The personal contribution of the Swiss in supporting Ukraine is extremely valuable to us. We are happy to share these wonderful cases with our audience again.

Stefan Dörig is an international expert in the energy field, including renewable energy, a Swiss parliamentarian, and a lecturer who, as he stated, has been helping Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war wherever possible. Stefan has personal connections to Ukraine, providing additional opportunities and sustaining motivation to continue helping.

We spoke with Stefan about all his projects to support Ukraine and why it's a personal matter for him."

As an international expert in energy, how did you become so deeply involved in Ukrainian affairs?

The connection lies in my educational background - I studied economics, Eastern European history, and Russian literature in Zurich. However, the most significant link is my wonderful Ukrainian wife.

My work in the energy sector primarily focuses on regulatory matters, including advocacy for green and renewable energy, climate policy, and lobbying efforts for the energy transition in the Swiss Parliament. I also have another role in a Swiss startup with a European orientation, which keeps me engaged in EU legislation. For the past 15 years, my focus has been on innovative renewable energy projects.

My direct link to Ukraine is through my wife, with whom I've been married for 12 years. She hails from Kyiv. I've visited Ukraine several times, both for personal and business reasons. On the business front, I was involved in a UN conference on the role of utilities, big data and geo-spatial data in energy transition in Kyiv, co-organized by Kyiv Smart City. This experience bridged the gap between my energy work and Ukrainian issues.

Since February of last year, I've been actively helping Ukraine wherever possible. Leveraging my network in the energy industry, I've been organizing solar panels and inverters in Switzerland and transporting them to Chortkiv city in the Ternopil region. A friend of mine, who used to live in Mariupol, now resides in Chortkiv, and we're striving to provide assistance through these connections.

Another project involves raising funds for an energy resilience project in Chortkiv to help people survive the winter. I'm Chair of an industry association in Brussels, and we have started a fundraiser to finance this project. Similarly, I'm collaborating with an association in Switzerland to support “Energy Act for Ukraine”, a renowned Ukrainian NGO. This NGO was established during the full-fledged invasion and focuses on funding solar-projects in Ukraine, primarily schools, and seeking financial and material aid such as solar panels and batteries. We found that sending money is a more feasible approach and supports local companies in Ukraine.

Regarding events, I organized a first event last year in Nidau, which was a success with a significant turnout of more than 800 people over three days. We mainly targeted local and regional audiences. This year, we hosted a one-day event, with an engaging program in the presence of Ukrainian ambassador Iryna Venediktova and the mayor of Bern Alec von Graffenried.

I also serve as a member of Parliament in my hometown, Nidau, where we are working on establishing a sister city relationship with a Ukrainian city. Biel, our neighboring town, is actively pursuing a twinning arrangement with Odesa, reflecting the close ties between our communities.

Do you drink beer?

No, I don't.

Nevertheless, I brought you one, a collaboration between Underwood, an excellent brewery from Kyiv, and Brasserie BLZ, a beer company from my region. If you're unfamiliar with beer brands, you might not recognize them, but Ukrainian beer enthusiasts will know Underwood.

Wow! I see a Swiss individual organizing a Swiss-Ukrainian collaboration!

Indeed, I have two other collaborations ongoing. The next beer is with another brewery from Kyiv, Varvar, and Dr. Brauwolf from Zurich. The beer is currently being brewed and will be launched on 1 October in Zurich.

Why a brewery? Do you know these guys well?

No, I simply asked them. I enjoy beer and have tried various beers in Ukraine. I contacted them to see if they were interested in collaborating with a Swiss brewery to raise awareness and some funds. One Franc from each bottle sold goes to a Ukrainian charity. 

How did you come up with this idea? It seems like a marketing move.

I don't know, I probably saw it on Facebook or somewhere. It wasn't my personal idea. Beer is normally associated with good emotions, so it serves well for a collaboration and for raising awareness in a different way.

Was the beer produced in Switzerland?

Yes, everything was produced in Switzerland. The two breweries collaborated on the recipe and decided what beer to make. The production took place in Switzerland, and Underwood did the bottle's design in Kyiv. They came up with a name and the label. There are also songs with a QR code on the bottle that allow you to listen to Ukrainian music.

How did you promote it?

Primarily locally. BLZ has a good reputation in the region and we got media coverage too. It was a limited edition - 5000 bottles were produced.

Do you think Swiss people have become weary of the ongoing war in Ukraine, given that it's been over a year?

Of course we are weary, especially those who have been involved from the beginning. But as long as the war rages on, we are willing to help. For the general public, the daily news has certainly become somewhat repetitive, andpeople are growing accustomed to it. The interest is still high.

Do you sense that people still support Ukraine among your friends?

I believe the mood is still positive. I expected more controversy from populist parties, but they haven't been overly aggressive toward Ukrainian refugees. They understood that Ukrainians are generally well respected in Swiss society.

In what ways do Swiss and Ukrainians differ?

Of course they differ, but there are also big differences among Swiss people, sometimes bigger than between Swiss and Ukrainians. I am Swiss and I am mostly proud of my country, but sometimes I feel closer to Europeanized Ukrainians than certain Swiss individuals.