Expanded Swiss research campus to concentrate on sustainable energy
The new research campus will comprise 60 labs and offices focusing on sustainable energy research.
Illustration: SAM Architects / Filippo Bolognese Images
Two of Switzerland’s leading federal science and technology research institutes have started construction work on the major expansion of their campus near Zurich.
This content was published on
1 minute
Born in London, Simon is a multimedia journalist who has worked for www.swissinfo.ch since 2006. He speaks French, German and Spanish and focuses on science, technology and innovation issues.
Bulldozers are due to start work this month at the research campus of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) at Dübendorf, near Zurich, it was announcedExternal link on Thursday.
The new campus, which is due to be completed by 2024, will comprise two new buildings for 60 laboratories and offices. The whole project has been budgeted at CHF94.5 million ($104 million).
“In the new laboratory building, we will primarily locate activities in the field of analytical and synthetic chemistry for applications in sustainable energy research,” Urs Leemann, a member of Empa’s board of directors, told SWI swissinfo.ch.
“Our primary goal is to use our activities to research sustainable solutions for the climate and CO2 problem and to make them available to industry.”
An artist’s illustration of the main entrance to the new Empa and Eawag joint research campus.
Illustration: SAM Architects / Filippo Bolognese Images
Around 1,300 people currently work at Dübendorf for Empa (850 staff) and Eawag (450), alongside employees from several start-ups.
Empa and Eawag belong to Switzerland’s federal ETH Domain, together with the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) and Lausanne (EPFL), the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
More
More
Plans to create climate change institute delayed
This content was published on
A proposal to merge two leading research institutes into one body has been put on ice.
Stress research: voting campaigns can trigger stress among minorities
This content was published on
Researchers at the University of Zurich showed in a study that they released more stress hormones during the referendum campaign.
Swiss justice minister advocates for greater sovereignty through bilateral agreements
This content was published on
In a networked world, sovereignty can be enhanced by regulating relations with important partners, Jans wrote in a NZZ commentary on Tuesday.
No heat records in sight (yet) despite the ‘dog days’
This content was published on
The dog days—traditionally the hottest days of the year—began on Tuesday. However, the weather service Meteonews predicts that Switzerland is unlikely to see new temperature records in the near future.
Swiss employees to work slightly more in 2023 than in previous year
This content was published on
The long-term trend is different with the weekly working hours per full-time employee decreased significantly, says a report by the Federal Statistical Office.
Consumers still crave chocolate: Lindt & Sprüngli reports higher earnings
This content was published on
Lindt & Sprüngli sold chocolate worth CHF 2.16 billion in the first half of the year. This is slightly more than in the previous year.
This content was published on
Bollinger will succeed Philipp Rickenbacher, who resigned in February after a significant write-down on loans to the Signa Group.
Majority of young Swiss well-trained, army fitness test reveals
This content was published on
More than half of young Swiss men and women are considered well-trained, with around 80% meeting the federal government's exercise recommendations, according to the Armed Forces 2023 fitness test.
Italian consulate to relocate to ‘Casa d’Italia’ in Zurich
This content was published on
The Italian state is renovating the "Casa d'Italia" in Zurich's Kreis 4 district, with plans to move the Consulate General from its current location on Tödistrasse in District 2 to this historic building.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
‘Sewage doesn’t lie’ when tracking Covid-19
This content was published on
For over a year, scientists have been hunting for traces of Covid-19 in Swiss sewage, achieving several worldwide breakthroughs.
Swiss research institutes join quest to find best green jet fuels
This content was published on
A new Swiss research initiative is investigating ways to produce fuel from renewable resources, but scaling up will be a challenge.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.