Digital innovation is an important driver of the transformation of the energy supply system to achieve Switzerland's energy and climate goals by 2050. There are various funding programs for larger, more mature projects that advance the future of energy. However, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) would like to start earlier and work with interested parties and digital experts from the public to identify innovative ideas and develop digital solutions. This is because digitalization and the use of open data open up new paths towards a sustainable energy sector.
Hackathons and the development of Most-Viable-Products (MVP) are at the heart of the activities. Hackathons bring together the world of energy and the world of digitalization (data collection, management, automation and artificial intelligence) and outline innovative solutions for a modern and decarbonized energy supply.
Challenges are addressed in a collaborative way. They are introduced to the hackathons by companies or the SFOE and worked on together with the participants, i.e. digital experts. This also provides the opportunity to network with experts and companies. And who knows, you might even find a future employer. The solutions are often transformed into so-called “proof of concepts”, which can then be further developed by the companies or the SFOE.
