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 2 - Call for Ideas
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With the transition to the second phase, the Call for Ideas is now open. We look forward to receiving new project ideas—and to seeing you at our events in the coming weeks.

The challenges of the past few months remain our starting point. At the same time, it is now becoming clear which approaches are taking shape and where further clarification is needed. There are often several iterations between an idea and a viable project—and it is precisely this space that we want to shape together.

For us, the Call for Ideas is therefore not just an invitation to submit proposals, but also a moment of consolidation: Which ideas do we want to pursue? And with whom?

Call 2026

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.

📅 April 29, 2026, 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
📍 Eastern Switzerland

Registration

📅 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.
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📅 April 14, 2026, 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM
📍 Bern

Registration

📅 April 29, 2026, 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
📍 Eastern Switzerland

Registration

📅 30. April 2026, 15:30 bis 17:15 Uhr
📍 Online

Registration

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

Climate-just housing in urban areas

“Land Reform?! — What's wrong with that?”

Verein Mieten-Marta

UZH

In Switzerland, the climate crisis is closely linked to the housing crisis. However, political levers often fail due to civil majorities in the canton or at federal level. We would therefore like to find out which arguments could be used to mobilize a conservative voter base. In direct discussions, we identify factual, emotional, social, financial,... hurdles against reformist ideas (pre-emption law, regulation, tenancy control) and far-reaching approaches (land reform).

To the project

Climate-just housing in urban areas

«example Küngenmatt» – Alternatives to Demolition

Verein Mieten-Marta

ETH

In the discourse about the socio-ecological construction turnaround, it is often heard that “you can't build any other way than with a demolition-new-construction.” In order to initiate a public rethink, alternatives must therefore also be presented in specific cases. A first initiative was created in 2022 using the example Bergacker (http://www.beispiel-bergacker.ch/). We want to follow up with a second example, about the Küngenmatt residential area. We want to calculate under which circumstances a socio-ecological project is possible there.

To the project

City of short distances

Experience change together — with PostFossilCities

UCS Ulrich Creative Simulations

OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences

PostFossilCities - the game about climate-neutral Switzerland - is a scientifically based simulation game from NFP73 that shows decision makers and citizens where, what, with whom and how urgently we need to act for net zero in order to achieve the goal of net zero with the carbon budget that is still available. It makes complex relationships tangible, activates group intelligence and promotes cooperation. This project develops an urban debriefing, builds a community of practice and supports the implementation of workshops with the aim of making PostFossilCities accessible as a multipliable format for communities, NGOs & initiatives.

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: