Zurich Development Center

What we stand for

Founded in 2000, the ZDC is the Group’s center for learning, growth and development. It stands for our belief in people and new ideas powering today and tomorrow. It was designed as a place of inspiration, for people to come together, learn, explore and collaborate. Thirteen labs have natural daylight and overlook the park area. In every room, seating can be arranged for large seminars, or smaller work groups. The lab walls can be reconfigured and all our furniture is mobile for maximum flexibility.

Innovation and sustainability at ZDC

A range of compelling service innovations and sustainability features were introduced in 2019 to delight our guests and benefit the environment:

1. 'ZDC Concierge': 24/7 communication service
   To stay ahead of an increasing demand for immediate communication and service via smartphone we launched a new messaging channel based on WhatsApp and enhanced it with a bot called 'ZDC Concierge'. This chat bot is now also available via our website: www.zurichdevelopmentcenter.com
2. ZDC e-Library
   Guests of the ZDC have access to an online library where we offer a broad range of newspapers and magazines. These can be downloaded on one’s private device while staying at ZDC.
3. LED Lighting
   At the ZDC we switched to LED light and motion sensors. The most impressive replacement happened in our Auditorium. The old installation used up to 20kW/h. The LED replacement shines brighter and uses only 3kW. That helps to reduce the actual electric energy consumption of the lights by almost 85%. There is more to it: the new LED lights produce less heat when in operation – therefore less energy for air conditioning is needed to keep the auditorium at a pleasant temperature.
4. Elimination of all single used plastics – you won’t find any drinks or food plates in plastic at the ZDC anymore – we’ve replaced them with eco-friendly alternatives. We built water fountains to replace PET bottles in the function areas.
5. New sun control system: The glass-hub at the ZDC is the intersection between all our buildings. In the past, with the sun shining, this area often became over-heated as shades were mounted on the inside of the structure. The application of the new sun control window film allows high transmission of natural light into the hub area while rejecting up to 97% of infrared light so we can enjoy energy savings as well as enhanced comfort.
6. IoT Sensors and AI: Thanks to our IoT sensors data and an improved building management control system supported by artificial intelligence, we run our campus based on actual usage/bookings and can allocate facility tasks via push notifications, which is much more precise and saves a lot of resource.
7. Bees: At the ZDC we have installed three bee hives to make a small contribution to biodiversity!
8. Minimize Food Waste: We measure our food waste systematically. The aim is to document left-overs, monitor best-before expiry date and overproduction and initiate appropriate actions to reduce them. Since winter 2022 we work with “Kitro”. It’s a state-of-the-art solution to effortlessly measure and monitor food waste. With this, we have been able to demonstrate a significant reduction in food waste.
9. 'Too Good to Go': The ZDC has recently become a member of the start-up company 'Too Good to Go': we offer left over food for collection. This is not about making profit, but to save immaculate, high quality food to benefit others and avoid waste.

Location

Zurich Development Center (ZDC) – The Zurich Home. www.zurichdevelopmentcenter.com

High on the hills overlooking Lake Zurich, in the city of Zurich, sits the 12’200 square meter campus of the Zurich Development Center. Traditional Swiss chalets built in the early 1900s are completed by modern architecture, design and latest technology. The campus includes six main buildings as well as park areas. The ZDC features 15 labs and 83 guest rooms.

ZDC in numbers

Since its opening in 2000, we have welcomed close to 250’000^* overnight guests and strive to exceed their expectations with an outstanding experience each and every day. In 2020 we are celebrating our 20 anniversary.

^* (2000 – 2019)