Dec 18, 2018 | Federal Council elects Gian-Luca Bona to ETH Board
On 14 December 2018, the Federal Council elected Gian-Luca Bona to the ETH Board. The Empa Director will now represent the four research institutions PSI, WSL, Eawag and Empa on the ETH Board.
Dec 14, 2018 | ERC Consolidator Grant for Maksym Kovalenko
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded Maksym Kovalenko an ERC Consolidator Grant 2018. His application convinced the jury to give him the opportunity to tackle an ambitious new research topic in the field of...
Dec 11, 2018 | Two Empa scientists on "Highly Cited Researcher" list
Two Empa scientists are on this year's list of "Highly Cited Researchers". The publications of Bernd Nowack and Maksym Kovalenko are among the top-1% most highly cited papers worldwide.
Dec 3, 2018 | New partnership with Imperial College London
The new "NEST Aerial Robotics Hub" of Empa and Imperial College London is all about autonomous, soft-material drones. The aim of the new cooperation is to integrate functional materials into robot technology. As...
Nov 20, 2018 | Technology Briefing at Empa in Thun
Industry representatives met at Empa's Thun campus last week to get information on the latest high-tech trends in industrial coatings. The partnership with the Hightech Zentrum Aargau strengthens the transfer of...
Nov 16, 2018 | World premiere: the first HYDRO_BOT ski jacket
The Swiss sportswear manufacturer KJUS presented the world's first ski jacket with an integrated electronic user-controlled membrane on November 15. Thanks to the HYDRO_BOT technology developed together with Empa, the...
Nov 12, 2018 | Nationaler Zukunftstag 2018
Am Nationalen Zukunftstag 2018 begeisterten sich rund 100 Kinder für die Forschung an der Empa. Durch die spannenden Workshops in Dübendorf und St. Gallen sollte auch das Interesse an MINT-Fächern bei den Schülerinnen...
Nov 12, 2018 | Searching for traces in the atmosphere
35,000 tons of undeclared carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) are released into our atmosphere every year - although applications in which this substance is released into the environment have been officially banned by the...
Nov 7, 2018 | Sandwich structure of nanocrystals as quantum light source
Excited photo-emitters can cooperate and radiate simultaneously, a phenomenon called superfluorescence. Researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich, together with colleagues from IBM Research Zurich, have recently been able to...
Nov 5, 2018 | Swiss Aerosol Award 2018 for Maria Muñoz
This year's Swiss Aerosol Award goes to Maria Muñoz. The Empa researcher investigated the emission behavior of so-called GDI engines (gasoline-direct injection). Her results are alarming: GDI vehicles emit up to 17 times...
Nov 1, 2018 | Novel protective mask for medical personnel
Laughter is the best medicine, says medical research. But how are patients supposed to feel like smiling if the faces of the nursing staff and even their beloved ones are covered with masks? Researchers from Empa and...
Oct 29, 2018 | High-performance components made by electroplating
What happens when something keeps getting smaller and smaller? This is the type of question Empa researcher Johann Michler and his team are investigating. As a by-product of their research completely novel watch springs...
Oct 26, 2018 | 2nd Resources Forum Switzerland at Empa
On 25 October, the second edition of the Swiss Resource Forum took place at the Empa Academy in Dübendorf. The motto of this year's edition of the Forum was «Science, business and cities working together for greater...
Oct 25, 2018 | Processing titanium for pacemakers
Using laser technology Empa scientists optimized a technique to weld the electronics of implantable pacemakers and defibrillators into a titanium case. The medtech company Medtronic is now using the method worldwide to...
Oct 23, 2018 | Memory Steel
A new building material developed at Empa is about to be launched on the market: "memory-steel" can not only be used to reinforce new, but also existing concrete structures. When the material is heated (one-time),...
Oct 18, 2018 | 3D lung model
Graphene has been hailed as the material of the future. As yet, however, little is known about whether and how graphene affects our health if it gets into the body. A team of researchers from Empa and the Adolphe Merkle...
Oct 17, 2018 | The “Norman Foster Solar Award” goes to NEST
At the 28th Swiss Solar Awards Ceremony on 16 October 2018, the NEST unit "Solar Fitness & Wellness" received one of the three coveted "Norman Foster Solar Awards". The solar-powered fitness and wellness facility in the...
Oct 15, 2018 | Auszeichnung für Lehrlingsausbildung
Auszeichnung für die Empa: Das Forschungsinstitut ist nicht nur ein guter Ort für erstklassige Wissenschaft; die Empa ist auch einer der besten Lehrbetriebe der Schweiz. Dies wurde ihr kürzlich vom Beratungsunternehmen...
Oct 11, 2018 | Empa and BeAM
Empa and BeAM, a manufacturer of machines for metal 3D printing, are glad to announce an extensive research and development agreement. This partnership focuses on powder-based Directed Energy Deposition (DED) and aims at...
Oct 11, 2018 | Drug equipped polymer fibers
Drug-releasing textiles could, for instance, be used to treat skin wounds. Empa researchers are currently developing polymer fibers that can be equipped with drugs. The smart fibers recognize the need for therapy all by...
Oct 8, 2018 | Swiss-Swedish Innovation Initiative meeting at Empa
Empa underscores its leading role in the exchange of knowledge in the field of Additive Manufacturing (AM). On 25 September, around 150 researchers and industry representatives from Sweden and Switzerland met at the Empa...
Oct 4, 2018 | The "concrete disease"
When bridges, dam walls and concrete foundations form cracks, AAR is often the culprit: the alkali-aggregate reaction. It causes the concrete to swell and renders renovations or even reconstructions necessary. A project...
Oct 2, 2018 | Partnership with Optomec
Empa is expanding its Coating Competence Center (CCC) thanks to a new partnership in the field of printed electronics with US-based equipment manufacturer Optomec. Optomec is providing Empa with a new aerosol jetting...
Sep 27, 2018 | Empa Innovation Award for spin-off MycoSolutions
The use of pesticides is still widespread in Swiss agriculture – and the resulting damage to humans and the environment is immense. The Empa spin-off MycoSolutions has developed a method that enables plants and wood...
Sep 24, 2018 | Opening of the NEST “SolAce” unit
Anyone who spends most of their day indoors knows the importance of a comfortable atmosphere to work and live in. Researchers from EPFL’s Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory are searching for ways to maximize...
Sep 10, 2018 | Patches with a light switch
If drugs are to enter the body painlessly and efficiently, they can be administered via skin patches. Researchers at Empa and the University of Fribourg are currently developing nano-containers for therapeutic agents...
Sep 6, 2018 | Carbon fiber plasters for bridges
Empa scientists are saving iron bridges from the 19th century from collapse. Carbon fiber plasters are strengthening the crumbling structures. A railway bridge in Switzerland and a road bridge in Australia have already...
Aug 29, 2018 | Artificial intelligence in quality monitoring
Welding, printing, crushing concrete – an Empa team monitors noisy processes with the help of artificial intelligence. This way you can literally hear production errors and imminent accidents.
Aug 22, 2018 | New precision in joining with reactive foils
Reactive nano-multilayers are considered to be a revolution in joining technology. They are envisaged for joining heat-sensitive materials that would otherwise be damaged or even destroyed upon conventional soldering....
Aug 15, 2018 | Development of artificial tissues
For the replacement of animal testing with alternatives in medical research, complex microtissues need to be cultivated. Researchers from Empa have developed a special polymer scaffold for threedimensional cell cultures....
Aug 14, 2018 | Neue interdisziplinäre Bildungsinitiative
Nach über einem Jahr intensiver Vorbereitung hat der Verein Startfeld gestern Abend Smartfeld mit einem feierlichen Festakt lanciert. Die Initianten dieser interdisziplinären Bildungsinitiative – darunter die Empa -...
Aug 9, 2018 | Breakthrough in nanoresearch
Empa researchers, together with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz and other partners, have achieved a breakthrough that could in future be used for precise nanotransistors or – in the...
Jul 27, 2018 | Empa Sommercamp 2018
Während des Sommercamps der Empa engagierten sich Nachwuchs-Ingenieurinnen und künftige Materialforscher bei der Konstruktion von Brücken und Druckluft-Autos. Während die Eltern im heissen Juli in den Labors forschten,...
Jul 27, 2018 | Digital fabrication in NEST
Researchers at ETH Zurich have fabricated an 80 m2 lightweight concrete slab at the DFAB House, making it the world’s first full-scale architectural project to use 3D sand printing for its formwork. The DFAB House will...
Jul 23, 2018 | Artificial intelligence in materials science
Mark Schubert modifies wood properties with the aid of the enzyme laccase. However, the search for suitable ingredients is complex – a bit like trying to find the key to an unknown lock. Instead of long, expensive series...
Jul 17, 2018 | Machine learning and society
AI is set to trigger a major transformation in society. As soon as algorithms influence our voting habits or design school curricula, it is up to politics to limit the damage. A new study on the opportunities and risks...
Jul 12, 2018 | Step by step to the perfect and sustainable pavement
The one ideal asphalt for all conditions does not exist: Climatic conditions, traffic frequencies and loads place different demands on the pavement. Another challenge: preparing old asphalt so that it can be used for new...
Jul 11, 2018 | Cooperation between Daetwyler and Empa Spin-off
CTsystems, a spin-off of Empa, and Daetwyler, the Swiss specialist for sealing solutions, partner up to market and industrialize polymer transducer technology. CTsystems has already presented the first prototype of...
Jul 4, 2018 | Dalhousie University appoints Empa researcher
Empa researcher Thijs Defraeye has been appointed adjunct professor at Dalhousie University in Canada within the Department of Engineering and the Faculty of Agriculture. His new position and the associated collaboration...
Jul 3, 2018 | Particulate matter: some more concerning than others
Current legal limits for fine dust in the air are based on the mass and size of the particles. For health effects, however, not only the mass of dust is decisive, but also its chemical composition. Empa researchers have...
Jun 28, 2018 | "Public Private Partnership" with H2 Energy Holding AG
Hydrogen is considered a promising alternative for a future without fossil fuels. In order to further develop fuel cells and prepare them for market entry, Empa is strengthening its cooperation with H2 Energy Holding AG...
Jun 28, 2018 | Honorary doctorate for Empa researcher Ayodhya Tiwari
Ayodhya Tiwari, head of the Empa laboratory «Thin Films and Photovoltaics», has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Belgian Hasselt University. The appointment follows his great success in the field of flexible...
Jun 21, 2018 | Successful conclusion to first project phase
Around two years ago, Empa opened “move”, the demonstrator for the mobility of the future, with a view to revealing various paths for mobility with renewable energy. After two years of practical tests, the first project...
Jun 19, 2018 | Research on smart windows
Sebastian Siol is looking for new materials with unusual properties that were so far not accessible in experiments. To do this, he connects partners who don't really fit together: One partner forces the other into a...
Jun 15, 2018 | Water tunnel opened at Empa
Heat waves are increasing worldwide - and that includes Switzerland. Cities in particular suffer as a result: the temperature difference between city and countryside can amount to several degrees. A new water tunnel at...
Jun 11, 2018 | Reliable nano-knowledge for innovative companies
A new contact point for start-ups, SMEs and industry pools the scientific and regulatory expertise in the field of nanotechnology available in Switzerland. contactpointnano.ch builds a bridge between research and...
Jun 9, 2018 | Recognition for "Solar Fitness & Wellness"
On 8 June 2018, the "Award for Marketing + Architecture" was presented for the sixth time at the KKL Lucerne. Winner in the category "Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, Tourist Facilities, Wellness Facilities, Residences" is the...
May 31, 2018 | Research station at Jungfraujoch certified
The research station at Jungfraujoch is at the top of Europe – and not only because of its unique location. Within the framework of the European research infrastructure «Integrated Carbon Observation System» (ICOS), the...
May 30, 2018 | «ONE TWO WE»-Programm an der Empa
Das Nachhaltigkeitsprogramm ONE TWO WE von SV Schweiz und des WWF Schweiz ermöglicht es, genussvoll und dennoch nachhaltig zu essen. Die Empa ist seit November 2013 Partner des Programms und hat auch im vergangenen Jahr...
May 28, 2018 | FIFA World Cup 2018 coming up
The official ball for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia has received Empa's «stamp of approval» after numerous rigorous tests. Some goalkeepers had been critical of its flight characteristics, but the reason for this may...
May 24, 2018 | Successful cooperation with the Université de Haute-Alsace
If you want to design a fluffy sweater or a sleek shirt, you have to predict the properties of textile surfaces. Empa researchers have developed a new type of sensor to ensure that such information can be reproduced. In...
May 22, 2018 | Manfred Partl wird Präsident des VSS-Wissenschaftsrats
Am 26. April wählten die rund 200 Mitglieder des Schweizerischen Verbands der Strassen- und Verkehrsfachleute (VSS) anlässlich ihrer jährlichen Vollversammlung den Empa-Forscher Manfred Partl zum Präsidenten des...
May 17, 2018 | Empa Spin-off develops new analyzer
Atmospheric pollutants put a strain on the environment and harbor health hazards for humans. The Empa spin-off MIRO Analytical Technologies developed a technology to simultaneously analyze nine greenhouse gases and...
May 16, 2018 | The Master of Aerogels
Research should set things in motion. This is the motto of Matthias Koebel, Head of Empa’s Building Energy Materials and Components lab. The chemist has ambitious goals and successfully combines an inquisitive spirit...
May 7, 2018 | Window glass with special properties
Summer. Blue sky. Sunshine. But you don't notice much of it in the office or in your home, because the blinds block the view so that the heat stays outside. This scenario could soon be a thing of the past: EPFL...
May 3, 2018 | Empa’s Annual Report 2017 now online
We hope to lead you on a gripping journey through the world of research and innovation; you may be surprised at how broad the term "applied research" is defined at Empa.
May 2, 2018 | Cover story in "Rapid Comm in Mass Spectrometry"
The average sea temperature is an essential parameter of the global climate – but it is very difficult to measure. At least until now, because an international team of researchers including Empa scientists have now...