BlueArk Entremont: testing, hosting and developing innovations in the water sector in Switzerland
BlueArk Entremont is the operational partner for SMEs, start-ups, engineering firms, researchers and public authorities innovating in the water sector. It offers unique access to an Alpine ecosystem: real-world infrastructure, regional IoT data, a network of experts and project support.
Advice and support for water management challenges
- How can irrigation efficiency be improved through digitalisation?
- How can wastewater treatment be optimised in a mountain community?
- How can watercourses be monitored in relation to natural hazards (floods, landslides)?
- How can excess snow and artificial snowmaking be managed sustainably?
- How can competing water uses within a region be balanced?
- How can technical maintenance tools for water networks be digitised?
- How can connected sensors be installed and the data collected be used intelligently?
- How can we prioritise and make the most of data received on a region’s water resources?
- How can a pilot project be set up?
- How can you work with academic partners?
BlueArk Entremont helps you find practical solutions to your day-to-day challenges.
Hosting for SMEs, start-ups and innovative water-related projects
BlueArk Entremont offers premises dedicated to innovation in the water sector, located in Le Châble (Val de Bagnes), in the immediate vicinity of Verbier, in Valais (Switzerland).
This accommodation is aimed at start-ups, SMEs, corporate subsidiaries and academic institutions seeking a stimulating environment in which to develop solutions related to water and climate change.
Why set up at BlueArk Entremont?
- Access to the actual technical infrastructure of the surrounding municipalities: dams, reservoirs, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), snow cannons, connected sensors, and drinking water networks.
- An initial integrated client: ALTIS Groupe SA, a regional water and energy service provider, is committed to testing and validating proposed innovations under real-world operating conditions.
- An on-site research laboratory: researchers from the STREAM laboratory (HES-SO Valais/Wallis), specialising in water resources and led by Emilie Neveu, are present. Four researchers are regularly based at the BlueArk Entremont premises in Le Châble.
- A unique alpine testing ground: life in a mountain community with significant seasonal variations offers an exceptional testing environment that cannot be replicated in a laboratory.
Direct access to on-the-ground data, with an initial client
For projects or companies wishing to test their water and climate change-related solutions under real-world conditions, BlueArk Entremont provides access to certain infrastructure managed by the municipalities of Entremont. ALTIS, in its capacity as a local water and energy service provider, is therefore committed to acting as the first potential client for the validation of the proposed innovations.
Setting up innovation projects in the water sector in Switzerland
Thanks to its network of economic, academic and public sector stakeholders active in the water sector in Switzerland, BlueArk Entremont can bring together the right partners to develop innovation projects from start to finish:
- identifying needs
- project structuring and liaising with the appropriate partners
- economic feasibility analysis
- coaching and support right through to the first results on the ground.
Network of experts and events in the water sector in Switzerland
Through the regular organisation of conferences and meetings (including the BlueArk Conference, which welcomes over 300 water management specialists each year), BlueArk Entremont enables stakeholders in the sector to network and create maximum synergies. Thanks to the contacts it has built up over several years, BlueArk Entremont is able to mobilise national and international experts to help advance your projects.
The next BlueArk Conference (7th edition) will take place on 11 November 2026 in Le Châble