News & Events
ETH spin-offs sweep the board at Venture Awards

Six spin-offs of ETH Zurich were among the 18 finalists in this year’s Venture Awards. Three of them won in their respective categories, and three came in second. The Grand Prize went to spin-off MyNerva.
“Vertical extensions of buildings are becoming a key option for urban redevelopment”

Why are more new housing units being constructed in Geneva each year, while Zurich is seeing a decline? Why are older residential buildings in Basel, Geneva and Lausanne being vertically extended, while they are being demolished and replaced in Zurich? ETH researchers provide new answers to the role of housing construction and its social impact.
Learning from each other

Knowledge grows through dialogue: we learn by explaining and understand by listening. ETH helps facilitate this process – in continuing education, in vocational training and at the science-policy interface.
A building material that lives and stores carbon

Researchers are developing a living material that actively extracts carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria grow inside it, forming biomass and solid minerals and thus binding CO2 in two different manners.
QS rankings: ETH Zurich secures 7th place once again

According to the recently published QS World University Rankings 2026, ETH Zurich ranks among the world’s ten best universities once again this year. It took the top spot in continental Europe, with only universities in the US and the United Kingdom ranking higher.
Specialists for sustainable industry in sub-Saharan Africa

ETH Zurich has set up a master's programme in mechatronics in collaboration with Ashesi University in Ghana. The first cohort of students is now graduating. The project aims to contribute to sustainable industrialisation in sub-Saharan Africa.
Back in the running with ERC grants

Two biologists, an engineer, a physicist and a health scientist from ETH Zurich have been awarded ERC Advanced Grants worth around 12 million euros. The researchers are among the first in Switzerland to receive this prestigious EU research funding after a hiatus of several years.
Study "Sicherheit 2025"

The Military Academy at ETH Zurich and the Center for Security Studies have published the survey "Sicherheit 2025". Since 1999, the annual study has evaluated long-term trends and tendencies in public opinion on foreign, security and defense policy issues in Switzerland.
Innovation needs freedom

ETH alumni Moritz Lechner and Felix Mayer have founded Sensirion, an internationally successful company. Now the two physicists look back. What has remained of their education at one of the best universities in the world?
A degree for the quantum age

In 2019, ETH Zurich launched one of the world’s first Master’s degrees in Quantum Engineering. Since then, interest in the programme has soared – and its first graduates are already making their mark in industry.
On equal terms with the CTO

Students at ETH Zurich are teaming up with engineers from industrial companies to help expedite innovation. This unique approach to teaching and collaboration has been hailed by both sides as a great success.
What makes ETH graduates so sought after?

ETH graduates are primed to excel – and they bring far more to the table than just technical expertise. This makes them popular among employers. But can ETH maintain its winning formula for education in the future?
“It’s not enough simply to improve the system we have”

Eva Heinen investigates the factors that influence our choice of transport. Her personal commute to ETH is by bus and on foot.
“It’s about finding the courage to take the first step”

Alumna Petra Ehmann studied Mechanical Engineering at ETH Zurich. Today, she works for the Ringier media group as Chief Innovation and AI Officer. Her technical understanding helps her to act as a bridge builder between engineers, senior management and the market.
“I was fascinated by the combination of conflict research and quantitative analysis”

Alumna Michelle Ammann studied Comparative and International Studies at ETH Zurich and now works at the UN in New York. The innovative ETH mindset and her data analysis skills are highly valued by the international organisation.
Making farming more sustainable

Three women spin-off founders from ETH Zurich have developed a portable measuring device called Digit Soil that analyses soil quality and enables customised fertilisation. The sensor makes farming more sustainable and efficient while reducing its environmental impact.
A walk-in installation

The Graphische Sammlung ETH Zürich boasts a collection of some 160,000 prints and drawings by artists such as Dürer, Rembrandt and Warhol. Its new exhibition, NEOGEO, marks an experimental turn, featuring the work of three contemporary female artists.
Infobrief: Private capital to create social impact - Is impact investment the future of development cooperation?

by Fritz Brugger and Chris Humphrey.
Practising medicine on a lifelike silicone model

An ETH spin-off, Swiss Vascular, has developed anatomically exact silicone models of cerebral vessels. Through this development, researchers will not only reduce the amount of animal experimentation required but also improve the standard of medical training for complex medical procedures.
Be a student for a week

What’s it like to study at ETH Zurich? Once a year, secondary school students spend a week getting a first taste of university life. In this video, Juliana Pfammatter from Valais and Gianin Prevost from Graubünden share their experiences in lecture halls, laboratories and on construction sites.
Bacteria fight and feast with the same tool

Many types of bacteria produce a protein complex that injects toxins into neighbouring cells to eliminate competitors. For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich and Eawag discovered that these killer bacteria also use this weapon to feed on their neighbours.
How trace elements are recycled in the deep sea

Trace metals such as iron or zinc that are stored in deep-sea sediments are lost forever to phytoplankton on the ocean surface. This is what geochemists believed for a long time about the cycle of micronutrients in seawater. Now, researchers at ETH Zurich have discovered that this is not the case.
Workshop: Beyond the Hype: Deconstructing Visions of AI Governance in Africa
On June 26 – 27, 2025
Post-War Ukraine: Healing a Traumatized Nation

Once fighting stops in Ukraine, internal tensions will test state cohesion and national unity. Political infighting, scrutiny of past leadership decisions, and the military’s future role will be key challenges. Europe must prepare to help argue Roman Horbyk and Jeronim Perović in this issue of CSS Policy Perspectives.
100 Seconds: Poverty and Population Growth

In NADEL's latest 100 Seconds video, Kenneth Harttgen explains why tackling poverty is essential before addressing global population growth.
Why seismic waves spontaneously race inside the earth

A spectacular breakthrough in geoscience shows that our planet is in motion even at a depth of 3000 kilometres.
Updated: What ETH glacier researchers know about the collapse of the Birch Glacier

On Wednesday, May 28th, the Birch Glacier collapsed under the weight of rock and debris from rockfalls on the Kleine Nesthorn. Following an on-site inspection, ETH Zurich researchers explain the background to the collapse that buried the village Blatten in an updated fact sheet.
"Kurt R. Spillmann was a leading voice at the intersection of science and society."

His legacy as a university teacher, researcher and public intellectual will live on after his death. An obituary authored by Andreas Wenger, published in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung on June 2, 2025.
Push Yourself for an ambitious learning experience and Apply Now for the IDEA League Challenge Programme!

Are you an ambitious student looking to make a real impact? Do you have a passion for leadership, technology, and society? If so, the IDEA League Challenge Programme is the perfect opportunity for you!
The IDEA League Challenge Programme is an extra-curricular course for ambitious and talented students that will equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in future leadership roles in both the public and private sectors.
Robots assemble reinforcing steel

The technology of ETH Zurich spin-off MESH allows for new shapes and was used for the Tor Alva in Mulegns, among others. And it makes construction more efficient, for example in prefabrication for the second Gotthard road tunnel.
Ultra-thin lenses that make infrared light visible

Physicists at ETH Zurich have developed a lens with magic properties. Ultra-thin, it can transform infrared light into visible light by halving the wavelength of incident light.
Save twice the ice by limiting global warming

A new study with ETH Zurich, finds that if global warming exceeds the Paris Climate Agreement targets, the non-polar glacier mass will diminish significantly. However, if warming is limited to 1.5°C, at least 54 per cent could be preserved—more than twice as much ice as in a 2.7°C scenario.
Study demonstrates benefits of molecular tumour analysis

Every tumour is unique. This makes it difficult to find the most effective therapy for treatment. Researchers in Zurich and Basel are now showing how state-of-the-art molecular biological technologies can be used to create a detailed tumour profile within four weeks, enabling tailored treatment. The study is the first of its kind in the world.
Happy Birthday, ESA!

The European Space Agency (ESA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. ESA has helped make Europe more technologically independent and has played a key role in space exploration in recent decades. And ETH Zurich has always been one of its partners on its journey.
Is AI the future of weather and climate modelling?

Machine learning has emerged as a powerful tool for weather forecasting and offers considerable potential for climate projections. Nicolas Gruber and Andreas Prein explain why traditional simulations using numerical models remain indispensable.
Sanitary towels morph into test strips

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed the first technology that is able to recognise biomarkers in menstrual blood – directly in sanitary towels. MenstruAI promises a simple, non-invasive method for recording health data in everyday life.
Old water, new insights

Five years ago, an experiment began at ETH Hönggerberg: researchers set up an outdoor laboratory in the forest near the campus. They used sensors positioned in trees, the soil and in a stream to study water dynamics and the “old water paradox”. ETH News accompanied the head of the experiment, Marius Floriancic.
Six professors appointed

At the meeting on 21st and 22nd May 2025, the ETH Board appointed two female and four male professors at the request of ETH President Joël Mesot. The Board also awarded the title of "Professor" three times and the title of "Professor of Practice" twice.
Where power will come from in 2050

By 2050, the aim is for Switzerland’s energy system to be decarbonised and no longer reliant on nuclear power. How this can be achieved and the costs of doing so are set out in a new report by a Swiss research consortium involving researchers from ETH Zurich, the universities of Geneva and Bern, EPFL, WSL, and ZHAW.
Robots that can climb trees or restore coral reefs

Around 100 Bachelor’s students from the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering have spent two semesters working on their Focus projects in 11 teams. They will present the results of their projects on 28 May.
From confectioners to robots – Tor Alva in Mulegns is unveiled

Tor Alva was officially inaugurated in Mulegns today in the presence of Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and President of ETH Zurich Joël Mesot. The almost 30-metre-high, gleaming white tower is the world’s tallest 3D-printed building.
“The lack of vision has led transport policy down a dead end.”

Cities can expand their bike lane networks significantly without causing additional congestion on the roads. That is the conclusion reached by the ETH research project E-Bike City. Project lead and transport researcher Kay Axhausen explains the implications for traffic, the environment and costs.
Using sound waves to create a smart T-shirt

New smart textiles developed by researchers at ETH Zurich use acoustic waves and glass fibres to help make precise measurements. They are light, breathable and inexpensive, and offer great potential for medicine, sports and everyday life.
When a vision becomes reality

Aldo Steinfeld, a pioneer in synthetic fuels, retires at the end of July 2025. This provides a compelling reason to present a portrait of the engineer and to find out how you can fill up your fuel tank with sun.
ETH microbiologist honoured with prestigious European medical award

Chemist and microbiologist Jörn Piel combs through the vast world of bacteria for new natural substances to combat the antibiotic crisis. The ETH professor has now been honoured for his research with one of Europe’s most highly endowed medical prizes.
ETH Zurich researchers discover new security vulnerability in Intel processors

Computer scientists at ETH Zurich discover new class of vulnerabilities in Intel processors, allowing them to break down barriers between different users of a processor using carefully crafted instruction sequences. Entire processor memory can be read by employing quick, repeated attacks.
CSS Annual Report 2024

In the CSS Annual Report 2024, you can read more about the main focuses and activities of CSS in a year in which an already profound geopolitical shift became more marked – with serious implications for global security.
Orbit of Dependence: Ukraine’s Space Challenge

Recent uncertainties regarding US intelligence sharing with Ukraine have highlighted Ukraine’s extensive reliance on US satellites. Europe, with its growing space capabilities, sees a chance to step in but is not yet ready to fill the gap. The situation served as a wake-up call for Europe, which also realized the extent of its own dependence on the US, prompting new efforts to develop space capabilities to serve defense needs.
The Antarctic water puzzle – how flooding contributes to ice melt

Hidden beneath the Antarctic ice lies a system of lakes and watercourses. An research team, including ETH researchers, has for the first time directly observed the subglacial streams of West Antarctica. Their study shows how individual flood events influence the melting of the ice.