RoBoa, Oxyle and Bystronic have been named as the winners of the Swiss Technology Award 2024. Switzerland’s most important technology prize recognizes particular achievements in the fields of innovation and technology transfer. This year, the award was presented for the 36th time. In September, three finalists were nominated per category – Inventors, Start-ups and Industry Innovation. The finalists presented their pioneering projects to an audience of around 1,000 people at the Swiss innovation platform Open-I, which was held at the Zurich Convention Center on November 22.
A team of engineering researchers from the Autonomous Systems Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) won out in the category of Inventors with its snake-shaped robot RoBoa. It is able to navigate its way through very tight spaces and is designed for use in pipes, canals or rubble. Thanks to a Pioneer Fellowship from the university, RoBoa is on the cusp of a market launch.
Oxyle from Schlieren in the canton of Zurich emerged victorious in the Start-ups category. The patented technology developed by the ETH spin-off breaks down dangerous contaminants in wastewater to produce clean and safe water that can be used immediately. Oxyle’s purification system does not filter water; rather, it works by destroying the contaminants and breaking them down into their component parts. This eliminates the problems rather than leaving them for subsequent treatment stages to sort out.
The Bystronic Group was named as the winner of the Industry Innovation category. The focus of the global company, which is based in Niederönz in the canton of Bern and specializes in the area of sheet metal processing, is on automating the entire material and data flow of the cutting and bending process chain. Bystronic integrates real-time monitoring on the basis of sensor technology and Artificial Intelligence into its laser cutting machines with the aim of ensuring cutting quality, enhanced autonomy and a reduction in operating costs. ce/mm
Startup ecosystem
Startup ecosystem
Successful startups in the fields of forward-looking technologies represent the innovative strength and competitiveness of a location. The Greater Zurich region has developed into a very attractive location for successful startups.
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