Swissnex Takes the Climate Fight to New York
At Climate Week NYC 2024, Swissnex built a creative platform to showcase climate initiatives and solutions from across Switzerland’s ERI landscape: the boxing-themed Climate Ring featured Swiss research, innovation and creativity and their contributions to the fight against climate change.
09.12.2024
Swiss climate solutions were on display in New York, USA, this September during Climate Week NYC, the largest climate festival of its kind. From 25 to 27 September 2024, more than 70 researchers, innovators, and artists from Switzerland, the US and beyond presented their work during twelve events. In 2024, Swissnex, the global network connecting Switzerland and the world in education, research and innovation, took a new approach with the Climate Ring: When the speakers stepped up to the microphone, they weren’t on just any stage – they stepped into an actual boxing ring.
The Climate Ring, Swissnex’s experimental boxing-themed pop-up venue, made a mark at the global festival, drawing 1200 attendees over the course of three days. Notably, the Climate Ring did not just showcase Swiss climate technology solutions, but also positioned Switzerland as a creative and steadfast voice in the global fight against climate change and for a liveable planet.
Showcasing Swiss Contributions
The twelve events of the program mirrored the twelve rounds of a championship boxing match, each approaching climate change from a different angle – from aviation to food to communication and civic action. Among the presenters were leading researchers from Swiss universities, including Thomas Crowther, Professor of Ecology at ETH Zurich, who discussed his research on the connections between biodiversity and climate change, and Géraldine Pflieger, Professor in Environmental and Urban Policies at the University of Geneva, who discussed climate communications strategies. The Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and the Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève) contributed exhibits of climate-focused student artwork and took part in conversations on responses to climate change in the creative industries.
The Swiss innovation ecosystem was also well represented in the ring. Established companies like Climeworks, a world leader in carbon removal, presented their work alongside younger climate-tech startups. These included the fall 2024 cohort of the Climate Collider, a startup exchange program powered by Swissnex and Innosuisse, in addition to several other startups. These companies encompass a broad range of climate mitigation and adaptation solutions, from 3-D printed bricks to restore coral reefs, to photovoltaic roof tiles for historic buildings, to drones for agricultural surveying and disaster response.
In addition to Swiss education, research and innovation partners, the program featured significant participation from the official Swiss network in the United States. The Consulate General of Switzerland in New York co-organized several events during Climate Week. «Drones Delivering for the Planet» was developed and presented in collaboration with the Swiss Business Hub USA for the seventh round of the Climate Ring.
The Fight for the Planet
The Climate Ring took inspiration from boxing, a sport with a long history in New York. «We were inspired by the metaphor of boxing because it represents many of the same qualities we need to take on climate change: persistence and resilience in the face of setbacks, and the ability to adapt under pressure,” said Benjamin Bollmann, CEO of Swissnex in Boston and New York.
The creative staging of the program was also driven by a practical imperative: how to stand out in a crowded calendar. Climate Week is known for its mix of serious and non-traditional content. This year’s festival was the largest ever, with over 900 events taking place around the city.
A Global Stage for Swiss initiatives and solutions
Climate Ring rounds took a variety of formats, including panels, participatory workshops, physical and augmented reality exhibits, performances, and a walking tour. The flexible and interactive formats created a multitude of opportunities to engage with many different audiences. «I think it’s been the most exciting venue that I’ve been to at Climate Week,» stated Ulrike Pfreundt, co-founder of rrreefs and a Climate Ring presenter. «I loved the intimacy of the atmosphere.»
«Boxing represents qualities we need to take on climate change: persistence, resilience and the ability to adapt under pressure.»
The cross-disciplinary blend of content, formats, and creative staging created unique opportunities for dialogue between Swiss and international partners, as well as with the global audience that Climate Week draws. «I think that’s what this is all about, to open a different space and make it more dynamic, more profound,» said Valentin Abend, a graduate of the Academy of Architecture at Università della Svizzera italiana and founder the New York-based climate literacy non-profit Climate Words.
The final round of the Climate Ring was co-hosted by Susanne Bartsch, a Swiss-born icon of New York’s creative scene and winner of the 2022 Swiss Grand Award for Design. Bartsch called Climate Ring the «most amazing event that I’ve been to in a while… I love the sense of humour and the fun – the Swiss are bringing it»!
Swissnex
Swissnex is the global network connecting Switzerland and the world in education, research, and innovation. Our mission is to support the outreach and active engagement of our partners in the international exchange of knowledge, ideas and talent. We thereby contribute to strengthen Switzerland's profile as a world-leading innovation hotspot.
Contact
Tatiana Benavides Damm, SERI
Project Manager, Swissnex Network Unit
tatiana.benavidesdamm@sbfi.admin.ch
+41 79 288 34 96
Author
Frederic Atwood, Swissnex
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