Cutting-edge technologies are setting the tone for the region as a hub for innovation
The Zurich-based start-up RTDT Laboratories has won this year’s ZKB Pioneer Award for its technology to optimise wind turbines. GlycoEra and RoBoa were also recognised. The People’s Choice Award went to CCRAFT.
On 12 May, RTDT Laboratories beat four other finalists at the ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark 2026 and won the prize of 100,000 Swiss francs. GlycoEra and RoBoa each received 10,000 Swiss francs. Two further finalists, CCRAFT and Unbound Potential, presented their projects to the 350 guests. The audience prize went to CCRAFT.
RTDT Laboratories, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich based at Technopark Zurich, has developed Aerosense, a sensor system for wind turbine rotor blades. It measures dynamic pressure, vibrations and mechanical stresses during live operation. Using the digital twin created from the data, operators and manufacturers can analyse flow behaviour, optimise blade designs and further develop control algorithms in a targeted manner.
“The efficiency of wind turbines is a key driver of the energy transition,” said jury chairman Lothar Thiele in his laudatory speech, according to a press release. “RTDT impresses with a technologically leading solution that intelligently combines sensor technology, AI-supported analysis and control, thereby significantly improving both the cost-effectiveness and service life of the turbines. From the visionary basic idea through to the sophisticated engineering, the solution represents a technological pioneering achievement.”
GlycoEra from Wädenswil, Canton of Zurich, is also carrying out pioneering work: the biotech start-up from Wädenswil, Canton of Zurich, uses its proprietary protein degraders to enable the targeted removal of disease-causing proteins in autoimmune diseases, rather than broadly suppressing the immune system.
The combination of scalability, practicality and clearly defined fields of application of the novel, snake-like robot from RoBoa in Zurich, also an ETH spin-off, particularly impressed the jury. It is suitable, for example, for narrow pipe systems and complex infrastructures.
The CSEM spin-off CCRAFT from Neuchâtel won the audience award, worth 5,000 Swiss francs. The start-up produces high-performance chips made from thin-film lithium niobate. It converts electrical signals into optical ones, enabling data to be transmitted particularly quickly via fibre-optic cables.
Unbound Potential from Thalwil, Zurich, is developing a novel, non-flammable flow battery for storing renewable energy. Instead of a costly membrane, two immiscible electrolytes are used. Without relying on critical raw materials, it achieves efficiencies of up to 85 per cent.
The ZKB Pioneer Award Technopark is presented annually by Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) and Technopark Zurich and has been regarded for 25 years as one of the most prestigious awards for deep-tech start-ups in Switzerland.