Buhler breaks ground on Innovation Campus in Switzerland

25 Sep 2017 --- Bühler has broken ground on its Innovation Campus in Uzwil, Switzerland. Completion of the building is expected for the first quarter of 2019. This significant investment of over CHF50 million (US$51.4 million), spent over three years, is claimed to demonstrate the company’s commitment to innovation and technology, and to the workplace in Switzerland. 

“This innovation campus will reinforce our innovation power and market leadership. It will help us bring together the smartest minds of the industry to create innovations for a better world,” Stefan Scheiber, CEO of Bühler, said at the ground-breaking.
 
The innovation campus consists of two key elements: upgraded technology labs and a new innovation building. The new building will build a bridge between the engineering and business world in the existing towers and the upgraded application labs. On three levels, the modern building will be the home for project teams of employees, clients, start-ups, students and apprentices. It will feature an auditorium for up to 300 participants for large events. Collaboration and a “maker space,” a media center and a co-working floor with open and secured spaces for over 100 people will also be part of the building. 

Bühler’s apprentices benefit from a dedicated apprentice center featuring several training rooms. Reflecting Bühler’s strong focus on the food processing industry, open living spaces with a central coffee bar, a tea lounge and adjacent thinking spaces complete the building, making it a state-of-the-art workplace. 

“This building is focused on collaborative innovation,” says Ian Roberts, Chief Technology Officer at Bühler. “We are creating a collaborative space for all functions, all ages, and all knowledge holders. It will allow us to live and foster our innovation culture and test future work practices.” The new building will bring together Bühler’s network of partners, be they customers, start-ups, academics, apprentices, or suppliers and create a link to the technology labs.
 
Bühler’s existing technology labs, such as the Bakery Innovation Center, have been upgraded or will be during the building process, and are an integral part of the new campus, as they are closely interlinked with the new building. “This is a unique setting, which I have not seen anywhere else,” says CTO Roberts. “We are creating a space that brings together visionaries and long-term thinkers of the start-up scene and universities with engineering teams that hold Bühler’s long-standing applied and tested know-how in processing technology. By combining both, we can truly create innovations for a better world.”
 
Innovation has always been a cornerstone of Bühler’s strategy and business success. Every year, the company invests 4-5 percent of its turnover into research and development. Internal and external innovation challenges foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. This commitment to innovation allows the company to significantly contribute to the world’s most pressing issues. Bühler continues to innovate with new solutions, such as smart roller mills that use the power of IoT, new solutions for insect processing, which is a key answer to the world’s looming protein gap, or the innovative battery slurry that will contribute to the future of mobility. None of them would have been possible without open innovation and cooperation with Bühler’s extensive network of partners. 

“It is a privilege for everyone at Bühler to work on such enormous challenges and make a difference,” says Stefan Scheiber. “This building will help create the space where we can bring together key players in the industry to develop innovations for a better world.”