At the second edition of the Swiss AMCHAM Avantgarde Gala in Los Angeles, the Avantgarde Award was presented for the first time, with three nominees all in with a chance of claiming the prize. In the end, it was Stadler Rail AG that emerged victorious, as detailed in a press release. The Avantgarde Award recognizes companies, organizations or individuals that promote Swiss-American business relationships in Southern California in a future-oriented, innovative and effective manner, thereby achieving outstanding benefits for and making valuable contributions to their communities. Stadler, a rail vehicle manufacturing company based in the St.GallenBodenseeArea, was awarded the prize for its innovative power, technology and partnership with Utah State University, among other aspects. Together, Stadler and the university promoted the introduction of the Swiss dual education system in the USA, the press release explains.
Stadler recently announced the delivery of four hydrogen-powered FLIRT (Fast Light Intercity and Region Train) trains to Southern California. The contract for this project is valued at 80 million US dollars, with the agreement also containing an option for up to 25 additional trains from this model series for use throughout the rest of California.
“With the Avantgarde Award in 2023, our aim has been to make people aware that California does not only consist of the north”, explains Mathias Hausherr, Chairman of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce for Southern California (SACCSoCal) and host of the Avantgarde Award Gala, in the press release, before describing Southern California as a “powerhouse” for sectors including aerospace and defense, medtech and digital media/entertainment. With GDP of 2 trillion US dollars, Southern California is home to 20 million people who “identify well with typical Swiss companies”, Hausherr concludes.
Alongside the award-winning firm, Georg Fischer AG and Ecorobotix AG as developers of innovative solutions for the cleantech market were also nominated for the Avantgarde Award.
