What does the future of life look like in urban areas in Switzerland?

How does the good life work within planetary limits? How can we live in a climate-friendly way in the future? How can we travel affordably, climate-neutrally — privately and professionally? How do we make it possible for everyone to eat as regionally and environmentally friendly as possible? These questions can only be answered together, co-creatively and with a new understanding of innovation.

The Innovation Booster Future Urban Society promotes radically new approaches to catapult the best ideas in the interconnected areas of housing, mobility and nutrition out of their niche. Bring along your solutions and develop them further with other experts and innovators. Help mainstream eco-social innovations and secure yourself and your team for jointly developed ideas methodological and financial support.

More about the basic idea of Innosuisse's Innovation Booster →

Current

Challenge Stage | Phase 1 - Call for Challenges
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We conduct interviews, gather online input, and host short workshops to jointly identify the core challenges within the Missions. For this, we bring together people and experiences from practice, research, and administration. The goal is to build a shared understanding of the problem and to formulate clear challenges as the starting point for solution development.

You can do this by filling in the form below. The events for the Call for Challenges have already concluded.

Form

Events

Ideation „Energy Communities“

How can we develop concrete solutions that strengthen energy communities and contribute to a secure, sustainable energy supply?

As part of the FUS Ideation process, we build on the challenges and insights identified earlier to develop initial viable solutions. The focus is on social innovations that enable new forms of collaboration and establish "energy communities" as an integral part of our energy infrastructure, particularly in areas related to participation, security of supply, and long-term responsibility.

To achieve this, we bring together people from the public sector, the private sector, and civil society; we test and connect ideas; and we support the formation of new partnerships and teams. The goal is to develop a robust project idea with a clear connection to the identified challenges, suitable partners, and realistic next steps toward implementation and potential funding.

Further information regarding the process, eligibility requirements, and next steps will be published in mid-April following the conclusion of the problem exploration phase (Call for Challenge).

📅 May 8, 2026, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM
📍 Sion

Registration

📅 May 11, 2026, 10:15 AM to 12:00 AM
📍 Online

Registration

Ideation „Good Food for All“

How can we develop concrete solutions that embed good food for all as part of our social infrastructure?

As part of the FUS Ideation process, we build on the challenges and insights identified earlier to develop initial viable solutions. The focus is on social innovations that enable new forms of collaboration and effectively enhance existing structures, particularly in areas related to access, accountability, and institutional embedding.

To achieve this, we bring together people from the public sector, the private sector, and civil society; we test and connect ideas; and we support the formation of new partnerships and teams. The goal is to develop a robust project idea with a clear connection to the identified challenges, suitable partners, and realistic next steps toward implementation and potential funding.

Further information regarding the process, eligibility requirements, and next steps will be published in mid-April following the conclusion of the problem exploration phase (Call for Challenge).
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📅 April 14, 2026, 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM
📍 Bern

Registration

📅 April 30, 2026, 3:30 PM to 5:15 PM
📍 Online

Registration

Calls

The theme for 2025 is food, mobility and sharing. We are looking for the best approaches, ideas and proposed solutions from all over Switzerland for our three challenges.

Einreiche-Phase

Einreichefrist:

10/4/26

Startdatum:

March 3, 2026

Good Food for All

How can we develop existing initiatives and challenges in such a way that good nutrition becomes part of the social infrastructure for everyone?

Learn more

Einreiche-Phase

Einreichefrist:

10/4/26

Startdatum:

March 3, 2026

Energy Communities

How could local energy communities enable many people to benefit from the energy transition and thus lay the foundation for a resilient Switzerland?

Learn more

Two years of social innovation to explore

We’ve put together a publication covering two years of social innovation in and for Switzerland: teams, learnings, and a wealth of knowledge across almost 80 pages. Enjoy browsing.

Das Magazin Soziale Innovation für die Schweiz von heute ist hübsch auf einem Tisch arrangiert

Open publication

Selected projects

In the first two years, we received over 100 submissions and funded 24 of them.

Discover all ideas

City of short distances

CO-IMAGINE 5'D

Drees & Sommer

ZHAW – Zurich University of Applied Sciences

The project idea CO-IMAGINE 5'D (jointly enriching the city of short distances) proposes innovative processes and instruments for redesigning public spaces according to the concept of 5-minute districts (5'D). As part of a real-world laboratory methodology, key stakeholder groups are involved co-creatively and participatively in use cases aimed at reducing motorized traffic and CO2 emissions. In particular, open source visualization and planning tools as well as participatory financing platforms are used to not only imagine the city of short distances but also to realize it together. The proposed solutions should not only be based on technical innovations, but also primarily on social innovations.

To the project

Climate-just housing in urban areas

KIM — Control of invasive Mosquitoes in urban Areas

Verein Dēsignātur

Swiss TPH

Climate-friendly living in urban areas includes access to safe outdoor areas. KIM is committed to ensuring that we can continue to use gardens, balconies, terraces and public common areas in the future. The aim of KIM, in cooperation with the population and the public sector, is to prevent the spread of disease-transmitting mosquitoes in Zurich (and gradually in large parts of Switzerland) while protecting the health of biodiversity and people.

To the project

The edible city

Kitchen sharing in Basel

Basel Food Factory

FHNW – University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland

The aim of the project is to investigate whether easier access to shared kitchen spaces and a visible network of specialists and service providers can promote “Basel Foodpreneurs” (in particular startups) and contribute to sustainable practices in gastronomy and food production. For this purpose, a prototype platform is being built that makes underused catering kitchens and additional services and support offerings visible to food preneurs (“yellow pages”). As part of the project, usage interests and scenarios for underused catering kitchens will be identified and supporting service providers and specialists will be made visible in order to create the basis for a sustainable shared kitchen model in Basel. The Basel Food Factory association manages and is responsible for the project. The FHNW is supporting the project scientifically and the Basel Food Network and the Market Hall contribute experience and network.

To the project

We need systemic approaches

Climate crisis, destruction of biodiversity, energy crisis — we live in a world of multiple crises. Mastering these challenges requires radically new ideas and approaches, both technologically and socially.

Whether it's sharing, repairing, or DIY, many innovative approaches, projects, and ideas for climate-friendly living in urban areas remain small. This isn't because they fundamentally don't work, but because they often touch on various aspects of our lives, making it difficult to change our habits and involve diverse stakeholders in the implementation. The stabilization or distribution of integrative approaches works differently than purely commercial offerings. Therefore, we want to strengthen and scale eco-social innovations in our Innovation Booster to establish them in the mainstream.

“What concerns everyone, only everyone can solve.” Friedrich Dürrenmatt (The Physicists)

The major challenges of our time can only be overcome by working together with people from different sectors of society. That is why the booster uses an open innovation approach. Over the next four years, we will bring together key actors from civil society, science and business with city administrations, currently from Zurich, Basel and Lausanne. Together, systemic problems are researched and radical ideas for sustainable solutions are developed.

Be part of the solution and receive methodological and financial support

To enable and accelerate innovation, we connect cities and administrations with eco-social innovators as well as stakeholders from the private sector and science. We can financially support ideas that arise and/or are developed through the Innovation Booster Program with methodological and financial support, including vouchers for expert advice and coaching. In this way, we make it possible for promising innovations to be further developed and tested in urban areas of Switzerland. In addition, together with our partners, we are working to ensure that further implementation of the innovations after the booster is likely.
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Project ideas can be submitted until May 25, 2025 to secure financial support of up to CHF 22,500 and methodological support as well as valuable contacts for further steps.

Who is behind the project?

Meso Innovation Alliance
‍The Booster Future Urban Society is supported by Meso as a Leading House and is characterized by the expertise of the following organizations:

Team

Björn Müller

Programme Director | Meso Innovation Alliance / Stride the unSchool

Samuel Eberenz

Concept & Stakeholder Engagement | Stiftung Risiko-Dialog / Meso Innovation Alliance

Mirko Fischli

Project Manager Booster | Dezentrum / Meso Innovation Alliance

Nicola Blum

Concept & Research | BFH

Pascal Dey

Research | BFH

Anaïs Sägesser

Anchor Basel | Scaling4Good

Colm Kuonen

Energy Living Lab Association

Laura Minisini

Energy Living Lab Association

Olivier Mächler

Kommunikation | ARC Collective

City Partnerships

Urban innovation is only possible through strong partnerships with cities and municipalities. That is why we are particularly proud of our implementation partnerships: