WISekey Gold Partner of CleanTech Switzerland in

1. Spring | 2010
Cleantech Switzerland
Know How, Technology and Services for Masdar City and the Gulf Region
Switzerland at the
World Future Energy Summit 2010
presented by T-LINK and

2. Swiss Village Masdar City Editorial
Clean Switzerland becomes
a Cleantech hub
Switzerland is a beautiful country. Its mountains attract hun- To tell a little clean secret: Some of the roots of Swiss Clean-
dreds of thousands of tourists each year. But before tourism tech are in the Gulf region, or, to be more precise, in Masdar.
arrived in the Alps, it was a poor region whose population had Swiss companies like Maxmakers and Credit Suisse had the
to weather harsh natural conditions. Alpine people had to be honour to be among the very first to shape this outstanding
disciplined, punctual, efficient – and they had to rely on each and visionary enterprise. Now Switzerland is the first country
other. These are the roots of sophisticate watchmakers, trust- to build its own neighbourhood – the Swiss Village – in Masdar.
worthy bankers, innovative engineers and environmentalists More than 120 companies have joined the Swiss Village Asso-
alike. ciation, joining the great effort to create the first true ecocity.
Switzerland is going a step further. It is putting its tradition of We have to work, and we have to live in a way that our children
being of being well organized, research driven, technically in- and grandchildren will inherit a world worth living in. Switzer-
novative and environmentally conscious together to create a land has a lot to offer to make this true.
Cleantech hub. Its universities and colleges, its multination-
als and small and medium-sized companies, its sustainable Steffen Klatt, editor
business organizations and export promotion organizations
are creating a network to help making the world cleaner and
greener. Swiss Cleantech can be added to Switzerland’s as-
sets of global importance as the Swiss financial market has Steffen Klatt talking to Sheika Lubna Al-Quasimi, minister of
been. The foundation of Swisscleantech, the business asso- foreign trade of the United Arab Emirates (Zurich, October 2008):
ciation of sustainable Swiss companies, is a major step in this Steffen Klatt is editor of www.nachhaltigkeit.org, the news portal on
direction. sustainable development and Cleantech.

3. Table of content
3 19 34
Editorial Interview with Willy Bischofberger: Mobility with Gold Status
Clean Switzerland becomes Taming the wind and the sun
a Cleantech hub 36
20 Swiss Exhibitors
5 Into the future with intelligent
Moritz Leuenberger networks 37
Swiss Pavillon Energy Summit 2010, Interview with Felix Zurbriggen: The
Abu Dhabi 22 pearl of the Alps does without cars
Swiss Exhibitors
6 38
Interview with Doris Leuthard: 23 Swiss Exhibitors
Switzerland is backing Cleantech Interview with Max Renggli: Wood
pioneer is building high 40 Swiss Pavillon Energy Summit 2010,
8 Swiss Village - The Swiss zone in
Swiss Exhibitors 24
Switzerland’s trade and investment
Masdar
Abu Dhabi
9 promotion at a glance 41
Swiss Cleantech Presence Strong Swiss Village Association: Sponsors At the world climate conference in Copenhagen, the consensus than they consume. Water, wind and solar power should cover
at WFES 2010 25 and Strategic Partners was that we cannot allow global warming to reach two degrees our remaining energy demands in the long term. All scientists
Interview with Daniel Küng: Export Celsius above levels recorded in 1990. Although the major in- agree that the 2000-Watt Society will be possible in a few dec-
10 Platform for Swiss Cleantech 42 dustrialised countries and most emerging markets basically ades. If all of us can reduce our energy consumption to this
Swiss Exhibitors Companies Swiss Village Association: Members committed to reducing their carbon emissions in the spirit of level, the earth’s ecosystem should remain in balance.
that consensus, environment ministers in Copenhagen didn’t
11 26 44 manage to reach binding climate targets. This step must be Bidding farewell from environmentally unfriendly, inefficient
Interview with Mathis Wackernagel: Happiness at home moves in with swisscleantech Association completed in follow-up conferences in 2010. For Switzerland, machines, heaters and vehicles can only happen if we replace
Mankind is loaded with mounting Minergie this means that we have to assume responsibility for reduc- them with efficient new technologies. I am pleased that in-
debt ing our emissions ourselves. We have already committed to novative Swiss colleges and businesses are world leaders in
28 45 reduce CO2 emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020. And by the development of these new sustainable technologies. Here
12 Swiss Exhibitors Interview with Nick Beglinger: the year 2050, we even want to bring down our emissions by in Abu Dhabi, where a fascinating futuristic city is emerging,
Climate protection: Enjoy your food Switzerland is Cleantech 80 to 95 percent of 1990 levels. To achieve these targets, we Swiss researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs are finding
29 are backing a CO2 tax on fossil and hydrocarbon fuels. From the perfect framework to further develop and perfect sustain-
14 Interview with Gilbert Ligner: 46 the resulting revenue, starting in 2010, there will be 200 mil- able technologies. Masdar and the Swiss Village are leading
Swiss Exhibitors Efficiency helps to sink costs Swiss Pavillion organised by T-LINK lion francs available annually to modernise buildings in energy the way for our climate and energy politics. This is the vision
efficiency. On top of that, we want to significantly reduce car we are gearing towards.
15 30 47 emissions in the next few years in line with EU standards and
Interview with Gina Domanig: Big Waste is valuable Floorplan shift the transport of goods through our country from roads to Moritz Leuenberger, Dezember 2009
Boosts, Little Bubbles rails. If we want to leave the next generations a healthy envi-
32 ronment with sufficient resources, we need to start living with
16 Swiss Exhibitors a considerably more sustainable attitude. This is perfectly fea-
The economy has to live healthily sible without harming our quality of life: the key is to increase H.E. Moritz Leuenberger, Moritz Leuenberger is Vice-President of
33 energy efficiency and promote renewable energies. Energy the Swiss Confederation for 2010 and Head of the Federal Depart-
18 Interview with Claude Béglé: consumption can be cut massively with the help of strict regu- ment of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication. He
Swiss Exhibitors Sustainability brings efficiency lations, raising consumer awareness and, most importantly, has been member of the Federal Council - the Swiss government -
the well-directed promotion and propagation of new technolo- since 1995.
gies. Even now there are buildings that produce more energy

4. Switzerland is backing
Cleantech
Cleantech will become an important pillar in the Swiss econ-
omy, says federal councillor Doris Leuthard. Changing to sus-
tainable economic management is a way of making Switzerland
crisis-proof. And in her year as federal president, she wants to
promote support for Cleantech and sustainability both in Swit-
zerland and on the international stage.
Why are you lobbying for the support of Cleantech?
Doris Leuthard: Growth is important for a national economy. The
last few years have shown us that we should increasingly pay heed
not to grow at the cost of people and the environment. If you want a
good national economy in the long term, you need technology that
is clean and preserves resources. This doesn’t just concern Swit-
zerland: Cleantech is a general trend with huge growth potential.
According to studies, Cleantech’s stake in the global economy will
double from three to at least six percent. This is a good initial posi-
tion for Switzerland. We already started years ago, from collecting
glass to sewage treatment plants. We have internalised a lot. We
have the technology available, and we can now develop it further.
Traditionally, in Switzerland, the federal government does lish additional faculties with private industry. The innovation of Swiss companies, thus reducing the entry barrier for our
not directly support the economy. Is Cleantech proving to be promoting agency KTI supports applied research. Secondly, SMEs.
an exception? within the third package to support the economy, we create •Establish a regional business location in a highly attractive
You are right that we basically do not have an industrial policy. With an export platform. Many small and middle-sized businesses tax and financial environment, allowing for access to impor
the stimulus package, we are just calling attention to the fact that in this area are not well structured enough for export. Whoever tant businesses opportunities in the region.
this sector is one of great importance for Switzerland and indeed wants to go into export needs a certain size and power. With
worldwide. More can be done here. So when the state puts some- this export platform, we hope to really support product sales. Are you supporting Cleantech to compensate for the de-
thing into motion, then it is absolutely consistent with our reserved creasing importance of the financial market?
policy to put separate industries under the spotlight. The federal Does Switzerland want to play a leading role in Clean- Financial services will remain important for us. However, we
council attaches importance to developing a new economy that is tech, also on the international stage? want funds to be dealt with less riskily. It is therefore absolutely
more crisis-proof. Switzerland is already well positioned in the production of thin- possible for the financial market to remain important, though
film solar modules. We have well qualified work forces that are maybe with a slightly smaller share in gross domestic product.
Do you also support for Cleantech because it overlaps with innovative and technologically efficient. We can therefore ex- I see this situation as a chance for technology sectors. They
different industries? pect to compete in fast-growing mass markets. Switzerland could become a more important pillar in the Swiss national
In the past, we set the tone in the energy sector first and foremost. also enjoys an excellent system competencies relevant to economy. I’m sure no one has anything against jobs that are
With the plans of action for energy efficiency and renewable en- Cleantech, including traffic, building, water and waste, which safeguarded for a long time.
ergies, we supported a sector in 2008, but not the whole range. are all worthy of being exported.
However, other areas are also important, namely climate policy. The You will be federal president in 2010. Will you still have
Stadler report observed that many resources are finite, for instance, What does Switzerland expect from its strategic alli- time to promote Cleantech?
metals. We are much more conscious of what happens when we ance/co-operation with Masdar? Of course. I remain responsible for my department. The po-
do not try to change awareness in businesses and in society as a The Swiss interest extends particularly to these areas: sition of federal president provides me the possibility to talk
whole. • Privileged participation in a visionary project, allowing the about it more, to get involved and for us to be fully committed
Swiss Cleantech industry to position itself and demonstrate on a global scale. For a long time I have been fighting alone at
Which instruments to promote Cleantech do you have at its leading technologies in building quality and energy the World Trade Organisation to unite trade and the environ-
Doris Leuthard is Swiss Federal President in 2010. your disposal? efficiency. ment. With my new function, I can contribute to bring change
She has been member of the Swiss Federal Council Fundamental research is important. We need to further develop ex- • Privileged access to procurement of goods and services as to sustainable economic management in Europe and, if pos-
- the Swiss government - and head of the Federal De- isting technologies with applied research. Here the state is obliged a member of the Swiss Village Association (SVA), which is try sible, all industrialised countries.
partment of Economic Affairs since 2006. to provide sufficient means. We are doing that. We already have ing—with the assistance of the Swiss Trade and Investment
more than one hundred faculties. Colleges have begun to estab- Board (Osec)—to match the needs of Masdar with the offers Steffen Klatt

5. 10
The World Future Energy Summit 2010
Swiss Exhibitors
Belimo. Safety and comfort
Belimo – the worldwide leader for actuator and valve technology in heating, ventilation and air
conditioning systems – offers a complete range of products from one source with a reputa-
tion for excellent value for money. Belimo actuators are offered with open/close, modulating
or 3-point control and flexible MF and bus-capable MP types can be individually configured.
Costs are reduced and energy consumption cut, thanks to innovative valve-, actuator- and
system solutions.
Fan control based on demand
Thanks to the new Belimo Fan Optimiser, fans can in future be controlled based on demand
according to the damper positions of the downstream VAV units. Supply pressure regulation
– presently the standard method – can thus be dispensed with and fan energy consumption
cut by as much as 50 per cent.
Pressure-independent control valves with bus-capable actuators
Control, shut-off and balancing – our pressure-independent characterised control valve com-
bines three functions in a single fitting, with automated hydraulic balancing. You profit from a
simple and reliable valve design with a minimum of effort for installation and commissioning,
and because of portfolio also includes bus-capable actuators, the fittings can be connected to
a higher-level system without any problems. For detailed information, please visit our website:
Swiss Cleantech Presence Strong
www.belimo.ch
Ciba Expert Services at WFES 2010
Ciba Expert Services provides consulting, testing and information services to various industries, cov-
ering areas such as regulatory affairs, environmental compliance, powder and process safety as well
as high end analytics. Cleantech is poised to be an important pillar in Switzerland’s without fuel or pollution, Solar Impulse’s ambition is to contrib-
economy, says Swiss President Doris Leuthard. That is one of ute in the world of exploration and innovation to the cause of
With its global network of experts Ciba Expert Services is unique in its worldwide reach. Our clients profit from decades of experience, the reasons the Swiss Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Consulate renewable energies, demonstrate the importance of new tech-
our global reach, and our relationships with authorities and regulatory bodies worldwide. General in Dubai, the Swiss Business Hub GCC and the Swiss nologies in sustainable development and, of course, to place
Business Councils in Abu Dhabi und Dubai are promoting and dream and emotion at the heart of scientific adventure once
Companies trust Ciba Expert Services for access to specialized resources and equipment. Our customers benefit from global service supporting Swiss Cleantech companies and sustainability in again. “ I’m looking forward to meeting the Swiss delegation,
packages that enable them to rapidly implement business strategies. Drawing on core competencies Ciba Expert Services helps a the United Arab Emirates in general, including the “Swiss Vil- Swiss companies and Mr. Bertrand Piccard in Abu Dhabi! Wel-
broad range of companies get their products to market faster, increase productivity and improve product quality. lage” project in Masdar City. To that end, the Swiss Business come.
Councils have also created an environmental subcommittee
We have a dedicated global network of experts that helps customers in highly regulated industries to achieve compliance, efficiency to promote Cleantech in the region. We are pleased about the
and sustainable business success. Please visit our website: www.cibaexpertservices.com strong presence of a Swiss delegation and Swiss Cleantech
companies at the World Future Energy Summit 2010 (WFES).
Ciba Expert Services One of the Swiss speakers at the WFES 2010 is Bertrand
Schwarzwaldallee 215 Contact person: Piccard, President of Solar Impulse. He said: “At each major Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart (left) has been Ambassador of Swit-
CH-4002 Basel Mara Guzzetti premiere, the adventurers of the last century pushed back the zerland to the UAE since December 2007. He is talking to HH General
fon +41 61 636 84 72 mara_beatrice.guzzetti@ciba.com limits of the impossible. Today, human and technical enquiry Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu
fax +41 61 636 58 59 must go on, with a view to improving the quality of life for hu- Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces
www.expertservices.com manity. By writing the next pages in the history of aviation with (center) at the World Future Energy Summit 2009.
solar energy, with the goal of eventually flying around the world

6. 12 13
The World Future Energy Summit 2010 Mankind is loaded with mounting debt
Swiss Exhibitors The Ecological Footprint appears simple. How does it fit Is our Footprint too big?
into a complex reality? Humanity’s Footprint is too big. If we
Mathis Wackernagel: Actually, reality is not so complex. Our want to maintain a stable life on the
Enerec AG: Our Company is active in the field of planet has a limited surface that provides us with all the eco- planet, then it would be better to con-
clean-solutions logical services we need: water, food, waste sequestration, en- sume no more than what Earth can
vironmental stability, etc. Essentially, we will live on a big solar regenerate. Otherwise we inevitably
• With decentralized powerplants using dry biomasse to energy (electicity and heat) collector that transforms solar power into everything we need. liquidate our ecological assets. If we
• With green solutions in and outside the building partly in combination with PV-solar . Use the wall in the house to give a better At Global Footprint Network, we think like farmers: we want to stay in overshoot, we will further in-
climate with innovative technology VERTICALIS combined with newest LED- lighthening COVILUX to new eye-catcher. know how much productive area, or biocapacity, there is, and crease our ecological debt. This would
how much people use. severely undermine our economies’
Use the roof and the wall outside with less resources (water) as a living isolation/cleaning-system combined with PV-solar to reduce ability to operate.
energy consumption in the house. Is it possible to translate our individual consumption
into hectares on a global scale? What is the right balance?
enerec AG On the one hand, we need to know how much area we have Every country has to figure that out for
Birchstrasse 6 and how productive it is. To make results comparable, we ex- itself. Optimal resource consumption
CH-8472 Seuzach press them in global hectares – hectares with world average depends on three factors. How much
fon +41 52 338 07 70 productivity. On average, worldwide, we have about two hec- biocapacity does your country have?
fax +41 52 338 14 42 tares per person. On the other hand, we need space to grow What is your purchasing power compared to the world aver-
www. enerec.ch what we eat, to cope with our waste, to provide fibres. We can age? If your purchasing power is below the worldwide aver-
info@enerec.ch add up all the space we use – and call this the “Footprint”. This age, then it is unlikely you can access more biocapacity from
Footprint then can be compared with the space we have. elsewhere. Managing resources is not so different from man-
Contact person: aging finances.
CEO Andreas Dreisiebner Can we use this tool everywhere? Right now, humanity’s Ecological Footprint is 1.4 Earths – this
Mobil: +41 79 671 86 19 Of course, the Footprint does not do everything. Still, I believe means it takes the planet over one year and four months to
that biocapacity will become the main currency in the 21st regenerate what humanity consumes in one year. If we want
century. We can overuse it like we can overuse financial as- to limit our risk exposure to this overshoot, we possess two
sets. Currently, we are amassing a big ecological debt, and this huge levers to fix the situation. The United Arab Emirates has
debt will weigh heavily on our shoulders. What are the physi- focused on one: discovering how we build and operate cities
cal manifestations? Forests disappear, fisheries collapse, fresh with a very low resource input. The resource pressures have
EPFL Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne water becomes scarce, pollution accumulates in the atmos- been growing because of increased consumption and growing
phere. This will have economic consequences. Everyday, life populations. There are more of us, and we all want to live well.
EPFL’s vision is to develop science and engineering together so as to enrich education as well as is becoming more expensive. All the assets that depend on Another aspect is demographics. Will we be better off with
fundamental and applied research. Its objective is to consolidate its position as one of the top tech- cheap resources in order to operate, such as inefficient build- more or fewer people? There are strong economic arguments
nological universities in the world. ings or jets, will decrease tremendously in value. that suggest that slowly shrinking population numbers are both
an economic and social boon. This transition is achieved most
How come the United Arab Emirates, one of the coun- effectively without coercion, as shown in Thailand.
EPFL Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL Middle East tries with the biggest Footprint, is among the first work-
CH-1015 Lausanne Contact person: United Arab Emirates ing with Global Footprint Network? You come from Switzerland. Did it influence your thinking?
fon +41 21 693 11 11 Franco Vigliotti, PhD, Dean Ras Al Khaimah The ability to consume resources correlates with purchasing As a child, I was fortunate enough to experience nature firsthand.
www.epfl.ch or www.epfl.ae franco.vigliotti@epfl.ch fon +971 (0) 7 243 41 15 power. Since the Emirates have significant purchasing power, I spent many vacations on a farm. It showed me where apples,
they have higher Footprints as well. But with purchasing pow- milk and meat come from. It taught me about the cycles of na-
er also comes choice. For instance, as in the case of Masdar ture. These vacations turned out to be the best education I ever
City, one can choose to invest in emerging economies that received. I hope every child has this opportunity.
avoid the current resource trap. The United Arab Emirates is Steffen Klatt
among the few countries who view oil as an asset rather than
income. This is the correct way of looking at oil. They recog-
nize that pumping oil out of the ground is not production, but a The Swiss-born Mathis Wackernagel is a founder and Executive Di-
transfer of assets from one type (crude oil) to another (invest- rector of Global Footprint Network, a charitable research organization
ments). This transfer only makes sense if it turns the assets headquartered in California. His organization supports the creation of
into something more valuable. Most other oil-producing coun- a sustainable economy by advancing policies that reflect the concept
tries view oil as income, so they liquidate it. This is un-, or even of the Ecological Footprint.
a
­ nti-economical.

7. 14
Climate protection: Enjoy your food
To live well, you must eat well. Agriculture, however, is one of the worst climate criminals. To reconcile good
taste with good food, consider organic and regional products. Switzerland is leading the way.
The global consumer is accustomed to buying practically any the country’s agricultural area. Regional organic products are synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, organic consumers take in lines offering regional foodstuffs, particularly fruit, vegetables,
food, practically anywhere and at practically any time. This predominantly sold by supermarkets, direct marketers and less residual toxins in their food. In a study by the Soil Associa- meat and sausage.
variety appears to reflect prosperity. But it has its dark side: specialist shops. Basically, the only items that are imported tion, they found more dry substances, less nitrates – but usu-
formerly exotic food becomes popular and regional traditions cannot be sufficiently produced by Swiss organic farmers, ally more sugar – and more vitamin C in over 50 percent of the That also helps to preserve the climate: if you buy a bundle of
dwindle away; and, of course, transporting food long distances such as coffee and corn. Import is permitted only if all domes- organic products tested. asparagus in February that comes from Mexico, five litres of
harms the environment. Now the tide is turning: customers are tic production is marketed. Processing also happens mostly in fuel was consumed to deliver it. But if you wait until May and
demanding to know where foodstuffs come from, what basic Switzerland. Apart from taste, there is also the ecological aspect of naturally buy local asparagus, the fuel consumption for the same veg-
materials they contain and what happens in their production. produced food. Organic farmers do not use chemical-synthet- etable decreases to 0.3 litres.
The trend is particularly strong in Switzerland. Almost 50 per- Customers take advantage of organic labels ic pesticides and fertilisers, and, by means of the cyclical prin- Nathalie Schoch
cent of the Swiss population buy organic foods at least once a ciple, ensure the sustainable health of the earth and increased
week. The most popular are fresh bread, eggs, dairy products Countless regional organic products go over the counter in biodiversity. Rivers and lakes also benefit from this system.
and baby food. In this, Switzerland is the world leader. Switzerland. If you value naturalness and taste, you are spoilt
for choice. With the aid of labels, products are marked so that Regional products are popular
Organic market steadily growing customers are certain about quality and origin. One of the most
famous marks is the bud from Bio Suisse, the governing body Organic farming also reduces water consumption. All these
So it is no surprise that organic trade is experiencing a dramat- of Swiss agricultural enterprises. The big supermarket Coop reasons are why Switzerland is fully backing organic food.
ic upturn. According to the organisation Bio Suisse, turnover runs its own line, Naturaplan, and in the process supports the Organically cultivated areas are not burdened with pesticides,
in organic food in 2008 increased by 11.2 percent to almost sale and distribution of seasonal organic fruit and vegetables. are free of fertilisers and therefore cause much less pollution Swiss consumers do not just consider organic products to be very im-
1.4 billion dollars. The organic market therefore grew twice as Then there is Delinat, the first enterprise to specialise in trading to the earth and water. That carries weight: the Swiss drink portant: these products should also get to the shops without harming
much as the conventional market. Frontrunners in the expan- organic wine. What started as a small niche in the market is between two and four litres a day. But to produce food stuffs, the environment. Goods carried by air are seen particularly critically.
sion are fresh products whose value totals 628.5 million Swiss now worth millions. Delinat is the top dog. between 2,000 and 5,000 litres of water are needed per person If for example vegetables are transported by plane, they burden the
Francs, whilst the market share for organic meat is compara- per day. climate about 80 times as much as seasonal vegetables from Switzer-
bly small. Still, the significant sales show that more and more Organic is not just about having a good conscience. It also land. That is why Coop, the number two supermarket chain in Switzer-
Swiss consumers are turning to organic meat and are thus tastes better. Tests from the Research Institute for Organic Not only organic products are popular. Swiss consumers are land, puts a logo on all products that have been imported by plane. On
more conscious of the meat they consume. Agriculture - a network of institutes in Switzerland, Austria also increasingly turning to regionally produced food, even if top of that, all business trips for employees as well as the transport of
and Germany - show, for example, that organic apples con- they have been produced conventionally. Farmers’ markets, goods by air, except flowers, are compensated. The CO2 compensa-
In Switzerland, there are over 6,000 organic enterprises. In tain more vital substances than traditionally produced apples. butchers and small shops offer regional products. Both super- tion fund is allocated about two million USD per year.
total, they work 121,000 hectares of land, or 11.4 percent of Because of careful production methods that avoid chemical- market chains Migros and Coop have their own production

8. 16 17
The World Future Energy Summit 2010 Big Boosts, Little Bubbles
Swiss Exhibitors Cleantech needs informed investors, especially as stimulus packages around the globe are expected to increase
opportunities—as well as potential bubbles—in the sector, at least regionally, says Cleantech investment expert Gina
Domanig. As those opportunities and challenges unfold, she adds, Switzerland is a good place to be headquartered
for venture capital funds investing in Cleantech.
ETH Zurich – the outstanding Swiss University
Ranked the top university in continental Europe, ETH Zurich – the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology – is a leading player in research and education worldwide. It offers the most advanced infrastructure on two campuses in Investing in Cleantech was a niche when you started. Is Western technology. We have ben-
Zürich, one of the highly attractive cities worldwide. it still one? efited from these programmes.
ETH Zurich offers degree programs in natural sciences, engineering, architecture, management and technology. Bachelor programs Gina Domanig: When we started back in 2000, it was certainly China also has strong incentives to
are taught in German, Master and doctoral programs are in English. An ETH degree combines a solid scientific foundation with out- a niche. It existed under the label of ‹sustainable investment› manufacture locally. In many cases,
standing application skills. ETH graduates are well equipped for careers in industry, as entrepreneurs or scientists. 3’500 of the 15’000 until the term ‹Cleantech› was born. It slowly started to gather you can bring your cost structure
students work towards their PhD and contribute to the exceptional research and innovation performance of ETH. the interest of the corporate sector, but in the beginning it was down when you locate parts of your
ETH Zurich’s strategic themes include the basic sciences and engineering, life sciences and materials science, biosystems science more PR than reality. In recent years, we’ve seen really big cor- value chain in China. However, the
and engineering, environmental and sustainability sciences, as well as design sci- porates putting a lot of money behind their cleantech strate- country has not been too strong in
ences and sustainable future cities. With this research and teaching portfolio, ETH gies, however. Cleantech serves very large existing markets technology innovation.
Zurich lays the foundation for the future CleanTech economy. now. It is not a niche anymore.
While strongly rooted in Switzerland, in the heart of Europe, the global perspective, Will you invest in the East?
the high degree of internationalization and the excellent teaching and research in- What is Cleantech for you? Where are you investing? We could. Until now, our focus has
frastructure make ETH Zurich the ideal place for creative personalities. You can stamp different sectors with this label. For us, it means been on North America and Eu-
focusing on industrial technologies, primarily energy. It follows rope. We have a very strong built-in
ETH Zürich from generation to storage and efficiency. It covers water tech- technology focus. The majority of
Rämistrasse 101 Contact person: nology. We also invest in materials technology. the companies which develop new
CH-8092 Zürich Thomas Schaller, Head Corporate Communications technologies are not in China.
www.ethz.ch thomas.schaller@hk.ethz.ch How do you choose companies for your investments?
fon +41 44 632 83 90 First, we look at market opportunities and value proposition, Do you expect a bubble in green investment?
fax +41 44 632 35 25 including competitive advantage. Then we look at the man- There will be little bubbles but they will not cover the entire
agement. Ninety per cent of our attention concerns these top- Cleantech sector. There have been quite a number of bubbles
ics. The remaining 10 per cent is around the terms of the deal. already. Take bioethanol. Something very similar happened to
solar. Those who know these industries saw the bubbles com-
Hofstetter Umwelttechnik AG - Swiss gas combustion technology Where do you obtain your money? ing. Unfortunately, less-informed money chases these hot top-
We get about a third from large corporations that have a very ics. It is a trap we like to avoid.
Since 1975 Hofstetter Umwelttechnik AG has engineered and constructed plants for the treat- strong interest in a window on new technologies. They include
ment of emissions from combustible gases. Their design, planning, development and construction of plants for the handling of companies like Dow Chemical, DSM, Unilever and Volvo. Two- Is Zurich a good place for your line of business?
landfill, biogas and off-gas is reputed worldwide. A wide range of customised products, together with specialised know-how in the thirds comes from institutional investors, like pension funds Cleantech opportunities are scattered throughout Europe and
combustion, safety technique and explosion protection sectors, ensure an ability to meet the most demanding of customer require- and financial institutions. North America. Switzerland has a great research culture and
ments. base for technology development. About half of our team has
Many countries have green stimulus packages. Are you a technical background – both academic and industrial experi-
Due to Hofstetter’s qualified international sales network, direct contact is possible expecting a boost for Cleantech companies? ence. Quite a few have studied at the ETH Zurich. So it is a
at short notice. A flexible organisation, a motivated team, modern equipment, plus It is still very regional. Right now, we are taking advantage of good place to recruit people, it is a good place to live, and it
a highly developed understanding of quality, guarantees safety and reliability. the incentives in place in the US to build manufacturing facili- has a good airport.
Today over 2›000 plants worldwide are working successfully. ties. This is great for companies located in the US. In Germany,
you always had strong support mechanisms for companies Steffen Klatt
Hofstetter Umwelttechnik AG that went into the Eastern part of the country. Feed-in tariffs
Münchringenstrasse 12 Contact person: for renewable energies also created market demand, like, for
CH-3324 Hindelbank Bernhard Fröhlich, Area Sales Manager example, the new FIT scheme in the Province of Ontario in
www.hofstetter-uwt.ch bernhard.froehlich@hotstetter-uwt.ch Canada for solar technologies. Gina Domanig founded Emerald Technology Ventures in Zurich in
fon +41 (0)34 411 86 43 2000. The fund, formerly SAM Private Equity, is the first independ-
fax +41 (0)34 411 86 10 China and Korea are offering significant incentives. Will ent Cleantech venture capital fund in Europe. Prior to Emerald, Gina
Cleantech move to the East? was senior vice president at Sulzer, a Swiss multinational. Emerald
China is announcing big investments under such programmes has managed three venture capital funds and two portfolio mandates
on a daily basis. The country is very good in deploying technol- totaling over 450 million USD.
ogies, for instance, in solar and wind. But they are using mainly

9. The economy has to live healthily into Switzerland. „Quality of life is one of the central arguments, if
an expert is unsure whether to accept a job in Switzerland,“ says
Baldwin. Companies that choose their locations exclusively for tax
In times of climate change and globalisation, quality of life becomes a central factor in the economy. Location counts benefits also run the danger of experiencing vast fluctuations with
more than ever in the fight for investors and talent, with desirable sites providing not only tax benefits, but also sound their employees. That could prove to be more expensive than mon-
nature and safe living conditions. ey saved. Many companies have now recognised this dynamic. For
example, 1,600 companies pay Mercer significant sums of money
In the summer of 2009, McDonalds moved its European head- almost as important as the country’s fiscal environment. Top to access the data acquired in the firm’s study.
quarters to Switzerland. This is not the only international com- managers have high expectations for leisure, cultural diversity
pany that appreciates life in the Alps. Google has moved its and social infrastructure, the study finds. In short, soft facts Children profit from a sound environment
most modern research institute outside the United States to are becoming hard facts. The futurologist Andreas Reiter for-
Zurich. The staff executive there, Randy Knaflic, describes the mulates it clearly: „The gap between winner and loser regions You don’t need to look long for the answer to the question why
city’s advantages clearly: „Of course, tax issues play an impor- is getting bigger. Soft factors are increasingly dominating the quality of life, and particularly a sound environment, is increasing in
tant role, particularly when you want to attract experts who pay competition for locations in the fight for investors and talent.” significance for employers. Benno Seiler, an economy conveyor in
up to 50 percent of their wages to the fiscal system in neigh- The connection between prospering economies and general Zurich, observed: „The right surrounding for the family is often the
bouring countries. But in my opinion, you should look at the happiness is being researched intensely. One thing is certain: decisive factor for a top manager. Apart from being an ideal region
comparison differently. I lived in New York City for nine years. more people associate happiness, rather than wealth, with a for children, the hours spent outside of the office are also given
I had a wonderful apartment there, but when I woke up in the sound environment. more importance.” The bicycle dealer Peter Brügger from central
morning and looked out the window, I could wave to my neigh- Switzerland has many customers from various boardrooms: „Par-
bours. Here, I wake up and look out onto the mountains.” Switzerland high up on the list ticularly managers of all ages are keen mountain bikers“, he says.
He views biking as the kind of special kick key players are looking
Soft facts become hard facts Regardless of potentially subjective rankings that one might for.
mistrust or deem reliable, Switzerland is hard to beat. A life
In the last ten years, 180 foreign companies have chosen centred in Zurich, Geneva or Bern is among the most desired Innovation needs tranquillity and dynamism
Switzerland as the location for their headquarters. 96 of those in the world. For eight years, Zurich was at the top of the re-
companies are among the largest worldwide, according to the nowned study into quality of life by the consulting firm Mercer, Education and innovation are central issues in globalisation. In this
Forbes-2000 list. Why? A current study from the Swiss Holding which analyzed conditions in 215 big cities worldwide. This area, Switzerland can boast about the world famous institute of
organisation suggests that infrastructure and soft factors are year, Zurich was in second place behind Vienna. Geneva and the confederate technical college (ETH in German). Regions like,
Bern were also in the top ten. In their annual study into qual- for example, the Rhine Valley bordering Austria, attract world-
ity of life, consultants from ECA also examined living relations class scientists and engineers with the motto „Work where oth-
Small is beautiful in over 400 locations. Bern and Basel find themselves in the ers go on holiday“. The Rhine Valley – including St. Gallen, Chur
Particularly in times of climate change and globalisation, small units best five cities in 2009. Mira Pathak of ECA International says: and Buchs as well as international technology concerns like Leica
with strong environment factors can excel. The „small is beautiful“ „Environment factors, like the quality of air, play an important Geosystems – was ranked in ninth place in a European ranking of
philosophy often benefits smaller stavtes and trends to regionalisation role for the quality of life and in this point the Swiss cities are educational clusters. The Swiss recruiting expert Erich Mosberger
where strong human relations emerge as a central focus of daily life. some of the best.” finds that the region can take on other college locations worldwide:
In the international studies Global Peace Index (Switzerland: 18th „Smart heads look for peaceful places in a good setting, which is
place; USA: 83rd place) and the UNO’s Human Development Report The quality of life is a striking argument still dynamic. The Rhine Valley offers an idyllic place which is still
(Switzerland: 9th place; USA: 13th place), small European nations are high-tech.” He never has to look long for suitable people to fill lead-
a length ahead, showing how planning is crucial to ensuring a good In practice, these aspects and rankings are increasingly in- ing positions.
quality of life. volved in business strategies. Robert Baldwin from Network
Relocation helps international companies bring employees Yvonne von Hunnius

10. 20 21
The World Future Energy Summit 2010 Taming the wind and the sun
Swiss Exhibitors Renewable energies make high demands on the national grid, as the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind also
takes a break occasionally. Predicting the fluctuations of erratic energy sources is crucial to ensuring continual
power supplies, according to Willy Bischofberger from the Swiss Energy Pool PLC.
Your partner for Connectivity Solutions
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Our customers in Communications, Industrial and Transportation markets appreciate that we are specialists with detailed knowledge
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thus providing a unique basis for continual innovation focused on the needs of our customers all over the world. energies. What does this mean for the national grid? providers are paid for their pro-
Willy Bischofberger: Basically, shifting transportation routes. duction?
PV connectivity innovations built to benefit you! For large volumes, this means a geographical and temporal The respective local network pro-
HUBER+SUHNER has developed a high performance connectivity solution for the wiring of shift of energy production according to the times when and vider regularly measures the amount
photovoltaic plants. places where renewable primary energies flow (water, wind and of energy produced, like with all other
High reliability even under extreme conditions is standard for our products. This connectivity solar) and how much production of heat connected with ener- customers, and logs it in a new na-
solution includes our high quality, TÜV and UL certified RADOX® solar cables, corresponding gy production is needed (biomass and geothermal energy).
­ tional databank on the Internet. Eve-
connectors and other practical accessories. Complete wiring of a solar power plant can thus Wind doesn’t always blow; the sun only shines in the day. ry plant operator must be regularly
be implemented with HUBER+SUHNER systems in a continuous and non-polluting way. compensated, with these production
Uncompromising progress – for your benefit. How can the grid ensure that energy is available at all amounts multiplied by the respective
times? subsidy rates per system.
HUBER+SUHNER AG HUBER+SUHNER Middle East Trading LLC Thanks to good production forecasts. The amount of energy
Tumbelenstrasse 20 Dubai Investments Park (DIP) production from renewable energies has to be predicted by 10 Which further services are need-
CH-8330 Pfäffikon ZH European Business Center, Office 156 Contact person: am every day, as exactly as possible, for every quarter of an ed for smooth supplies?
fon +41 (0)44 952 22 11 N 25° 00’ 13.83’’/ E 55° 09’ 19.06’’ Dr. Michael Gnoth hour in the following day. There are basically three necessary
fax +41 (0)71 353 44 44 P.O.Box 75843 Dubai (United Arab Emirates) michael.gnoth@hubersuhner.com As renewable energy takes priority, it means that output from services. First, contract management,
info@hubersuhner.com fon +971 4 81 35 35 – 0; fax +971 4 81 35 35 – 1 other power plants must be limited at respective times, ac- which concludes an energy takeover contract with all plant
www.hubersuhner.com info.me@hubersuhner.com cording to our predictions. In the event of short-term devia- operators; second, a central forecast of production amounts
tions from predictions, the network provider makes expensive in order to minimise balancing energy costs; and third, an ef-
balancing energy available. ficient invoicing service that charges the many market actors
Obviously, this expensive balancing of energy can best be and consumers with the transferred energy.
KRT Kanalrenovationen AG avoided by improving the quality of predictions. Thanks to
continual optimisation, the balancing energy costs were re- How does the Swiss Energy Pool PLC work?
duced from 25 percent in the first few months to between The Swiss Energy Pool PLC is responsible for exactly these
KRT develops and designs special systems for sewerage renovation using pipe relining and renovation robots. We have the Know- 1 percent and 2 percent of total energy costs. services in the Swiss market. This task was assigned by the
how and capability to plan and carry out sewerage renovation. Federal Office for Energy (BFE in German), because, as an in-
How can energy production be predicted accurately? dependent service provider, it is sufficiently competent in infor-
KRT Kanalrenovation AG KRT Sewer Rehabilitation Technology FZE Thanks to three cleverly thought-out models. First, with a roll- mation technology and the energy market to efficiently carry
Luzernerstrasse 19 Saif-Zone Office Y08 out procedure. This is particularly suitable for biomass and out these manifold processes. Based on current objectives, it
CH-6204 Sempach P-O. Box 9353 geothermal energy, which are independent of the weather. Due will grow into the biggest green energy hub in Switzerland for
fon +41 41 462 71 33 Sharjah to years of experience and intelligent cooperation processes new renewable energies over the next few years.
Mobil +41 292 30 50 United Arab Emirates with the plant operators and heat users, we can make very
pe@krtag.ch; www.krtag.ch accurate predictions. Steffen Klatt
Contact person: Hansruedi Petermann Second, with linear and non-linear stochastic prediction mod-
els that are particularly suited for weather-dependent systems
(water, wind, solar). What is decisive are the models as well as
the experience to recognise which production amounts are in
linear or non-linear connection with weather predictions – tem- Willy Bischofberger is joint-CEO of the Swiss Energy Pool PLC. The
perature, rainfall, wind speed and direction, global radiation. Swiss service company works together with about 60 Swiss energy
Third, prediction precision is improved thanks to grouping the providers. Among other duties, it produces forecasts for energy pro-
predictions nationally, because positive and negative predic- duction, deals with network bookkeeping and passes on data.
tion deviations of separate plants can balance each other out.

11. Into the future with intelligent networks um-sized power stations, rather than just a few large power
stations, are expected to ensure the majority of electricity pro-
of energy available are also now viewed as a crucial factor in
the mix. A refrigerated warehouse could function as a tempo-
The energy of the future will flow through networks where information exchanges make energy streams more duction. rary storage, for example. If there is surplus energy available,
efficient. The technical solution: “Smart Grids” and “Smart Meters”. the warehouse will be cooled down. This stored energy in the
Multitude of small provider form of coldness could recycled later via a heat exchanger if
necessary. The process could also work the other way around.
Today’s “static” networks are not equipped for the demands of If there is little energy available, the refrigerated warehouse
Electrical power systems operate more efficiently than motors siderably more important in electricity production in the next a considerably larger number of energy providers. While river would be cooled as little as possible. This unneeded energy
that run on fluid or gaseous fuels. Industries, railways, busi- few decades. Water, wind, solar, biogas, wood and geothermal and nuclear power stations primarily provide range perform- could then be sold, on the spot market, for a profit. Even the
nesses and personal homes have been taking advantage of energy will all play an important role in this shift. ance for the moment, and hydro power plants serve as batter- batteries of future electric cars could take over as temporary
this superiority for decades. Like in electricity production, ef- ies to flexibly provide both peak and standby power, the elec- storage units – and earn money for owners.
ficiency gains in combined heat and power plants are similarly Energy data in real time tricity mix of the future will be much broader. “Above all, the
immense compared to conventional power stations. On the relative proportion of electricity production, which can provide However, with current transmission networks, which are purely
road, the electric car could gradually supplant the motor car. At What will this future reliance on electricity look like in three to desired capacity within seconds at the push of a button, will analogous, this back-and-forth is not possible. The problem
the same time, renewable energies are going to become con- four decades? The time-honoured mechanical electric meter sink”, says Moser. Instead, wind turbines will only run at full- doesn’t lie with the network itself, but with the information ex-
will be replaced by “Smart Meters”. These are digital meter throttle when wind conditions are good. The same applies for changes at decisive interfaces. “We need a lot more informa-
readers that continually provide information on real-time elec- photovoltaic energy production, which can be limited accord- tion in real time, in order to control such networks automati-
ABB is building an energy network of the future tricity consumption. You’ll not only know about the consump- ing to the weather conditions and turned off at night. Other cally”, says Moser. “Smart Grid” is the first solution to currently
In a project together with the Scandinavian supply company Fortum, tion of all the electric equipment in your home or office, but plants, however, for example wood or biomass power plants, work on paper. It will be a network where all necessary infor-
ABB is developing an intelligent power network for a new district in you’ll also report this data to a central energy information net- could by all means take over the job as energy providers at mation is always available for the respective market players.
Stockholm. The Royal Seaport will comprise 10,000 flats and 30,000 work. The means of supply, in other words, will also be an in- peak periods. And it could be a network that draws an arrow from wind-rich
offices. “With regard to size, this is a considerable advance on the way formation network. For example, a refrigerator owners could northern Europe to the Sahara Desert, where pumped storage
to a more intelligent and flexible local power network that integrates use their appliance at full-swing when there is a surplus in the Today`s storage does not suffice hydro power plants in the Alps, together with new forms of
decentralised and renewable energy sources, and helps us to realise market and electricity can be obtained more cheaply. Then, storage, such as hydrogen storage units, could play a decisive
the vision of sustainable cities”, says Bazmi Husain, director of the at peak times, it would be turned down automatically. Imple- Admittedly, no one can now predict the proportions of these al- role.
ABB Smart Grid initiative. Fossil energy sources are to be completely mented consistently, the system can expect considerable sav- ternative forms of energy and how exactly the future electricity
eliminated in the seaport by 2030.In the process, local energy pro- ings in energy consumption. Michael Moser, senior manager mix will be put together. One thing is already certain, however. This dream is still a long way off, of course. “It will need an
duction and a more flexible responsive energy network play a signifi- in the energy research section at the Swiss federal office for Today’s capacity is not enough. Now, water-rich countries like internationally coordinated course of action in research and
cant role. ABB and Fortum are thereby developing different solutions energy, reckons about 10 to 15 percent energy savings are Switzerland can use pumped storage hydro power plants that implementation”, says Moser. “Switzerland is willing, and the
to optimally control the energy flow. The Swiss-Swedish ABB leads possible. The technology is available today. contain batteries that form the largest electricity storage units Swiss research institutes here have considerable potential.”
the way in automation and energy technology. The enterprises of the worldwide. But they are nowhere near enough. More storage
ABB-group are active in around 100 countries and have more than The considerably bigger challenge will be the organisation of providers are required. To find additional storage, suppliers are Urs Fitze
120,000 employees worldwide. future power transmission networks between power stations considering alternative forms of production, but large and small
and consumers. In the future, a multitude of small and medi- energy consumers who can adjust their demand to the amount