Swiss Economic Award 2026: Lightium, Enshift, and Swiss Cluster Honored
At the Swiss Economic Forum in Interlaken, the winners of the 2026 Swiss Economic Award were announced: Lightium, Enshift, and Swiss Cluster impressed the main jury with their innovative business models in the fields of photonics, renewable energy, and coating technology.
Three Startups Win the 2026 Swiss Economic Award
On June 5, the winners of the Swiss Economic Award 2026 were announced at the Swiss Economic Forum in Interlaken. Lightium, Enshift, and Swiss Cluster emerged victorious in a multi-stage selection process against more than 150 applicants from across Switzerland. Through their business models, these three companies address key future topics for the Swiss economy: photonics, renewable energy, and industrial coating technologies.
Nine finalists presented their business ideas to the main jury, chaired by Dr. Caspar Coppetti, in the presence of prominent figures from the worlds of business, academia, and politics. In addition to national visibility and access to the SEF. Founder network, the winners will each receive prize money of 25,000 Swiss francs.
Lightium: Photonics with an Open Foundry Infrastructure
In the Deep Tech/Life Sciences category, Lightium impressed the jury with a key photonic technology. The company develops photonic chips based on thin-film lithium niobate and operates an open-access foundry for this purpose. The technology is designed to enable particularly fast and energy-efficient optical data transmission—for example, for data centers, telecommunications, and quantum computing. The jury recognized the technological depth as well as the potential to establish a central infrastructure for future optical systems.
Enshift: Comprehensive Energy Solutions for Real Estate
enshift took home the win in the Services category. The company develops solutions for the decentralized energy supply of buildings and sites: According to the press release, it plans, finances, implements, and operates systems for photovoltaics, charging infrastructure, battery storage, and energy management. This is intended to enable property owners and companies to produce renewable energy on-site and reduce energy costs in the long term. The jury particularly praised enshift’s holistic approach, which makes the energy transition in the building sector economically viable.
Swiss Cluster: Modular Thin-Film Coating for Research and Industry
Swiss Cluster took first place in the Production/Commercial category. The company offers highly specialized thin-film coating in a flexible, industrial-grade format. According to the press release, the modular systems combine various coating technologies and can be configured depending on the application. This gives research institutions, laboratories, and industrial R&D departments access to sophisticated coating processes without having to rely on large, inflexible systems. The jury was impressed by the technical precision, the modular approach, and the tangible benefits for materials research, nanotechnology, and industrial development.
About the Swiss Economic Award 2026
The Swiss Economic Award is presented by the Swiss Economic Forum in collaboration with its award partners Helbling, Swisscom, and UBS. Since 1999, companies that have reached the award finals have collectively created more than 15,000 jobs. In addition to the prize money, the winners benefit from in-depth feedback from experts as well as access to the SEF Founder Network.
More information about the Swiss Economic Award is available online: https://www.swisseconomic.ch/awards/
