News

The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) has won a case against BDSwiss AG before the Bern Commercial Court. BDSwiss AG must now remove ‘Swiss’ from its name and the Swiss cross from its logo because it does not fulfil the legal requirements to use the Swiss indication of source.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained unchanged in December 2025 compared with the previous month, at 106.9 points (December 2020 = 100). Inflation was +0.1% compared with the same month of the previous year. Average annual inflation reached +0.2% in 2025. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

This evening, 8 January 2026, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy will award Switzerland’s prestigious Swiss Energy Prize, the Watt d'Or, for the nineteenth and final time. The winners of gold for 2026 are: The gas supply company Gaznat from Vevey and Aigle (VD) in the Energy Technologies category, endigo Holding AG from Fiesch (VS) in the Renewable Energies category, Rigitrac Traktorenbau AG from Küssnacht am Rigi (SZ) in the Energy Efficient Mobility category, and the building cooperative ‘mehr als wohnen’, Lemon Consult AG and the Low-Tech Lab from Zurich in the Buildings and Spatial Development category. The Watt d’Or trophy – a snow globe – will be presented to the winners by the distinguished jury, headed by Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher, at the Kongresszentrum Kursaal in Bern. The event will also be attended by hundreds of representatives from the Swiss energy scene, including politicians, business people and researchers.

This coming Friday, 9 January, will be dedicated nationwide to remembering the victims of the tragic fire in Crans-Montana, showing solidarity with the injured and expressing sympathy for all those affected. On this day of mourning, President Guy Parmelin, together with Switzerland’s official religious communities, invites people across the country to observe a minute's silence and a moment of reflection. Church bells will ring throughout the country. A memorial service will take place in Martigny in the canton of Valais.

Three Swiss deep-tech startups originating from Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, are heading to CES 2026 in Las Vegas, showcasing how Swiss engineering is translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world hardware innovation on a global stage in the areas of energy storage, photovoltaics and cooling technologies for power computing.

In collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the University of Bern, Empa researchers have investigated how trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), the smallest of the PFAS molecules, is formed in the atmosphere and enters water bodies via precipitation. The study combined a three-year measurement period with archived water samples from recent decades and a detailed atmospheric model. The result: The release of this chemical into the environment has multiplied in recent decades – and will continue to increase in the future.

On 5 January 2026, the Federal Council decided to freeze any assets held in Switzerland by Nicolás Maduro and other persons associated with him with immediate effect. In doing so, the Federal Council aims to prevent an outflow of assets. The asset freeze does not affect members of the current Venezuelan government. Should future legal proceedings reveal that the funds were illicitly acquired, Switzerland will endeavour to ensure that they benefit the Venezuelan people. The asset freeze is in addition to the sanctions against Venezuela that have been in place since 2018 under the Embargo Act.

You could be interested by new pages which have been published on the OFCOM website between 15.12.2025 and 31.12.2025.

The Federal Tax Administration has updated the course listings and bonus shares 2025.

Allocution de M. le Président de la Confédération Guy Parmelin

The Federal Tax Administration has updated the course listings and bonus shares 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Two cessations and one new factual report (aviation) are available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB).