– Tradition meets innovation –
New approaches for sustainable Alpine tourism
HEF 2024
2nd edition of the annual meeting for visionary companies and sustainable innovation
The Heuberge Ecologic Forum (HEF for short) took place for the second time from 7 – 10 January 2024 in the Fideriser Heuberge mountains to develop new approaches and ideas for sustainable Alpine tourism. The HEF 2024 was organised by Heuberge AG in cooperation with the Institute of Management at the FHNW School of Business and the Impact Hub Zurich.
The Heuberge mountains, which are known as a traditional ski resort in Prättigau, are facing a major transformation: over the next few years, we want to build Switzerland’s first eco(ski) resort here at 2000 metres above sea level.
Preserving and promoting local ecosystems is particularly important to us. For this reason, we dedicated the first day of our HEF 2024
entirely to protecting the unique landscape and biodiversity in the Heuberge mountains.
In a stakeholder forum, we will present our vision for a T-ECO resort and work with our guests to develop measures for
effective nature conservation.
Results
Results of the stakeholder forum on 8 January 2024
The Stakeholder Forum served to identify objectives and measures for sustainable tourism development in the Prättigau region, particularly in the Fideriser Heubergen. The forum discussions focussed on four main objectives: Promoting the relationship of the relevant groups, critically examining the vision formulated by Heuberge AG, discussing new goals and measures and drawing up corresponding recommendations and action plans.
More than 100 people from various sectors such as environmental organisations, tourism associations, business and research were invited to take part in the discussions. Of these calls for participation, over 35 people responded to the call and actively participated in the elaboration of the treatment plan, which summarises the results of the forum.
The importance of integrating the local population, building trust and inclusivity and the need for a long-term financial strategy to ensure planning security were emphasised. It was stressed that transparent and participatory planning processes should be established to enable open communication and involvement of the local population.
With regard to the T-ECO resort, the need to identify and prioritise specific target groups and develop tailored offers was discussed. Another element of the development phase should be the promotion of sustainability and innovation, including the realisation of pilot projects and studies.
During the construction phase, the efficient use of resources was emphasised with a focus on careful planning and management of financial resources, local sourcing of building materials and integration of renewable energy sources.
Forum participants advocated the preservation of traditional agricultural practices and crafts and emphasised the need for collaboration with local partners.
T-ECO: What is that?
Our T-ECO Resort combines technology and ecology in a way that puts the environment at the centre of our vision, while offering the modern luxury & comfort that people are accustomed to today. In our T-ECO Resort, the latest innovations and ideas are applied and can be experienced in practice as an educational inspiration.
As a new approach to sustainable tourism, T-ECO stands for:
Technology
Ecology / Education and Cocreation
Conservation and
Organizations.
In addition to focussing on environmentally friendly and innovative technologies and the preservation of local ecosystems, our vision also includes offers in the field of educational tourism and cooperation with local companies, local authorities and the local population.
Eco-logical?
One of the fundamental questions we are dealing with is: what does ecological mean at all? What is really sustainable? And what does a sustainable company look like in practice?
Cross-divisional insights provide food for thought and should let the creative sparks fly: From environmentally friendly energy generation and sustainable construction to digitalization, alternative mobility and much more, a wide variety of industries are represented.
HEF as alternative to the WEF
While the WEF invests large sums of money solely in security measures in order to discuss the most pressing world problems, the HEF focuses on practical solutions and implementable applications.
For this we use resources that are already available: Clever minds, our cosy mountain houses as a synergetic meeting place, our fast slopes for enjoyment and relaxation and the beautiful surrounding nature as a source of inspiration, together form a vortex as a source of new ideas.
HEF as collective brainstorming
In addition to competent speakers, collaborative programme items such as “Ideas Speed Dating” and our “Heuberge Solution Lift” provide an opportunity for playful exchange and mutual inspiration.
In our “Heuberge Corner”, we also present internal challenges on our way to a more sustainable, modern company, in which the sensible use of resources and harmony with natural rhythms are the main focus.
While the HEF is to be seen as a collective brainstorming and inspiration gathering place, an innovation camp is to follow in the summer, where ideas can be put into concrete terms and innovations can be implemented.
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Current status of the Heuberge
Heuberge is a traditional mountain resort that is deeply rooted in the region. Time and again, we have guests who visited the hotel for the first time long before our current team. This of course harbours many opportunities, but also difficulties in terms of far-reaching transformations.
A lot has changed since the transfer of ownership 12 years ago – some time ago we modernised and renovated our guesthouses and brought them up to a more professional standard. However, we still face major challenges in many areas.
On our planet Heuberge, we bring the extensive thematic spectrum of the HEF to the ground. For in our homes at 2000 metres above sea level, we can offer not only the space to exchange current innovations and new ideas, but also the real-life scenario in which solutions to our own challenges can be tried out.
The extremely multifaceted microcosm of Heuberge offers a connecting point of opposites, isolated from the world and yet always in contact with the global village through high-speed internet. Here tradition and innovation, cosiness and mountain luxury come together and create an extraordinary starting point to let ideas sprout. At our place, trying out technical innovation and feeling the heartbeat of nature belong together.
Heuberge in transition
The company has therefore been undergoing a transformation for several years.
The first HEF in 2020 played a key role in helping us to realise our vision of a T-ECO resort. Our fully automated solar sauna is not only the first of its kind in the world, but also the first of many measures to transform the Heuberge in a future-oriented and sustainable way.
Our ambition is not only to become the first eco(ski) resort in Switzerland – but also the first T-ECO resort in the world!
Our first HEF from 13-16 January 2020 attracted a wide variety of entrepreneurs, visionaries and sustainability experts to the Heuberge, who brought with them a wide range of ideas for the future of our mountain resort.
With its lighthouse effect, the HEF 2020 succeeded in creating a new network of creative minds and innovators in the field of climate protection and sustainability, resulting in lasting partnerships. One of our goals is also to establish the Heuberge and the HEF as a hub for a community that will continue to tackle technical and ecological challenges together and implement visionary solutions in the future.
Urs Riggenbach was chosen as the innovation champion of the first HEF with his idea of a completely solar-powered sauna. Many small mirrors concentrate the sunlight and heat the sauna stone. Construction of the first sauna prototype began in spring 2020, shortly after the conclusion of the HEF.
Now it’s time to take the next steps towards our T-ECO Resort and gain more valuable partners for the realisation of our vision!
As a result of the HEF 2024, a “Future Day” was held on 17 March 2024, to which the local population of Fideris and Jenaz was invited.
HEF 2020
TEco:
What is that?
A (T)EcoResort combines technology and ecology in a way that does not harm the environment, while offering the modern luxury & comfort that people are used to nowadays.
In a (T)EcoResort the latest innovations and ideas are applied and can be experienced in practice as educational inspiration.
The Program-Outline
Monday – arrival and welcome
- Arrival during the day
- 17:30 Welcome + “Icebreaker”
- About 18:00 dinner
- Then: Full moon sledding,
Bus transfer back to the mountain is at 21:00 from Fideris sawmill
Tuesday – Circular Economy Day
- (evtl Yoga 07:30 – 08:30 — optional)
- 08:00 – 10:00 Breakfast
- 10:00 Introduction: Who is Heuberge?
Presentation of the Heuberge vision of a “(T)Eco – Resort”; ideas, challenges, current status - 11:15 CE basics: What is Circular Economy?
- 12:00 Inspiration from CE startups
- 12:30 Lunch
- 14:00 – ca 17:00 CE Solutions for Heuberge: Playful collective brainstorming
- 17:30 Apero + open exchange
- 19:00 dinner + open end party
Wednesday – Play Day
- (evtl Yoga 07:30 – 08:30 — optional)
- 08:00 – 10:00 Breakfast
- 09:00 -14:00 (open programme) Snow fun during the morning with the “solution lift” and other surprises
- 14:00 – 17:00 Innovation Slam – Talks on the topic “(T)ECO-Resort”.
- 17:30 – 18:30 Final evening: Coronation of the “Heuberge Innovation Champion”, summary, next steps, conclusion
Thursday – Bar Camp (open programme)
For all those who can’t get enough of exciting ideas and snow fun:
On this day we give space for all those who want to present their projects and ideas in depth, offer workshops or the like. We will also present our internal challenges in the “Heuberge Corner”.
This day can be shaped according to the needs of the participants and in line with the inspirations of the previous days.
Do you want to participate?
Tell us something about yourself, why the HEF inspires you and how you want to enrich the meeting and become a participant now!
The Heuberge Innovation Team
Henrik Vetsch
Henrik has a passion for extraordinary technologies and a knack for business. He would love to have self-propelled lift cabins on the slopes this winter. After studying environmental engineering at the ETH Zurich, he moved to the Department of Management, Technology, and Economics to do a Master's degree. He has been the Heuberge CEO for 8 years.
Sara Wiesendanger
Sara's superpower are her spontaneously brilliant creative ideas and her razor-sharp logical mind. The studied biologist with an additional diploma in neuropsychology has a great imagination. She loves to optimize processes, to immerse herself in other worlds and to deal with all kinds of questions of the micro- and macrocosm.
Jiri Ucen
Jiri is a man of action and all-round talent. His practical way of thinking brings many ideas to life at top speed. His golden combination of experience as a programmer in the digital world and passionate explorer of new, sustainable construction methods makes him an irreplaceable part of the team.
Joey Focking
Joey loves to push exciting and complex projects on many fronts at the same time and thus to fully use her universal talents. She has several years of experience in event management, as well as graphic designer and artist. Her particular strength lies in communicating aesthetically both visually and verbally and in restructuring complex topics.
HEF Partner
Would you like to shape the future with us? Contact us
We are open to unusual ideas and cooperation from which all sides can benefit.
If our vision of the future appeals to you and you:
– want to test an innovation in practice
– want to put a self-sufficient building at 2000 meters above sea level through the endurance test
– want to help in other ways to make companies in general and ski resorts in particular future-proof,
contact us now! We are looking forward to seeing you.