Ecotrophelia Switzerland
Nurturing the next generation of food innovators
The challenge
The fight for talent is real. Switzerland's food industry needs a steady pipeline of people who can drive innovation — but attracting, developing, and retaining that talent doesn't happen on its own.
The opportunity
Connecting students with real industry challenges early creates lasting bridges between academia and industry — building the pipeline the sector needs, and giving companies direct, early access to emerging talent.
About Ecotrophelia Europe
3,000+
students
participated
1,100+
food innovative products
200+
universities
22
countries
*Sources: ECOTROPHELIA Europe, About Us — eu.ecotrophelia.org
About Ecotrophelia Switzerland
Ecotrophelia Switzerland is the national student food innovation competition organized by SFNV — the official Swiss qualifier for Ecotrophelia Europe.
Cross-university teams design and develop real, market-ready food products, from concept to prototype.
Switzerland returned to the competition in 2025 after a 12-year absence, and 2026 marked its second edition.
National Competition 2026 at HES-SO Valais
Yearly timeline
Autumn
Students form teams, sometimes across universities, and start shaping their first sustainable food product concepts.
Winter-Early Spring
Teams develop their product, gaining direct access to industry experts at the Industry Insight Day to refine it before facing the jury.
May - June
Teams pitch their finished product to a jury of industry and academic experts at the National Competition, competing to represent Switzerland.
Summer
The winning team refines its product and prepares its case for the European stage.
October
Switzerland's national champion competes against the best student food innovations from across Europe at Ecotrophelia Europe.
Get involved
Academia
Empowering the next generation of food innovators.
Give your students hands-on experience in innovation and entrepreneurship, connect them with industry mentors and experts, and gain visibility for your university at national and European level.
Partners
Help shape the talents that will define the future of food.
Gain direct access to Switzerland's most promising food talent, engage with teams as a jury member, mentor, or expert, and position your organization as a leader in innovation across the national competition and SFNV channels.
The 2026 partners
Academia
Industry
Previous Swiss teams
Sorgood
A fermented beverage based on sorghum for a more resilient food system.
Gold — Ecotrophelia Switzerland 2026
HES-SO Valais
Selected for Ecotrophelia Europe
TAM's
A high-fiber Provençale snack made of low-glycemic index ingredients and by-products.
Silver — Ecotrophelia Switzerland 2026
HES-SO Valais
Appi
A fermented beverage based on sorghum for a more resilient food system.
Bronze — Ecotrophelia Switzerland 2026
HES-SO Valais
BUZZZ
A high-protein, high-fibre crackers made from mealworm flour.
Gold — Ecotrophelia Switzerland 2025
HES-SO Valais
Selected for Ecotrophelia Europe