Review Swiss Chemistry Science Night 2026 - A Celebration of Chemical Research and the 125th Anniversary of the SCS
On September 18, 2026 the sixth Swiss Chemistry Science Night took place at Casino Bern! More than 110 award winners and invited guests followed the invitation and enjoyed the evening to celebrate excellence in chemistry. Maud Reiter, dsm-firmenich and Jeremy Luterbacher, EPFL Lausanne, guided through the evening as moderators and presented the guests and awardees in dialogue with the SCS president, Christian Bochet, in a competent and highly entertaining manner. Ed Constable, professor at the University of Basel, and Marc Cadisch, director of Spiez Laboratory, opened the evening with their welcome messages before no less than 13 winners for 10 prizes and 2 honorary members of the Swiss Chemical Society were awarded. The evening also featured the finals of the SCS Anniversary Game Competition. The three finalists presented their games before the guests voted to determine the rankings of the three winners.
The event honored the winners of the 2026 Swiss Chemical Society Awards in front of distinguished leaders from industry and academia as well as representatives from politics and was a celebration of discovery and innovation in the chemical sciences. The gala was very much appreciated by the community and provided a networking platform for industry and academic members.
Some of the award winners gave their award lecture at the SCS Fall Meeting on August 27-28, 2026.
After five years of service, Prof. Christian Bochet will step down as SCS President at the end of 2026 and was honored for his impact and achievements. Next year Dr. Yves Auberson will take over the mandate and will be the host of the 7th Swiss Chemistry Science Night.
Links
Céline Wittwer, SCS
23.09.2026
Congratulations from the RSC on the occasion of the 125th anniversary and the Swiss Chemistry Science Night 2026
«The Royal Society of Chemistry sends its best wishes to the Swiss Chemical Society on the occasion of its 125th anniversary.
Our two Societies go back a very long way – a partnership of co-operation and mutual respect. And we continue to work together - both as individual chemical societies, coming together, and as members of the European Chemical Society.
Looking through our archives, we found greetings from the Swiss Chemical Society to the Chemical Society of London – the predecessor of the RSC – congratulating the Chem Soc of London on its100 year anniversary - that was in 1941. So our ties go back, at the very least, 85 years – and no doubt longer.
It’s an immense pleasure to send our congratulations on this auspicious occasion.
We wish you a wonderful evening.
Professor Robert Mokaya RSC President 2026 – 2028
Dr Helen Pain, Chief Executive»
Prof. Ed Constable conveyed the RSC's congratulations and greetings to the guests in attendance in his speech at the 6th Swiss Chemistry Science Night, which took place at the Casino in Bern on September 18, 2026.
David Spichiger, SCS
21.09.2026
SCS Anniversary Game Competition 2026: Get to know the candidates
As part of the 125th anniversary program of the Swiss Chemial Society, we established the SCS Anniversary Game Competition where participants were asked to create their own chemistry game app. The three finalist (max. 2 persons per team) are invited to the Swiss Chemistry Science Night in Bern on September 18, 2026, to present their games to the audience in a live demo. The audience will vote on the winner.
Format
From a simple 2D one-person-game offline app to a complex multi-player online game, anything was possible.
Get to know the Candidates
SynStrategy: The Functional Group & Reaction Recognition Game
Created by Willi A. Amberg
Molecule Kitchen
Created by Stephan Egger
Reactistry: The Chemical Factory Game
Created by Ramon Fitze
Slay the Chemist
Created by Laura Näf
Elementle – The daily periodic table game
Created by Stefan P. Schmid and Magdalena Lederbauer
Periodic Scrabble: Synthesis!
Created by Martin Schwill
ChemCore Defense
Created by Bryan Seale
Mystery on the Chemistry Express
Created by Yueqing Shen
Pasteur The Game
Created by Benjamin Spenger
Chemistry Mama
Created by Clément Tanguy
SynthesisBattle
Created by Felix Theuerkauff
Evaluation Criteria
Functionality, creativity, and surprise of the game as well as a compelling presentation scored high points.
Prize Money
The winning teams will get CHF 1’000, 750 and 500.
Swiss Chemistry Science Night, Casino Bern, September 18, 2026, 17.00-23.00h
The “Swiss Chemistry Science Night” is the official event marking the 125th anniversary of the SCS and also serves to honor the 2026 SCS award winners. In addition, we will look back on our history and ahead to the next 125 years. A delicious dinner will round off the program and ensure that the event stays in the memories of all 150 invited guests. Take this opportunity and, as a finalist in the competition, be part of this exciting event!
Céline Wittwer, SCS
30.07.2026
Call for Applications: The Chemistry Europe Travel Grant
Are you an early‑career researcher looking to expand your scientific horizons?
The Chemistry Europe Travel Grant supports promising young chemists on their journey into the international research community. With up to €2,000 in travel funding, this program enables you to visit leading laboratories, present your research and build meaningful scientific connections that can shape your future career.
What makes this grant unique?
📌 It’s offered across 15 Chemistry Europe member countries
📌 It supports 1–2 months abroad
📌 It strengthens collaboration between early‑career researchers and world‑class principal investigators
📌 It increases your visibility and helps you connect, present, and lead on the international stage
If you're eager to broaden your network, exchange ideas, and take your work beyond borders, this opportunity is for you.
👉 To learn more visit https://www.chemistryviews.org/chemistry-europe-travel-grant/
Application Timeline
- April – October 15: Application period
- November – December: Societies review and select recipients
- By December 31: Societies report winners to Chemistry Europe
- January: Winners announced by Chemistry Europe
David Spichiger, SCS
03.09.2026
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