News 2017

Tanja Zimmermann
Dec 21, 2017 | Tanja Zimmermann joins Empa senior management
Tanja Zimmermann joined Empa’s Board of Directors in September. She runs the new Functional Materials department – another step up in a successful career that began in Empa’s Wood lab. Thanks to her inquisitiveness,...
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Dec 18, 2017 | Bernd Nowack among the most highly cited researchers
Accolade for the Empa environmental scientist Bernd Nowak: for the fourth time in a row, he is part of the "Highly Cited Researchers" list. His publications thus belong to the 1% most highly cited papers worldwide in the...
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Dec 15, 2017 | NEST at Swissbau 2018
For the very first time, the "Innovation Lab", a special exhibition for digital transformations in the construction industry, will be held at Swissbau 2018 from 16 to 20 January. NEST, the modular research and...
Schaufelberger Leuenberger Praktikant Zimmermann
Dec 11, 2017 | Empa's youngest scientific co-author
What started out as a two-week internship at Empa culminated in the GENIUS Olympiad in the US for Luca Schaufelberger: as the winner of the national competition “Swiss Youth in Science”, he represented Switzerland at the...
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Dec 7, 2017 | Carbosense 4D
Switzerland is to gain a dense, globally unique atmospheric CO2 measuring network: 300 sensors will permanently collect up-to-date readings, to provide near-real time information on man-made emissions and CO2 uptake by...
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Dec 6, 2017 | Ruzicka Prize 2017 for Maria Ibáñez
Empa researcher Maria Ibáñez was awarded the annual Ruzicka Prize by ETH Zurich. This makes it the second Empa researcher to join the long list of prize-winners dating back to 1957.
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Dec 5, 2017 | Microwaves against cold-start emissions
During cold-start, a car engine emits far more particulate matter and other pollutants than during warm conditions. This is because a cold catalytic converter is much less efficient at low exhaust gas temperatures. So...
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Nov 30, 2017 | Construction start at "Urban Mining & Recycling" Unit
One working day, two cranes and a well attuned team: on 21 November 2017, the woodworkers from the Austrian company Kaufmann Zimmerei und Tischlerei placed the seven prefabricated modules of the new "Urban Mining &...
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Nov 29, 2017 | Breakthrough in nanoelectronics
Transistors based on carbon nanostructures: what sounds like a futuristic dream could be reality in just a few years' time. An international research team working with Empa has now succeeded in producing nanotransistors...
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Nov 23, 2017 | New generation of solid state batteries
Researchers at Empa and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have developed a prototype of a novel solid state sodium battery with the potential to store extra energy and with improved safety.
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Nov 21, 2017 | Jugendliche fit für die Zukunft machen
Über 60 Jugendliche erhalten im Innovationszentrum Startfeld Einblick in die faszinierende Welt der Start-ups und lernen neue Berufsbilder kennen. Mit dabei ist auch die Empa mit dem Forschungsfeld «Smart Textiles» – das...
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Nov 16, 2017 | True colors meet minimization
Red-sensitive, blue-sensitive and green-sensitive color sensors stacked on top of each other instead of being lined up in a mosaic pattern – this principle could allow image sensors with unprecedented resolution and...
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Nov 14, 2017 | Strategic Focus Area launched
Industry and science are searching for answers to the challenges of digitization – including in production. In order to supply Switzerland with the necessary expertise for the future, the ETH Domain initiated the...
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Nov 14, 2017 | Empa Research Award 2017
In the future, new designer alloys for aerospace applications can be manufactured using the 3-D laser melting process (Additive Manufacturing). Pioneering work in this field was provided by Empa researcher Christoph...
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Nov 10, 2017 | Nationaler Zukunftstag 2017
Rund 100 Kinder konnten am Nationalen Zukunftstag 2017 in die Welt der Materialforschung an der Empa eintauchen. Der technikinteressierte Nachwuchs besuchte die 16 Workshops an den drei Standorten – und war begeistert.
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Nov 10, 2017 | Elastic polymer with piezo-effect
Researchers from Empa have developed a flexible material that generates electricity when stressed. In future, it might be used as a sensor, integrated into clothing or even implanted in the human body, for instance, to...
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Nov 9, 2017 | Empa Technology & Innovation Forum 2017
Schweizer Unternehmen stehen unter zunehmendem Kostendruck durch die Globalisierung. Innovative Produkte sind margenträchtiger, jedoch wächst auch das Risiko des Misserfolgs. Wie können Unternehmen bessere...
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Nov 8, 2017 | Baukader Award goes to Vision Wood
Last week, Baukader Schweiz presented the Cadre d'Or for outstanding achievements in the field of wood construction in Switzerland. The Silver Award went to the two Empa researchers, Tanja Zimmermann and Ingo Burgert,...
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Nov 7, 2017 | National Research Program draws to an end
Wood could potentially replace petrol in chemistry and concrete in construction, according to studies conducted under the National Research Programme "Resource Wood". They show how precious chemical compounds can be...
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Nov 7, 2017 | One step ahead towards the artificial heart
An artificial heart would be an absolute lifesaver for people with cardiac failure. However, to recreate the complex organ in the laboratory, one would first need to work out how to grow multi-layered, living tissues....