High-level Energy Innovation Representatives from Massachusetts and Switzerland to meet in Zurich

Bern, 16.06.2015 - The United States of America and Switzerland are currently undergoing a fundamental transformation of the energy sector that poses huge new challenges to society, science, economy and politics. Tackling these challenges will require the most brilliant minds in both countries. The Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days from August 19 – 21, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland, will bring them all together in order to exchange perspectives, and to share expertise and practical experiences in the emerging new energy world. The 2015 edition of the Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days focuses on Integrated Building Systems. Organized under the auspices of the Swiss Minister of Energy Doris Leuthard, the Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days offer a unique platform for high-level attendees from both the North American and Swiss energy communities to showcase the best energy technologies, projects and market innovations, expand their network, explore potentials for innovation and learn more about doing business in Switzerland and the US.

The first edition of the Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days was held in Boston in July 2014 and was extremely well received by all participants. Around 300 researchers and representatives from companies and industry associations from Switzerland and the US attended the numerous events of the Conference.

Building on this success, the second edition of the Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days, revolving around the topic of Integrated Building Systems, is now open for registration. Jointly organized by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects, Switzerland Global Enterprise, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and swissnex Boston, the Consulate of Switzerland, the event will take place in Zurich, in the very modern and popular new urban district "Toni Areal".

The first two days (August 19 - 20, 2015) of the Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days feature four parallel workshops in the morning with a notable lineup of expert chairpersons and key note speakers from Switzerland and the US covering the topics:

  • Society & Economy - Sustainable Decision-Making
    Chair: Linda Looft, Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Relations, Worcester Polytechnic Institute WPI
  • Energy Technologies - Buildings and Districts for the Future
    Chair: Dr. Peter Richner, Deputy Director of EMPA - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
  • Mobility - Future Supply and Demand
    Chair: Nick Nigro, Founder of Atlas Public Policy
  • Architecture & Space - Energy as Context or Driver
    Chair: Prof. Dr. Arno Schlueter, ETH Zurich, Institute of Technology in Architecture ITA

The afternoons are dedicated to site visits to a range of innovative companies, research organizations and exemplary sustainable urban development sites. These include site visits, on the first afternoon (August 19, 2015) to iHomeLab, the think tank and research center for building intelligence, and the your+ prototype, an optimized collective housing concept that has reached the 5th place in the Solar Decathlon Europe competition in 2014, both sites situated at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - School of Engineering and Architecture in Horw. The second site visit on this afternoon will be to the Suurstoffi Rotkreuz, a brand new integrated, traffic-free and carbon-free district with a so-called "anergy" network. The day will be concluded with a networking reception at Siemens AG in Zug, with an address from Heinz Tännler, Cantonal Councilor, Canton of Zug.

Site visits on the second afternoon (August 20, 2015) will include a Lab tour at EMPA Duebendorf with presentations of the Mobility Demonstrator and the pilot project, NEST, which offers the construction industry and research partners a demonstration platform under real-life conditions to test and develop new ideas and products. The next station will be at the IBM Research Lab in Rueschlikon, world-renowned for its scientific achievements. The official conference dinner will take place in Zurich with addresses from Markus Assfalg, Director Business and Economic Development, Canton of Zurich and Martin Naville, CEO Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce.

The closing event of the Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days 2015 will be held on August 21, 2015 at the Zurich University of the Arts. The top-level program includes key notes by Lino Guzzella, President of ETH Zurich and Patrick Warnking, Country Director of Google Switzerland as well as a panel discussion with the workshop chairs, presenting the results of their two-day work. The concluding addresses will be delivered by Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister of Energy Doris Leuthard and Suzan G. LeVine, Ambassador of the United States of America to Switzerland. The event will be accompanied by a mini-exhibition of Watt d'Or award winning projects, representing Switzerland's most innovative energy projects.

We cordially invite you to join the Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days 2015 in Zurich. Online registration is open until June 30, 2015 at www.sia.ch/innovation-days.

US participants can apply for a grant to cover the cost of travelling and accommodation. Please send your grant application letter by e-mail to: marianne.zuend@bfe.admin.ch.

Media representatives wishing to cover the Swiss-US Energy Innovation Days 2015 are requested to confirm their attendance by e-mail to: marianne.zuend@bfe.admin.ch.


Address for enquiries

Marianne Zünd, Head of Media + Politics SFOE, +41 58 462 56 75 / +41 79 763 86 11
Adrian Altenburger, Vice President, SIA, +41 44 305 93 71 / +41 78 833 93 71
Felix Moesner, Consul, swissnex Boston, +1 617 876 3077



Publisher

Swiss Federal Office of Energy
http://www.bfe.admin.ch

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-57696.html