Implenia becomes partner of the NEST research and innovation platform at Empa and realises the new “Beyond Zero” unit

Partnership between Implenia and NEST platform at Empa | Implenia is building the new NEST unit “Beyond Zero” as Empa’s implementation partner | This unit will investigate the use of CO2-negative materials and technologies over the entire lifecycle of buildings and infrastructure

From 2024, Implenia is working together with Empa, Eawag and other partners on the planning and construction of a new NEST unit called “Beyond Zero”. This visionary unit will be built mainly of CO2-reduced and CO2-negative building materials, and will investigate their use across the entire building and infrastructure lifecycle. These materials include thermal insulation and cements that bind carbon dioxide in the air, as well as clay-based bricks that do not require firing. More information on the new NEST unit: Empa – NEST – Beyond Zero

The partnership underlines and expands the Group’s commitment to sustainability. Implenia is a sustainability leader within the construction and real estate sector and is regularly awarded high scores by such organisations as Sustainalytics (Industry Top Rated), Ecovadis (Gold) and MSCI (AAA).

Jens Vollmar, Head Division Buildings at Implenia, about the partnership: “We’re pleased that Implenia is able to work as a partner on this new unit for the great NEST research and innovation platform. As Switzerland’s leading construction and real estate service provider, we are joining forces to investigate new ways of reducing CO2 in the construction and operation of buildings and infrastructure. Our insights will inform the way all Divisions of Implenia develop, plan and build, as well as the way Wincasa manages buildings and Ina Invest runs its sustainable real estate portfolio.”

Prof. Tanja Zimmermann, Director of Empa, sees great potential in the new partnership: “Implenia has built some pioneering sustainable buildings on the Empa Campus in Dübendorf, most recently a laboratory and office building, as well as the first multi-story car park in Switzerland to use a timber-hybrid construction method. The new partnership between Empa and Implenia includes research into innovative building materials, as well as long-term investigations into future-oriented applications on our NEST platform. This all promotes the direct transfer of sustainable innovation into practice.”

EMPA and NEST

Empa is the interdisciplinary research institute of the ETH Department of Materials Science and Technology Development. As a bridge between research and practice, it develops solutions for the most important challenges facing industry and society. NEST is a research and innovation platform run by Empa and Eawag to research and develop new materials, technologies and products, energy strategies and usage concepts in the construction sector. The units within NEST function as living experiments: real, usable living and working environments rather than sealed-off laboratories. nest.empa.ch