In 2021, Scout24 Switzerland and TX Markets merged to create the SMG Swiss Marketplace Group. Previously, the companies had sites in Flamatt, Zurich, Zug and Lausanne, but from Summer 2024, their combined workforce will be based at the bluefactory innovation quarter in Fribourg. Interview with Martin Waeber, Managing Director Real Estate at SMG. Read article

Bluefactory, in the heart of the city of Fribourg, has become a symbol of urban innovation. The inauguration of building B marks a new phase in the site's development. Interview with bluefactory managing director Philippe Jemmely. Read article

Sottas SA submitted the winning bid for a prestigious but formidable contract: producing the new glazing (72 pivot windows), facades and outer doors for the Swiss Embassy in the United States. Clara Schischlik, who managed the project for the Fribourg-based metal construction company, looks back at this high-profile project. Read article

The New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA) is one of Switzerland's most impressive engineering feats in recent times. Two of the three tunnels in this huge project, Gotthard and Ceneri, are fitted with more than 3,500 control cabinets made in Fribourg by Swibox AG. Read article

On 6 September 2023, the Fribourg Development Agency (FDA) unveiled the latest edition of Fribourg Network Fribourg. Speaking at the launch, which was held in the bluefactory innovation district, FDA Director Jerry Krattiger explained that the FDA chose to devote the 2023 edition of its annual business magazine to construction and energy efficiency because they are an integral part of the bioeconomy and a core element of the canton’s development strategy. Read article

The bluefactory innovation district is a real hive of activity. Created in 2014 on the site of the former Cardinal brewery in downtown Fribourg, bluefactory has recently embarked on the first phase of its ambitious three-part development plan, which will take to two decades to complete. Read article

Whether climate-, health- or energy-related, one crisis after another is forcing us to rethink the way we design, construct, and use buildings. This is also the fast-changing context in which the Smart Living Lab operates. Read article

The transformation is spectacular: the Richemont Group has treated its Fribourg campus (see photos) to a stunning two-year-long makeover, and just in time to celebrate its 50th anniversary in Villars-sur-Glâne. This vast redevelopment and construction project, completed in summer 2023, provides the Group's 1,400 employees with a unique work environment. Read article

Construction and demolition waste accounts for two-thirds of all refuse generated in Switzerland. Of course, it is possible to recycle building materials and use them to build a new structure, but this process can be extremely energy-intensive. A more sustainable alternative is the reuse of the existing building or salvaged building materials for a similar purpose while altering the fabric as little as possible. Read article

Substantial state investment in research and development have helped Fribourg's construction sector to become more robust and prepare for future upheavals affecting the industry. Interview with Jerry Krattiger, Managing Director of the Fribourg Development Agency. Read article