PATHFNDR Final Event 2026

After five years of research, the PATHFNDR consortium gathers for its closing event to present the project’s results on flexibility and sector coupling for the Swiss energy transition. The final event is aimed at political and economic decision-makers, brought together with the research community for a day of presentations and discussions. Building on the first conference in 2024, which asked whether flexibility and sector coupling would lead the way, this final event delivers the answer: it synthesises the consortium’s work into ten statements for the Swiss energy transition. These statements are presented in the Synthesis Report “On the Path to Net-Zero: 10 Statements on Flexibility and Sector Coupling for the Swiss Energy Transition,” to be published in October 2026.

The morning opens with two keynotes setting the political and economic context, by Antje Kanngiesser (CEO, Alpiq) and Prof. Dr Dirk Müller (RWTH Aachen). Researchers from the consortium then present their central results in a series of input presentations – from energy scenarios and pathways, electric vehicles and heat pump flexibility to policy and market mechanisms as well as social acceptance strategies.

In the afternoon, an interactive exchange lets participants engage directly with the researchers and make a deep dive into the presented topics. An exhibition walks guests through the ten statements, showing what each one means for federal government, the market and regulatory authority, cantons and municipalities, the transmission system operator, distribution system operators and utilities, aggregators and energy suppliers, technology providers and manufacturers. Participants are invited to react and add their own views, turning the report’s conclusions into a shared conversation about the path forward.

The day is opened and closed by Prof. Dr André Bardow (PATHFNDR Co-Director, ETH Zürich) and Dr Christian Schaffner (PATHFNDR Co-Director, ETH Zürich), and concludes with an apéro for continued exchange.

Programme

08:30 – Registration & welcome coffee
09:30 – Welcome & opening
09:45 – Keynotes: Antje Kanngiesser (Alpiq) & Prof. Dirk Müller (RWTH Aachen)
10:45 – Coffee break
11:15 – Input presentations: the ten statements
13:00 – Networking lunch
14:30 – Interactive exhibition: “10 Statements for the Energy Transition”
16:00 – Apéro

Languages: English, German and French