News

(CONNECT) CDR-Life has announced a new candidate for its M-gager antibody technology platform. According to a press release, the drug in question is CDR209, a novel T-cell engager for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis. T-cell engagers are a class of engineered bispecific monoclonal antibodies that are currently being studied as anticancer agents. If the new candidate proves effective, it would be “an important step toward expanding our M-gager platform to autoimmune diseases,” CEO Dr. Christian Leisner is quoted as saying. The new drug candidate thus complements the oncology portfolio of the biotech company, which is a member of the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich. Its anti-cancer candidate, CDR404, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

Axial spondyloarthritis is better known in German-speaking countries as Morbus Bechterew. This chronic inflammatory disease primarily affects the spine and the sacroiliac joints. It is typically accompanied by back pain, limited range of motion, and possible stiffness in these joints. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 2.7 million adults are affected. It is true that treatment options have improved in recent years. However, according to the statement, many patients are still unable to adequately manage their condition.

On its M-gager platform, CDR-Life has now developed CDR209, a candidate that targets TRBV9-positive T cells. These specific T cells appear to play an important role in the immune response in many patients. In preclinical studies, CDR-Life has reprogrammed healthy T cells to selectively eliminate these TRBV9 T cells without attacking other cells.

“The selective removal of these cells while preserving the rest of the immune system opens up the possibility of interrupting the disease process at a more fundamental level,” said Denis Poddubnyy, professor of internal medicine and director of the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. "In the long term, the goal is to determine whether such an immunological reorientation can lead to sustained disease control or even to remission without the need for treatment."

Founded in 2017, CDR-Life AG is headquartered in Horgen and is a member of the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich. ce/mm

(CONNECT) The Arena by ASB GlassFloor is part of the new Movecity multisport arena at Moosbachstrasse 13 in Affoltern am Albis. Until now, digital sports flooring has been used primarily in professional venues and at major sporting events, such as at FC Bayern Basketball’s BMW Park in Munich. According to a press release, the LED glass floor from ASB Systembau Horst Babinsky GmbH, based in Traunreut, Bavaria, is now available for booking by the general public for the first time.

The ASB GlassFloor is controlled via a software platform and can be programmed for a variety of uses. For example, field markings for various sports, as well as animations, graphics, logos, and live data, can be displayed directly on the 28-by-15-meter surface. A tracking system also enables interactive games in which participants control what happens on the floor through their movements.

The arena can be booked by individuals, groups, clubs, schools, and businesses. In addition to recreational sports, events, workshops, and corporate functions are also possible. It is operated at Movecity as a shop-in-shop by Zurich-based Athlete World GmbH in collaboration with Zug-based ASB Arena & Event Services AG (AES), a subsidiary of ASB.

movecity ag held its official opening weekend in early September. Spanning just under 13,000 square meters, the facility brings together ten sports and activity areas. These include a trampoline park, a zipline, courts for padel and pickleball, a freestyle park for skateboarding, BMX, mountain biking, and scooters, as well as activities for freerunning and rock climbing. ce/as

(CONNECT) Thomas Schoch has assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Directors of Technopark Winterthur AG effective September 1, the company announced in a press release. He has been a member of the committee for four years and works as an entrepreneur and startup investor. He “brings the experience and network needed for the strategic development of the company.”

His predecessor, Daniel Anderes, stepped down from the Board of Directors at the end of August after serving as president for six years. During his tenure, the ground floor of the Technopark was renovated, and Thomas Schumann handed over the management of the company to Stève Mérillat, among other developments. In addition, other challenges arose for the Technopark during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The position of vice president has also been filled: Franziska Zuber, a member of the Board of Directors since 2021, will assume this role. Back in May, Michael Ott succeeded Ronald Kundert as the representative of Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB). At the same time, Moritz Heim of Dahinden Heim Partner Architekten AG in Winterthur was newly elected to the Board of Directors. Stefan Fritschi has also been a member of the committee since July; he took over for Mike Künzle following the change in the Winterthur mayor's office. The Board of Directors is now once again at its intended size. ce/as

(CONNECT) To date, more than 1 million reports on digital training sessions in surgical training have been stored on VirtaMed Connect. VirtaMed has just announced this.

The Schlieren-based company develops virtual and mixed reality simulators for the postgraduate training of surgeons. To achieve this, the spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, founded in 2007, uses hyper-realistic digital twins, artificial intelligence, and custom-designed hardware.

On its cloud-based platform, VirtaMed Connect—launched in 2018—all simulator data can be viewed and managed in one place. This means that instructors can manage data from their simulation-based training sessions, view participants' training progress, and analyse performance metrics from anywhere, 24/7. According to VirtaMed, Connect thus provides educators and institutions with “greater transparency into how simulation is used and helps transform individual training experiences into measurable insights about usage, performance, and outcomes.”

According to the announcement, Connect now has over 25,000 registered users. In recent years, they have saved an average of 17,000 reports per month. "And as this dataset continues to grow, so does our ability to understand, plan, deliver, measure, and learn from simulation-based education."

VirtaMed is headquartered at the IJZ Schlieren Innovation and Start-up Center and is a member of Start Smart Schlieren. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Construction of the new training facilities at the Andelfingen Training Center (AZA) has reached another milestone with the topping-out ceremony, according to a press release from the Zurich Cantonal Building Insurance Corporation (GVZ). The project, which cost approximately 40 million Swiss francs, includes a high-rise building simulation facility and a hall with a fire basement. The GVZ is financing the project with fire safety fees and bears overall responsibility.

The high-rise simulation facility reaches a height of 24 meters and consists of six full stories, two basement levels, and a penthouse level. On a 1,832-square-meter site, emergency responders will be able to train, among other things, in how to respond to high-rise fires. To this end, the building will be equipped with a fire department elevator, a smoke control system, and sprinkler and fire alarm systems. The 17-meter-high training hall also has two basement levels. Their fire simulation facility allows for training sessions regardless of weather conditions and the simulation of fires underground.

Construction workers, fire safety officers, and GVZ appraisers are also expected to use the facilities. “The new training facilities are an investment in civil protection,” said Mario Fehr, Zurich’s Director of Security and Chairman of the GVZ Board of Directors.

The construction project will use, among other things, 2,900 cubic meters of concrete, more than two-thirds of which is made from recycled concrete rubble. The 350 metric tons of reinforcing steel consist entirely of recycled steel. A flue gas scrubbing system is designed to clean the combustion gases produced during live-fire exercises. Following completion, which is scheduled for mid-2027, the new facilities are expected to begin operations in phases starting in early 2028. They will subsequently become the property of the Canton of Zurich, and the AZA is responsible for their operation. ce/as

(CONNECT) In one month, employees at Zurich Airport will be able to travel between two operational buildings on a defined route using a fully autonomous shuttle bus. According to a statement from Flughafen Zürich AG, this will also mark the completion of the final test phase of Level 4 automation—the highest level now achieved—in which there is no safety driver on board. Employees of the partner companies Swissport and Krummen Kerzers monitor operations remotely from a so-called "remote cockpit" and can step in to provide support as needed.

“Automated driving doesn’t mean that people will disappear,” explains Raphaël Glaesener, Senior Innovation Manager at Flughafen Zürich AG. “But the tasks are changing. Operations will also become more efficient because, in the future, a single employee will be able to monitor multiple buses.”

The autonomous Robobus shuttles are manufactured by the Chinese company WeRide. It is headquartered in the industrial hub of Guangzhou. Since March 2025, Flughafen Zürich AG has been working with its technology partner to enable automated driving on the airport grounds. Aircraft taxiways are not crossed in the process.

“The gradual automation of vehicles can make an important contribution to airports in light of the looming shortage of skilled workers,” said Coralie Klaus Boecker, Head of the ZRH Innovation Hub at Flughafen Zürich AG. “It was therefore essential for us to lay the necessary groundwork early on. In doing so, we are creating the conditions for the safe operation of automated vehicles at the airport—not only for ourselves, but also for our partners.” ce/mm

(CONNECT) Reichle & De-Massari AG is expanding its range of grid infrastructure solutions for wind and solar farms. “The exchange of information between power plant operators, electricity exchanges, and energy suppliers is on the rise,” writes the globally active specialist in data and communications networks, based in the Zurich Oberland, in a related press release. "Energy production and consumption therefore require a fail-safe flow of data in both directions." R&M's new products are designed to meet the requirements for outdoor network connections as well as those for local data networks in operations centers.

For R&M, the robustness of the networks plays a major role in this regard. "Wind and solar farms would have to be accessible nonstop for decades, regardless of weather conditions, because the stakeholders rely on real-time data," the company writes. In wind farms, for example, cabling is exposed to vibrations, temperature fluctuations, and—in the case of offshore wind farms—salty air. The R&M components in the outdoor connectivity portfolio are therefore designed for use in harsh conditions. The company highlights the Harsh Environment Connector (HEC) for optical data links as a key component. This is where the Telecordia standard—which goes beyond the IEC standard and defines disturbance parameters such as vibration, temperature changes, and mechanical robustness more strictly—is applied.

In addition, the company has ensured that its cabling systems support any network architecture and communication requirements. R&M offers its clients support for projects from the planning stage through to the commissioning of the data network. ce/hs

(CONNECT) A team at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) is working on an easy-to-conduct climate test for reinforced concrete. In the future, such a test could determine which type of low-carbon concrete is suitable for which location in the long term, without having to wait decades for data from actual structures. According to an international study involving ETH researchers, simply assessing the moisture content at a given location is not sufficient and puts more environmentally friendly types of concrete at a disadvantage.

However, the method already developed by the team clearly indicates that current European standards for assessing the impact of climate on the susceptibility of reinforced concrete to corrosion fall short. “The climate plays a much bigger role than we expected,” Ueli Angst, professor of materials durability at ETH, is quoted as saying in a press release. "The same concrete can behave completely differently in a different climate." Nevertheless, European standards currently classify the four study sites—Zurich, Bergen (Norway), Manaus (Brazil), and Huailai (China)—as belonging to the same category: “alternating wet and dry.”

However, in Bergen and Manaus, it is evident that steel rusts at different rates despite receiving the same annual rainfall. According to the ETH study, the key factor is how rainy and dry periods alternate. In addition, the team's model calculations showed that low-carbon concrete lasts 50 years or longer at certain locations than at others. Instead of using the same concrete everywhere according to the same rules, we need to take greater account of a structure’s location in the future.

“As a result, current standards can become an obstacle to new and more environmentally friendly materials,” said Angst. According to the report, the new approach could eliminate such an obstacle. This is because many of today's testing methods were developed for conventional cements and no longer account for the specific properties of climate-friendly concrete types. Now, Angst and his team also want to develop a simple and quick method for risk assessment with regard to climate change. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Planted Foods AG is opening its first pop-up diner at ETH Zurich in collaboration with the SV Group. From September 15 to October 2, 2026, the ETH spin-off founded in 2019 will return to its place of origin: In partnership with the Dübendorf-based SV Group, which already operates several dining facilities at ETH, Planted—a food tech company specialising in plant-based proteins—will offer meat-free versions of classics such as the Crispy Cheeseburger, Pastrami Deli Sandwich, and Philly Cheese Sandwich.

To mark the occasion, the ETH Tannenbar will be decorated in purple—Planted’s brand color—for the duration of these three weeks and renamed VIOLA’s Diner Planted Soulfood. According to a press release, this marks a return to a special place for Planted. According to the company, what began as a research project at ETH Zurich has now become an internationally active food tech company with products in numerous European markets.

“It’s pretty cool to be back right here now with VIOLA’s Diner,” Lukas Böni is quoted as saying. He is a co-founder of Planted and is responsible for products and technology. "I'm looking forward to showing what has become of our ideas and how well and easily you can cook with our products today."

VIOLA's Diner also offers dishes featuring two new products from Planted. They're called planted.hack and planted.roast Smoky, and have been available at select Coop stores since the end of August. ce/mm

(CONNECT) At the awards gala on September 9, 2026, the Gold Award for the Top 100 Swiss Startups 2026 went to Corintis, just as it did last year. Founded in 2022 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) by Remco van Erp and Sam Harrison, this engineering startup is developing microfluidic cooling technology for high-performance chips used in data centers.

More than 100 jury members awarded the Silver Award to DeepJudge from Zurich. The core product of the legal tech company founded in 2022 by CEO and co-founder Paulina Grnarova, which emerged from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, is a proprietary artificial intelligence system. It can highlight a law firm's expertise, which is based, among other things, on documents, strategies, and precedents.

PAVE Space (Villeneuve, VD) received the Bronze Top 100 Award. Founded in 2023 at EPFL, the spin-off of the student-led and co-founded Gruyère Space Program is developing the Kickstage spacecraft. It can transport satellites from low Earth orbit to their final destination in a matter of hours rather than months.

In addition to the main prizes, special awards were also presented in six categories. The top newcomer is Dexterous Endoscopes (Epalinges, Vaud), the only company in the top 100 founded in 2026. The largest round of financing, totaling $225 million, went to Kandou Bus (Saint-Sulpice, VD).

In 2026, Memo Therapeutics (Schlieren, ZH) recorded the largest exit, with an estimated value of over 700 million. The highest-ranked biotech startup is Aukera Therapeutics (Saint-Sulpice). The best cleantech startup is Voltiris (Epalinges). And Flexion Robotics (Zurich) was named the best startup in robotics.

“The founders featured in this year’s Top 100 are tackling some of the most important challenges facing our world,” says Stefan Steiner, program director of the event—also known as the “Oscars of Swiss Startups”—in a press release. "Their ambition, combined with Switzerland's unique strengths in research, engineering, and entrepreneurship, is helping to build the next generation of global market leaders."

The competition is organised by the "Handelszeitung" and Venturelab. Over the course of its 16-year history, 677 high-tech startups have been honored. Together, they raised 18.8 billion francs in venture capital and created 27,288 jobs. 111 of the companies successfully exited, 11 became unicorns, and another 11 are now publicly traded. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Zurich is the only innovation cluster in Switzerland to make it into the world's top 100. The 2026 Global Innovation Index, published by the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), ranks the Greater Zurich Area 40th. The index measures innovative activities in cities and regions around the world. These include the absolute numbers of international patent applications, scientific publications, and venture capital transactions that were identified.

In this assessment, Zurich’s performance over the past five years is based on 4,031 patent applications, 23,704 scientific publications, and 1,491 venture capital deals. Most patents were filed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH, 180), followed by SIKA (139) and IBM (134). Most of the publications came from ETH Zurich (5,881), the University of Zurich (4,107), and the ETH Domain (1,104).

59 percent of all patents are filed in collaboration with innovators outside the Zurich cluster. These are primarily from Basel, San Jose-San Francisco, and Bern. 84 percent of the articles published by the Greater Zurich Innovation Cluster were produced in collaboration with organisations outside the cluster. They are based primarily in Bern, London, and Paris.

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou region ranks first in the list of innovation clusters sorted by size. It has a population of over 30 million. It is followed by Tokyo-Yokohama, San Jose-San Francisco, Seoul, and Beijing. London, ranked 8th, and Paris, ranked 10th, are the highest-ranked European innovation clusters.

Another WIPO ranking lists the innovation clusters with the highest level of activity. In this list, the number of inventions and scientific publications is compared to the population of the city or region being evaluated. The Greater Zurich Area, with its 2.03 million residents (as of 2025), ranks 13th. This places it behind Helsinki (8th), Eindhoven (9th), Stockholm (11th), and Copenhagen (12th), but ahead of Munich, London, and Paris. As in the previous year, San Jose-San Francisco and Cambridge took the top two spots. Next on the list are Ningde (China), Boston-Cambridge (U.S.), and Oxford (United Kingdom). ce/mm

(CONNECT) The Youngpreneurs association and the HWZ are joining forces to support young entrepreneurs. Following a successful launch in Bern, Thun, and Central Switzerland, the first support programme is set to be implemented in the canton of Zurich this fall, according to a press release from the HWZ. As a partner at Youngpreneurs, she will contribute her entrepreneurial expertise and her network of contacts in business and the professional world.

“With HWZ, we are gaining a partner that embodies and promotes entrepreneurship as a university,” Emanuel Roth, co-founder and managing partner of the Youngpreneurs Association, is quoted as saying in the press release. “Together, we create an inspiring environment for young people where they can develop their ideas, build valuable connections, and gain their first entrepreneurial experiences.”

The two partners plan to begin implementing the first program this fall. Participants develop their business ideas and, over the course of eight months and through 16 practical modules, turn them into market-ready startups. Finally, the teams will present their projects to a jury at the Award Night in April 2027. The HWZ is hosting the finals and will be represented on the jury.

“Entrepreneurship begins when people have the courage to try out ideas and take on responsibility,” explains Linard Barth, head of the Department of Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Academy at HWZ. The HWZ aims to promote this attitude. "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to support the young talents of Youngpreneurs on their journey and to celebrate the first Award Night of the Zurich program at HWZ." ce/hs