10 projects that give you confidence: these Swiss give hope

Most men with erectile dysfunction choose not to seek professional help due to feelings of shame and guilt. However, those affected suffer massively from sexual problems. This puts pressure on themselves and their relationships, says psychologist Melanie Baumgartner. With her therapy app E-rupt.net, Baumgartner offers online analyzes and individual behavioral therapies that can be used to treat psychologically related erectile dysfunction. She received the Digital Innovation Grant from the University of Zurich for her invention.

Ahmad Allahgholi from Basel was once a banker. After a burnout, he completely changed his life, traveled the world and founded the organization Coralive in 2016. The team has been planting new corals in the most beautiful places in the world for seven years. They need to multiply and become more resilient. This is desperately needed because coral reefs are increasingly turning into rocky deserts. Rising temperatures, fishing, construction projects and people are to blame. Corals play a central role in the marine ecosystem; among other things, they provide habitat and food for many species.

Three to five in 10,000 babies are born with Tetralogy of Fallot – a heart defect that causes poor blood flow to the lungs. After 15 years of research, a team from ETH Zurich has found the culprit: a protein called BBLN, whose levels are significantly elevated in those affected. In experiments with mice, the researchers succeeded in changing the biochemical signaling pathways surrounding the protein. In the next step, they will now look for an active ingredient that, based on the new findings, stops the deformity.

Thomas Schori from Basel had a company that manufactured watch straps. Realizing the extent of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans, he investigated whether plastic waste could be used as a raw material for the watch industry. Together with the Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing (IWK) of the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, he investigated how plastic waste can be sorted, cleaned and modified to convert it into sustainable products. He founded the spin-off Tide Ocean. The company processes ocean plastic into granules, yarn and other recyclable materials. For example, the upcycled plastic waste is now used to produce products from well-known brands such as Tom Ford or Hugo Boss.

Josef Jenni and Lorin Mühlebach met in 2017 at the Technical University in Rapperswil. They set an ambitious goal early on: to drastically reduce the ecological footprint of single-family homes. Yuon Control AG emerged from a master’s thesis. The team developed an innovative control for new and existing heating systems. It analyzes the environment and has access to weather data from Meteo Swiss for optimal heating. Measurements from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences confirm: the new system reduces energy consumption by up to 20 percent.

Swiss start-up HVO has developed a machine that breaks down plastic molecules to produce sustainable fuel. In the so-called low-temperature pyrolysis process, long plastic molecules are heated to break them down and then convert them into a liquid with a high energy value. The molecules are split using a reactor to separate hydrogen and carbon. All kinds of things can be produced from this: fuels (petrol, diesel) from pyrolysis oils, fuels and materials based on paraffin and synthesis gas from hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

Simon Ittig received a refrigerator full of bacteria from his supervisor. A coincidence gave him the idea to use them to develop a new cancer therapy. The bacteria otherwise found in spoiled pork actually cause diarrhea. With his start-up T3 Pharma in Allschwil, he modifies the bacteria so that they grow specifically in tumors and fight them. The treatment is still in the testing phase.

Whether Christmas roast, grilled skewer or Viennese schnitzel: it looks and tastes almost like meat, but it consists of purely vegetable proteins. More than a ton of it is produced in Kemptthal ZH – every hour. The production emits up to 87 percent fewer greenhouse gases and requires 90 percent less water than conventional meat production. The food tech start-up Planted is behind the sustainable innovation. Founded by four young people, it now employs more than 200 people. Planted has won several awards, including the Green Business Award 2022.

What makes a good battery? Your capacity? How fast does it charge? Or their price? That depends on where the battery is used, says researcher Kostiantyn Kravchyk of the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute (Empa). In the Functional Inorganic Materials group, part of the Empa Thin Films and Photovoltaics laboratory, the scientist develops new materials to make tomorrow’s batteries more powerful and faster, but also cheaper.