and the ETH AI Center of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH) at the start of the Zurich AI Festival.

It presents 100 women who have demonstrated leadership qualities and project responsibility in the fields of AI and data in Switzerland and have contributed to the further development of the technology - with a focus on industry, start-ups and science. According to Melanie Gabriel, Co-Director and COO of the ETH AI Center, the result shows: "Women are shaping the entire AI ecosystem, from basic research to corporate management."

Bringing them together and presenting them in this report creates role models that inspire young talent in particular, she says. This is not just about women, but about diversity in general: perspectives, backgrounds, experiences. "If you take innovation seriously, you have to make diversity visible - only then will you have the power to open up new fields with new solutions."

In the report, Daniel Naeff, Head of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the ETH AI Center, also points out that diversity is not just a question of fairness, but of quality and competitiveness: "By making these outstanding women visible, we are highlighting pioneering leaders in industry, transformative leaders in government and creators of social impact and advocacy through NGOs and entrepreneurs who are driving breakthrough innovation."

More than 5,000 visitors from Switzerland and abroad are expected at the Zurich AI Festival from September 29 to October 4, according to the GZA in its announcement: "The first Zurich AI Festival will give the city and canton of Zurich an international format that can compete with events such as TechWeek in London, Robotics Week in Boston, VivaTech in Paris and SusHi Tech Tokyo." ce/mm

The "More Women in Tech" initiative (coordinated by the Office for Economy, Canton of Zurich) is delighted to present the"More Girls and Women in Tech, Science, Engineering." sticker sheet, which they realized with TechFace supported by Grafik2.

On the sheet you will find over 10 cool stickers that are just waiting to embellish your notebook or other objects and make a statement.

Our goal is to get more girls and women interested in STEM and tech professions in order to create stronger teams, new perspectives and a culture of innovation without boundaries.

You can order the sticker sheet by sending an email to standort@vd.zh.ch.

For more than 20 copies, please send a short description of where the material will be used.

(CONNECT) swissICT has presented its Salary Study 2025. According to a press release, the Zurich-based trade association for information and communication technology sees a slight improvement in the wage situation for employees in the IT sector. Structurally, there has been an improvement in the employment situation for young professionals as well as junior and entry-level positions.

231 organizations with 39,511 responses took part in the survey. It was found that base-year salaries rose by 0.4 percent compared to the previous year. The amount rose by 2 percent for skilled workers under 30 in particular. Junior Software Engineers showed the greatest growth with an increase of 6 percent in annual salary. Scrum Masters in lower management follow with a salary increase of 4.4 percent. Apprentices' salaries were increased by 3 percent by the training companies. This is seen as a sign of support for the next generation of specialists.

The salary development for seniors (S3) also corresponded to the increase of 0.4 percent and currently stands at a median of CHF 130,060 per year. The supplementary Employment Conditions Report revealed a growing trend towards a flexible working environment. 94 percent of participants allow one or more home office days per week.

"Up to a certain point, salary is a key issue. After that, factors that address the specific needs of employees increasingly come to the fore," Cornelia Ammon, project manager at swissICT, is quoted as saying in the press release.

swissICT has been conducting the ICT Salary Study annually since 1981. According to the press release, the study is being continuously developed. ce/ww

(CONNECT) House of Influence GmbH has launched the www.influencer-finden.ch platform. Interested companies can use a form to define their requirements in terms of target group, industry or region, for example, the Zurich-based influencer marketing agency explains in a post on LinkedIn. Within two working days, they are then sent a list of suitable influencers curated by House of Influence, which they can then contact independently.

In its core business, House of Influence offers companies strategic campaigns with personal support. According to the marketing agency, it has built up a network of over 3,000 influencers from Switzerland. House of Influence sees its new platform as a "new alternative for independent implementation". ce/hs

(CONNECT) The sfb - College of Higher Education for Technology and Management publishes an interview with a graduate of the first mechanical engineering course on its website. In spring 2025, 14 students successfully completed the first version of this course after six semesters. This interview is the start of a series that aims to pass on experiences from further training and practice.

"The content of the course is very modern and the teaching staff come from a practical background, which makes the transfer of knowledge particularly effective. I was also able to learn a lot during the internships," sfb graduate Ramon Wirz is quoted as saying. As an employee of Encom AG, based in Pfäffikon ZH, he is now a qualified mechanical engineer HF. Encom specializes in the manufacture of industrial machinery. The findings from the thesis will be used by a customer, it continues.

"Encom AG benefits from improved cooperation with the customer and the customer receives a finished product that expands the market," explains Wirz. "I developed a module that is placed in front of the existing tablet deduster, with the advantage that the connection from the tablet press to the deduster is more flexible."

The further training to become a Dipl. According to the sfb, mechanical engineering technician HF focuses on design methodology, materials technology, production technology and project management. This is supplemented by the basics of business administration and the further development of social skills. The new knowledge and all the content learned would be put into practice first-hand in various work placements. In this way, graduates acquire the skills to work on innovative projects, it is emphasized.

Basic mathematical knowledge is an important prerequisite for further training as a mechanical engineering technician. There is also an online math self-test on the sfb website. Information events and further training advice are offered for interested parties.

The next training dates are scheduled for August 14. ce/gba

(CONNECT) On Swiss Engineers' Day 2025, the ZHAW is exploring the question of whether the engineering profession is still attractive enough today to attract enough young talent to meet the challenges of tomorrow. According to her invitation, the focus will also be on what is being done to inspire more and especially female specialists to enter the engineering profession and what male colleagues can do to promote a balanced gender ratio in technology.

National Engineers Day on March 4 is part of the UNESCO World Day of Engineering for Sustainable Development. It was proclaimed in 2019 at the suggestion of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations to draw attention to the key role of engineering in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The ZHAW event will take place on 4th March from 6 to 7 p.m. under the motto "Strengthening Technology - Promoting Women". Dr. Verena Witzig, specialist for Diversity, Equality & Inclusion at the University of St.Gallen, will give an input presentation. The subsequent panel discussion will be attended by Céline Brun from the Alias Board Section T of the ZHAW, the Chairwoman of the Swiss Association of Women Engineers, Elizabeth Huerta Borraz, and Prof. Dr. Silvio Lorenzetti. He is head of the Applied Mathematics, Physics, Systems and Operations department at the ZHAW School of Engineering.

Sandra Reich, Head of People Development at Angst+Pfister, Beat Schmid, Branch Manager St.Gallen at Siemens, and Dr. Joanna Weng, lecturer and Diversity Officer at the ZHAW School of Engineering, will also be on the podium. Afterwards, guests will have the opportunity to talk to the panelists over an aperitif. Registration is requested. ce/mm

(CONNECT) The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (HWZ) and the start-up support program Launch Control have agreed to collaborate, according to a press release. According to HWZ Rector Professor Dr. Brian Rüeger, the cooperation strengthens the "educational offer and our position as a promoter of entrepreneurial competence".

HWZ students and employees can take part in Launch Control's Bring Your Idea to Life program and take their business idea to the next level. Budding entrepreneurs receive support from the know-how and network of an experienced incubator when taking the leap into entrepreneurship - for example, when optimizing their business plan or preparing for a meeting with potential investors.

The common goal is to intensify the "bridge between theory and practice". With this step, the HWZ wants to become the "most entrepreneurial university" in Switzerland.

The HWZ's medium-term planning envisages admitting interested parties to the Launch Control program even without a business idea. Matchmaking should be possible for them. An expansion of the program to include a design thinking workshop to develop ideas is also being considered.

"Our programs offer optimal conditions for realizing creative ideas and entrepreneurial ambitions. Thanks to the support of the HWZ, this environment will become even more efficient and accessible for young talents," Raphael Tobler from Launch Control is quoted as saying. ce/heg

What is 360 Talents?

360-Talents is a new and innovative full-service recruiting platform that offers companies soft skills analytics and AI-supported suitability diagnostics for the recruitment of new employees.

The services developed represent a paradigm shift in the field of personnel selection and diagnostics. Soft skills are crucial for professional success - according to Harvard studies, they account for 85% of professional success. Although Swiss companies are aware of their importance, they are still neglected in recruitment processes, as the NZZ reports. Instead, companies mainly focus on formal qualifications and personality traits in the recruitment process, but these only provide limited information about the actual skills and potential of applicants.

Why is this relevant?

The problem companies face when recruiting new staff is finding a reliable answer to the question: Which candidates are the most suitable, which are the best "matches"? The solution for the vast majority of companies is to assign one or more employees to assess the suitability of a candidate. This is not only very time-consuming and therefore expensive for companies, but unfortunately also extremely error-prone.

These key figures reflect the performance of the recruitment processes used today:

- 33% of all employment relationships are terminated within the first year of employment. Half of them during the probationary period. Fluctuation is well above the recommended value in most sectors and regions (sources: BFS_Berufliche-Mobilität, IWD_Bericht)
- 54% of employees are dissatisfied with their current job situation. One in five employees is ready for a change. A meaningful job is just as important as money. (Sources: PwC-Switzerland-Survey-2022, TA-Gallup-2024)
- 48% is the increase in absenteeism due to emotional exhaustion, stress and burnout. Well over half of all incapacity for work due to mental health issues is caused by conflicts at work. (Sources: DAK-Psychrepport_2023, Swica-Study_2022)
- 70% of companies do not consider their cultural transformation to be successful. The soft skills of managers and employees have a significant influence on corporate culture. (Sources: McKinsey_Transformations-Failure, Why-Culture-Matters)

Why 360 Talents?

We want to contribute to a better working world in which the focus is on soft skills rather than personality traits. The characteristics of a personality that are frequently used in everyday life have the unpleasant peculiarity of having an unclear meaning and are hardly measurable objectively. In personnel selection in particular, assessments are guided by subjective influences and unconscious prejudices. You probably know this problem from your own experience.

Today, requirements for personality traits are widely used in company job profiles, such as "ability to work in a team". There are serious objections to this and we have set out to change this. With 360 Talents, companies will no longer use personality traits that are unclear and difficult to measure in their requirement profiles, but soft skills. Soft skills are not personality traits, but concrete actions in practice. Personality traits such as "ability to work in a team" are replaced by the observable requirement of "team-oriented action", which is defined according to scientific criteria. Further information can be found in the appendix.

A pioneering innovation

360-Talents has developed a pioneering innovation to enable the systematic recording of formal qualifications and soft skills in recruitment processes: The application is the first scientifically tested system that analyzes the values and actions of applicants, derives soft skills from them and matches them with the company's requirements through automated value-action matching. The analysis enables companies to select employees whose soft skills are an ideal match for the company's values - an essential basis for overcoming future challenges.

With this approach, 360-Talents is revolutionizing the traditional recruitment process: the system analyses formal qualifications and soft skills even before the first interview. This fundamentally changes the nature of job interviews: instead of checking formal qualifications and soft skills, interviews can focus on future collaboration. In this way, candidates find sustainable work and companies find employees who identify with the company and their tasks and contribute to long-term success.

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 UZH campus in Zurich is being expanded: construction work has started on the Wässerwies site for the Forum UZH education and research center. It is designed to meet the demands of modern forms of teaching and learning.
According to a statement from the university, the Forum UZH will create "urgently needed space for teaching and research in the city of Zurich". It will help the university to maintain its position in the scientific competition.

"The Forum UZH is more than just a building," François Chapuis, Director of Real Estate and Operations at UZH, is quoted as saying.
"It connects people and space, science and society, inspires the unique university area in the heart of Zurich and stands for the continuous development of the university with a view to future generations."

The construction site has been fenced off and set up since August 20, 2024. After various dismantling measures, excavation work will start in November 2024 and work on the shell will begin in November 2025. Work on the façade is scheduled to begin in spring 2028.
The new building is scheduled to be occupied by mid-2030. The area surrounding the Forum UZH, with its publicly accessible cafeteria and canteen, library and sports areas as well as commercial space for third-party tenants, is to be embedded in the urban ensemble of the university area. A spacious town square planted with trees will help to minimize the heat island effect in summer.

On September 18, an online information event will inform residents about the construction project.
The link will be published on the UZH website dedicated to its construction measures. ce/mm

An initiative called More Women in Tech aims to help increase the proportion of women in ICT professions. The Offices for Economy and Labor of the Canton of Zurich, ICT Vocational Training Switzerland, digitalswitzerland and taskforce4women have joined forces for this purpose. "The initiative aims to strengthen equality, promote innovation through greater diversity and reduce the shortage of skilled workers in ICT," commented Carmen Walker Späh, Director of Economic Affairs, in a press release.

Women are still strongly underrepresented in ICT professions with a share of around 17 percent. And this is despite the fact that the corresponding job profiles correspond pretty much exactly to how women in the career choice phase and potential career changers imagine their desired profession. As a study by the neuromarketing company Zutt & Partner also shows, this in turn is congruent with how women who already work in ICT professions describe their activities: as versatile, creative and flexible. Nevertheless, women in the career choice phase have a much less attractive image of the occupational field: more technically oriented and knowledge-based.

More Women in Tech wants to counteract this with concrete measures based on the results of the study. These relate, for example, to the use of "correct" emotional codes in communication, the use of influencers and targeted trial offers. A toolbox with the collected findings will be made available to interested stakeholders and workshops will be held to work on implementation. ICT Vocational Training is launching a campaign on May 23 based on the results of the study. It is scheduled to run until at least 2026. ce/mm

The population forecasts paint a picture of growth. The number of people living in the canton of Zurich will increase by around a fifth by 2030, according to estimates by the Canton of Zurich's Statistical Office. The number of school leavers will increase accordingly. The associated increase in young people who need an apprenticeship poses challenges for the economy, politics and education.

Companies that want to train young people are needed to provide a sufficient number of apprenticeships. This requires a great deal of commitment and a willingness to give the skilled workers of tomorrow a chance. We are already well on the way. In the canton of Zurich, 4 out of 5 young people do an apprenticeship. And around 14,000 training companies offer apprenticeships. This makes vocational education and training a cornerstone of Zurich, Switzerland's largest business location - and it should remain so in the future.

The Secondary School and Vocational Training Office (MBA) is committed to ensuring that the willingness of training companies to provide training remains high and, above all, that new training companies can be recruited. This is precisely where the MBA comes in with the "Future Zurich" project.

The aim of Zukunft Zürich is to attract new companies to the training program and to support existing companies so that they can guide apprentices to a successful apprenticeship qualification.

Kübra Parmaksiz is relieved: her team's presentation on "Artificial Digital Imaginations and the Human Body" went well. She stands in front of the astonished faces of an audience that ranges from high school graduates to professors of theoretical physics. Making a scientific lecture understandable for such a broad audience was still one of the smaller hurdles for Kübra and her colleagues.

Kübra and her team took part in a learning program that is currently being tested at the University of Zurich (UZH) and will be a fixed part of the curriculum from fall 2024. Students work in a problem-oriented and cooperative manner on interdisciplinary issues related to the digital transformation. Under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Janna Hastings, Kübra's team looked, for example, at how anatomical errors in images generated with generative artificial intelligence (AI) can be evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. The team's result was a "score" that can be used to objectively compare different algorithms. The team has also tested an algorithm that is designed to improve the results of AI image generation with targeted training. For example, to prevent mistakes such as an unwanted sixth finger or an incorrectly crooked leg.

A minor subject for everyone

Projects like this combine elements of a traditional academic thesis with problem-oriented approaches that arise in professional practice. Students use digital skills that they can acquire in other courses - such as machine learning, open source intelligence or blockchain technologies. The teamwork setting described and the courses mentioned are part of a new study program "DSI Minor Digital Skills", which is open to Master's students at the University of Zurich in addition to their major.

The "DSI Minor Digital Skills" study program is part of UZH's response to the digital transformation, which poses challenges for traditional educational institutions at all levels. On the one hand, technical possibilities are changing so rapidly that curricula need to be much more flexible and adaptable. Furthermore, not all disciplines and not all students at a comprehensive university are equally tech-savvy. And finally, there are resources on the Internet for many learning contents that are up-to-date and of high quality. Inevitably, the question arises as to what the core task of a face-to-face university is in this environment, and what teaching formats can be used to teach content that the Internet does not already cover.

Internalize the change of perspective

This certainly includes learning the ability to think abstractly, problem-solving skills, inter- and transdisciplinarity and the ability to work in a team. In addition, we want to enable our students to critically analyze developments and change their perspective: the computational linguist should develop a basic understanding of the ethical and legal framework of AI, the epidemiologist should understand algorithms well enough to interpret their results correctly. All of this is possible with individual learning paths that students can put together according to their previous education and interests. The "DSI Minor Digital Skills" program is therefore not an abbreviated computer science course, but provides students with comprehensive skills that enable them to classify and make positive use of future changes instead of being unsettled or overwhelmed by them. This equips students for their future working and living environment.

Structurally well positioned

Integrating the cross-sectional "DSI Minor Digital Skills" offering into a discipline-oriented university was a challenge for us. Fortunately, UZH has two structural prerequisites for this: On the one hand, the Digital Society Initiative (DSI) is an interfaculty teaching and research unit whose interdisciplinary community teaches the majority of digital skills courses. On the other hand, the offer is organizationally supported by the School for Transdisciplinary Studies (STS), which was founded precisely for such purposes. All this made it possible for Kübra and her colleagues to be among the first to successfully complete their teamwork. We hope that many students will follow them and are also open to projects with external partners.

Author: Titus Neupert, Professor of Theoretical Physics

The new MAS Digital Real Estate Management HWZ course at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (HWZ) is designed to provide further training in the opportunities that process optimization offers the real estate sector. The in-service training program is aimed at managers and specialists in real estate management.

In a press release, study director Dr. Peter Staub points out that the real estate industry is still lagging behind almost all sectors in terms of digitalization, "in some cases significantly". The entire sector would be "well advised to adapt new technologies now and quickly catch up in terms of digitalization and AI". Otherwise, relevant cost and result optimizations and a clear strategy against the shortage of skilled workers "can hardly be managed anymore".

Artificial intelligence is the key to modernizing the industry, Markus Streckeisen is quoted as saying. He has overall responsibility for real estate products at the HWZ and is head of the existing MAS in Real Estate Management HWZ. "Data management, platform solutions and automation steps reduce running costs and drive innovation", also with regard to sustainability and the circular economy.

The course, which can be booked in three modules, focuses on smart business models, data-based value creation and sustainable lifecycle management. Cooperation with lecturers from universities such as the University of St.Gallen and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich is planned. Start is in September 2024. ce/mm

For 10 years, the community based in Lutzenberg (Appenzell-Ausserrhoden) has been offering various formats for female founders - including the Female Innovation Forum. As the publishing house and its business clubs also bring together a large number of successful and influential women, the idea of its own academy was born years ago. Thanks to the Sisterhood, companies and personalities have now come together who were willing to support the Academy with their know-how. "It has never been important to us just to line our own pockets. We always wanted to reinvest in the community, to give something back. And that hasn't changed in the 18th year since Ladies Drive was founded. Time and again, we have sought out discussions and brainstormed ideas until we came up with a product that we are celebrating the launch of today: the Ladies Drive Founder Academy," says Ladies Drive CEO Sandra-Stella Triebl.

Who is taking part in the Academy?

Some of the most successful Swiss entrepreneurs, VCs and investors, lawyers, HR and innovation coaches as well as successful startup founders share their knowledge at the Ladies Drive Academy. Such as Gina Domanig, Roland Brack, Andrea Isler, Giada Ilardo, Léa Miggiano, Tatiana Duvanskaya and Melanie Winiger. Our strategic partners include the law firm Bratschi AG (with Elisa Aliotta, Sandra De Vito (Managing Partner) and the Bratschi Founder Academy team), the transformation and digitalization experts from emediately AG - Andrea Luder and Pia Uthmann - as well as the agency PRfact AG and its Managing Partner Mira Zawrzykraj.

What is new or different about this Academy?

The coaches accompany the founders in various online and offline courses over the course of a year. And free of charge. All young female entrepreneurs who founded their company less than 900 days ago can now apply. The strategic partner companies (PRfact AG, Bratschi AG and emediately AG and Ladies Drive) will then select the best 30 applicants from all of them, who will be allowed to start at the Academy from April 19, 2024. Never before has there been an academy that passes on all its knowledge free of charge with such concentrated community power and that is dedicated to one goal: helping others to succeed.

What is the aim of the Academy?

With our support, the young entrepreneurs should be able to build up their company as quickly and successfully as possible. And strengthen the Swiss location with their sustainable success. "We are also launching this Academy because we are convinced that the world needs people who shape our future with heart and mind," explains Sebastian Triebl.

Which business or product ideas can contribute to a more sustainable and regenerative food system? Students at the ZHAW Entrepreneurship Food Tech Summer School, for example, are exploring these questions and delving deep into the world of proteins.

Comprehensive Program

The protein sector is facing a number of challenges that affect various aspects of production, sustainability, consumer behavior and technology development. By visiting various players in the food system, the participating students will be able to identify the most important challenges facing the protein sector. "By networking with important industry partners in the protein supply chain such as Migros, Emmi and Planted, students gain valuable insights into their strategies and day-to-day business," says Carmen Burri, who organizes the Food Tech Summer School. Building on this inspiration, they develop solutions in interdisciplinary teams and present them to a jury of experts.

Wide Range of Topics

Interested students can choose from three summer schools on the topics of FoodTech, HealthTech and CirculaTech. The HealthTech Summer School focuses on the development of innovative digital healthcare and medical device solutions, while the Cirular Tech Summer School focuses on circular business models in the real estate and construction sector. The two to two-and-a-half week programs of the Summer Schools 2024 take place between 8 and 31 July and lead to 6 ECTS credits. Registration is possible until March 1.

Information and Registration

(CONNECT) sfb is the first university of applied sciences in Switzerland whose Building Automation HF course has successfully completed the recognition procedure of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). "This guarantees the highest quality, state-recognized qualifications and training that meets the current requirements of the industry," sfb Director Dorothea Tiefenauer is quoted as saying in a press release. The demands placed on modern buildings are constantly increasing, the report continues. Thanks to the recognition of the course, the sfb - College of Technology and Management can now respond even better to the great demand for qualified specialists.

According to the description, the course content is consistently geared towards practice. Knowledge of energy efficiency, building IT, networked systems and modern automation solutions is imparted. The aim is to qualify for the planning and realization, but also the operation and maintenance of complex, smart networked buildings. According to sfb, this range creates the basis for sustainable and long-term economical building solutions. For companies, this development of expertise means a decisive competitive advantage, they say. Graduates were specialists who not only mastered current technologies, but could also actively shape the digital transformation.

The course leads students to their final thesis in six semesters, provided they have completed relevant vocational training. Graduates are ultimately awarded the title of qualified building automation technician HF. The sfb provides an insight into the content and structure of the training at information events. Both individuals and companies are invited to attend. ce/ug

(CONNECT) The HAW and the Johann Jacob Rieter Foundation of the Winterthur spinning technology company Rieter have honored the best student work as part of the Smart Machines cluster initiative. The prize has been awarded annually since 2021 and is endowed with CHF 10,000. It aims to strengthen the exchange of knowledge between the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW ) and the business community and to contribute to value creation and job creation with concrete projects.

According to the press release, this year's winners are Alan Lützelschwab and Kevin Gertsch. The complete smart machine they have built brings optical density (OD) measurements from the usual measuring range of 600 nanometers into the ultraviolet range of 200 to 400 nanometers. OD measurements quantify the light absorption of a sample and provide information about substance concentrations or cell growth, for example in food production or biotechnology. The extension into the UV range enables the detection of harmful cell waste products and offers new feedback designs for bioreactors.

This machine developed by the two ZHAW students closes a gap: Until now, there has been no market-ready system for reliable UV-OD measurements or automated dilution processes. Her Bachelor's thesis is now developing an autonomous prototype system for the ZHAW Wädenswil that automates OD measurements and provides new data sets for cell health - as proof of concept for future intelligent bioreactors in research and medicine. ce/mm

(CONNECT) The Institute of Constructive Design at the Department of Architecture, Design and Civil Engineering at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) in Winterthur is the Swiss lead partner of the European Interreg program Walz 4.0, which was launched in April 2025. According to a press release, the project around Lake Constance aims to synergistically utilize and further develop the potential of traditional trades and university teaching in combination with digitalization.

In addition to the Institute of Constructive Design at the ZHAW, partners in the project are the ArchitekturWerkstatt of the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences and the Thurgau Monument Foundation. The University of Liechtenstein is also involved in the project. The Regensburg University of Applied Sciences and the Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences are also involved in the project. The overall coordination lies with the HTWG Konstanz University of Applied Sciences.

Walz 4.0 aims to combine the expertise of universities with the practical experience of local tradespeople. The aim is to find answers to the demands for sustainability in the construction industry as well as to the increasing shortage of skilled workers in the sector. This program, which is based on the craft migration movement, is also intended to promote international cooperation and the exchange of experience between crafts and universities in the four countries of Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein and Austria. In addition to practical work on construction and renovation projects, new learning spaces are also being created in which sustainable construction methods are developed and digital tools are created.

"In view of the climate crisis, circular construction in the sense of building within existing structures and reusing components is more important than ever. This is precisely where craftsmanship knowledge and skills, supplemented by the broad application of digital tools, are in demand," Andri Gerber from the ZHAW is quoted as saying in the press release. "Walz 4.0 brings together skilled trades, universities and new technologies, thus creating the conditions for a sustainable construction industry."

The project as part of the Interreg VI program Alpenrhein-Bodensee-Hochrhein runs from 2025 to 2028. It is being funded with a sum of around 5 million euros. Funding is provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. ce/ww

(CONNECT) ETH and HSG have launched the Manufacturing Alliance. This new alliance offers companies access to a group of initially six highly qualified doctoral students known as the Circle of Scholars. According to a press release from the two universities, they will conduct research together with the alliance partners on topics such as operational excellence, global production networks, sustainable management and artificial intelligence in production.

According to the information provided, the alliance currently includes 13 industry partners: Roche, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Takeda, SHL Medical, Nestlé, Lindt & Sprüngli, Givaudan, Schneider Electric, Schindler, Endress+Hauser Flowtec, VAT Group and SFS Group. They will finance the project from January 2025 for a period of three years with a total of CHF 2.1 million. Other companies of different sizes and from different sectors are reportedly invited to join the alliance.

"With the Manufacturing Alliance, we are creating a platform that not only transfers scientific findings into practice, but also actively involves industry partners in research," Prof. Dr. Thomas Friedli from the HSG Institute of Technology Management is quoted as saying. The aim is to establish a network that strengthens Switzerland as an industrial location in the long term and develops innovative solutions for products with the "Made in Switzerland" quality mark. According to Prof. Dr. Torbjörn Netland from ETH Zurich, the special thing about the alliance is "that doctoral students work on real problems from day one - this helps industry and promotes young talent". ce/mm

In order to be prepared for future challenges, the Department for Economic Affairs wants to further strengthen the attractiveness of Zurich as a business location. A year ago, the first «Fokus Standort» was launched as a successful series of events focusing on the future of Zurich as a business location. At yesterday's «Fokus Standort» event, around 150 people from the worlds of politics, business, science and administration once again discussed future trends that will have a significant impact on the economy and the quality of the Canton of Zurich's location in the medium and long term.

The topics of discussion were based, among other things, on the results of the «Trend Analysis for the Canton of Zurich as a Business Location», which the research and consulting company Infras compiled on behalf of the Department for Economic Affairs on the basis of a survey of experts. Selected trends - as of August 2024 - were classified as particularly relevant for the canton of Zurich: advancing digitalization, especially with AI applications; continuing population growth and ageing, which also affects the labour market; increasing regulatory density and the associated rise in administrative costs; and Switzerland's uncertain relationship with the EU. The experts surveyed in the study assessed the significance of each trend and outlined the consequences and options for action.

Strong impetus for sustainable location development

The «Fokus Standort» used this overview to shed more light on the topics of skilled workers, technology, regulation and mobility in four workshops. One of the questions was, for example, which processes can be used to relieve the burden on companies and promote competitiveness despite increasing regulatory density and administrative effort. They discussed how the use of AI can be improved in everyday working and studying life and how digital skills can be specifically promoted in schools and training. Another topic was what companies are doing to empower their employees and how SMEs can keep up with large companies in this respect. Another question was how organizations and companies can reduce the distances travelled each day or implement the switch to sustainable mobility.

Possible solutions were developed in the workshops and measures were formulated and concretized. The findings are now being further processed in working groups.

Government Councillor Carmen Walker Späh then introduced the final part of the event with her presentation: The discussion on demographic trends and their impact on labor shortages. The problem: more and more people are retiring, but fewer and fewer young people are taking over. Immigration alone cannot remedy this imbalance. Walker Späh therefore opened the dialog on possible solutions: «A better work-life balance must lead to more people working longer hours,» she said. Productivity must also be increased through innovation and technological progress. After all, says Walker Späh, «we won't be able to avoid working longer. Nobody wants to hear that. But it's a fact.»

A concluding panel discussion with Milan Prenosil, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Confiserie Sprüngli AG, Veronica Weisser, Head UBS Pension Innovation Hub, Amalia Zurkirchen, Managing Director of Kaufmännischer Verband Zürich, and Manuel Buchmann, Project Manager "Demografik" and author, took up the appeal of the Government Councillor and addressed the issue of labor shortages due to demographic change. The labor market gap will widen further in the coming years and pose challenges for the Zurich economy. The panel participants discussed the solutions proposed by Government Councillor Walker Späh and discussed other possible measures to counteract the shortage of workers and ensure future economic growth.

Links

• «Fokus Standort»
• Division of Business and Economic Delevopement
• Study "Trend analysis for the canton of Zurich"

The Swiss AI Competition 2024 offered young talents the stage to present their innovative ideas in the field of artificial intelligence. After four months of intensive work and support from the ETH AI Center, four teams reached the final:

• Thrill Route OptimizerAndrea and Divij from Zurich International School developed an algorithm that calculates the optimal route in Europapark and thus minimizes waiting times.
• Ingredient ScannerLena and Sonja from Lucerne created an app that uses AI to analyze the ingredients of food and thus provides guidance when shopping.
• Gobang: Nils and Robin from Schwyz and Zurich developed an AI that can play the board game Gobang.
• Alexita: Alexandra from Vaud created an AI that compiles suitable playlists based on the user's mood.

In the "Creative Coding" category, the team Thrill Route Optimizerwhile the Ingredient Scanner won over the jury in the "AI for Good" category. The award ceremony took place as part of the AI+X Summit at ETH Zurich. In her speech, Catrin Hinkel, CEO of Microsoft Switzerland, highlighted Switzerland's important role in the responsible development of AI and emphasized the importance of cooperation between science and business.

Review of the AI competition.

Author: Dilara Sophie Körtel

Nils Kümin has received the UBS Sustainability Award 2024 from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration(HWZ), the HWZ announced in a press release. The prize is awarded annually by the major bank and the university in recognition of outstanding bachelor theses at the HWZ. Kümin's bachelor's thesis was dedicated to the question of the need for and implementation of accessible digital products and services in Swiss companies.

In his bachelor's thesis, the prizewinner dealt in particular with EU Directive 2019/882 on accessibility requirements for products and services. From 2025, it will also be binding for Swiss companies of a certain size that are active in the EU. "The work thus addresses a highly topical issue whose significance extends beyond our national borders," writes the HWZ.

Kümin approached the issue by conducting interviews with people with disabilities and company representatives. This revealed an existing gap between the need for digital inclusion and its implementation by entrepreneurs. In the second part of his work, Kümin provides companies with recommendations for action, both for determining specific needs and for fulfilling legal requirements. ce/hs

Excellence in Innovation & Research

Switzerland has been the global innovation leader for over a decade. Home to top universities and AI research institutes, the Greater Zurich Area in particular is a leading hub for AI research and development across a variety of fields and use cases.

Thriving AI Ecosystem

The Greater Zurich Area boasts a vibrant tech landscape with top-notch infrastructure and exceptional talent, which has attracted tech giants like Google, Meta, Microsoft, IBM, NVIDIA, and Apple to establish AI labs in the region.

Launchpad for Success

The collaborative environment in Greater Zurich enables dynamic partnerships and high levels of innovative output. The robust network of peer companies and AI-friendly regulation provide the perfect conditions for advancing AI initiatives.

PIPRA, a Zurich-based start-up founded in 2019, has launched a digital platform for the prevention and treatment of post-operative delirium. The core of the Delirium Hub is a scientifically based e-learning program aimed at healthcare professionals, according to a press release. The program is available in both English and German. In addition to learning courses, the program also includes online tools for delirium prevention and chat programs for exchanging information with other professionals.

Post-operative delirium is a disturbance of consciousness with deficits in perception and attention as well as other cognitive impairments that can occur a few hours or even days after an operation. Prevention and timely intervention can prevent life-threatening situations from arising.

"We want to make knowledge about delirium accessible to everyone. With the Delirium Hub, we offer a unique platform that helps healthcare professionals to better understand delirium in their daily practice and thus effectively prevent it," said Fabian Gautschi, Head of Product at PIPRA AG, in the press release. "The fact that our offering is now also available in German enables us to reach even more professionals and further improve the quality of patient care." ce/ww

Thanks to artificial intelligence, the financial industry is facing the most productive decade "since the replacement of the typewriter", writes the HWZ in a press release. It aims to enable specialists and managers to "smartly and efficiently tap into the diverse potential of AI in combination with traditional approaches". To this end, the HWZ will be offering the CAS AI in Finance starting in the fall.

In the part-time continuing education course, students can learn the skills to use artificial intelligence in all areas of banking and insurance. On the one hand, technical expertise is imparted, for example on generative and classic AI, data analysis and its visualization as well as process automation. On the other hand, the 16-day program trains participants to make strategic decisions.

In addition to the CAS AI in Finance, the HWZ also offers a range of other courses on the use of artificial intelligence. "Our AI training is structured as a modular step-by-step concept," says Patrick Comboeuf, Head of the CAS AI in Finance HWZ program, in the press release. "From the CAS to the Master's degree (MAS) in Digital Excellence HWZ, participants shape their own career path in the financial industry." ce/hs

(CONNECT) On October 29, 2025, four female scientists will be honored for outstanding research results at the ZKO Zurich Chamber Orchestra in Zurich. The Swiss L'Oréal - UNESCO For Women in Science 2025 prize is awarded by L'Oréal Switzerland together with the Swiss UNESCO Commission and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW), according to a press release. The prize is endowed with CHF 25,000 in funding.

The prizewinners are biologist Jana Ordon from the University of Zurich (UZH). She is being honored for her research on the interaction between plants and microbes, based on genetic, molecular and biochemical approaches. The findings on pathogen resistance could contribute to more resilient plant production.

The geodesist Annelies Voordendag from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) is being honored for her combination of advanced geodetic methods with glaciological field research. A terrestrial long-range laser scanning system can be used to measure glacier movements and register climatic influences.

Giulia Santoni from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) is being honored for her neuroscientific research and the creation of 3D brain models. Their findings could be used to expand our understanding of the human brain and develop personalized therapies for neurological diseases.

Astronomer Mengyuan Xiao from the University of Geneva is researching the origins of ultra-compact galaxies in the early universe and providing important insights into galaxy formation.

"The launch of 'For Women in Science' in Switzerland this year is a strong statement of our unwavering commitment to the advancement of female leaders," Claire Dieudonné, Country Coordinator & Market Director Consumer Products at L'Oréal Switzerland, is quoted as saying in the press release. "This program is much more than an award ceremony; it is our active contribution to overcoming the common challenges that hold women back in research." Gabriela Tejada, Vice-President of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO, sees the program as strengthening the "framework conditions that allow women equal access and opportunities in the scientific community". ce/ww

Seasoned DeepTech recruiters, talent experts, and Swiss Government officials from the Canton of Zurich, Google Cloud, Rockstar Recruiting, and DFINITY co-hosted a virtual roundtable for tech leaders interested in accessing European DeepTech talent. The panel covered the critical questions and guiding principles necessary to successfully navigate the European talent market, as well as insider tips for optimizing recruitment strategies to ensure a successful expansion into the European tech landscape.

(CONNECT) Students at UZH can register for further interdisciplinary courses starting this fall semester. According to its press release, this is the university's response to the fact that challenges are becoming increasingly complex and specialist disciplines need to work ever more closely together in order to understand interrelationships and develop solutions.

To this end, UZH is offering four new interdisciplinary Bachelor's programs. Astronomy and Astrophysics is dedicated to fundamental questions and is based on physics, mathematics and computer technology. Applied Mathematics and Machine Learning teaches the ability to structure, analyze and make use of large amounts of data. A particular focus is on the responsible and reflective use of artificial intelligence (AI). Religious Studies and Theology offers a special focus on religious studies or theology, depending on your interests, and can be studied entirely virtually.

UZH is also launching the Una Europa Joint Bachelor in Sustainability together with seven European partner universities as part of the Una Europa university alliance. The program integrates subjects such as sociology, anthropology and ethics. It begins with a joint foundation year at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

UZH offers three new interdisciplinary programs at Master's level. Global Futures focuses on global challenges such as climate change, social inequality and migration. Evolutionary Language Science deals with the origins, development and change of language. Health in the Context of Ethics, Spirituality and Religions teaches skills in dealing with spiritual needs in healthcare.

All students can take three new modules at the School for Transdisciplinary Studies at UZH: Cyber Law - Data protection, AI, and Cybersecurity and Life worth living - What is a good life? as well as Start! AI Competences (for Teaching & Learning) for AI applications in university teaching.

UZH had already launched interdisciplinary study programs in areas such as biodiversity, biomedicine, biochemistry, earth system sciences, economic chemistry and digital skills. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Venturelab and the Venture Leaders of 2024 took stock at a closing ceremony in the startup space in Schlieren. Ten young companies from each sector were selected to present themselves to potential investors at a roadshow abroad organized by Venturelab: the Venture Leaders Technology were in Silicon Valley, the Venture Leaders Biotech and Medtech in Boston, and the Venture Leaders Mobile in Barcelona. The Cleanteach Roadshow took place in Munich, the Fintech Roadshow in London.

According to a press release, all Venture Leaders of the current Swiss National Startup Team received a diploma in recognition of being among the most promising innovators in the Swiss start-up ecosystem in 2024. At the event, they also discussed their experiences, capital procurement, market opportunities, product orientation, cultural differences and technical strategies.

For example, "the technology program has been instrumental in refining our approach," says Stefano Grassi, CEO of Gilytics. David Klein Cerrejon, CEO of OBaris, reports that his biotech company has rethought its business plan based on feedback from investors. "The Venture Leaders program offers great added value by preparing us for direct contact with investors," says SolidWatts CEO Markus Aicheler. Leroy Bächtold, CEO of CrowdTransfer, and his team are "now in negotiations with some of the investors we met during the program".

Venturelab has been bringing entrepreneurs onto the global stage since 2006, summarizes Jordi Montserrat, Managing Partner of Venturelab. "The success of our alumni underlines the crucial role of structured support and international presence in enabling Swiss start-ups to grow beyond national borders." ce/mm

Now in its second edition, the RiseUp Summit is dedicated to fostering a vibrant, equitable landscape for female entrepreneurs, with a focus on sustainable growth and purpose-driven innovation. More than 50 expert speakers took the stage to share their insights, sparking meaningful discussions and new collaborations to drive the future of entrepreneurship.

"Diversity isn't just a buzzword at RiseUp — it's the foundation of our vision for a better entrepreneurial ecosystem," said the event organizers. "We're committed to empowering female founders and ensuring their voices lead the way in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future."

Celebrating Female Leadership and Diversity

The summit featured 25 engaging sessions that delved into crucial topics such as breaking down barriers for women in business, advancing diversity in leadership roles, and scaling startups sustainably. A highlight of the day was the pitch competition, where female entrepreneurs took center stage, presenting innovative, high-impact businesses that are tackling pressing global challenges.

The keynotes resonated with attendees by focusing on how diversity can drive stronger, more adaptable businesses and how female leaders can champion sustainability while building resilient companies. Participants left with actionable insights, powerful connections, and the confidence to push their ventures forward.

"The RiseUp Summit is a testament to the growing influence of women in entrepreneurship. It’s not just about networking; it’s about forging partnerships that fuel long-term change," said one attendee.

A Movement for the Future

As the RiseUp Summit continues to grow, so does its impact on the startup ecosystem. The event is more than just a gathering — it’s a movement dedicated to building a future where diverse voices and female leaders shape the way forward for sustainable, purpose-driven entrepreneurship.

For more information, visit: riseupsummit.ch

Press Contact:

Vanessa Mohrig & Marcela Durand

Female Founders Initiative Switzerland
Email: info@female-founders.ch

This book shows how companies from Germany, Austria and Switzerland can do business successfully in the Arab Gulf States. The region, especially Saudi Arabia, is currently reinventing itself beyond oil and gas - and offers lucrative opportunities for many industries. The authors explain objectively and pragmatically how export companies can make use of this. As profound experts on the Gulf states, they analyze their observations and provide indispensable recommendations for action as well as insider tips from over 30 interviews with predominantly Arab managers. Ethical questions that arise in this difficult region are not ignored, but addressed from various perspectives. Often invisible hurdles for European managers are made visible.  

A guide for anyone who is looking for dealers in the Gulf region, wants to find customers or set up branches - and not only wants to know things, but also understand them.

The start-up sector is in crisis mode following the end of the digitalisation push triggered by the pandemic. Switzerland has done well in this downturn so far. For example, the local ecosystem is performing well if the capital invested in start-ups in 2023 is compared with investment made in 2018 and 2019. The total in 2023 was 40% above the level of the two pre-coronavirus years. This is growth that few other countries can match. In leading markets such as the US or the UK, venture capital investment in 2023 was only slightly above the levels of 2018 and 2019.

Dichotomy between winners and loosers

However, a closer look also reveals limitations to the positive news. The sustained growth is due to many smaller and medium-sized financing rounds. Switzerland’s weakness in mega-investments of CHF 100 million or more has become even more pronounced during the crisis. In addition, not all start-ups benefit equally from the generally good performance. There is a dichotomy between winners and losers, as the massive increase in start-up liquidations in 2023 shows. Finally, a few countries, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, are performing even better than Switzerland.

Early indicators of an upturn

Analysis of the impact of the financial crisis 2008 on the start-up sector also allows us to identify early indicators that could point to an end to the current difficult situation. In the years after 2008, an increasing number of exits and more launches of new funds preceded the upturn in invested capital. In addition, very low interest rates had a revitalising effect. However, if we look at these early indicators today, we cannot expect a rapid recovery. The number of exits and newly launched funds remains at a low level. Although interest rates have fallen, they are still high compared with the years immediately following the financial crisis.

Stability thanks to foreign investors

One reason for the good performance of the domestic start-up ecosystem in the current crisis is the traditionally high flow of money from abroad into Swiss start-ups. Over the past 10 years, Swiss investors have generally contributed between 20% and 25% of the capital invested in Swiss start-ups. In 2023, the share was at the lower end of this range. From 2022 to 2023, the amount provided by Swiss investors fell more sharply than that from abroad. Investors from Europe in particular ensured that the total amount invested in 2023 fell only slightly compared with other countries.

One of the largest ecosystems in OECD countries

The breadth of the Swiss start-up scene can be proven with data. It is not only the density – ie, the number of venture capital-financed start-ups per capita – that is impressive, but also the absolute number. In this country, about 250 technology-based start-ups are created each year that attract investor funding. In France and Germany, the figure is only twice as high, and in the Netherlands, with 18 million inhabitants and thus twice the size of Switzerland, the number of start-ups per year is lower.

High share of deep tech start-ups

Deep tech start-ups are not easy to distinguish from other young technology companies in databases. Nevertheless, several indicators demonstrate Switzerland’s strength in this area. For example, the proportion of start-ups that have at least one founder with a doctorate is three times higher than the OECD average. In addition, the density of start-ups with patents is about twice as high as in Sweden and a good five times higher than in Germany.

Failure rate of 20%

In addition to statements on start-ups, we also carried out for the first time a reliable analysis of the failure of Swiss start-ups, the basis of which is the Startupticker database, which has grown to 5,000 companies. According to this data, about 20% of companies fail after 10 years. Five years after founding, just under 10% have failed. These figures are significantly lower than those usually quoted; however, those usually refer to all new start-ups rather than to only technology-based, innovative and ambitious start-ups. Start-ups in the true sense of the word therefore have a much lower failure rate than new companies in general, 50% of which fail after five years.

The Swiss Startup Radar can be downloaded from the website of Startupticker.ch: https://www.startupticker.ch/index.php/en/swiss-startup-radar