High-level Ceremony for the 1st Swiss Sustainability and Innovation Award
On the evening of July 5, the Embassy of Switzerland in Brazil hosted the official ceremony for the 1st Swiss Sustainability and Innovation Award. The award went to two companies and two startups - one Brazilian and a Swiss one operating in Brazil for each category. All of them are innovative and prioritize sustainability in their business strategy as well as in their institutional culture. The startups, in particular, were invited to present a solution to turn Brazilian private sector’s residue generation into economic value.
More than three hundred guests, as well as a select group of judges and technical advisors, were able to vote on the most convincing proposals. Congratulations to Ambipar Group and Hilti and the startups Yattó and GROAM for winning the 1st Swiss Sustainability and Innovation Award!
The ceremony was attended by Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, State Secretary Helene Budliger and State Secretary Martina Hirayama, who led an extensive economic, scientific and innovation delegation visiting Brazil. The Brazilian government was represented by acting Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luiz Fernandes. The award is a perfect illustration of the fruitful cooperation that Switzerland has built with multiple public and private Brazilian institutions in these areas.
The Swiss Sustainability and Innovation Award is the first initiative developed by the Sustainability Working Group made up of the Swiss Embassy in Brazil, SWISSCAM - Swiss Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, the Ekos Brasil Institute, Swissnex in Brazil and the Swiss Business Hub Brazil. The main objective of this collaborative work is to identify synergies and bring together public-private actions and initiatives between Swiss and Brazilian actors.
Sustainability is a priority in Swiss foreign policy and a particularly relevant issue in Brazil. Within the framework of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, both countries seek to strike a balance between preserving and protecting the environment and integrating innovative economies and inclusive growth.
The second edition of the award will very probably be targeting solutions applicable to the Amazon, in line with the forthcoming COP30 in Belém and the Swissnex nexBio Program. Stay tuned!