SWICE Newsletter

October 2023

Welcome to our fall newsletter

As the fall season sets in, it brings a sense of anticipation and accomplishment, much like the scientific progress that we continually pursue throughout the year. This exciting time of year serves as the perfect moment to update you on the different activities and milestones we have reached lately, as all the efforts put into motion during the first part of the year start to materialize.

In this issue, we will be providing you with updates on the recent activities of the consortium as well as the upcoming milestone.

We hope you enjoy this edition and wish you a beautiful end of year.

The SWICE Management Team

SWICE annual conference

The SWICE annual conference held in Rotkreuz in June 2023 was an outstanding success, marking a significant milestone for the project.

The conference brought together project members, cooperation partners, as well as contributors from the other SWEET projects Lantern and CoSi. Attendees were treated to informative presentations on the progress of the different SWICE work package groups (WPs) and about the following steps of the project. The event also featured workshops on living labs providing valuable insights and fostering collaboration. The importance of living labs as experimental arenas for sustainable innovation and behavioural change was emphasized. A visit of the Suurstoffi living lab further enriched the experience.

One of the highlights of the conference was an enriching well-being workshop, providing participants with a valuable opportunity to explore this critical topic in-depth, exchange ideas, and brainstorm innovative approaches that ensure greenhouse gas emission reductions and circular economy, while improving life quality. Additionally, the event featured a delightful dinner, allowing attendees to unwind, celebrate their achievements, and strengthen the bonds within the SWICE team. The SWICE conference proved to be a remarkable and fruitful gathering, uniting stakeholders to push forward the project's goals and ambitions.

The organizers expressed their heartfelt appreciation to everyone who actively participated, including members of the Monitoring panel and support from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). Special recognition was given to the exceptional team from Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts for their outstanding support in coordinating the event.

The sense of collaboration, knowledge exchange, and active engagement was truly inspiring throughout the conference, emphasizing the power of collective efforts in driving impactful change.

Thematic workshops

Facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange? Drive innovation and advance our project's objectives? This is exactly why we have launched this fall five thematic workshops to further strengthen the links between our consortium members.

We are thrilled to introduce you to five thematic workshops that are set to play a pivotal role in fostering and developing transdisciplinary connections within our project. These workshops have been designed to bridge the gaps between our various work packages and thematic areas, ultimately enriching our understanding and enhancing the impact of our work. The first two workshops, "Sufficiency and Circularity in Design and Construction" and "Efficiency and Comfort in Design and Construction," will transcend across WP2, WP3, WP4, and WP7, encouraging a holistic approach to sustainable design and construction practices.

Our third workshop, " Microclimate and Open Spaces," will delve into the intricacies of creating outdoor environments that promote both energy efficiency and well-being. This workshop will serve as a transversal platform for WP1, WP2, WP4, WP5, and WP7, enabling the exchange of insights and innovations. Additionally, the "Mobility and New Living" workshop will delve into the critical intersection of energy, well-being, and mobility, providing a space for collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas. Additionally, a discussion group on “Digital Twins” has been launched with the main goal of ensuring consistency in the development and adoption of models between different WPs, as well as evaluating and aligning on methods and processes to incorporate a variety of socio-technical aspects.

The first round of workshops for these thematic groups took place in September and October 2023, with future discussions planned every three months and coordinated by the SWICE project-manager.

We are confident that these workshops will ignite productive discussions, drive innovation, and further strengthen the synergies within our project. Stay tuned for updates on our progress in these dynamic thematic workshops!

What's next?

An impactful SWICE collective workshop is scheduled for February 2024.

This one-day intensive gathering at the Smart Living Lab in Fribourg promises to be a dynamic platform where we collectively explore the potential for deeper collaboration and the fusion of individual endeavours into robust collective outcomes, relevant to implementing Switzerland’s Energy Strategy 2050.

By reinforcing the common base and the transdisciplinary collaborations, we will be able to go further in depth and add extra value to the SWICE project, allowing us to have an even greater impact on the energy transition while growing individually as well.

We are looking forward to updating you on the outcomes of this event in our next newsletter.

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