Signals, in order.

Professor Arno Schlüter of ETH Zurich argues that air conditioning should be used only in special cases, as passive measures such as shading, night‑time ventilation, and fans can already provide effective cooling while reducing energy consumption and heat island effects. He notes that AC units are noisy, energy‑intensive, and use harmful refrigerants, and that efficient building systems like ground‑coupled heat pumps and free cooling can offer sustainable alternatives. The article emphasizes the need for coordinated, selective measures to protect vulnerable populations without compromising cl…

Source: ETH Zurich News

A study from EPFL’s Natural Language Processing Laboratory introduced STING, an automated testing framework that simulates how attackers can gradually persuade large language model agents to carry out harmful tasks over multiple interactions. The researchers tested 176 harmful scenarios across models such as GPT, Gemini, and Claude, finding that multi‑turn attacks were up to twice as likely to succeed compared to single‑prompt tests, and that harmful task completion rates were similar across seven languages tested. The work highlights the need for proactive safety testing in the rapidly evolv…

Source: EPFL News

On 19 August 2026, the Swiss Federal Council adopted measures from the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia, effective 20 August. The new measures expand Switzerland’s sanctions list, impose service bans on Russian LNG tankers and terminals, activate an anti‑circumvention tool, and prohibit the use of Russian crypto‑asset platforms. They also extend export bans on military and industrial goods and protect Swiss companies from Russian court rulings and grants.

Source: Swiss Federal Government

The Federal Council extended protection status S for Ukrainian refugees until 4 March 2028 and will continue Programme S until that date. New applications from 20 August will be limited to individuals complying with military obligations, aligning Swiss practice with EU restrictions. The extension also maintains support measures and clarifies future residence status after five years.

Source: Swiss Federal Government

Aepsy, a Zurich-based digital health startup, has acquired Swiss market leader Kinastic, expanding its platform to include preventive health content and serving over 150 partner companies. The integration will merge Kinastic’s app and HR planning tool with Aepsy’s existing psychological support services, creating a single‑handed health offering for employees. The deal strengthens Aepsy’s position as a comprehensive workplace health platform in Switzerland.

Source: Startupticker

Zelsius, ein Spin‑off der Hochschule Luzern, hat seine CO₂‑Bilanzierungsplattform für KMU erweitert, sodass nun auch Unternehmen aus dem Holz‑ und Möbelbau sowie der Medizintechnik ihre Scope‑1‑bis‑Scope‑3‑Emissionen berechnen können. Das Startup hat die Kundenzahl innerhalb von 15 Monaten verdoppelt, über 100 Unternehmen registriert, 30 zahlende Kunden und erzielt einen sechsstelligen Umsatz, wobei ein Großteil aus wiederkehrenden jährlichen Leistungen stammt. Zelsius bereitet eine Seed‑Runde vor, arbeitet mit acht Energieberatungsunternehmen zusammen und hat sein Team um zwei Personen im Be…

Source: Startupticker

EvoNext Holdings SA (SIX: EVE) is in advanced discussions with Lucerne‑based Ascend Sport Technology AG to list Ascend on the SIX Swiss Exchange via a reverse merger. Ascend is a profitable, AI‑enabled Swiss sports technology company known for LED advertising banners and digital overlay technology that displays different adverts for different television channels. The transaction would value EvoNext shareholders at CHF 2.50 per share.

Source: Startupticker

Gravis Robotics, an ETH Zurich spin‑off based in Zurich, raised $200 million in a Series A round led by SoftBank, valuing the company at $1 billion. The company develops AI and sensor systems that enable conventional excavators and other construction machines to perform tasks such as digging, levelling, and loading lorries autonomously, and the technology is already deployed on dozens of sites worldwide. The funding will be used to expand the team, grow internationally, and deploy the technology on more construction sites and machines.

Source: ETH Zurich News

Researchers from ETH Zurich used a single fibre‑optic cable laid on the Gorner Glacier in Valais to detect internal crevasses with high spatial resolution. The study found that more than eight percent of the ice volume in the measured area consists of ice‑ and air‑filled fractures, higher than expected. The method offers a cost‑effective alternative to deploying hundreds of seismometers.

Source: ETH Zurich News

Luca Thommen, a Pioneer Fellow at ETH Zurich, has built a prototype solar thermal collector that concentrates sunlight to heat air or water up to 150 °C, suitable for industrial processes such as pasteurisation and CO₂ capture. The collector uses inexpensive materials and a simple design to achieve target temperatures, demonstrating feasibility for replacing fossil‑fuel heat in food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Industry partners, including Climeworks, have expressed interest in the technology.

Source: ETH Zurich News