Expanded Swiss research campus to concentrate on sustainable energy
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.”
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.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations
This content was published on
The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
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.