Materials Science, Nanotechnology, Sustainable Built Environment, Energy Technologies
Empa grew out of an Institute for the Testing of Building Materials that began work in 1880 within the Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, today ETH Zurich, with Ludwig von Tetmajer as its first director. In 1891 Tetmajer was called in to investigate the collapse of the railway bridge at Münchenstein. The institute is now an interdisciplinary research institute of the ETH Domain, concerned with materials and technologies for a more sustainable future.
It left Zurich in 1962 for purpose-built premises in Dübendorf and now works at three sites: Dübendorf, St. Gallen and Thun. The St. Gallen site traces back to a textile testing institution that joined Empa in 1937, and the Thun site joined in 1994. Empa’s own descriptions put the staff at about a thousand scientists, engineers, technicians and general staff.
Its research covers nanoscale and advanced materials, the built environment, health technologies and energy. Together with Eawag it runs NEST, a modular research and innovation building on the Empa campus in Dübendorf that opened in 2016, where new building and energy technologies are tested in plug-and-play units. Since 2008 its glaTec business incubator in Dübendorf has supported young companies that turn research results into products.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Automation, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Metrology, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of the ETH Domain. Strong collaborations with ETH Zurich, EPFL, other universities, and numerous industrial partners for research, technology transfer, and innovation. Active in European research.
Research:
Cutting-edge research in areas like advanced functional materials, nanotechnology, surface engineering, building technologies, renewable energy materials, sustainable mobility, and environmental technologies.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1100
Current students***:
200
Foreign students***:
30%
Cumulative former students***:
800
Pros
Leading materials science and technology research institute with a strong focus on innovation and application. Excellent facilities and interdisciplinary approach. Vital for postgraduate research.
Cons
Primarily a research institute. Degrees via partner universities.
Best For
PhD students and researchers in materials science, nanotechnology, sustainable engineering, or related fields, seeking an innovative, application-oriented research environment.
Paul Scherrer Institut, a public research centre at Villigen PSI, lists materials science, energy research and life sciences, and shares Empa's setting within Swiss federal research.
Eawag - Eidgenössische Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz is Empa's partner in the NEST building and sits in the same town, Dübendorf, with aquatic science and water management as its focus.
CSEM - Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique in Neuchâtel works on microtechnology, nanotechnology, systems engineering and photonics.
Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft, a public research institute at Birmensdorf, covers forestry, snow and avalanche research and landscape ecology.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (Germany) is a public institution in Karlsruhe whose fields include mechanical engineering, computer science, physics and materials.
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (South Korea) is a public university listing materials, engineering and nanotechnologies.
IFP Énergies nouvelles (France), a public body at Rueil-Malmaison, concentrates on energy technologies, geosciences for energy and sustainable mobility.
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (India) in Bengaluru is a public centre working in materials science, neuroscience and molecular biology.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When and why was Empa established?
Its forerunner, the Institute for the Testing of Building Materials, began work in 1880 in Zurich to test construction materials, under Ludwig von Tetmajer. Over the following decades it took on fuel and textile testing.
Is Empa a university?
No, it is an interdisciplinary research institute of the ETH Domain. Its own mission is described as materials and technologies for a sustainable future.
Where are Empa's sites?
The main site is in Dübendorf near Zurich, where the institute moved in 1962. St. Gallen and Thun are the two other locations.
What research areas does Empa cover?
Its work includes nanoscale materials and manufacturing technologies, the built environment, health, and energy. Its mission page also stresses sustainable building and medical technology.
What is the NEST building?
NEST is a modular research and innovation building operated by Empa and Eawag in Dübendorf. It opened in 2016, and research units are installed for limited periods and replaced once their work is finished.
How large is the institute?
Empa describes itself as a community of about a thousand scientists, engineers, technicians and general staff.
How does Empa support spin-offs?
Since 2008 the glaTec incubator in Dübendorf has helped founders build companies on research results. The St. Gallen site has a counterpart incubator, tebo.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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