Green Business Award 2026: These Six Finalists Stand Out with Their Sustainable Solutions

Heat waves, food waste, energy consumption: The six finalists for the eighth Green Business Award are tackling the areas where environmental challenges are most acutely felt today. For the first time, the award will be presented in two categories—SMEs/Corporates and Scale-ups. In September, a jury chaired by former Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard will decide which companies most convincingly combine environmental impact with economic success.

Solutions from Switzerland with global relevance

Since 2019, the Green Business Award has been presented annually to Swiss companies that combine environmental impact with economic benefits and scalability. In the first phase, approximately 40 national scouts from the business and academic communities nominate the best solutions in their respective industries. An interdisciplinary preliminary jury then selects three finalists per category from among these nominations. «The finalists demonstrate where the business sector has the most leverage: in buildings, energy, supply chains, production, and materials. Their solutions are developed in Switzerland but address challenges that are relevant worldwide,» says Cédric Habermacher, Director of Green Business Switzerland.

SME/Corporate Category: An Overview of the Three Finalists

Infomaniak Network, based in Les Acacias (GE), demonstrates that the growth of data centers does not necessarily have to lead to increased resource consumption. With its underground D4 data center, the Swiss cloud provider fully recycles the heat generated by its servers: it is fed into Geneva’s district heating network and heats approximately 6,000 apartments in the winter. In the summer, the heat is sufficient for about 20,000 showers per day. The data center operates without traditional air conditioning or water for cooling, runs entirely on renewable energy, and will save approximately 58,000 metric tons of CO₂ over a 20-year operating period. The model is documented as open source.

Belimo Automation, based in Hinwil (ZH), is targeting buildings—one of Switzerland’s largest energy consumers—with its RetroFIT+ solution. The company uses data to analyze the condition of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, identifies opportunities for efficiency improvements, and prioritizes effective measures. This reduces energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and operating and capital costs—without requiring extensive renovations to existing buildings.

Vögeli Marketingproduktion & Druck, based in Langnau (BE), demonstrates how the circular economy can be implemented in practice in the printing industry. The family-owned company produces magazines, mailings, packaging, and games in accordance with the Cradle to Cradle Certified® principle. Proprietary printing inks and carefully selected materials enable the creation of products that can be recycled without problematic pollutants. Production at the Langnau facility takes place without direct CO₂ emissions. Vögeli was the first printing company in the world to achieve the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold certification for printed products and packaging.

ScaleUps Category: Three More Finalists

AgroSustain, based in Renens (VD), is tackling the problem of food waste with an edible coating called Afondo for fresh fruits and vegetables. The solution extends shelf life, maintains quality throughout the supply chain, and enables more efficient transportation planning—in some cases even allowing for a switch from air freight to sea freight. In this way, the company links reduced food loss with lower emissions and economic benefits for producers, wholesalers, and retailers.

OceanSafe, based in Bern (BE), is developing naNea®, a biodegradable and recyclable high-performance material, as an alternative to conventional polyester. The resulting fibers are biodegradable and help reduce the microplastic problem in the textile industry. naNea® can be integrated into existing production processes and scaled up globally through partners—with lower CO₂ emissions and at no additional cost to customers.

Meteomatics, based in St. Gallen (SG), is developing Euro1k, a high-resolution weather model for Europe and parts of North Africa. While global models typically operate at a resolution of about 20 kilometers, Euro1k calculates weather data at a resolution of one kilometer. This allows for more precise forecasts of local weather events, such as thunderstorms or hail, up to 72 hours in advance. The model is particularly relevant for renewable energy: more precise weather data improves the planning, trading, and integration of solar and wind energy.

Two-step award process

The finalists will present their solutions in a pitch to the main jury, which includes Doris Leuthard and 14 other prominent figures, among them Reto Knutti (ETH professor of climate physics), Michèle Rodoni (CEO of die Mobiliar), Pascal Grieder (CEO of Swiss Post), Christoph Brand (CEO of the Axpo Group), and entrepreneur Patrizia Laeri. The University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) is supporting the entire award process as a scientific partner. The winner in the SME/Corporates category will be announced on September 3, 2026, at the Maillot Vert Summer Festival in Lucerne, and the winner in the ScaleUps category on February 12, 2027, at the Impact Circle event in Gstaad.

More information: www.greenbusiness.ch