
New concrete reduces CO2 emissions in the construction industry
The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) and Omya are working together to further develop their concrete with up to 70 per cent less clinker. It is being tested in the new NEST unit Beyond.Zero. Omya is contributing its expertise as a specialist in industrial

Chatbots every third answer is wrong
Today, AI chatbots almost always provide an answer. However, the majority of systems have serious quality problems. According to a recent study by Newsguard, they spread false information in around 35 per cent of cases, often based on dubious sources or manipulative media

Pioneering civil engineering
The new Oder bridge between Küstrin-Kietz and Kostrzyn sets international standards in bridge construction. For the first time, ultra-light and robust carbon cables, developed and tested at the Swiss Empa, are supporting a railway network arch bridge with a large span. The project is regarded as

How the Wolf site in Basel is becoming a residential neighbourhood
Where goods used to be loaded, hundreds of flats will be built in the coming years, complemented by commercial and public uses. The first architectural competitions have been decided. The winning projects "Janus" and "Binaria" show how dense residential construction can succeed despite road and

Strategic milestone for Zofingen
The Turidomus property investment foundation, managed by the Pensimo Group, has acquired the western part of the former Swissprinters site in Zofingen. A new urban neighbourhood with over 300 flats is to be built on the site, which was once a major printing location, by 2030. Diverse,

Swiss housing market continues to tighten
Despite lower immigration figures, the situation on the housing market worsened in the first half of 2025. A strong economy, low interest rates and faltering residential construction are exacerbating the shortage. Low-income households and the lower middle class are particularly affected. These are

The Swiss champions 2025 at SwissSkills
SwissSkills 2025 in Bern provided an exciting showcase for Swiss vocational training and technology. 62 young talents competed for gold in seven building technology professions, driven by precision, innovative spirit and passion. The newly crowned Swiss champions 2025 set new standards and

Circular economy strategic upturn
The circular economy has arrived in the Swiss corporate world, at least on paper. While the strategic anchoring is increasing significantly, the consistent implementation with investments, activities and sales contributions is lagging behind. The latest status report from Bern University of Applied

Between vision and reality
The prestigious Neom project in Saudi Arabia, a symbol of a technocratic future and the centrepiece of Vision 2030, is facing a significant course correction. The planned mega construction of "The Line" has been dramatically shortened and further expansion has been largely halted. Financing

Investment strengthens business location with 60 new jobs
SME Technik has begun the expansion of its production halls in Emmen. Workplaces for up to 60 employees are to be created on three floors. The CNC manufacturing specialist is investing 7 million Swiss francs. The energy-efficient building was planned and realised by Cerutti Partner Architekten

From the field: Why pole position counts in the region
Anyone who wants to market a property knows that visibility is the key to success. In an environment that is becoming increasingly digital with each new day, seconds can make the difference between attracting the attention of potential buyers and the success or failure of your business. With the

New dynamics for self-consumption communities
Primo Energie is taking over the services for self-consumption mergers (ZEV) from the energy suppliers Energie Wasser Bern, Regio Energie Solothurn and AGROLA. The Basel-based energy company is thus expanding its nationwide network to 20,000 ZEV metering


170-metre tower sets the tone in the Quartier de l’Étoile
Halter and Fordinvest are developing the Tour de l'Étoile 3 high-rise building as part of the Praille-Acacias-Vernets spatial planning project in Geneva. The 170 metre high building will provide space for 300 flats, restaurants and shops, among other

Tradition meets innovation in façade renovation in Davos
The wooden balustrades at the Hotel Schatzalp in Davos have been replaced with modern technology. The designs were created by architectural researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH). They were realised by timber construction company Künzli Davos using a digital

Photovoltaic system on company roofs in Aarau
HKG Engineering AG wants to generate electricity on the roofs of its company buildings in future. Over the next six weeks, a photovoltaic system will be installed at the Aarau site, which will produce 93,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. With this step, the company wants to cover its own

Swiss freight metro is on ice
Cargo sour terrain (CST) is abandoning its goal of realizing a Swiss freight metro in the near future. CST justifies this by stating that the federal government, cantons and cities must first create suitable framework conditions. The focus is now on consulting. Ten jobs are being

Olten-Trimbach heating network starts after approval from the cantonal hospital
Aare Energie AG and Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB) are starting to realise the Hagmatt heating network. From 2027, the neighbours Olten and Trimbach should be able to draw 20 gigawatt hours of thermal energy from the groundwater every

New boss for the Bern Congress and Event Centre
Jonas Scharf will take over the management of Kursaal Bern AG on 1 April 2026. The designated CEO will follow in the footsteps of Kevin Kunz, who is retiring. Mr Scharf's successor has management experience at MCH Exhibitions & Event GmbH and the Congress Center Basel, among


Zurich’s “city in the lake”
More than 60 years ago, Zurich architect André E. Bosshard presented a radical vision for Zurich. A new business city, built in the middle of Lake Zurich. The "City im See" project was intended to solve both the housing and traffic crisis. It has remained part of an era of bold but barely

Success for Suissetec in the EKS case
With a legally binding ruling by the Schaffhausen High Court, the building technology association Suissetec has achieved an important success in the fight for fair market conditions. Two former employees of Elektrizitätswerk des Kantons Schaffhausen were convicted of abusing monopoly rights for

Review: Swissbau Community Event at uptownBasel
On 09.09.2025, the Swissbau Community Event took place at uptownBasel in Arlesheim - a highlight for the construction and real estate industry. Around 80 participants from the Swissbau Community were given exclusive insights into current topics such as steel re-use, CO₂-neutral energy supply and

ZHAW pools expertise in new competence group
With Andrea González, the ZHAW has gained an internationally recognized expert to head the new Smart Building Management competence group. From September 2025, she and her team will be working on making buildings and infrastructures smarter, more sustainable and more resilient. This will be based

Electricity prices to fall slightly in 2026
Households in Switzerland will pay an average of almost 4% less for electricity in the basic supply in 2026. The reduction is due to lower energy prices. At the same time, new tariff elements will be introduced and dynamic grid models will be enshrined in law in order to utilize the grids more

NEST tests CO₂-reduced building materials
With the new NEST unit "Beyond.Zero", Empa, Eawag and Omya are sending a strong signal for climate-friendly construction. From August 2025, a real test environment for CO₂-reduced and CO₂-negative materials that are intended to make the entire life cycle of buildings more sustainable will be

Fair, ecological procurement with Toolbox Sustainability
With the "Sustainability Toolbox", the Swiss Association of Master Builders, Infra Suisse and Bauenschweiz are providing a practical instrument for public awarding authorities and engineering firms. The aim is to systematically integrate ecological, social and economic criteria into construction


