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(CONNECT) A full-motion VR flight simulation system from Loft Dynamics in Dübendorf will train pilots of PHI Air Medical, one of the largest air rescue services in the USA based in Arizona, for complex missions. The Swiss provider's training platform, which is the only VR simulation worldwide to be approved for pilot training by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will be used as an Airbus H125 model at the PHI base in Mesa in the future, according to a press release.

With a 360-degree 3D cockpit and functions such as Force Feedback (authentic feeling of resistance) and Six Degrees of Freedom (freedom of movement in space), the simulation prepares flight crews for landings with zero visibility, rescue missions at high altitude, night flights and variable patient loads. According to Loft Dynamics, the simulator reflects the complexity and time pressure of real rescue missions.

"This is exactly what VR is for: for people who fly complex, time-sensitive missions. PHI's introduction of VR technology demonstrates what is possible when training is no longer dependent on geography, availability or cost. This is not just a milestone for PHI - but a turning point for the entire air rescue industry in terms of the training of its pilots," Fabi Riesen, founder and CEO of Loft Dynamics, is quoted in the press release. ce/yes

(CONNECT) On October 21, 2025, the Albert Einstein School of Public Policy was founded at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH). According to a report by the university, the newly created interdisciplinary center is intended to better connect science, technology and politics and to qualify decision-makers in politics and administration.

"We want to support politicians and public administration employees in making fact-based decisions that are based on the latest knowledge. We want to enter into an active dialog and provide the foundations for this," said Tobias Schmidt, ETH Professor of Energy and Technology Policy and Director of the Albert Einstein School of Public Policy, in the press release.

Employees from politics and administration at the institution will meet with those from research and teaching in various forms in order to develop joint social concepts. The newly founded center is based on the work of the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy (ISTP). The topics addressed by 70 members from 13 departments include artificial intelligence and digitalization, environmental, energy and food systems, spatial planning and the built environment, public health, business and innovation, and peace, conflict and security. Director Tobias Schmidt is supported by a management committee consisting of five people. ce/ww

(CONNECT) Elektrizitätswerk Zürich wants to support the real estate sector on its way to net zero. The company, which is owned by the City of Zurich, has revised and reissued a corresponding guide. "Net zero for real estate: an opportunity for future-oriented investments" is intended to serve as a knowledge base for developers and property owners.

Reducing emissions in the building sector is sometimes a challenge, writes ewz in a press release on the guidelines. It presents practicable measures that are worthwhile from both an ecological and an economic point of view. The guidelines are based on the SIA standard 390/1 known as the climate path. It was defined at the beginning of the year as an aid for clients and planners. The requirements of the climate path are high "but achievable with today's construction possibilities", according to the press release.

Interested parties can request the guide online. For this purpose, ewz provides a link to the corresponding form in the notification. ce/hs

(CONNECT) Universities, start-up ecosystems and energy companies from Germany, Austria and Switzerland have set up a European platform for energy innovation. One top university and one energy company from each country will be represented at the Energy Launchpad, the UnternehmerTUM start-up center from Garching near Munich, which is part of the platform, announced in a press release.

Switzerland is represented by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and Energie 360° from Zurich. From Austria, the Technical University of Vienna and VERBUND AG, from Germany also the Technical University of Munich and EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG.

The platform is designed as an open network with the aim of promoting European technologies and start-ups. Next year, the focus will be on artificial intelligence and quantum computing. "With the Energy Launchpad, we are creating space for implementation strength in Europe," Helmut Schönenberger, founder and CEO of UnternehmerTUM, is quoted as saying in the press release. "Research, industry and start-ups are bringing technologies into application more quickly here - openly, across borders and with a clear focus on impact." This creates "resilience in the energy system and technological sovereignty for Europe", says Schönenberger.

The project was launched on October 24 at a kick-off event in Vienna. From here, the Energy Launchpad is now set to travel through the DACH region. The next stop will be the participation in the Energy Week @ ETH in Zurich on November 11. ce/hs

(CONNECT) Chipmind, which builds AI agents to accelerate chip development, has secured 2.5 million dollars in a pre-seed funding round. This is what the financial magazine "Forbes" writes in an article dedicated to the work of the spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH). The funds will be used to fill various open engineering positions in the start-up and consequently accelerate the development of the proprietary AI agents. In addition, the company will work even more closely with European chip manufacturers in the future.

The proprietary AI agents, which work with open-source EDA (Electric Design Automation) as well as commercial EDA, automate the testing of microchips, taking over routine tasks that chip engineers currently perform manually. By taking on this repetitive work, which accounts for around 40 percent of the development cycle, the development time for chips is to be reduced from the current four to one year. "We urgently need to speed up the development cycle for chips. Today, technological progress is slowed down by complex, time-consuming and expensive chip development," Harald Kröll, co-founder and CEO of Chipmind, is quoted as saying.

While, according to the article, the American companies Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys dominate the industry, innovation in Europe remains limited. In order to fill this gap in the market, Chipmind is currently working with European partners on proof-of-concept projects to demonstrate the marketability of the technology.

Commercial production of the AI agents is planned for the second half of 2026, but still requires further research and development work. ce/yes

(CONNECT) The software company Exnaton, which was founded as a spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), has successfully completed its Series A financing round. The financing round was jointly led by 4impact capital and Elevator Ventures and further supported by existing investors such as True Ventures and Übermorgen Ventures. Exnaton has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based intelligent platform for energy suppliers and plans to use the capital to accelerate its European expansion and deepen customer partnerships, according to a statement.

The new capital will be invested primarily in sales, marketing and the development of AI-based product functions. "With this financing, we will accelerate our go-to-market strategy, improve our customer-oriented processes and make our software even smarter - from detailed personalized billing to intelligent management of decentralized flexibilities," explains Anselma Wörner, co-founder and COO of Exnaton.

Exnaton's platform supports energy suppliers in the rapid development and provision of modern energy products, such as dynamic tariffs or the intelligent charging of electric vehicles. The platform can be seamlessly integrated into existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and requires no IT conversion. With the help of AI, the platform automates complex processes in the areas of billing, energy consumption and production data analysis. This can reduce operating costs and increase efficiency.

Exnaton has already acquired over 50 energy companies from all over Europe as customers. These include TotalEnergies, eprimo, Bayernwerk and Burgenland Energie. ce/nta

(CONNECT) According to a press release, the Swiss Power-to-X Collaborative Network has consolidated the Swiss methanol safety standards together with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Powerloop association. As a result, the quantity threshold for methanol in the exemption list of the Major Accidents Ordinance was raised from 2 tons to 20 tons as of 1 October 2025.

Raising the volume threshold reduces administrative hurdles for the use of renewable methanol for synthetic fuel production. The consolidated standards ensure a high level of safety for people and the environment and range from training, protective equipment, storage, fire and explosion protection to environmental and emergency management. They apply to companies of all sizes.

"The industry has taken responsibility here and shown that voluntary self-regulation can work. The consolidated standards create planning security for companies that use (green) methanol as the energy source of the future and support the development of Power-to-X technologies in Switzerland," Peter Metzinger, Co-Managing Director of SPIN, is quoted as saying in the press release

Renewable methanol is regarded as one of the most important raw materials for the production of renewable synthetic fuels of the future, but is toxic even in small quantities and is highly flammable with a flash point of 10 degrees Celsius, according to SPIN.

The Swiss Power-to-X Collaborative Network is the network of Swiss Power-to-X networks. The aim of the association is to accelerate the 100% supply of renewable energies in Switzerland and worldwide and to achieve at least net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (especially CO2) by 2050. ce/yes

(CONNECT) Technopark Zurich is getting new operational management: Marcel Gurrath will take over as CEO from Karin Looser in October, the Technopark Zurich Foundation announced in a press release. The 42-year-old real estate expert is "returning to the Swiss innovation landscape" after several months of traveling around the world. Prior to this, Gurrath most recently worked for Livit AG.

In the press release, the new CEO will focus on the strategic development of the Technopark and strengthening its innovative power. In addition, Gurrath is committed to increasing capacity utilization and efficiency as well as digitizing services and processes. Technopark Zurich is "a unique place where ideas become reality", the new CEO is quoted as saying in the press release. "Together with a strong team and a committed community, I want to continue on this path and provide new impetus for this location as a unique driver of innovation."

After more than twelve years as operational manager of Technopark, Karin Looser wants to devote herself to "new personal goals and a professional reorientation", according to the press release. She will therefore be leaving the Technopark at the end of October. The press release cites extensive modernizations, the integration of the foundation, real estate management and event management as well as the opening of the AI Startup Center as milestones during her many years in office. ce/hs

(CONNECT) Zurich-based Anevo AG has successfully completed a pre-seed financing round. According to a press release, investors such as the Schwyzer Kantonalbank Innovation Foundation, Hohle Gasse AG and angel investors Dominik Grolimund and Reto Lämmler were involved in the financing round.

The spin-off of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) has developed an automation platform for real estate. The platform enables companies to automate administrative processes such as bookings, controlling and reporting. In financial controlling, Anevo also uses artificial intelligence to make users' work even easier.

The funds from the pre-seed financing round will enable Anevo to further develop its automation platform. And on the other hand, it should be made accessible to even more customers. ce/ww

The Responsibility Lies With Us

In order for AI to find its way around human language, it needs a "map" with around 13,000 dimensions - and yet it influences us. "AI shapes our language - and therefore also our behavior," emphasized Nathalie Klauser, founder of the AI start-up Intersections.

For example, a study by the Max Planck Institute has shown that since the emergence of AI, certain words (e.g. delve, swift, comprehend) have been used significantly more often - even by people who do not actively use AI. In view of this cultural feedback, Klauser believes it is essential that AI is built in such a way that it does not harm us - and society must ensure this: "In the end, we humans are always responsible."

AI must be technically robust, legal and ethically justifiable. Tools such as Goblin, an AI that helps neurodivergent people to tackle tasks - such as spring cleaning - in a structured way, show that this is possible. At the same time, however, there are also ethically problematic issues. Logistics service provider Planzer, for example, optimized its routes with AI. The result: employees no longer had time to go to the toilet.

It Does Exist – the “Good” AI

Apertus proves that artificial intelligence that meets legal and ethical values is possible. The AI developed by Swiss universities is the first system to fulfill the European "AI Act" - and thus also the criteria that Klauser demands: Control, integrity, transparency and participation.

"With Apertus, we are contributing to the research and development autonomy of our location," emphasizes researcher Imanol Schlag. Unlike the applications of large AI companies, Apertus is not profit-oriented. This is why the researchers were able to base their development on the interests of society.

And so even a piece of Swiss identity has a place in the AI: Apertus also "speaks" a little Swiss-German. Nevertheless, it is a model for the world: "The data used reflects the diversity of the internet - around 40 percent of the training data is not in English."

Young People Lead the Way With Their Own AI Projects

Swiss youth prove that AI is not just a tool for research labs or tech giants: in the AI Challenge, schoolchildren dedicated themselves to developing their own AI applications - and received awards for their efforts.

Mitul and Tanish developed the "AI Personal Trainer" and won the "AI for Good" category. The software helps with rehabilitation exercises - making physiotherapy accessible to everyone.

Levin won the "Creative Coding" category with "Mentis", a software program that sorts your own notes and links old ideas with new ones in order to structure your thoughts more clearly. Levin has learned a lot: "My view of AI has changed: I am positively surprised, but - because I now understand it better - also a little disenchanted."

AI Challenge 2025

The challenge is organized by the ETH AI Center in cooperation with the Office for Economy, Canton of Zurich, and the Cantons of Schwyz and Zug. This year, almost 100 young people between the ages of 13 and 19 took part. Between January and August, they translated their ideas into code with the help of doctoral students from the ETH AI Center.

The finalists were:

• Safe Route (Cecile and Brahmiti) shows the fastest and safest way through the city.
• Mess Check (Lisa) uses a photo to recognize whether a room is tidy.
• Next Read (Emilia and Nora) recommends books based on genre, number of pages and your own bookshelf.
• Trend prediction (Thibault, winner of "Best Thesis") analyzes whether new word trends will prevail.

Everyone Has Ideas

Levin also won over Asel-Maria (48) with his project. She attended the event because she wanted to understand AI - which is scary to her - better. Although her fears have not been allayed, she finds programs like Mentis particularly helpful and important for young people.

And spontaneous ideas also emerged from the audience: for example, a spreading aid, a matching tool for true love, a chemistry assistant or an intelligent photo album.

The message of the event was clear: AI affects us - and we can all help shape it.

(CONNECT) The Hallenstadion Zurich wants to produce soil from disposable tableware in future. The multifunctional indoor venue will only use fully compostable disposable tableware from spring 2026, Hallenstadion AG announced in a press release. "We don't just want to reduce waste, we want to create a closed cycle," Phillip Musshafen, CEO of the stadium operating company, is quoted as saying. "Our crockery is turned back into soil, making a visible contribution to sustainability."

The Hallenstadion Zurich has teamed up with Bioloop AG from Eschenbach for the project. Founded in 2024, the company produces disposable tableware made from synthetic polyester, which is obtained from renewable raw materials such as corn, sugar cane or sugar beet. At 46.3 grams per unit, the Bioloop cups made from this type of PLA produce significantly less CO2 than the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) cups previously used in the Hallenstadion Zurich, which had a footprint of 89.1 grams of CO2. But they are also more sustainable than reusable cups, which produce 53.4 grams of CO2 per unit.

Appropriate containers will be set up in the Hallenstadion for the collection of used cups, cutlery, plates and napkins. In the nearest aerobic composting plant, microorganisms then process the PLA dishes into nutrient-rich soil within three to six months. The Hallenstadion receives around 500 five-liter bags of earth back from this process every year. It is not yet clear where the earth will be placed. Maybe one day you'll even be able to buy a Christmas tree that has grown in Hallenstadion soil," says Musshafen. ce/hs

(CONNECT) On October 29, 2025, four female scientists will be honored for outstanding research results at the ZKO Zurich Chamber Orchestra in Zurich. The Swiss L'Oréal - UNESCO For Women in Science 2025 prize is awarded by L'Oréal Switzerland together with the Swiss UNESCO Commission and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW), according to a press release. The prize is endowed with CHF 25,000 in funding.

The prizewinners are biologist Jana Ordon from the University of Zurich (UZH). She is being honored for her research on the interaction between plants and microbes, based on genetic, molecular and biochemical approaches. The findings on pathogen resistance could contribute to more resilient plant production.

The geodesist Annelies Voordendag from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) is being honored for her combination of advanced geodetic methods with glaciological field research. A terrestrial long-range laser scanning system can be used to measure glacier movements and register climatic influences.

Giulia Santoni from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) is being honored for her neuroscientific research and the creation of 3D brain models. Their findings could be used to expand our understanding of the human brain and develop personalized therapies for neurological diseases.

Astronomer Mengyuan Xiao from the University of Geneva is researching the origins of ultra-compact galaxies in the early universe and providing important insights into galaxy formation.

"The launch of 'For Women in Science' in Switzerland this year is a strong statement of our unwavering commitment to the advancement of female leaders," Claire Dieudonné, Country Coordinator & Market Director Consumer Products at L'Oréal Switzerland, is quoted as saying in the press release. "This program is much more than an award ceremony; it is our active contribution to overcoming the common challenges that hold women back in research." Gabriela Tejada, Vice-President of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO, sees the program as strengthening the "framework conditions that allow women equal access and opportunities in the scientific community". ce/ww