Business news

Winterthur – The Rivora Collective Foundation received the awards for Best Residential Properties 2026 and Best Pension Fund in 2026. The awards are presented by IAZI in Zurich. Rivora is a long-standing partner of Auwiesen Immobilien AG.

Winterthur – Désirée Keller and Céline Küng have joined the Board of Directors of the PAWI Group. The two daughters of company owner and Chairman of the Board Andreas Keller are expected to strengthen the long-term strategic direction of the family-run packaging specialist.

Winterthur - Burckhardt Compression has received several orders for compressors for LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals in Taiwan and Thailand. The company will build eight Laby compression units for boil-off gas and one for minimum flow service.

Winterthur – The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) is among the universities with the greatest entrepreneurial impact in the German-speaking world. It is also the only Swiss university of applied sciences in the top 25. These findings come from a study conducted by the Technical University of Munich.

Winterthur/Baden AG – The Chopfab Brewery won three gold medals and one silver medal at the 2026 Swiss Beer Awards. At the awards ceremony held at the Trafohalle in Baden in mid-April, a total of 165 beers were honored across 43 categories. The new main sponsor of the beer awards is Bucher Denwel from Niederweningen, Zurich.  

Seuzach, Canton of Zurich/Zurich – Zurich-based investor EGS Beteiligungen is becoming the anchor shareholder of Netcloud AG, headquartered in Seuzach. This move gives the IT service provider a new shareholder structure, which is intended to further strengthen the company’s long-term development and stability.

Winterthur – Cafe Restaurant Obergass, the coffee roastery Küng & Co AG, and Selzam AG are the finalists for the 16th KMU-MAX, which comes with a prize of 3,000 Swiss francs. The winner of this entrepreneurship award, sponsored by the Winterthur and Surrounding Area SME Association, will be determined live on May 20, 2026, by a public vote.

Baden AG/Winterthur/Liestal BL – The pilot project by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the Energiestadt Association on the topic of an ad-free city in Baden has received a mixed reception from the public and the media. Its goal was to examine local acceptance of advertising regulations.

Winterthur – The startup Binabik has chosen Technopark Winterthur as its location. The spin-off from the ZHAW Center for Artificial Intelligence is using agent-based artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a "brain" for humanoid robots, enabling them to act autonomously and flexibly.

Winterthur – The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) found in a survey that a more seasonally oriented food selection is viewed positively or neutrally by the majority of respondents. Older people are more likely to accept a smaller variety than younger people.

Winterthur – The Board of Trustees of the Fotomuseum Winterthur has named the successor to outgoing director Nadine Wietlisbach. Sophie Haslinger will take over as director on August 1, 2026. The curator has been working at the KunstHausWien – Museum Hundertwasser since 2015.

Winterthur – Researchers at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) have developed a digital tool for sustainable construction. On dkon.ch, users can assess the impact of specific design decisions on the environment, costs, and construction methods.

Winterthur – The number of students at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) rose by 2.4 percent to 14,995 in 2025, setting a new record. Regula Jöhl, who took office as rector in February 2025, aims to further strengthen cooperation between the departments.

Kemptthal, Zurich – Katadyn introduces its new Explorer water filter series. These portable, modular units are designed for expeditions and professional field operations. They combine ceramic filtration, activated carbon, and virus removal.

Zurich/Winterthur – The Swiss Excellence Foundation is seeking applicants for the 2026 Product Award. Two prizes will be awarded to SMEs and startups. Interested parties can apply by May 15. The awards ceremony will take place on September 17 at Technopark Winterthur.

Winterthur – Podcastschmiede has won the Suisse Podcast Award in the “Business & Nonprofit” category for its podcast “Auf Bewährung: Leben mit Gefängnis” (On Probation: Life with Prison). As part of the project, the podcast agency, in collaboration with the Zurich Cantonal Department of Justice, offers insights into the world of the correctional system.

Winterthur – The Winterthur Consulting Group has expanded its team with the addition of Juan Souto. In his new role as Director, he will focus on comprehensive investment advice, retirement and estate planning, and financing.

Winterthur – Seven out of ten households in Winterthur currently have access to solar power from their neighborhood. This power is provided by 155 local communities, which collectively operate 535 of the 2,500 solar systems installed in Winterthur. The federal government supports local consumption by offering a discount.

Winterthur – Rieter and its German subsidiary Barmag are exhibiting together for the first time at the ITM textile machinery trade fair, which is taking place in Istanbul this year. The textile machinery manufacturers will be showcasing their innovations in the areas of full automation, digitalization, and recycling.

Zurich/Winterthur – The Female Founders Initiative is launching the latest edition of the FF+ Acceleration Program with eight female startup founders and their teams. Over the course of ten weeks, the program will offer workshops, expertise, essential tools, and networking opportunities designed to help build companies ready for investment.

Zurich/Winterthur – Zurich Soft Robotics GmbH is carrying out its largest project to date using its Solskin facade technology. An adaptive building envelope comprising 3,500 modules covering 1,300 square meters has been installed on the KELLER Diamant building in Winterthur. The facade combines dynamic shading with electricity generation via photovoltaics.

Winterthur – The two Winterthur-based companies Kistler and Cyltronic have developed a compact servo press equipped with a servo amplifier, motor, and sensors. The electromechanical joining modules in the new series combine all the components necessary for a safe joining process into a single housing.

Winterthur/Okpo – Burckhardt Compression has received the largest single order in its history in the marine segment. The compressor manufacturer has been commissioned by the Korean company Hanwha Ocean to build 14 boil-off gas compressors for liquefied gas carriers. Everllence was also involved in the development.

Bern/Winterthur – SBB and the participating construction companies are beginning work on the expansion of the Wallisellen, Dietlikon, Bassersdorf, and Winterthur Töss stations. Preliminary work on the Brütten Tunnel is getting underway. By 2037, the line between Zurich and Winterthur is to be expanded to four tracks throughout its entire length.

Winterthur/Zurich – The Migros Cooperative Association will become the sole owner of the Medbase Group. It is acquiring the shares held by the Migros cooperatives in Eastern Switzerland, Lucerne, and Zurich. Medbase is expected to further expand its position as one of the leading providers in the healthcare market.

Winterthur/Zurich – Soils throughout Switzerland are contaminated with so-called “forever chemicals” (PFAS), but elevated concentrations are found only at specific sites. This is the conclusion reached by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.

Winterthur – The Winterthur Cantonal Hospital (KSW) closed the 2025 fiscal year with a profit of 55.1 million Swiss francs. Despite rising demand for hospital services, patient satisfaction remained high.

Winterthur/Singen – Andreas Keller is stepping down as Group CEO of PAWI Group AG. The company owner will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors of the packaging specialist. The Winterthur and Singen locations will be led in the future by Urban Ettlin, Edoardo Finotti, and Silvan Flury as co-CEOs.

Winterthur/Irvington – Volcafe will now manage and oversee all operations in the U.S. and Canada under the umbrella of Volcafe North America. This means that the company’s entire North American business is now fully integrated into the Winterthur-based green coffee trader’s global platform.

Kemptthal, Zurich – Planted is removing references to meat from the names of its plant-based products. This move follows a May 2025 ruling by the Federal Supreme Court. The products themselves remain unchanged. The changes apply only to the Swiss market.