15 years of commitment to Swiss sustainability
and cleantech

A little background...

Eric Plan, Secretary General of CleantechAlps

Launched in June 2010, CleantechAlps was born from the commitment of the Western Swiss cantons to position the region as a key player in the field of clean technologies. Faced with growing environmental challenges and the imperative of energy and environmental transitions, the platform has now established itself as a strategic lever for bringing together economic, academic, industrial, and institutional players around cleantech and sustainability.

Its slogan “Connect – Promote – Support” sums up its mission: to connect the aforementioned actors and promote their innovations in order to support the transition from the old carbon-based world to a globally more sustainable society. CleantechAlps is part of the regional innovation system, which brings together 4 sectoral platforms and 2 coaching services, managed by ARI-SO.

From the outset, CleantechAlps articulated a structured vision in three stages for the development of Swiss cleantech. A phase of emergence for the sector with quite a few initiatives, more or less opportunistic, but whose result was to help launch the dynamic (2010–2015).

Between 2015 and 2020, consolidation of the sector was expected in a context seen as broadly favorable.

From 2020 onwards, this vision foresaw a large-scale deployment over the following decade, up to 2030. This approach described the Swiss market as a pilot market, a springboard to the international stage. The ability to adapt a solution to the environment and context in which it is supposed to be deployed has proven to be a key asset in this sector.

If the figures demonstrate the accuracy of this vision up to now (more than 600 start-ups created and 3 billion raised since 2010), we are currently halfway through this third phase, the realization of which will be decisive for the success of Swiss cleantech. The major challenge in the coming years is also set: to successfully enter relevant international markets with Swiss expertise. And while Switzerland has many assets to succeed in this final stage and ensure long-term growth, it absolutely must shift into higher gear. We are too slow in bringing innovations to market and not united enough in pushing in the same direction. Real long-term collaboration, aligned with shared values, between key field players (umbrella organizations, institutional bodies, public and private sectors) is needed. Switzerland is a very small country, and that is an asset giving it agility whose potential must be better exploited.

Highlights and key stages in the history of cleantech in Switzerland

The history of cleantech in Switzerland is marked by key stages and innovations that have contributed to the country’s energy and ecological transition. From the construction of the first infrastructures for renewable energies and water treatment to the adoption of ambitious national strategies, each event has advanced Switzerland toward a more sustainable future. Discover the key milestones along this journey.

1872

First concrete gravity dam

Commissioning of the first concrete gravity dam in Europe, located in Pérolles, south of Fribourg.

1882

First railway tunnel through the Alps

Inauguration of the first railway tunnel through the Alps at the Gotthard, connecting the north and south of the country and Europe.

1917

First wastewater treatment plant

Construction of the first wastewater treatment plant in Switzerland, in St. Gallen.

1961

First incineration plant

Aof KEZO, the first incineration plant near Zurich.

1964

Inauguration of the Grande Dixence

Inauguration of the highest gravity dam in the world at 285 meters.

1982

Grid-connected photovoltaic system

Switzerland becomes the first country in Europe to connect a photovoltaic installation to the power grid. This system is still in operation today.

1987

Founding of ATG

Founding of the AutoTeilet Genossenschaft and Sharecom, which led to the creation of the Mobility Carsharing cooperative in 1997, the largest carsharing company in Europe with 3,000 vehicles and 1,600 stations throughout Switzerland.

1990

PET recycling program

Launch of the national PET recycling program, which reached a recycling rate of 83% in 2019.

2009

Innovative thermal solutions

Launch of the “Genilac” and “Geneva-Lake-Nations” projects. These innovative thermal solutions use water from Lake Geneva to heat and cool buildings in downtown Geneva.

2011

Announcement of nuclear phase-out

The Federal Council announces its intention to gradually phase out nuclear energy.

2012

First solar-powered world tour

PlanetSolar, the solar catamaran envisioned by adventurer Raphaël Domjan, completes the first solar-powered circumnavigation of the globe, all modes of transport included.

2015

Paris Agreement

Adopted at COP21, the Paris Agreement marks an international commitment to fighting climate change.

2016

New Gotthard Base Tunnel

Inauguration of the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in Europe at 60 km.

2016

Inauguration of the Linth-Limmern hydroelectric complex

Inauguration in Glarus of the hydroelectric complex whose output tripled to reach 1,480 GWh of annual production.

2016

World tour without a drop of fuel

Solar Impulse completes its world tour without using a drop of fuel, piloted by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg in relay.

2017

Energy Strategy 2050

Approval by the Swiss people of the Energy Strategy 2050, aiming to develop renewable energy and improve energy efficiency.

2020

Nant de Drance

Inauguration of the Nant de Drance pumped-storage hydroelectric complex (Valais), on the French-Swiss border near Chamonix Mont-Blanc. One of the largest such installations in Europe with 900 MW installed capacity and an average annual output of 2,500 GWh.

2021

Climate Strategy 2050

Adoption of the Climate Strategy 2050, setting long-term carbon neutrality goals.

2023

Climate Protection Act

Approval of the Climate Protection and Innovation Act, strengthening Switzerland’s legal framework for energy and climate transition.

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And What’s Next?

The rocket has launched: our collective challenge is now to ensure sustainable propulsion. This requires greater support for pre-industrialization and industrial scaling of solutions and fully exploiting synergies between public and private actors.

15 years, 15 faces — A community that innovates, transforms and inspires

For 15 years, CleantechAlps has been connecting talents and solutions for a sustainable transition in Western Switzerland. To mark this anniversary, we highlight 15 personalities from diverse backgrounds who shape today’s and tomorrow’s cleantech. Through their stories, we share successes where CleantechAlps facilitated connections and collaborations for a sustainable future.

Impact: A strong and dynamic ecosystem

CleantechAlps actively contributes to the vitality of the cleantech and sustainability ecosystem in Switzerland:

Change in the number of start-ups

Reference publications in the field:

Overview of cleantech start-up

Mapping Swiss cleantech start-up and analysing investments and trends in the field

Special reports on individual topics

To present the issues, challenges, best practices and business models of the various sectors (Energy Efficiency / Hydrogen / Agritech / Circular Economy / Waste Recovery / Water Treatment and Small Hydropower)

Swiss Cleantech Report

Reference publication for promoting Swiss expertise and skills in the field of cleantech and sustainability

Our concrete actions to structure, promote and raise awareness of cleantech and sustainability:

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LinkedIn followers

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Near-daily involvement in current events, demonstrations, and initiatives in the sector.

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Company profiles published in the media since 2010.

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Qualified connections made each year.

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Articles and announcements published each year.

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Involvements in national juries, advisory boards and working groups.

A travelling exhibition on cleantech in Swiss embassies around the world with Presence Switzerland: ‘Can Tech Save the World’ with six themes.

On the start-up side:

One-third of start-ups in the TOP100 2024 are active in cleantech.

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New cleantech start-ups created each year.

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CHF raised since 2010.

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CHF raised in 2022.

CleantechAlps is also...

An expert committee

A showcase for stakeholders

Swiss cleantech start-up portal

Cleantech players
from Western Switzerland

Reference publications

To conclude... Our vision for 2035+!

In 15 years, the Swiss cleantech ecosystem has grown from its early days to sustained growth. The current period goes well beyond a transition — we are witnessing a real revolution, leaving behind the (carbon-based) old world for a new, less carbon-intensive, more sustainable, and more responsible world.

Predicting the future is impossible… however, the accuracy of our 2010–2025 vision encourages us to share our estimations for the 2035 horizon in the following lines…

The current period has many similarities with 2010. At the time, cleantech was described as a “hype,” a trend whose interest seemed already declining in the US. Today, sustainability is being challenged from all sides — delays announced in Europe with the omnibus (CSRD, …) or fluctuating US tariff policies echo this. A very similar situation to 15 years ago, but with one major difference: the momentum of an established ecosystem!

Our vision for the years to come is clear: cleantech is the spearhead for implementing decarbonization plans, and sustainability is the driver that will help companies build resilience. Resilience is essential to withstand a turbulent environment increasingly subject to economic, political, climatic, or geostrategic crises.

Cleantech and sustainability will converge to become ultimately inseparable. In the coming decade, we will likely see a repeat of the quality management systems (ISO 9001) era, now under the “ESG” acronym. The challenge of this remake will be to avoid the bureaucratic excesses of ISO 9001 and instead leverage the lessons of the past 40 years.

Sustainability must be seen as a way to understand and mitigate risks in a turbulent environment. Implementing an ESG approach with its Environmental, Social, and Governance criteria is a risk management tool that will help companies, including SMEs, navigate a highly unstable and evolving environment. It acts as a compass to establish a roadmap and risk management strategy.

Our view is that a sustainability approach incorporating an analysis of the environmental footprint of a company and/or its key products will have become the norm in 15 years.

The priority work to achieve this is to demystify the subject, share concrete examples, and above all develop a pragmatic approach to accelerate the realization of these footprints. The goal is clearly to make them financially and humanly accessible to SMEs. For example, simplifying the creation of life cycle analyses or carbon footprints, by developing generic or industry-specific solutions… Some may call this utopia, to which we reply: let’s innovate!

The second essential axis to realize this vision is to continue the internationalization of cleantech solutions. The domestic market is very small and acts as a demonstration showcase, while growth clearly lies in foreign markets. In this context, and in addition to leveraging synergies among current initiatives, it would be wise to strengthen our presence in selected foreign markets with permanent showrooms.

These spaces — a sort of swissnex or industrial Swiss Business Hubs — would typically be venues where companies can showcase their solutions and equipment, make them available to clients, or run tests in their environments. Closer ties between multinationals and SMEs, for instance through partnerships with international groups headquartered in Switzerland, would further increase the impact of this initiative.

The rocket has launched: our collective challenge is now to ensure sustainable propulsion. This requires, immediately, stronger support for pre-industrialization and industrial scaling of solutions, supported by leveraging synergies between public and private actors.

The impact of climate change is no longer a distant horizon — it’s here and now. And the cleantech ecosystem already has the solutions. So… let’s meet again in 15 years for a new assessment. Until then: full speed ahead to action!

A special thank you to our sponsors…

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