Swiss Climate Foundation awards CHF2.4 million to innovation projects
Last year, the Swiss Climate Foundation granted CHF2.4 million ($2.63 million) to 17 innovation projects, a funding increase of around half a million francs to the same number of projects, compared to 2022.
Support for seven projects from previous years was cut short in 2023, according to the Swiss Climate Foundation’s annual report, published on Tuesday. The report said that this happens when the path of a company that has applied for funding does not lead to the hoped-for success, or if it is not possible to build the necessary structures for the project.
The premature cancellation of older projects freed up around CHF600,000 to be reallocated to the development fund.
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Last year, support focussed on projects in energy production and food and agriculture. For example, a spin-off project from the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich is developing an electric GPS-controlled agricultural robot that uses laser to destroy weeds in vegetable fields. A Geneva-based company, on the other hand, is developing solar modules that resist the wind by oscillating to ensure electricity production on cultivated land.
The foundation said the focus was determined by the number and quality of applications received as well as the climate protection potential, with the prevention of CO2 emissions the primary basis for funding, and the sector secondary.
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According to the Swiss Climate Foundation, more than 70% of the projects funded over the past 15 years have been in energy production, buildings and construction, food and agriculture, as well as industrial and consumer goods. It has existed as an independent foundation since 2008 and is under government supervision.
Translated from German by DeepL/kp /amva
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