The award ceremony took place during the Sustainability Week, a national initiative held in the spring semester across more than 20 Swiss universities. Promoted by the SUPSI Sustainability Group with the support of BancaStato, the Award aims to become an annual recognition for students who, during the preparation of their Bachelor’s thesis and through a subsequent reflective process and in-depth discussion, demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability and its implications for their professional and personal development.

In this second edition of the SUPSI Sustainability Award for Bachelor’s Theses for the 2024/2025 academic year, the prize was awarded to Camilla Bianconi (Bachelor in Management Engineering), Patrick Bodmer (Bachelor in Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen), Sara Madureira Pires (Bachelor in Business Administration) and Valentina Prospero (Bachelor in Leisure Management). Each of them received a monetary award of CHF 2,000, offered by BancaStato, the official sponsor of the Award.

The application process took place in several stages. In the first phase, candidates highlighted the sustainability aspects of their theses and their personal motivations. The second phase took place after the thesis defence and was open only to those who had obtained a grade of 5 or higher. Through a reflective review and self-assessment, participants retraced the stages of their work to identify key outcomes and experiences that contributed to the development of sustainability-related knowledge, as well as the impact such a learning process may have on their professional reflections and lifestyle choices.

The expert jury, composed of a representative of BancaStato and SUPSI experts, assessed the depth of the reflections and the candidates’ ability to adopt a holistic perspective on sustainability. Out of the 35 candidates who applied in the first phase, 10 were invited to further develop their reflections during an interview. The distinctive aspect of the Award lies therefore not only in recognising theses that address sustainability topics, but also in valuing students’ ability to critically reflect on their educational journey and on how this awareness will influence their future.

During the award ceremony, Daniela Willi-Piezzi, Director of Basic Education at SUPSI, highlighted:
“The recognition awarded today reflects our educational model, which not only effectively integrates theory and practice, but also invests in the development of critical and systemic competences. It highlights the ability of our students to question systems, analyse the interconnections between economic, environmental and social phenomena, and formulate truly transformative proposals.”

For his part, BancaStato Sustainability Manager Luca Bordonzotti emphasised:
“BancaStato’s mission within its sustainability strategy is to promote the sustainable economic development of the region. This is achieved through a range of targeted measures defined by the Bank, but it also requires active collaboration with stakeholders across the territory. Our collaboration with SUPSI, an institution strongly committed to sustainability, allows us to involve not only SUPSI as an institution but also its new generations of students. For us it is a pleasure to support the SUPSI Sustainability Award for Bachelor’s Theses for the 2025–2027 period.”

The award winners

Camilla Bianconi
Bachelor in Management Engineering – Department of Innovative Technologies (DTI)
Thesis title: Circular business models: feasibility study and sustainability impact analysis

Patrick Bodmer
Bachelor in Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen – Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS)
Thesis title: Von der konventionellen Trinkwasseraufbereitung zur Ultrafiltration: Eine Analyse der Betriebsökobilanz

Sara Madureira Pires
Bachelor in Business Administration – Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care (DEASS)
Thesis title: Renovation of the Swiss building stock and sustainable finance: the role of the banking sector in the energy transition

Valentina Prospero
Bachelor in Leisure Management – Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care (DEASS)
Thesis title: The process of creating personalised and immersive experiences in the leisure sector through the use of artificial intelligence tools