News

(CONNECT) ABB has announced the six winners of its Startup Challenge 2026. The ABB program recognizes and supports a new generation of start-ups worldwide that are developing innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions to improve energy efficiency, resilience and sustainability in industry, buildings and power grids. The only company from a German-speaking country is Forgis AG, which has been based at the Innovation Campus JED in Schlieren since December 2025. Like all the other winners, Forgis will receive 30,000 dollars from ABB as cooperation funding to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) together with the Group within six months.

Forgis is working on the brain of factories, a central interface that connects machines from all manufacturers, the necessary information and their logic. The aim is to turn isolated automation into a network of intelligent organisms. Using AI that has been trained with industrial data, Forgis automates tasks that usually require specialists for programming, configuration, commissioning and diagnostics. The Forgis platform detects errors at an early stage and optimizes set-up times, availability, throughput, quality and energy efficiency. Because Forgis, according to ABB, "helps manufacturers to compete on the basis of intelligence rather than labor costs, the company supports the relocation of production sites and strengthens the resilience of the industry".

Other winners include Sesame Sustainability from Cambridge in the US state of Massachusetts. Its platform analyzes a company's systems within a few days and recommends a decarbonization plan with the most cost-effective options for electrification, microgrids, battery storage and load management.

MorphoAI from New York automates the development of circuit breakers, reducing the manual workload from months to just a few hours. Bisly from the Estonian capital Talinn has developed a building automation platform based on digital twins that simplifies the implementation of intelligent building systems by carrying out the planning and commissioning work before the actual construction phase.

The Barcelona-based company eRoots Analytics has automated the creation of digital twins for power electronics converters and reduced the workload from weeks to hours. Faraday Predictive, based in Cambridge, UK, uses sensorless, physics-based technology to monitor entire motor systems for predictive maintenance - without additional hardware, using only voltage and current signals. Patented algorithms are integrated directly into the ABB drive ecosystem at no additional cost. ce/mm

(CONNECT) Zurich-based Ergon Informatik AG is now also offering its Airlock platform with identification and access functions as a SaaS version (software as a service) from the cloud, according to a press release. The Airlock IAM as a Service program can generally be purchased from Ergon Informatik partners.

With the outsourcing of authentication, access control and user administration, users no longer need their own corresponding infrastructure. In particular, organizations that want to provide digital services quickly can rely on the access security offered, according to the press release. "Many companies want to take advantage of the cloud without compromising on security, integration capability or governance," says Roman Hugelshofer, Managing Director at Airlock, in the press release. "Our platform combines precisely these requirements: high security standards, flexible application options and reliable operation."

The platform is operated in Switzerland and processes data in accordance with the legal conditions in Switzerland and the EU. According to the company, the new version has the same technology as the already proven on-premises version. This saves users from having to implement new software and enables them to switch quickly between on-premises and cloud versions. ce/ww

The new ERNST pasta is based on durum wheat semolina and legume water (aquafaba), a by-product of legume processing. It performs central functions of the egg and enables pasta with a stable structure and high cooking, heat retention and regeneration properties - crucial for use in everyday catering. In this way, Pasta Premium also responds to volatile egg availability and at the same time creates a resource-saving, long-term stable alternative.

"Our legume water enables the functionality of egg - without any sensory compromises. The collaboration with Pasta Premium shows that sustainable, scalable and convincing solutions are also possible in the pasta sector," says Silvan Leibacher, CEO and co-founder of EggField. For ERNST Teigwaren, the focus was not only on product quality but also on practicality. "The decisive factor was a solution that works in everyday professional kitchens and is future-proof," says Sarah Anderhub, Head of Marketing at ERNST Teigwaren. "The new pasta products enable our customers to simplify their product range, respond flexibly to different nutritional requirements and deliver consistently high quality. At the same time, they can rely on an innovative Swiss product with a convincing price-performance ratio - an attractive solution in terms of both quality and economy."

This does not replace traditional egg pasta recipes; rather, EggField offers manufacturers the first opportunity to dispense with the addition of egg white in the production of pasta that is stable when cooked. The changeover simplifies the range and processes for catering businesses: The pasta is suitable as a standardized solution for different nutritional requirements - from classic to plant-based. In addition, the allergen egg is no longer required, which simplifies declaration, purchasing and storage without any adjustments to the kitchen or recipe.

(CONNECT) Paola Picotti is awarded the Otto Naegeli Prize for Medical Research 2026. It is considered one of the most important scientific prizes in Switzerland, has been awarded every two years since 2000 and is endowed with 200,000 Swiss francs. The award ceremony will take place on May 19 at the ETH.

According to a statement from ETH Zurich, the award recognizes the outstanding achievements of Picotti and her group in the development of mass spectrometry technologies and their application in researching human diseases. "Previous awards have mainly related to technological breakthroughs or our contributions to basic biological research," the ETH professor is quoted as saying. "The Otto Naegeli Prize now recognizes how these discoveries impact biomedicine and ultimately human health. That means a lot to me."

In addition, it is "both a great honor and a responsibility" to stand in line with the previous award winners. Picotti is only the seventh woman among the 43 researchers who have received this award to date.

The Picotti Group was founded at ETH in 2011. With the help of a mass spectrometer and the LiP-MS technology she developed, Picotti finally created a highly sensitive, lightning-fast protein scanner that can analyze thousands of protein structures simultaneously directly from patient samples. In this way, changes in various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's can be detected and disease mechanisms deciphered.

In addition, the approach has opened up new research directions, for example with regard to the investigation of other diseases such as cancer or the identification of target structures for new active substances. Next, Picotti wants to find out how this structural information can be used to design specific active molecules that correct the changes detected. ce/mm

In her opening speech, Government Councillor Carmen Walker Späh emphasized: "A lot has happened in five years." With its vibrant start-up ecosystem, Zurich has become a hotspot in the fields of AI, robotics, life sciences and the new space economy.

A particular strength of the Canton of Zurich lies in the close networking of the individual players: new ideas are brought together with the necessary know-how and the appropriate capacities. In his review of the last five years, Markus Müller, Co-Head of Division of Business and Economic Development, also draws conclusions for the coming years: "The start-up landscape is essential for the future of the business location.

According to futurologist Martina Kühne in her keynote speech, every image of the future is like a piece of gymnastics equipment. Anyone who thinks about it can develop ideas for a possible and desirable future. Because Martine Kühne knows: "The future doesn't just happen."

The interviews with Zurich collaboration partners show how important joint action is for the future. The merger of the ETH spin-off Sevensense with ABB illustrates just how effective the combination of capital and ingenuity can be. Today, about 80 percent of the autonomous robots sold by ABB are made by Sevensense. The startup"Prometheus Life Technologies"is developing a technology that uses weightlessness in space to grow organs in 3D. This was made possible by the parabolic flight program at the Innovation Park and through the cooperation and support of the Center for Space and Aviation at the University of Zurich. The start-up Muvon has developed a new method for muscle regeneration using the body's own cells. Cell multiplication must now be automated for commercial use - a challenge that Muvon is tackling together with the ZHAW. If the scaling is successful, a widespread medical problem of muscle weakness could be solved.

The three Zurich start-ups - Sevensense, Muvon and Prometheus Life Technologies - are representative of the canton's innovative strength, says Samuel Mösle, Co-Head of the Division of Business and Economic Development, in the final discussion. For him, these developments are "at the limits of the imaginable future". To help participants envision the future of “Innovation Zurich” more easily, Samuel Mösle offers a glimpse of what’s to come: in the future, the website—supported by artificial intelligence—will be designed to be even more interactive and connected.

(CONNECT) The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MNF) at UZH has more than doubled the proportion of female professors in twelve years and increased the proportion of women among new appointments to 64 percent. In 2014, the proportion of female professors at the MNF was just 16 percent. As the university explains in detail in a press release, the current figures are the result of the targeted recruitment and evaluation measures introduced at the time to equalize the gender ratio.

The MNF is now the first faculty in Switzerland to apply for the international Athena Swan seal of quality. It is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom and the Scientific Women's Academic Network (SWAN). Representatives of the 14 MNF institutes have been attending initial workshops with Athena Swan experts since February.

Following a peer review process, the MNF could receive an Athena Swan label at the beginning of 2027. This would increase UZH's visibility in the international competition among the best universities. Many factors play a role in this," says Roland Sigel, Professor of Chemistry and Dean of the MNF since 2017. "The award is an important building block to ensure that we can continue to attract outstanding scientists in the future."

According to the press release, equality is already firmly established at the MNF, for example in everyday appointments, promotion and personnel development. The data-based equality measures have visibly changed the MNF in recent years. Students and young researchers also benefit from this, because "role models are crucial," says Jessy Duran Ramirez, PhD student and Co-President of the MNF-EDI Commission. "When students and young researchers see people who share their backgrounds and are successful, it boosts their motivation, stamina and self-confidence." ce/mm

(CONNECT) In an international study led by them, researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have used global measurements to show that the ozone layer will fully recover seven years later than previously assumed. As Empa summarizes in a press release, feedstock chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride or certain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are responsible for this. Their use in everyday products such as refrigerators and foams was banned worldwide as a result of the Montreal Protocol, which was negotiated in the 1980s and later tightened, because they damage the ozone layer.

However, these feedstock chemicals are still used in industrial processes as starting materials for modern refrigerants and plastics. However, the study now shows that the quantities produced and leakage rates were significantly underestimated, and therefore also the consequences: Not only the 0.5 percent of the amount produced that was forecast by the industry at the time escapes into the atmosphere, but 3 to 4 percent in each case. The emission rates for carbon tetrachloride, which is particularly harmful to the ozone layer, are even higher than 4 percent. These new findings are based on global atmospheric measurements from international networks such as the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment, which also includes the Empa measuring station on the Jungfraujoch.

In addition, the use of these chemicals has not decreased as predicted, but increased, namely by 160 percent since the year 2000. This is due to a rapidly growing use in the polymer industry, for example for the production of fluoropolymers such as Teflon or polyvinylidene fluoride, an important material in lithium-ion batteries for electric cars. "These substances not only deplete the ozone layer, but are also highly damaging to the climate," Stefan Reimann, atmospheric researcher at Empa and lead author of the study, is quoted as saying.

If emissions remain at today's level, the stratospheric ozone layer would not fully recover until around 2073. According to the researchers, the uncertainty range of this estimate extends from six to eleven years. "The Montreal Protocol was successful because science, politics and industry worked closely together," summarizes Reimann. "This kind of cooperation is once again crucial for tackling new challenges." ce/mm

(CONNECT) TrendAI has agreed a strategic collaboration with Anthropic from San Francisco in the US state of California, according to its press release. Since the end of March, TrendAI has been the new name for the enterprise business of Trend Micro, the globally active Japanese provider of cyber security solutions and Swiss subsidiary in Wallisellen, headed by CEO Eva Chen. Anthropic was founded by former employees of OpenAI, the developers of ChatGPT, the siblings Danila (President) and Dario Amodei (CEO). The company develops the Claude AI model series.

As part of the collaboration, TrendAI will integrate the Claude family of large-scale language models into its overall cybersecurity platform to enable agent-based workflows, automation and AI-native security operations. The two companies also want to work together on targeted threat research to identify vulnerabilities in AI systems and infrastructures.

"For 35 years, TrendAI has been at the forefront of cybersecurity," Ash Alhashim, Head of Cybersecurity GTM at Anthropic, is quoted as saying. "By leveraging Claude for TrendAI Vision One, as well as initiatives like the TrendAI Zero Day Initiative and Pwn2Own, TrendAI is driving the next generation of vulnerability detection and reporting - giving defenders a decisive advantage," said Ash Alhashim, Head of Cybersecurity GTM at Anthropic.

TrendAI is headed by Rachel Jin, Chief Platform and Business Officer at Trend Micro. The business unit is managed from Tokyo. She explains that TrendAI was created "to define the field of AI safety. The next phase is to scale this vision globally with leading partners like Anthropic. Our comprehensive, strategic collaboration across research, defense and innovation will shape the future of AI safety."

Trend Micro is actively strengthening its Swiss team with female specialists to promote diversity in cyber security. As the company announced in January 2026, Anna Bliznina has joined the channel management team as Partner Development Manager. The company is also committed to increasing the proportion of women in the security industry through initiatives such as Women in Cyber Day Switzerland. ce/mm

(CONNECT) The start-up promoter Venture Kick from Schlieren is awarding 150,000 Swiss francs to nureo. This sum is linked to winning the third stage of the Venture Kick funding program. This will enable the Technopark Zurich-based ICT start-up to further develop its 3D design tools for engineers.

According to a press release, nureo aims to reduce the manual effort involved in creating 3D models for components and machines by up to 90 percent. Generative design and automated 3D design software will translate the user's input into production-ready geometries. This should increase productivity, accelerate iteration cycles, i.e. the process of repeatedly adapting and refining the design, and contribute to the standardization of design quality in teams.

"For us, Venture Kick was much more than just a funding program," says Patrick Beutler, who co-founded the company in June 2025. "The multi-stage process of pitches, expert feedback and targeted coaching at the Kickers Camps provided a valuable framework for continuously scrutinizing, sharpening and developing our business model."

The 150,000 Swiss francs from Venture Kick will be used to expand the business and technical development team and accelerate commercial growth. In doing so, nureo wants to build on the strong initial market validation. A central focus is on converting successful pilot projects into recurring sales. At the same time, nureo intends to increase its presence at international trade fairs and conferences, scale its sales pipeline and further develop its product range. ce/mm

(CONNECT) The Zurich-based company Securosys has launched a new key management system for managing cryptographic assets. According to a press release, the new management system is based on the company's own hardware security modules (HMS).

"Cryptographic keys form the basis for digital trust, but their management is still fragmented in many organizations and characterized by software limitations," Robert Rogenmoser, CEO of Securosys, is quoted as saying in the press release. "With Securosys CyberVault KMS, we are expanding our HSM platform with integrated key management capabilities that enable structured management while ensuring that all cryptographic keys remain protected within certified hardware."

CyberVault KMS is based on three core components of the HSM. The management provides a standardized platform for generating, storing, renewing and managing cryptographic keys. Based on certified security guarantees, the new component ensures that keys and certificates remain under user control. With a communication interface supported by artificial intelligence, keys can also be generated and controlled using natural voice commands. ce/ww

Kloten, April 13, 2026 - 226 voters took part in Monday's The 14th General Meeting of the FRZ Zurich Airport Region, Business Network & Location Development, was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel Zurich Airport in Kloten. President André Ingold opened the evening, followed by words of welcome from the Mayor of Kloten, René Huber. He talks about the importance of Kloten as a location for business and innovation in the heart of the airport region. Housing construction is currently booming in the city, which is very positive, as there are only 23,000 inhabitants compared to 40,000 jobs.

Carmen Walker Späh, Director of Economic Affairs of the Canton of Zurich, conveyed the canton's greetings and emphasized the economic dynamism of the airport region. She highlighted the Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich in Dübendorf as an up-and-coming center of the space economy. One highlight is the establishment of Starlab Space - a joint venture between Airbus, Voyager Space, Mitsubishi and MDA Space - which intends to develop a commercial space station there. This is complemented by the UZH Space Hub under Prof. Dr. Oliver Ullrich, which promotes transatlantic research and logistics through cooperation with Space Florida.

Monika Rühl, CEO of economiesuisse, spoke about challenges and opportunities in her keynote speech "Switzerland as a business location: How do we remain a champion?". The export-heavy Swiss economy struggled with geopolitical tensions and trade barriers. She called for a customs agreement with the USA and the deepening of EU relations through Bilaterals III, citing low bureaucracy, a high level of innovation and sufficient skilled workers as crucial to future prosperity.

Record year 2025 and high member satisfaction

Managing Director Rahel Kindermann Leuthard presented a strong track record for the past year: 50 events, over 5,600 participants and membership growth to 901 companies and institutions. Turnover rose to over 2.8 million francs. A survey confirms record figures for the network: 95 percent of members are very satisfied, and for 80 percent, FRZ is the business network of choice. Highlights included the 11th ImmoSummit and the 25th Business Forum in the Circle.

Location development and the "New Zurich" vision

As part of a strategy review, FRZ has sharpened its focus and is now positioning itself even more explicitly as a driving force behind location development. Sustainability is a central strategic pillar here. A new advisory board and an online "Sustainability Navigator" will promote ecological, economic and social best practice in the region. The most important project for the future is the "New Zurich" development strategy, which has been developed with 14 municipalities and external experts since 2022. "We are one of the most dynamic regions in Switzerland. Growth alone is no longer enough. The decisive factor is how we develop the region sustainably," explained Kindermann Leuthard. The official launch of the "New Zurich" reader will take place on June 10, 2026 at the 12th ImmoSummit in Dübendorf.

Honorary membership and new members on the Board of Directors

The farewell to Board members Edith Zuber, Peter Spörri and Thomas Peter marked an emotional moment. The latter was made an honorary member for his formative commitment since the company was founded. From now on, three newly elected personalities will strengthen the Board with fresh energy: Stefan Ammann (Managing Director of dormakaba Schweiz AG), Marc Osterwalder (new Administrative Director of the City of Kloten) and Roman Schmid (Mayor of Opfikon-Glattbrugg). André Ingold was confirmed as Chairman by the voters. The meeting also approved the 2025 annual financial statements and all other business.

Promoting young talent and outlook

In order to secure the future of the network, FRZ invests specifically in young talent. The "FRZ NXTwork" format and a mentoring program with around 100 experienced mentors are aimed at managers aged between 20 and 40. Jorin Lecaj was also welcomed as a new FRZ Ambassador. President André Ingold closed the official part of the event with a big thank you to the team, sponsors and partners. Before the evening ended with networking and a performance by the improv theater "anundpfirsich", CEO Rahel Kindermann Leuthard summarized: "From talent to champion - this is not a promise for tomorrow, but a decision that we make today."

About the FRZ Zurich Airport Region

The FRZ Zurich Airport Region is the leading economic network in Switzerland's most dynamic economic region. With 901 members - companies, cities and municipalities as well as organizations - the FRZ connects decision-makers from business, science and politics. The 14 towns and municipalities that form the core area and the sponsorship of the FRZ Zurich Airport Region - Business Network and Location Development association include Bachenbülach, Bassersdorf, Bülach, Dietlikon, Dübendorf, Kloten, Nürensdorf, Oberglatt, Opfikon, Rümlang, Volketswil, Wallisellen, Wangen-Brüttisellen and Winkel.

(CONNECT) In its Annual Report 2025, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) sets out the scope, range and quality of its achievements over the past year. In 2025, it again awarded around 4,000 Master's and doctoral degrees, including the first in the Quantum Engineering Master's program. Almost 100 percent of these graduates are employed as specialists after one year, around 80 percent of them in Switzerland.

For the sixth year in a row, the proportion of women among newly appointed professors was 44 percent, above the target value of 40 percent - "a strong result that makes us proud", ETH President Joël Mesot was quoted as saying in a press release. In October, ETH founded the Albert Einstein School of Public Policy to strengthen cooperation between science and politics. Another new feature is that a sustainability council advises the school management.

In 2025, ETH recognized a record 46 spin-offs. And the Robotics and AI Institute opened its second location at ETH after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston. The university's particular research successes of the year include a micro-robot that transports drugs into blood vessels and then dissolves. Living materials that bind CO2 were also created. And with Apertus, the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and Lausanne (EPFL), together with the Swiss National Supercomputing Center, published the first completely open and multilingual language model, setting a milestone for transparent and diverse generative artificial intelligence.

ETH Zurich generated total revenue of CHF 2051 million. Of this, CHF 1,385 million was financed by federal funds. The remaining CHF 666 million is income from third-party funds. ce/mm