The Swiss Green Economy Symposium 2025 took place in Winterthur, Switzerland from 2–4 September. UTA’s David Avery attended and represented the alliance at a key sustainability workshop. The session explored urban development and real-world innovation. Furthermore, it brought together city representatives, sustainability experts, and industry leaders. For more event coverage, check our news section.
This year’s conference theme was “Cast off for sustainability.” The event included conferences, workshops, and onsite visits. David Avery participated in the Sustainable City Development workshop titled “Sustainable urban development: using synergies for change.” Prof. Vicente Carabias from ZHAW moderated the session. Additionally, the Swiss Sustainable Building Council presented a municipal roadmap to become climate-positive. This roadmap gives cities clear steps toward decarbonisation.
Winterthur presented urban transformation projects under its WinLab innovation ecosystem. These projects cover housing, data use, and 5-minute city concepts. Citizen engagement and public participation were also highlighted. Meanwhile, the smaller municipality of Aesch shared its work on sensors and community engagement. Both cities emphasised the importance of partnerships. In addition, David Avery stressed the need to remove barriers to innovation and focus on real citizen needs.
A key takeaway from the event was the value of real-world laboratories. These environments allow cities to test new solutions before scaling them up. Moreover, they help cities engage third parties effectively. Consequently, innovation reaches communities faster and with less risk. UTA supports this approach across all its member cities. Learn more about sustainable urban events at the official event website.