Bühler recently celebrated the ground breaking for its Innovation Campus in Uzwil, Switzerland, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019.

Bühler invested more than $51.38 million, spent over three years, to demonstrate the company’s commitment to innovation and technology, and to the workplace Switzerland.

"It will help us bring together the smartest minds of the industry to create innovations for a better world," CEO Stefan Scheiber said at the groundbreaking ceremony. 

The innovation campus consists of two key elements: the upgraded technology labs and the new innovation building.

The new building will build a bridge between the engineering and business world in the existing towers and the upgraded application labs. On three levels, the modern building will be the home for project teams of employees, clients, start-ups, students, and apprentices. It will feature an auditorium for up to 300 participants for large events. Collaboration and a “maker space,” a media center and a co-working floor with open and secured spaces for over 100 people will also be part of the building.

Bühler’s apprentices benefit from a dedicated apprentice center featuring several training rooms. Reflecting Bühler’s strong focus on the food processing industry, open living spaces with a central coffee bar, a tea lounge and adjacent thinking spaces complete the building, making it a state-of-the-art workplace.

“We are creating a collaborative space for all functions, all ages, and all knowledge holders. It will allow us to live and foster our innovation culture and test future work practices," said Chief Technology Officer Ian Roberts. 



The new building will bring together Bühler’s network of partners, be they customers, startups, academics, apprentices, or suppliers, and create a link to the technology labs. Bühler’s existing technology labs, such as the Bakery Innovation Center, have been upgraded or will be during the building process, and are an integral part of the new campus, as they are closely interlinked with the new building.

“We are creating a space that brings together visionaries and long-term thinkers of the start-up scene and universities with engineering teams that hold Bühler’s long-standing applied and tested know-how in processing technology," said Roberts.

Every year, the company invests 4-5 percent of its turnover into research and development. Internal and external innovation challenges foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. This commitment to innovation allows the company to significantly contribute to the world’s most pressing issues. Bühler continues to innovate with new solutions, such as smart roller mills that use the power of IoT, new solutions for insect processing, which is a key answer to the world’s looming protein gap, or the innovative battery slurry that will contribute to the future of mobility. None of them would have been possible without open innovation and cooperation with Bühler’s extensive network of partners.

“It is a privilege for everyone at Bühler to work on such enormous challenges and make a difference,” said Scheiber. “This building will help create the space where we can bring together key players in the industry to develop innovations for a better world.”



Pictured top (left to right): Elvis Pidic (Bühler architect), Johannes Wick (CEO Grains & Food), Carlos Martinez (architect), Stefan Scheiber (Group CEO), Ian Roberts (CTO), Samuel Schär (CEO Advanced Materials), Andreas Herzog (CFO), Burkhard Böndel (head of corporate communications)/middle: A visualization of the building. 

Photos courtesy: Bühler