Förderung

The chemical industry must decarbonize while reducing reliance on fossil feedstocks. Measures such as energy efficiency, electrification, and carbon capture lower emissions but do not resolve dependence on fossil-derived carbon, which returns to the atmosphere as CO₂ at end of life. True circularity therefore requires renewable carbon sources with equivalent chemical functionality and performance. The project builds on a patented process developed at EPFL for producing high-value phenolic specialty chemicals from renewable carbon streams, targeting specialty rather than bulk markets where margins and scale delay adoption. The work advances the process from laboratory proof-of-concept to a pilot-scale demonstrator, focusing on robustness, scalability, and applied process development, addressing a $3 billion market.

The project develops the technology to manufacture alcohol-free beer and wine without dealcoholization that are sensorially appealing and economically viable. It uses Crabtree-negative yeasts to deplete sugars without ethanol formation and appealing taste and flavor. To make the technology operationally viable, the project develops a retrofit‑compatible aeration system that maintains optimal oxygen supply and homogeneity during fermentation. It advances the technology from laboratory prototype (TRL4) through laboratory and pilot validation (TRL5–6) to industrial demonstration in beverage tanks (TRL7).

Stricter regulatory limits for PFAS pose major challenges for soil and water remediation. In particular, the removal of short-chain PFAS from aqueous systems remains technically demanding. Conventional technologies such as activated carbon, ion exchangers, and membrane processes show effective performance for long-chain PFAS but suffer from limited selectivity, reduced efficiency, and increased operational complexity for short-chain compounds. This project introduces a novel, highly selective PFAS adsorber capable of efficiently removing PFAS from water, including short-chain species. The superior performance is enabled by a dual binding mechanism that combines ion-exchange interactions with specific fluorine–fluorine affinities. The proposed technology offers a scalable and robust solution to meet current and future regulatory requirements for PFAS remediation.

Carbon Black (CB) is a critical industrial raw material; its fossil-based production emits 30–80 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Biomethane pyrolysis offers a sustainable alternative by splitting methane into solid carbon and hydrogen. In Switzerland, methane from manure management is a major climate challenge, accounting for approx. 1 million tonnes of CO2eq per year. This project establishes a decentralized value chain transforming manure-derived methane into biogenic Carbon Black (bio-CB). Building on a successful proof-of-concept, the process will be validated in a pilot-scale unit at a farm-based biogas plant. Led by the BFH Studer Research Group and the spin-off Carbon42 GmbH, the project bridges the gap between scientific development and industrial application.

The concrete industry accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions, and cement is mainly responsible for up to 90% of these emissions. The project allows production of concrete with extremely low cement content coupled with fast strength development properties, which is an added benefit for the industry. The novelty of the technology lies in the ultra-low-carbon and fast reacting cement formulation along with a unique chemical admixture formulation. The proposed project is about further developing and establishing a chemical admixture formulation that can be used to produce a wide range of ultra-low-carbon and fast hardening concrete products. The researchers have already produced prototypes and demonstrated performance in the lab scale and environment (TRL 4). After initial lab tests to optimize the admixture formulation, they will produce/test concrete prototypes in industry scale (to reach TRL 7).

Rising CO₂ emissions continue to drive climate change, outpacing the removal capacity of existing carbon sinks. While large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) plays a role, it alone is insufficient to address this urgent challenge. Meanwhile, the built environment remains an untapped resource, with vast surface areas that could function as active carbon sinks. This project proposes a paradigm shift, by transforming passive building surfaces into active climate solutions with our newly developed CO2 sequestration living materials. Our newly developed material provides a low-energy, easily deployable solution that complements existing sequestration efforts, helping to accelerate climate mitigation at a critical time.

Growing environmental and health concerns surrounding per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) are leading to increasing regulatory restrictions on their use. Due to their unique properties like temperature resistance or low friction, PFAS are used in many applications like drives and energy technology, medical technology or electronics. In a pre-study, RhySearch and Hilti demonstrated promising approaches of laser-structured, PFAS-free coatings with respect to low friction and longevity. The project has the goal to bridge the knowledge gap for selected, industry-relevant applications in tribology, assess findings through experimental testing and validate the approach on a tool prototype on full system level (TRL 6). Additionally, it aims to develop predictive, physical models to enhance the understanding of time-dependent friction characteristics, which we will be validated through experiments. The primary long-term benefit of this project is reducing reliance on PFAS in tribological applications, thereby mitigating its negative environmental impact.

Global emissions continue to rise, driven by the high cost of capturing CO₂ at the source. Conventional methods like amine scrubbing are energy-intensive, and current membrane solutions require high pressures, making them economically unfeasible on a large scale. To overcome these issues, the project developed a novel porous graphene membrane that separates CO₂ from flue gas at a fraction of the cost of existing solutions, by reducing CAPEX by 3–5x, OPEX by 4–9x, and the membrane footprint by ~100x. The membranes will be tested with industry partners before scaling up to a remote heating facility in Kerzers, Bern, where captured CO₂ will feed a greenhouse, completing a net-zero cycle. A successful demonstration will mark a major breakthrough in carbon capture and support the industry's net-zero goals.

The project aims to address the dual challenge of e-waste surge globally and the inefficient recycling of critical metals to prevent both environmental degradation and resource scarcity. Our work on recycling rare earth elements from spent fluorescent lamps, protected by a European Patent (EP23306022) has paved the way for novel recycling processes using biocompatible and petroleum-free extractant. The project demonstrates the potential of this technology at laboratory scale on one potential waste stream, spent energy-saving lamps. In order to bridge the gap between recyclers and manufacturers and to be ready for market entry, the project needs to assess the scaling of this new technology, going from a TRL 3 to a TRL5.

The project presents a sustainable, cost-effective innovation in concrete construction. With concrete production responsible for ~8% of global CO2 emissions, Foldcast offers a low-impact alternative using digitally fabricated paper moulds instead of conventional wood or metal formwork. These moulds are 5x cheaper, 10x faster to produce, recyclable and reusable—enabling optimized designs that reduce concrete use by up to 50% and CO2 emissions by 40%. Developed within the Foldcast research project at the FMAA research group, Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio (USI), the demonstrator features a 7x7m concrete slab serving as a functional external storage facility built at ETH Zurich Hönggerberg campus, marking the first real-building application of Foldcast technology. Since December 2024, Foldcast Sagl is a startup based in Lugano, committed to commercialising sustainable concrete building solutions for designers, contractors and developers in the construction and real estate sectors. Collaborators: Assistant Prof. Dr. Ena Lloret-Fritschi, Elia Quadranti, Soroush Garivani

Rising global temperatures and record CO₂ emissions demand urgent action. Switzerland’s carbon tax of 120 CHF per tonne CO₂ drives carbon remove (CDR), yet cost-effective solutions remain scarce, impacting industries like cement, waste, and energy. HyDeCarb offers a modular, patented CDR process, removing more than one tonne CO₂ per day while producing clean H₂, O₂, and stable carbonates. Unlike slow, high-energy mineralization, HyDeCarb’s electrocatalytic process is 100-1000x faster, cutting CO₂ costs by 16-40% and selling H₂ at fraction of market rates. The Implementation Grant enables scaling from 10g to 1kg/day, providing a pathway to a container-based 1 tonne per day solution by 2028.

The sanitation sector is shifting from linear waste disposal to circular resource recovery. Urine holds high nutrient potential but remains underutilized. Switzerland’s progressive regulations on phosphorus recovery and micropollutant removal create an opportunity for source-separated sanitation. The project aims to transfer the Nutrient Harvester, a compact, off-grid urine treatment system that produces fertiliser, from research to application. Tested under real-life conditions at the KREIS-Haus living lab, the project evaluates performance, fertilizer value, acceptance and regulatory fit. The project supports the integration of decentralised sanitation into Swiss infrastructure while offering a scalable model for sustainable solutions globally.