Climate Foundation Switzerland awards 683,000 Swiss francs for innovative projects
The Swiss Climate Foundation has approved a total of CHF 683,000 for six innovative climate-relevant projects and technologies in the first round of funding in 2023. These include, for example, the space-saving drilling technology for the extraction of geothermal energy by the company HammerDrum from Sursee.
The quality of the applications received by the Swiss Climate Foundation for the first round of funding in 2023 is “as high as ever”, according to a statement by the organisation. It has granted funding totalling 683,000 Swiss francs for six of them. Last year, the Swiss Climate Foundation decided on a change of strategy: since 1 January 2023, it has focused exclusively on climate-relevant innovations. In this way, “our funds develop their maximum leverage effect”, said Thomas Hügli, President of the Foundation Board, at the time. SMEs in Switzerland and Liechtenstein are eligible for support.
In its latest announcement, the Swiss Climate Foundation cites the Sursee-based company HammerDrum as an example. It is receiving funding for its space-saving drilling technology for extracting geothermal energy. Instead of the area of a football field usually required for a deep geothermal probe, their drilling technology manages with 25 square metres, as is usual for two parking spaces. This gives even large properties in confined urban spaces the opportunity to switch to CO2-neutral geothermal energy.
Overall, the balance of this first pure innovation year is strong, even if the influx of projects has declined as expected, says the press release, which also presents the 2022 annual report. Four new companies joined as partners last year: Mirabaud as well as the Graubündner, Basler and Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank. This means that 31 companies in Switzerland and Liechtenstein are now involved in the Swiss Climate Foundation. They finance the Climate Foundation with the refunds they receive from the CO2 tax.
This year, the Climate Foundation is celebrating its 15th anniversary with two events: on 25 July in Zurich at the Allianz Cinema Night and on 13 September at the Raiffeisen Forum in Bern.