Durabilitas

What Durabilitas does

Durabilitas is an independent Swiss non-profit foundation (Stiftung) operating as a Think & Do Tank for sustainable development, headquartered in Biel/Bienne and active across both German- and French-speaking Switzerland. Founded in 2015 as "sanu durabilitas" and rebranded to Durabilitas in 2025, the organization focuses on three thematic pillars: Kreislaufwirtschaft (Circular Economy), gesunde Böden (Healthy Soils), and Just Transition. Its portfolio comprises analytical studies (e.g., a 2024 diffusion study on circular economy practices among Swiss SMEs), practical tools such as the BodenQI (Bodenqualitätsindex / soil quality index), policy toolboxes (e.g., the Toolbox for Equitable Environmental Policy), pilot projects with municipalities and regions (Circular Zürich since 2020, Böden & Raum in Région Morges, Lebendige Stadtböden 2025–2028), and coordination roles for sectoral platforms such as Swiss REuse and the CVLR reusable packaging cooperative in Vaud. It also serves as secretariat for the Parliamentary Group on Circular Economy and contributed to the March 2024 partial revision of the Swiss Environmental Protection Act.

Durabilitas employs roughly 10 people and delivers its work through five repeated methods: Analyse (analysis), Wissenstransfer (knowledge transfer), Pilotprojekte (pilot projects), Dialog (multi-stakeholder convening), and Advocacy. Underlying technology is essentially methodological — proprietary indices and frameworks applied to spatial planning, soil quality, and policy design — rather than a software platform; there are no APIs, apps, or commercial product lines. The customer base consists of Swiss municipalities and regions (City of Zurich, Région Morges), cantonal and federal agencies (Canton de Vaud, BAFU, SECO), universities and applied-research institutes (University of Lausanne, BFH-HAFL, HEIA-FR, HEIG-VD, University of Neuchâtel), civil society organizations (FRC, Pro Natura, WWF, VSA), and a small number of funding foundations (Ernst Göhner, Leenaards, Volkart, Valery, F. Sandoz).

The business model is that of a grant-funded foundation: there is no commercial pricing, no licensing royalties, and no recurring subscription revenue. Funding flows from foundation grants, public-sector research contracts, and donations; the foundation reports having supported passage of federal environmental legislation and having its research cited by federal commissions (e.g., SECO-commissioned European Policy Research Centre report). Distribution is direct stakeholder engagement rather than channel-based; reach is domestic (Switzerland) with both German- and French-language operations.

Name

Durabilitas

Legal name

sanu durabilitas – Stiftung für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Website

https://durabilitas.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Durabilitas is a Swiss non-profit foundation and Think & Do Tank focused on circular economy, healthy soils, and Just Transition, serving Swiss municipalities, cantons, federal agencies, universities, and civil society through research, policy tools (e.g., BodenQI), pilot projects, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)

Keywords

• Circular economy consulting
• Soil quality assessment
• Environmental policy advisory
• Sustainability research
• Just transition strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

Biel/Bienne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding and Grants: As a Swiss foundation (sanu durabilitas – Stiftung für nachhaltige Entwicklung), Durabilitas is funded through a combination of foundation grants, public institution funding, and potentially donations. No commercial product revenue model.
2. Research Contracts: Conducts commissioned research studies cited by government bodies like SECO and contributes to policy development, likely funded through government contracts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Durabilitas is an independent Swiss foundation (Think & Do Tank) that delivers research, advisory, and advocacy services on three core themes: circular economy (Kreislaufwirtschaft), healthy soils (gesunde Böden), and Just Transition. It works with municipalities, cantons, federal agencies, universities, and civil society through policy analysis, pilot projects, knowledge transfer, dialogue facilitation, and the development of practical tools such as the BodenQI soil quality index.

Product overview

Durabilitas (formerly sanu durabilitas) is an independent Swiss think & do tank for sustainable development, operating as a foundation rather than a software product company. Its offering is organized around three thematic focus areas — Kreislaufwirtschaft (Circular Economy), Gesunde Böden (Healthy Soils), and Just Transition — supported by five complementary working methods: Analyse, Wissenstransfer, Pilotprojekte, Dialog, and Advocacy. The portfolio includes advisory projects (Circular Zürich, Swiss REuse, Böden & Raum), tools (BodenQI soil quality index, Toolbox for equitable environmental policy, substrate databases), and research publications (the 2024 diffusion study on circular economy for Swiss SMEs). All offerings are delivered through consulting, knowledge transfer, pilot projects, and policy advocacy rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bodenqualitätsindex (BodenQI / IQ Sols) A soil quality index instrument developed by Durabilitas to assess and integrate soil quality into Swiss spatial planning. Targeted at Swiss regions, municipalities, and cantonal authorities; tested and adopted by cantons including Vaud and Fribourg, with Région Morges as the first Swiss region to pilot it.
• Toolbox: Massnahmen für eine gerechte Umweltpolitik (Toolbox for Equitable Environmental Policy) A toolbox providing measures and recommendations for designing environmental policy in a more equitable (socially just) manner in Switzerland. Aimed at policymakers, authorities, and associations working on Just Transition.
• Studie «Diffusion von Kreislaufwirtschafts-Lösungen – Lernen von Pionier-KMUs in der Schweiz» (2024) A 2024 research study published by Durabilitas identifying eleven success factors for Swiss SMEs to implement circular economy practices, based on interviews with 15 pioneering SMEs. Distributed to Swiss policymakers, SMEs, and federal offices including BAFU and SECO.
• Circular Zürich Advisory and project implementation engagement supporting the City of Zurich's Umwelt- und Gesundheitsschutz office since 2020 in developing and implementing its circular economy strategy, including conceptual work and administrative support.
• Lebendige Stadtböden / Villes et Sols vivants (Living Urban Soils) A 2025–2028 knowledge transfer project led by Durabilitas together with VSA to help small towns and suburban municipalities preserve healthy soils, de-seal surfaces, and restore soil functions. Provides tools such as a substrate database, practical fact sheets, and workshops.
• Böden & Raum: Qualität als Grundlage der Planung (Pilotprojekt) Pilot project accompanying Swiss regions and municipalities in applying the Swiss soil strategy, developing soil quality indices and recommendations for integrating soil quality into spatial planning.
• Swiss REuse (Schweizer Mehrweg-Verband) The Swiss reusable packaging association for which Durabilitas provides the secretariat, advocating for national coordination and improved framework conditions for reusable packaging systems in Switzerland.
• Durabilitas Newsletter Quarterly (4x per year) newsletter providing subscribers with updates on circular economy, healthy soils, and Just Transition topics in Switzerland; available through free subscription via the Durabilitas website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Région Morges became the first Swiss region to develop a soil quality index for spatial planning
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Aufleben Natur (Redonner Vie)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunication partnership for the 'Lebendige Stadtböden' (Living Urban Soils) project, focused on preserving intact soils, unsealing surfaces, and restoring soil functions in cities.
• BAFU/OFEV (Swiss Federal Office for the Environment)coreOthersFederal government partner for environmental policy collaboration and soil protection initiatives.
• BGS (Boden Gesellschaft Schweiz / Swiss Soil Science Society)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in soil science and protection initiatives.
• Canton de VaudcoreOthersCantonal government partner for soil protection and circular economy initiatives, including pioneering 'pleine terre' definition.
• Circular Economy SwitzerlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational platform partner for circular economy advancement in Switzerland.
• CVLR (Ça Vaud l'retour)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVaudois cooperative for glass reusable packaging, launched December 2025.
• EspaceSuisse (Swiss Association for Spatial Planning)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on spatial planning recommendations for soil consideration, with expert Carole Imhof presenting at their platform.
• FRC (Fédération romande des consommateurs)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRomand consumer federation partnership for advocacy on sustainability issues.
• Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH-HAFL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for sustainable development research and education.
• HEIA-FR (School of Engineering and Management, Fribourg)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering school partnership for technical collaboration.
• HEIG-VD (School of Business and Engineering Vaud)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and business school partnership.
• KOBO (Center for Circular Economy Solutions)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircular economy solutions center partnership.
• Pro NaturaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss nature conservation organization partnership.
• Région MorgescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Swiss region to develop a soil quality index for spatial planning with Durabilitas support. Pilot project partner for BodenQI implementation.
• sanumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated Swiss organization for sustainable development education and training.
• SCNAT (Swiss Academy of Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational science academy partnership.
• SwissREusecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss reuse association for which Durabilitas provides the secretariat, advancing national coordination and better framework conditions for reuse.
• IDHEAP (University of Lausanne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute of public administration partnership for policy research.
• University of NeuchâtelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner where expert Johanna Huber was interviewed about circular economy work.
• VSA (Association of Swiss Water Protection Specialists)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in 'Villes et Sols vivants' project, managing the 'Ville éponge' (Sponge City) information platform.
• WWF SwitzerlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor environmental organization partnership for sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Infras: Swiss research and consulting firm in sustainability, transport, and economic policy. Comparable as a Swiss-based applied research and policy advisory organization serving federal and cantonal clients, similar customer segments to Durabilitas.
• Circle Economy: Dutch impact organization providing circular economy metrics, consulting, and policy advisory. Comparable as a think-and-do tank driving circular economy implementation with governments and SMEs, similar in operating model to Durabilitas.
• Ecoplan: Swiss research, consulting, and planning firm working on transport, energy, environment, and regional economics. Comparable as a Swiss policy research and consulting organization supporting federal and cantonal sustainability agendas.
• Rütter + Partner: Swiss consulting firm in economic and socio-political research, regularly commissioning studies for federal agencies such as SECO. Comparable as a Swiss policy research consultancy serving similar federal clients.

Others

• Empa: Swiss federal materials science and technology research institute with circular economy research programs. Comparable as a Swiss research-to-policy institution collaborating on sustainability topics like soil and circular materials.
• Eawag: Swiss federal aquatic research institute addressing water and environmental systems. Comparable as a Swiss research organization producing evidence for environmental policy, though more academic and water-focused than Durabilitas.
• WWF Switzerland: Major Swiss environmental advocacy and policy organization with a partnership listed with Durabilitas. Comparable as a Swiss sustainability NGO engaging in policy advocacy, public communication, and corporate engagement on environmental issues.

Broad incumbents

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Global foundation driving the transition to a circular economy through thought leadership, policy frameworks, and partnerships. Comparable as a circular-economy focused foundation/think-tank, though far larger and operating at international scale.
• Wuppertal Institute: German research institute focused on sustainability transitions, circular economy, and climate policy. Comparable to Durabilitas as a think-tank producing applied research and policy advice for governments, though operating at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• Quantis: Environmental sustainability consulting firm (with roots in Switzerland) guiding companies on circular and climate strategies. Comparable as a sustainability advisory applying research to corporate and policy decisions, though more commercially focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/durabilitas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Durabilitas