Deep Geothermal Solutions

Deep Geothermal Solutions

Company

Phasing out fossil fuel is a necessity. Our energy infrastructures must be urgently transformed to stand the test of time.

Our mission is to realize true energy independence and security, bringing deep geothermal potential to reality.

SwissDGS connects technology providers, subsurface experts and energy specialists, to enable communities and industries to shift into a sustainable energy future.

We deliver fully integrated projects to supply utility company’s district heating or industries looking for energy independence using the deep heat of the Earth.

SwissDGS was born from the shared vision of three Swiss entities which decided to join efforts to accelerate the adoption and deployment of deep geothermal energy.

Amberg Group

Founded in 1966, the Amberg Group is a unique knowledge, engineering and technology provider of logistics, constructions and infrastructures for smart cities, hubs and networks through innovative combinations of above and underground space usage.

Together with a network of strong, competent and dedicated partners the Amberg Group delivers top quality services and products using cutting-edge technology.

These products and services cover the entire life cycle of the infrastructures and all engineering and technology aspects in a digitalized manner.

Basler & Hofmann

Basler & Hofmann provides engineering, planning and consulting services as well as the provision and distribution of digital services for the sustainable development, design and management of living spaces, in particular in the areas of energy and mobility, transport and utility infrastructure, real estate and industrial facilities, environment and safety, education and health.

Founded in 1963, Basler & Hofmann AG is a family business. Members of the families are active on the boards of directors of the family holding company and its companies and are committed to upholding the legacy of the company fathers.

As a family business, they have the freedom to invest in the future for the long term, with a focus on developing solutions that can pass on future generations with a clear conscience.

EAPOSYS

EAPOSYS (Earth Power System) is a 2017 founded startup located in Biel/Bienne active in deep geothermal energy.

The Company develops a proprietary closed-loop heat extraction system design (Advanced Geothermal System – AGS) and integrates this technology for district heating and the generation of electricity by local production units. Besides, the Company is also actively developing new financing schemes for large-scale deep geothermal deployment.

EAPOSYS aspires to respond to the current global and growing challenges found at the economic-energy-climate nexus. As such, environmental and social aspects are implemented at the very inception of EAPOSYS deep geothermal developments.

People

Management Leadership

Benoit Garitte

Head of Sales

Amberg Group

Benoit Garitte is Head of Sales and a member of the Executive Committee at Amberg Engineering, a Swiss-based civil engineering office specializing in underground infrastructure. Prior to joining Amberg, Benoit served as Well Manager at Nagra (the Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste), where he oversaw multiple exploratory drilling projects reaching depths of up to 1,500 meters in Switzerland.

With a degree in civil engineering, he also gained extensive experience in research and consultancy, focusing on the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of subsurface environments.

At SwissDGS, Benoit will leverage his combined expertise in sales, drilling, and thermal ground behavior to drive the success of our projects.

Jon Mengiardi

CEO Civil Engineer

Basler & Hofmann

After completing his studies in Civil Engineering at ETH Zurich, Jon Mengiardi spent 10 years working as a project manager in the areas of urban hydraulic engineering, civil engineering and transport, before his curiosity led him to enroll on another degree course in 1997, this time in Copenhagen.

After obtaining his master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, he became the head of environment, energy and safety at a large Swiss engineering firm in 2001.

From 2014 to 2019, he was responsible for the region of north-western Switzerland and the areas of structural and civil engineering at the same company.

In 2020, he joined Basler & Hofmann where he works as a leading expert in Safety and Security Planning and oversees the Basel office. Along with managing projects from design to completion in many different fields, Jon has also led several major infrastructure projects in his 30-year career.

At SwissDGS, Jon is taking the role of CEO of the Company.

Naomi Vouillamoz

PhD Environmental Geophysics

EAPOSYS

With a PhD in environmental physics and a M.Sc. in structural geology, Naomi has over 15 years of experience in applied geo-environmental projects, garnering 5 academic awards for her exemplary research.

Since 2017, she has been pioneering the development of Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS) for baseload energy delivery globally at EAPOSYS, where she acts as CEO.

Naomi advocates for a swift transition away from fossil fuels, emphasizing the imperative of collaboration between public and private sectors to address the growing and global challenge found at the energy-environment-economy nexus.

Felix Amberg

President of

Amberg Group

After completing his degree as MoSc in Civil Engineering at the ETH in Zurich in 1981, Felix Amberg began his career as assistant in the Institute for Hydrology and Water Resources at the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. This was followed by several positions, some lasting several years, as construction site manager and project engineer.

In 1986, Felix Amberg started to work at Amberg Engineering Ltd, which had been founded by his father, Dr. H.C. Rudolf Amberg. As PM he was responsible for various underground projects.

In 1995, he took over the responsibility and ownership of all companies of the Amberg Group.

Under his leadership, the Amberg Group started to expand internationally and is now present in more than 25 countries worldwide. The combination of Amberg Engineering Ltd, Amberg Technologies Ltd, Hagerbach Test Gallery and Amberg Loglay Ltd offers a unique expertise in many fields of underground infrastructures.

Felix Amberg has personally been involved in many important engineering and R&D projects, such as the Vereina Tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, Gibraltar Strait Tunnel and EU research projects such as Tunconstruct, L-Surf amongst others.

David Grossmann

Managing director at

Basler & Hofmann

David Grossmann is pretty close to his dream job of “explorer”. After studying Civil Engineering (1987), he first worked at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich as a technical assistant in research, teaching and expert testimony.

He then went on to become a project engineer in geotechnical engineering and structural engineering for a Swiss engineering company, for which he built up a network of offices in Germany.

At the end of the 1990s, he moved to the UK, where he obtained an MBA from the University of Bath and then, as business development and marketing director for an international engineering company, established the communication, design studio, business development and media production functions.

Since returning to Switzerland in 2006, David Grossmann has been member of the Executive Board at Basler & Hofmann and is also head of the Construction and Real Estate Consulting division.

Patrick Scherrer

Chairman at

EAPOSYS

A graduate in economics from the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, Patrick Scherrer began his career at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC, today Hewlett-Packard) in Geneva, in 1982, where he developed several successful innovative initiatives ranging from breakthrough management information systems to corporate research programs in various fields.

In 1995, he joined AT&T, as Director, Strategy & New Business Development leading him to the venture capital community.

In 1998, he co-founded the European Tech Tour association where he has been active as Vice-President until 2013. Patrick still is a regular member of Tech Tour Selection Panels, and he is currently the President of the Geothermal Tech Tour.

In 2013, he established SwissInno+, a corporate advisory firm with recent new ventures in the energy sector: EAPOSYS SA (Co-Founder, 2017-ongoing), Innergia Group SA (Board member, 2021-ongoing) deploying disruptive public-private partnerships for municipalities, in Switzerland, to accelerate the eco-transition of public infrastructures.

Patrick is active in the corporate education sector (IMD business school, MBA jury member, 2000-ongoing, Lausanne) and in the social sector as a member of the Board of the not-for-profit “ValAct” Foundation (2014-ongoing), based in Geneva, Switzerland, supporting individual engagement in the promotion and development of human rights.

Made possible by Migros Pioneer Fund

The Migros Pioneer Fund supports sustainable solutions for societal challenges with the goal of initiating systemic change towards a future-oriented society. The impact-oriented funding approach combines financial support with active funding and risk management. The fund is part of the social commitment of the Migros Group and has an annual budget of approximately CHF 15 million. The Migros Pioneer Fund is supported by companies such as Denner, Migros Bank, Migrol, migrolinio and Ex Libris.

More information: www.migros-pionerfonds.ch