Executive Summary

The Federal Office of Energy (BFE) and the Federal Office of the Environment (BAFU) are launching the first call of the SWEETER funding instrument, focusing on energy-efficient and resource-conserving industrial processes. The application deadline is 30 June 2026. The budget amounts to approximately 12 million Swiss francs for two three-year periods. Two research priorities are being addressed: decarbonization of high-temperature processes and recycling of components for the future energy system. For the first time, companies and non-academic actors can also lead consortia.

Persons

  • Federal Office of Energy (BFE) (Funding Institution)
  • Federal Office of the Environment (BAFU) (Funding Institution)

Topics

  • Industrial Energy Efficiency
  • Decarbonization of High-Temperature Processes
  • Circular Economy and Recycling
  • Energy Strategy 2050
  • Swiss Climate Strategy

Clarus Lead

The call addresses a central gap in Swiss climate policy: industrial process heat accounts for approximately 15% of national CO₂ emissions, yet market-ready alternatives to fossil fuels for high temperatures (≥150 °C) are still largely lacking. By opening the door to non-academic consortium leaders, the BFE signals an acceleration of innovation transformation – companies are to be more directly involved in shaping research. This underscores the growing urgency of bringing decarbonization solutions from the laboratory into industry.

Detailed Summary

The industrial sector contributes disproportionately to Switzerland's emissions burden. Process heat accounts for over 55% of final energy consumption in this sector, and almost half of it still comes from fossil sources. The central technological obstacle lies in high-temperature applications: approximately 70% of all industrial processes require temperatures of 150 °C and above, for which currently no mature decarbonized solutions are available on the market.

The first research priority focuses on optimizing and decoupling these high-temperature processes and other procedures without market-ready alternatives. The second priority targets the circular economy: reuse, repurposing, and recycling of components such as photovoltaic modules, batteries, heat pumps, and electrolyzers – technologies that will be central to the future energy system. This dual approach combines emissions and resource efficiency.

The call procedure follows a two-stage logic: consortia submit pre-proposals by 30 June. The two best-rated proposals receive financial support for developing full proposals. The budget of approximately 12 million Swiss francs is distributed across two three-year periods with interim evaluation. The opening to company leadership of consortia marks a structural change compared to previous SWEET calls and is intended to translate research results into practice more quickly.

Key Messages

  • Industrial process heat is key to emissions reduction – 15% of national CO₂ emissions result from fossil heat generation in industry
  • High-temperature processes (≥150 °C) are not yet technologically decarbonizable and require research investment
  • Circular economy is established as an equally weighted research priority alongside decarbonization
  • Structural opening to company leadership of consortia accelerates innovation transfer

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence: Is the assumption that 70% of industrial processes require ≥150 °C based on a complete survey or sector sample? How current are these data?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: How is it ensured that companies as consortium leaders do not primarily pursue their own interests (e.g., competitive advantage) rather than the public good?

  3. Causality: Will the interim evaluation after two years measure whether research results actually lead to market breakthroughs, or only whether publications were produced?

  4. Feasibility: What obstacles remain between laboratory results and industrial scaling – and are these addressed in the call design?

  5. Resource Allocation: Why is the budget (12 million CHF) concentrated on only two consortia instead of supporting multiple smaller projects and diversifying risks?

  6. Time Horizon: Are two three-year periods sufficient to develop high-temperature solutions to market maturity, or is a longer time horizon required?

Bibliography

Primary Source: Federal Office of Energy (BFE) & Federal Office of the Environment (BAFU): First SWEETER Call Launched – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/SJ5ApF1p59hxUwB_rje34

Supplementary Resources:

  1. SWEET Funding Programme – www.bfe.admin.ch/bfe/de/home/forschung-und-cleantech/foerderprogramm-sweet.html
  2. Call Guidelines (in annex to press release)

Verification Status: ✓ 16.04.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 16.04.2026