Swiss student innovators took the stage at Ecotrophelia Switzerland 2026

Ecotrophelia Switzerland 2026 brought together some of the country’s most promising student innovators, as multidisciplinary teams from Swiss universities presented sustainable, market-ready food products to an expert jury of industry and academic leaders.

Part of a wider European initiative, the competition challenges students to translate scientific knowledge into commercially viable solutions, combining creativity, technical expertise and entrepreneurial thinking. This year’s edition once again highlighted the strength of Switzerland’s talent pipeline in food innovation.

“Ecotrophelia is a unique platform where students can apply their knowledge to real-world challenges in the food system,” said Sandra Galle, Professor of Food Technology and Biotechnology at HES-SO, School of Engineering in Sion. “It not only fosters innovation, but also helps build the skills and confidence needed to bring new ideas to market.”

This year’s finalists

Three teams were selected to compete in this year’s final, each showcasing a different approach to sustainable food innovation:

• Team Appy developed an apple juice drink with functional apple pomace pearls.
• Team Sorgood created a fermented beverage based on sorghum for a more resilient food system.
• Team TAMs developed a high-fiber  Provençale snack made of low-glycemic index ingredients and by-products.

Sorgood is crowded the national winner

The jury awarded first place to Sorgood, recognising the product’s innovation, sustainability impact, and market potential. 

The winning team stood out with an innovative plant-based beverage made from sorghum, a resilient and underutilised climate-smart crop. Their solution highlights how traditional grains can inspire sustainable, nutritious alternatives in the plant-based beverage category. 

An industry perspective

This year’s national competition was made possible thanks to the generous support of Valley partners Helbling Technik, Nestlé, Bühler Group and Givaudan.

Reflecting on the competition, Lorenz Klauser, Senior Vice President and Partner at Helbling Technik, noted: “Ecotrophelia shows how innovation starts with people. Sharing our experience in bringing products to life and our broad technical expertise with these talented teams has been truly rewarding. It highlights how young talent can drive real change in the food system.”

From the jury’s perspective, Robert Mitchell, Head of Food Science at Bühler, added: “It’s impressive how quickly students developed solid concepts. Competitions like Ecotrophelia help prepare the next generation to tackle real-world challenges in scaling affordable, nutritious food. Congratulations to all the teams.”

At Nestlé R&D, the importance of nurturing entrepreneurial talent was front of mind. As Maria Eugenia Barcos, Nestlé Research Startup Program Lead, put it: “At Nestlé R&D, we believe that supporting young talents with an entrepreneurial spirit is essential to accelerating the transformation of sustainable food systems. It’s been impressive to see how the students naturally take into account the importance of collaboration, sustainability and market readiness.”

Highlighting the role of sensory experience and creativity in food innovation, Matthias Schultz, Research Director at Givaudan International SA, said: “Watching the young talents at Ecotrophelia bring their bold ideas to life was truly inspiring. Their entrepreneurial drive and creativity turned ideas into tangible food experiences , a vision that resonates deeply with Givaudan’s purpose of creating happier, healthier lives with love for nature. ”

What comes next

The journey continues beyond the competition. In the coming months, participating teams will continue to be supported by industry partners, including Nestlé, Helbling Technik, Bühler and Givaudan, helping them further refine their concepts and explore pathways to market.

The winning team will go on to represent Switzerland at Ecotrophelia Europe, one of Europe’s leading student competitions in food innovation, taking place at SIAL Paris later this year.

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