
Transformation programme proves effective at access technology specialist
Dormakaba, a company operating in the locking technology sector, will see declines in total revenue and profit in the first half of the 2025/26 financial year. However, organic growth will be generated and margins will also increase. The forecast therefore remains

Research develops climate-friendly alternative to cement
Holcim is participating in the development of cement-free concrete alongside European universities and research institutes. The aim of the European C-SINK project is to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the production of building


New cooperation improves precision in surveying and construction
Fixposition, based in Schlieren, is collaborating with Topcon on its next generation of satellite-based positioning systems. The Californian company will equip drones with Fixposition's visually assisted technologies for high-precision


Biogas plant to be converted to biomethane production
Axpo Biomasse AG has replaced its combined heat and power plant in Aarberg with a biogas processing plant. In future, biomethane will be produced there from regional green waste. Energie Wasser Bern will purchase the entire quantity and feed the renewable gas into the

Swiss speciality chemicals drive expansion in the sealant market
Sika plans to acquire Turkish adhesive and sealant manufacturer Akkim. The Zug-based specialty chemicals company wants to expand its supply chains in the adhesive and sealant trade. The additional distribution channels will also be used to expand its online

New process brings decorative high-performance wood into series production
Koster AG Holzwelten has developed marble wood in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). The wood is characterised by a pattern of black lines caused by a fungus. It is now being marketed under the name


Renovating bridges with “smart” steel
A large proportion of Swiss bridges date from before 1980 and are slowly reaching the limits of their service life. An Empa team has now developed a reinforcement system that uses ultra-high-strength fibre-reinforced concrete and "shape memory steel" to stabilise even damaged bridge slabs and make

Gaudí’s hidden chalet in the Pyrenees
For a long time, the Catllaràs chalet was considered an architectural enigma with no signed plans. A recent study now clearly attributes the remote building in the Pyrenees to Antoni Gaudí and shows how radically he intertwined the supporting structure, geometry and regional building tradition in

AI monitoring brings new precision to infrastructure planning
For a project run by Innovation Zurich's Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Sandbox, Swiss railway company Südostbahn and irmos technologies used sensors to collect information about an old bridge. This demonstrates the huge potential of data-based infrastructure

Defect rights and builders’ liens – important changes
On 1st January 2026, a partial revision of warranty law in the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO) will come into force, strengthening the rights of builders and property buyers. At the same time, the building contractor's lien will be clarified in the Swiss Civil Code



Without materials research, there would be no progress
Empa develops the batteries, sensors, building materials and quantum technologies of tomorrow. The clear goal is to develop materials that advance everyday life, climate protection and industry at the same time. For Director Tanja Zimmermann, it is clear that sustainability is not possible without

New role for H₂ heat
In Offenbach, the world's first catalytic hydrogen air heating system from HYTING is running in real operation, flameless, emission-free and as a supplement to the heat pump. It could become a building block in the heating revolution for trade and industry, but remains a technological niche for the

Innovative materials in construction
In the Speakers Corner at Swissbau, ICSC Beton AG, KLARK, KohlenKraft and Timber Structures 3.0 showed how building materials are becoming active levers for the climate transition. From CO₂-storing concrete to large-scale wooden ceilings. The speakers presented concrete projects that demonstrate


Growth strategy in the building technology market continues
The Burkhalter Group has acquired Enplan AG, a building services engineering company based in Herisau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Elektro Gasser AG, an electrical and telecommunications company based in Lalden, Valais. These two acquisitions will enable the Group to expand its market share in

Swiss companies start the year on a more optimistic note
The business situation in the Swiss private sector improved noticeably at the start of 2026. Companies are more confident about the coming months than they were at the beginning of 2025. The upturn is being driven primarily by the manufacturing industry, but the construction, financial, retail and

Group of 15: Joint plea for a united real estate industry
"Progress instead of regulation - loosening shackles, shaping the future" was the title of the latest Group of 15 symposium at Zurich's Kunsthaus. Swiss politicians and responsible players from the real estate industry came together to discuss the highly controversial status quo of the Swiss real

Building a house from plastic waste
Researchers are developing 3D-printed floor beams made from plastic waste that meet building regulations and could replace wood in housing construction in the future. The approach is aimed at lightweight, modular constructions and making plastic waste usable as a resource in global housing


Digital product passport brings transparency to the circular economy
Sky-Frame AG has published a digital product passport with a cradle-to-cradle compass. Developed by epeaswitzerland, this tool provides information on the window manufacturer's supply chains and the returnability of its products, among other




