Talent Pitch: BFH sends charcoal manufacturer into the race

On 7 December 2023, the second Talent Pitch Contest of nine Swiss universities will take place in Zurich. This will demonstrate the innovative power that exists among the ranks of the students. The Talent Pitch is intended to give them additional motivation to keep working on their entrepreneurial ideas and develop them further. We also support the event and sent one of our start-ups to the competition.  

From the projects submitted, a jury from BFH selected Oliver Reinhard and his start-up "Olis Kohle". Oliver Reinhard produces charcoal in a sustainable way from waste wood from Swiss sawmills or forestry operations. He uses a dry distillation process for the production. The high temperatures lead to optimal charring of the wood, resulting in only a small amount of fine dust pollution.  

Since the process used is also suitable for reducing CO2, the jury sees some potential in the start-up. The long-term binding or storage in agriculturally used soils is described as a promising path.