Z-Forum on Sustainability and Innovation
Purpose of the Event
Toward an Opportunity-Driven Approach in Resilience Management
Bridging Swiss economic tradition with global foresight, this gathering invites senior scientists, executives, investors, and policy makers to reflect on and reshape the strategies that will define opportunity-driven leadership in an age of disruption. With keynotes by global thought leaders and a site visit to world-class companies in the Zurich Greater Area, the overall objective to the event is to equip its participants with the ability to better grasp not just the risks but also the opportunities associated with the current highly volatile political and economic environment.
The conference is conceived as a bridge-building event designed to improve communication and mutual learning between the local and the global level as well as between potentially rivalrous world regions through cooperation and innovation.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizers
Supporting Organizations
Sponsors
Relevance for Business and Society
Recent insights from empirical research as well as the world of practice confirm the view that resilience is not a reactive but a proactive concept. It includes the ability of business and society to develop, test and eventually deploy solution-oriented innovations that effectively address emerging challenges related to climate change, environmental hazards, supply chain disruptions, food shortages and energy blackouts and migration-induced urban growth. Joint investments in innovation, in return, enhance the capabilities, agility, and flexibility to cope with disruption. These theoretical considerations have been successfully put into practice in innovative and complex economic ecosystems, often located in unexpected places. The conference aims at giving such decentralized clusters of innovation more visibility to enable decision-makers in government and business to learn from the experience and integrate the insights into their own resilience strategies.
Steering Committee
Director, Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CCRS) in Zurich, and Professor at the School of Management Fribourg (HSW-FR)
Philipp Aerni is Director of the Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CCRS) and also Professor for Sustainability and Impact Entrepreneurship at the School of Management Fribourg (HEG-FR). He received his Masters Degree in Geography (with Minors in Environmental Science and Economics) from the University of Zurich and his PhD in Agricultural Economics from ETH Zürich. Prior to his position at CCRS, Dr. Aerni worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Institute for Environmental Decisions at ETH Zurich, the World Trade Institute at the University of Berne and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Philipp Aerni is also a senior lecturer at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. Among numerous other engagements, he is a member of the Jury of the Swiss Family Business Award, the Forum for Genetic Research (SCNAT), and Liberethica (a platform on ethics, business and religion). As an interdisciplinary social scientist, he is interested in the role entrepreneurship and innovation play as potential driving forces for inclusive and sustainable change.
Liliane Auwerter obtained her PhD in Civil Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London. She works for MDPI as Conference Organizer and Scientific Reviewer.
Innovation Park Central Switzerland and Hosoya Schaefer Architects
Markus Schaefer is the President of The Innovation Park Central Switzerland and a founding partner of Hosoya Schaefer Architects. He has a Master in Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
Humboldt Fellow and CCRS Affiliate
Shan Jiang is an investment professional specializing in green technology and renewable infrastructure across Europe and Asia. A Harvard Business School Executive Education alumnus and Humboldt Fellow for International Climate Protection, he also holds degrees in computer science, philosophy, and technology management. With over a decade of ESG investing and corporate sustainability experience, he has built expertise in decarbonization, energy storage, hydrogen, and renewables. Shan is a Swiss patent holder and co-founded an AI-driven ESG analytics startup incubated at SIX Group’s F10, and has worked with Deutsche Post DHL, Allianz SE, China Minmetals, and Kearney.
Head Economic Promotion City of Baden, Manager Baden 4.0
Advisory Board
Max Bergman is the Chair of Social Research and Methodology, Director of the Social Transitions Research Group, and Affiliated Professor of European Global Studies at the University of Basel. Furthermore, he is a Member of the Executive Board of the Swiss Academic Society for Environmental Research and Ecology (saguf).
Annalisa Manera is Professor of Nuclear Systems and Multiphase Flows at ETH Zurich. Since July 2021, she has been on a leave of absence from the University of Michigan, where she was Professor in the Nuclear Engineering Department for the prior 10 years. Her research group focuses on high-resolution experimental techniques and high-fidelity multiphysics simulations of nuclear systems. In 2023, she was named a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) for her outstanding contribution to the thermal hydraulics field, particularly for its application to nuclear reactor safety.
Dean of the Lucerne School of Business (HSLU Wirtschaft)
Prior to her appointment as Dean of HSLU Wirtschaft, Christine Böckelmann was the head of the Karlsruhe University of Education as well as Member of the Executive Board of the School of Education of the Applied University of Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). She studied psychology, psychopathology and sociology and completed her doctorate on the topic of quality management in psychosocial counseling. She also holds a master's degree in university and science management. https://www.hslu.ch/en/lucerne-university-of-applied-sciences-and-arts/about-us/people-finder/profile/?pid=3223
Swiss Sustainability Foundation
Rico Baldegger is the President of the Board of the Swiss Sustainability Foundation and the former Director of the School of Management Fribourg where he was also Professor of Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation.
Stefan Tochev joined the MDPI in 2020. He holds a BA Honours in Sociology from the University of Guelph (Canada) and a Post-Diploma in Marketing Management from George Brown College (Canada). With over a decade of experience as a Project Manager and Research Consultant for global market research studies, primarily in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, he brings a strategic, insight-driven approach to brand marketing and communications. Since stepping into a leadership role at MDPI, Stefan has led the expansion of the corporate marketing and communications department and played a key role in strengthening the company’s global brand presence. He is committed to driving meaningful organizational change, creating a culture of opportunity and collaboration, and positive, high-impact work environment that enhances employee engagement and supports long-term growth. He continues to invest in his leadership development, including completing the altMBA program.
Former President of the Executive Board and Professor at Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
Louise Fresco is a Dutch scientist and author who is best known for her expertise in food, agriculture, and sustainability. She is a professor at Wageningen University and was President of the university's Executive Board from 2014 to 2022. Fresco was also Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Professor of Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Zurich
Beat Keller is a Swiss molecular biologist and professor of plant molecular biology at the University of Zurich. He is known for his research on disease resistance in cereals. He was a member of the Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation. until 2022 and continues to be a member of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India, and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (section Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences). https://scholar.google.de/citations?hl=de&user=5RCuow0AAAAJ
Member of the Swiss Council States and the Parliamentary Commission on Security Policy, President of the Party ‘die Mitte’ of the Canton of Aargau
Marianne Binder-Keller is a Swiss politician. She has been a member of the Council of States since 2023. From 2019 to 2023, she was a member of the National Council, and from 2013 to 2019, she was a member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Aargau. She has been Party President of the CVP Aargau since 2016 and of Mitte Aargau since 2021. She played a crucial role in launching the initiative Baden 4.0, designed to exploit the synergies in Baden's key industries – high-tech energy/electrical engineering, medtech, healthcare, and industry-related ICT – in a joint effort to accelerate innovation in the region.
Keynote Speakers
Head of State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) at Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
Martina Hirayama is a German-Swiss chemist, university lecturer and, since 2019, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI) in Switzerland. In this role, she is the head of 280 employees and is responsible for an annual budget of CHF 4.5 billion. Prior to her SBFI appointment, Hirayama was President of the Institute Council of the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Innosuisse funding agency and sat on the Board of Trustees of the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Professor at London School of Economics and Author of Bestselling Book ‘The China Playbook’
Professor Keyu Jin discusses in her book ‘the New China Playbook’ (Jin 2023) how China was able to address its sustainability challenges by building up local resilience through the promotion of local entrepreneurship and innovation.
Professor at Michigan State University and Founder and CEO of CIBO Technologies
Professor Bruno Basso has become the leading scholar in the development of financially sustainable practices related regenerative agriculture (Google Scholar Citations since 2020: 16’600). His research enabled many US farmers to become more resilient by minimizing negative impacts on soil health and greenhouse gas emissions while also becoming more productive thanks to the use of new technologies associated with precision farming and AI (Basso et al. 2025).
Award Winning Canadian Journalist, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy and Author of Bestselling Book ‘Arrival City’
Doug Saunders, a well-known investigative journalist, carried out research on how migration-induced urban growth can make cities more resilient by providing migrants with the opportunity to become entrepreneurs in the formal economy. He illustrates this in his book ‘Arrival City’ in which he explores the destiny of migrants in several fast-growing megacities, primarily in emerging economies (Saunders 2010).
Vice-President of ETH Board, Founder and Chairwoman of Swiss Stablecoin AG
Pascale Bruderer Wyss is a Swiss politician. As a member of the Social Democratic Party, she was first part of the National Council (2002-2009) and then of the Council of States (2011-2019). In this context, she was the President of the Swiss National Council in 2009 and 2010. Today, she is an independent entrepreneur and serves on several Boards of Directors. She is also the Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of Swiss Stablecoin AG. Since 2024, Pascale Bruderer has been Vice-president of the ETH Board.
Founding CEO Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, Executive in Residence at Georgetown University, USA
Dr. Eleni Gabre-Madhin completed her PhD in Economics at Stanford University and then returned to Ethiopia to launch the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX). Thanks to the build up of warehouses for agricultural commodities across the country and the smart and locally adjusted use of digital technologies, more than 5 million small-scale farmers were able to improve their income and invest in the future of their farm by selling their harvest surplus at a decent price. Eleni Gabre-Madhin proves that many of the best ideas on how to promote economic empowerment and enhance local resilience come from the people who know the local context (Canuto et al. 2024).
Member of the Swiss Council States and the Parliamentary Commission on Security Policy, President of the Party ‘die Mitte’ of the Canton of Aargau
Marianne Binder-Keller is a Swiss politician. She has been a member of the Council of States since 2023. From 2019 to 2023, she was a member of the National Council, and from 2013 to 2019, she was a member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Aargau. She has been Party President of the CVP Aargau since 2016 and of Mitte Aargau since 2021. She played a crucial role in launching the initiative Baden 4.0, designed to exploit the synergies in Baden's key industries – high-tech energy/electrical engineering, medtech, healthcare, and industry-related ICT – in a joint effort to accelerate innovation in the region.
Chairwoman of the Executive Board of ABB Switzerland
Nora Teuwsen has been Chairwoman of the Executive Board of ABB Switzerland Ltd. and Country Holding Officer of the company since August 2022. In 2024, she was appointed a member of the Board of Directors at ABB Germany. She holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Zurich and has both the Swiss bar license and an Executive Master of European and International Business Law from the University of St. Gallen. The Swiss-German dual citizen and mother of two children was Group General Counsel of SBB from 2013 to 2019. In her career, she has also been a partner at a Zurich law firm and held various leadership positions at SBB, particularly in SBB Real Estate. In 2019, she founded Beyondlegal, a consulting company for legal departments. Nora Teuwsen is also a board member of the “Menschen für Menschen” Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of Raiffeisenbank St. Gallen.
Invited Speakers
CTO Bühler Group
Dr. Ian Roberts has more than 25 years of experience in the food industry. Since 2011, he has been CTO of Bühler, a family-owned Swiss company created in 1860 and today one of the global leaders in the development of technologies that cover people’s basic needs for food and mobility. Recently, Bühler also expanded its business activities into bioprocessing by establishing partnerships and new companies. Dr. Roberts is also Co-founder and President of the startup accelerator MassChallenge Switzerland and other platforms designed to promote entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Partner, Holinger AG
Dr. Reto von Schulthess studied biotechnology and earned his doctorate in wastewater technology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Since 1995, he has been working for HOLINGER AG on water sanitation and environmental projects in Switzerland and abroad. He was also CEO of SWISSWATER Ltd, an offspring of HOLINGER that is dedicated to assist large cities in emerging economy in their efforts to build up or upgrade their wastewater management infrastructure.
Annalisa Manera is Professor of Nuclear Systems and Multiphase Flows at ETH Zurich. Since July 2021, she has been on a leave of absence from the University of Michigan, where she was Professor in the Nuclear Engineering Department for the prior 10 years. Her research group focuses on high-resolution experimental techniques and high-fidelity multiphysics simulations of nuclear systems. In 2023, she was named a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) for her outstanding contribution to the thermal hydraulics field, particularly for its application to nuclear reactor safety.
Founder and CEO of IBX
Kamal "Kam" Ghaffarian is an Iranian-born American businessman who focuses on the space industry and new energies and is known as the co-founder of IBX, Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, X-energy and Quantum Space. Beside his work in industry, Kam is an active philanthropist focused on education, STEM initiatives, scientific research, and promotion of projects towards achieving interstellar travel.
Professor of Bioeconomy and Circular Economy, Germany
Jan Grossarth is a German science journalist, university lecturer, and author. Since 2021, he has been Professor of Bioeconomy and Circular Economy at Biberach University of Applied Sciences. His most recent book is titled ‘Bioeconomy of Buildings: From Resource Flows to Meaning’.
Former President of the Executive Board and Professor at Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
Louise Fresco is a Dutch scientist and author who is best known for her expertise in food, agriculture, and sustainability. She is a professor at Wageningen University and was President of the university's Executive Board from 2014 to 2022. Fresco was also Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Seedstars
Alisée de Tonnac is the co-founder and co-CEO of Seedstars, a Swiss investment holding on a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging and frontier markets through technology and entrepreneurship. Seedstars works in partnership with governments, development agencies, corporate partners, and private donors to develop emerging market entrepreneurship ecosystems, create jobs and fuel income growth. Alisée is also a board member of the Swiss Sustainability Foundation.
Professor at INCAE, Costa Rica, and Founding Partner at Aequitas Consulting Group
Victor Umaña, a well-known academic and entrepreneur from Costa Rica, will illustrate case studies of successful policy initiatives combined with innovative development finance schemes that contributed to the mobilization of entrepreneurship and innovation, especially in the field of sustainable agriculture in Latin America. Professor Umaña completed his PhD at ETH Zurich and then became Professor at the INCAE Business School in Costa Rica. A recent paper he co-authored for the G20 Agriculture Working Group addresses the role of international trade in promoting resilience in the field of food security and nutrition (Arias et al. 2024). Umaña also published numerous Op-eds in well-known Dailies in Latin America on the importance of building up local resilience in rural areas through enhanced economic integration. He will be a panelist in Panel 4 on development finance.
Founder and CEO of Alpha Talents
Roland Decorvet was a former CEO of Nestle for the Greater China Region who founded Alpha Talents in 2022. Alpha Talents is an impact-first investment company supporting the creation and growth of profitable, sustainable and impact-centric agribusiness ecosystems in Africa.
Head Climate Resilience Switzerland | Zurich Resilience Solutions
Risto Schmid is Head of Climate Resilience Switzerland at Zurich Resilience Solutions. Since joining Zurich Resilience Solutions in 2017, he has specialised in natural hazards and climate change. His previous role as a specialist in property fire and business interruption assessments equipped him with a comprehensive and holistic understanding of overall risk. He possesses extensive expertise in assisting clients with identifying critical sites within their portfolios, aligning with their business requirements and integrating climate data into their daily operations. Schmid holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich).
Global Compact Network Switzerland and Lichtenstein
Antonio Hautle has been the Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland & Liechtenstein since 2015. Before, some of his roles included Director of Fastenopfer and Director of the Administration of the Social Department, State of Lucerne.
Founder and CEO of Cyverse, Zurich
Shira Kaplan is the Founder and CEO of Cyverse AG, a Zurich-based cyber-security firm which delivers innovative, hands-on Israeli cyber-security solutions to global and local corporations. Shira has won several awards, including the “Seeds of Peace” scholarship, the Goldman fellowship and the Milken Fellowship.
Rajib Shaw is a professor in the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University, Japan. He is also the Senior Fellow of the Institute of Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) in Japan, and the Chairperson of SEEDS Asia and CWS Japan, two Japanese NGOs. Earlier, he was the Executive Director of Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) and was a professor at Kyoto University. His expertise includes disaster governance, community-based disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, urban risk management, and disaster and environmental education. Professor Shaw is the Chair of the United Nations Science Technology Advisory Group (STAG) for disaster risk reduction, and also the Co-chair of the Asia Science Technology Academic Advisory Group (ASTAAG).
Max Bergman is the Chair of Social Research and Methodology, Director of the Social Transitions Research Group, and Affiliated Professor of European Global Studies at the University of Basel. Furthermore, he is a Member of the Executive Board of the Swiss Academic Society for Environmental Research and Ecology (saguf).
Director of the Zurich Chamber of Commerce
Raphael Tschanz is Director of the Zurich Chamber of Commerce and has extensive experience in public policy and corporate strategy. His previous positions include Deputy Director of the ZHK, Deputy CEO at Switzerland Innovation, and Head of Public Policy at UBS.
Tentative Program
| Thursday 15 January 2026 | ||
| Time | Session | Speaker |
| 08:15 | Registration, Coffee | |
| 08:30 | Welcome Address |
Philipp Aerni, Director of CCRS, Max Bergman, University of Basel, and Raphael Tschanz, Director of the Zurich Chamber of Commerce |
| 08:45 | Opening Keynotes | Marianne Binder, Member of the Swiss State Council Martina Hirayama, Head of State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) at Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research |
| 09:15 | Panel 1: Infrastructure and bottom-up solutions for urban resilience | Chaired by Markus Schaefer, President of Switzerland Innovation Park Central, Zug • The future of resilient water and waste management systems, Reto von Schulthess, Partner, Holinger AG • Advanced systems of clean and safe energy production, Annalisa Manera, Professor at ETH Zurich • Aerospace, disruptive technologies, and strategic business leadership, Kam Ghaffarian (tbc), Founder and CEO of IBX • The importance of cybersecurity in the provision of public services, Shira Kaplan, Founder and CEO of Cyverse, Zurich |
| 11:00 | Break | |
| 11:30 | Keynote | Keyu Jin, Professor at London School of Economics and Author of Bestselling Book ‘The China Playbook’ |
| 12:00 | Plenum Discussion | |
| 12:15 | Lunch | |
| 13:30 | Panel 2: Rural-urban linkages and their contribution to an inclusive bioeconomy | Chair: Beat Keller, Professor of Plant Science at the University of Zurich • The contribution of Buhler Group to resilient economic ecosystems in Switzerland and abroad, Ian Roberts, CTO Bühler Group • The bioeconomy as a driver of sustainable rural-urban economic linkages, Jan Grossarth, Professor of Bioeconomy and Circular Economy, Germany • Innovation in food and agriculture for stronger urban-rural bonds, Louise Fresco, Professor and former President of University of Wageningen |
| 15:15 | Keynote | Bruno Basso, Professor at Michigan State University and Founder and CEO of CIBO Technologies |
| 15:45 | Break | |
| 16:15 | Panel 3: An opportunity-driven approach to migration-induced urban growth |
Chaired by Rajib Shaw, Professor at Keio University, Japan |
| 18:00 | Keynote | Doug Saunders, Award Winning Canadian Journalist, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy and Author of Bestselling Book ‘Arrival City’ |
| 18:30 | Discussion and Wrap-Up | |
| 19:00 | Conference Dinner | |
| Friday 16 January 2026 | ||
| Location: Trafo Baden. Auditorium | ||
| 08:00 | Registration, Coffee | |
| 08:15 | Welcome Remarks |
Rico Baldegger and Thomas Lütolf (Baden 4.0) |
| 08:30 | MDPI OA and Sustainability | Stefan Tochev, CEO of MDPI AG |
| 09:00 | Opening Keynote | Pascale Bruderer, Vice-President of ETH Board, Founder and Chairwoman of Swiss Stablecoin AG |
| 09:30 | Panel 4: Investment in sustainable and inclusive technological change |
Chaired by Shan Jiang, Humboldt Fellow |
| 11:15 | Break | |
| 11:45 | Keynote | Eleni Gabre Madhin, Founding CEO Ethiopia Commodity Exchange, Executive in Residence at Georgetown University, USA |
| 12:20 | Discussion and Wrap-Up | Antonio Hautle, Global Compact Network Switzerland and Lichtenstein |
| 12:30 | Lunch | |
| 14:00 | Site Visit of the resilient and innovative economic ecosystem of Baden |
"From Baden 2.0 to Baden 4.0", Keynote Address by Nora Teuwsen, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of ABB Switzerland |
| 15:30 | End of Program | |
Pre-Register Now
Interested?
Pre-Register now at zforum-1@mdpi.com
Send us an email with the following information:
- Name
- Affiliation
- Are you attending WEF 2026 in Davos?
- Which of the four panel topics is of particular interest to you? In your email, please indicate this with a cross next to your answer(s).
Panel 1: Infrastructure and bottom-up solutions for urban resilience
Panel 2: Rural-urban linkages and their contribution to an inclusive bioeconomy
Panel 3: An opportunity-driven approach to migration-induced urban growth
Panel 4: Investment in sustainable and inclusive technological change
Registration
Standard Registration Includes
- Full two-day access to the keynotes and panels listed in the programme
- Site Visit of the resilient and innovative economic ecosystem of Baden
- Event materials
- Personilized Mini-CAS certificate issued by MDPI and Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, School of Management Fribourg (HEG-FR) - contingent upon an essay related to the thematic issues presented at the CAS.
Premium Registration Includes
Includes everything in the Standard package, plus:
- VIP thematic dinner with speakers at a stunning location in Zürich — an exclusive opportunity to deepen connections and foster collaboration with panelists and fellow VIP attendees.
|
Early Bird Until 16 November 2025 |
Regular Until 7 December 2025 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1295.00 CHF | 1595.00 CHF |
| Premium | 1995.00 CHF | 2105.00 CHF |
Payment methods
Wire transfer, Credit card
