HAW "Smart Machines" Award 2026 goes to a Bachelor's thesis at ISC

This year’s award from the Winterthur Handelskammer und Arbeitgebervereinigung (HAW) for outstanding work in the field of "Smart Machines" goes to the bachelor’s thesis titled "Model-Based Algorithms for Calorific Value Determination Using Gas Spectrometers," authored by Alexander Grunder and Pascal Heiniger and supervised by Dr. Sigi Wyrsch.

As part of its "Smart Machines" cluster initiative, the HAW - in collaboration with the Johann Jacob Rieter Foundation - has been presenting an award for the best student project since 2021, accompanied by a prize of CHF 10,000. This year’s award ceremony took place on November 3 during the HAW’s traditional autumn meeting, hosted at the ZHAW School of Management and Law and attended by over 80 members and guests. The jury was once again tasked with selecting a winner from a field of high-quality submissions—comprising two team-based bachelor’s projects and one individual bachelor’s project, all developed at the ZHAW School of Engineering.

The recipients of this year’s award are Alexander Grunder and Pascal Heiniger. Their intelligent gas-measuring device best embodies the purpose of the prize: the work reaches the level of a master’s thesis, integrates custom-built hardware with state-of-the-art simulation and data analysis, and - through an ongoing Innosuisse project -is being applied directly to industrial practice within the energy sector as it undergoes a major transition.