Baloise Bank Ltd names Apex AG the winner of the 2023 InnoPrix SO! award

Solothurn, November 28, 2023. Apex AG, based in Däniken, Solothurn, is the winner of the 2023 InnoPrix SO! award. Baloise Bank Ltd’s foundation presents the annual award, which is endowed with prize money of CHF 25,000, to innovative new products and services in the Solothurn region. This year’s award ceremony was held at the municipal theatre in Olten on 27 November 2023. 

Innovation is the key to continuous improvement, competitiveness, and progress in society and the economy. The InnoPrix SO! award recognises visionary ideas that will shape the world of tomorrow. This year, there were once again many new project submissions for the panel of judges to consider. The eventual winner was Apex AG, a Swiss sustainable energy company based in Däniken, Solothurn.

A second life

Switzerland’s energy requirements have increased since Apex AG was founded in 2003, and the political context and consumer needs have fundamentally changed over that time.  

Gases such as biomethane (biogas), liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas and hydrogen – as both fuels and energy stores – have been at the heart of Apex AG’s business from the outset. Initially, the company focused on offering consultancy, running training courses and maintaining natural gas filling stations across Switzerland. Some years later, it started building natural gas filling stations too.    

Apex AG has now begun enabling its customers to integrate old natural gas facilities into new developments. It was this second-life approach, with which Apex AG promotes the goals of a sustainable circular economy, that was key to the company winning the 2023 InnoPrix SO! award.

About APEX AG

Apex AG was founded in Däniken, Solothurn, in 2003. The company operates across Switzerland, building and maintaining natural gas and biogas filling stations of all sizes. For a few years now, Apex has been producing small biogas processing plants – up to around 100 standard cubic metres of biogas per hour – for feeding biomethane into the natural gas grid. Stand-alone solutions with an integrated filling station are used where no gas network is available. The company’s biomethane activities are the perfect fit for its traditional business and for the growing demand for local, decentralised renewable energy sources ‘made in Switzerland’. Apex plans, builds and maintains these systems and offers comprehensive services from a single source. Using renewable gases, such as hydrogen, to store energy is the focus of the company’s research and development activities.

InnoPrix SO! – an award with a long tradition

Baloise Bank Ltd’s foundation for the promotion of trade and industry in Solothurn, Switzerland, has awarded the InnoPrix SoBa every year since 1987. This year is the first time that it has been awarded under its new name, InnoPrix SO!. It is honouring a project that is bringing fresh ideas and positive momentum to the Solothurn economic area. As well as receiving prize money, the winner is given the opportunity to present themselves and their project to the public during the award ceremony.

About Helvetia Baloise

Helvetia Baloise is Switzerland’s largest multi-line insurer and one of Europe’s leading insurance groups. Every day, more than 22,000 employees work hard to support around 13 million customers with insurance, pension, and financial solutions. These customers range from individuals and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through to international customer groups, which also benefit from areas such as specialty insurance and reinsurance. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Helvetia Baloise operates in eight European markets and in global specialty markets, combining its strong Swiss roots with a clear international focus. Helvetia Baloise creates safety and security and opens up opportunities, both today and in the future. Through profitable growth and business operations that are geared to long-term stability, we create tailored solutions for our customers, provide an attractive and reliable investment for our shareholders, promote strong partnerships and offer rewarding career prospects for our employees. Helvetia Baloise Holding Ltd shares (HBAN) are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.