Dear members of the Federal Council Dear members of the National Council and of the Swiss Council of States Dear readers One of the burning issues of 2013 was the Federal Energy Strategy: research and development should – and hopefully will – play a significant role in meeting the objectives of the Energy Strategy 2050. The ETH Domain is ready and willing to lead by example in this regard, but with­out compromising on quality and the range of research infra­ structures on offer in the process. We will step up our efforts even further, working closely with universities of applied sciences, ANNUAL REPORT other higher education institutions and in­ of the ETH Board on the ETH Domain dustry. The Energy Strategy 2050 is a major societal project presenting great challenges and great opportunities. This is especially true for applied and non-prejudiced research, which is essential for great innovation. We must take an open and transparent approach to planning this project, always with an eye on the big picture. Society wants reliable framework conditions, cost transparency and efficient use of resources, as well as clearly comprehensible intermediate steps. The reorganisation of the energy system should not come at the expense of climate objectives and the environment. Another focal topic in 2013 was the search for a successor for the departing President of ETH Zurich. We on the ETH Board – involving two representatives from ETH Zurich – have looked into this matter in great depth over the past year. I was delighted that we were able to bring this to a success­ful and smooth conclusion at the end of September 2013, when the Federal Council appointed Professor Lino Guzzella as the next President of ETH Zurich. Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL With the other gratifying milestones and advances achieved over the year in the construction of large-scale research infrastructures, the launch of major research projects and conducting long-term fundamental research, the ETH Domain underlined its international position as a leader in research and its pioneering role in transforming Switzerland into a centre for research and innovation. Some of the highlights worth mentioning are the selection of the Human Brain Project as one of the European Union’s FET Flagship schemes, putting the “Piz Daint” supercomputer – the fastest, most powerful and most energy-efficient of its kind – into operation at the CSCS in Lugano last November, laying the foundation stone for the SwissFEL X-ray free-electron laser facility at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), and the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN, in which ETH Zurich and PSI were heavily involved, along with the Nobel Prize subsequently awarded for this. The institutions of the ETH Domain provide the highest standard of teaching, research and innovation. To highlight the excellence and variety of their work in a visual way, we have taken this opportunity, as we enter the new 2013-2016 performance period, to revamp our annual report, giving a varied and easily accessible account of our “business” and the fascinating range of activities going on. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has played a part in helping us implement our objectives so successfully – the government, our professors, our employees and our students.

Dr Fritz Schiesser President of the ETH Board CONTENTS

OVERVIEW 6

Selected highlights 8 Environment 10 Energy research – research requires energy

FASCINATION 28

ETH Zurich | Quality assurance 30 PSI | SwissFEL 36 in teaching A bright future: the Swiss X-ray Teaching: differentiated free-electron laser quality management WSL | Tree ring research 39 EPFL | Digital Humanities 33 Wood from the ice age Virtual time travel to historic Venice

INSIGHT 60

Objective 1 | Teaching 62 Objective 3 | Knowledge and 76 Facts & Figures 62 technology transfer Examples 64 Facts & Figures 76 Examples 78 Objective 2 | Research 68 Facts & Figures 68 Objective 4 | Research infrastructures 82 Sub-objective 4a 71 and large-scale research projects Examples 72 Facts & Figures 82

CLOSE-UP 116

Monitoring table 118 Academic achievement report | 126 Benchmarking Academic achievement report 120 Comprehensive quality management Engineering, ICT and life sciences: a at the ETH Domain institutions steady rise in new Bachelor’s students

4 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain Academic life 13 Environment and energy 18 Organisation and governance 22 Sustained interest in study courses at The ETH Domain as a role model Structure and leadership the two Federal Institutes of Technology of the ETH Domain Personnel and professorial matters 17 Management bodies 24 Members of the ETH Board 27

Empa | Future mobility 42 ETH Domain | Energy research 48 ETH Domain | Big data 54 The petrol station of the future Comprehensive energy concepts Big data – using large volumes for town and country of data efficiently Eawag | Alternative to animal testing 45 Toxicity tests on gill cell cultures ETH Domain | Future cities 51 ETH Domain | Health and Life Sciences 57 instead of fish The liveable city of the future Research in the interests of people and their health

Objective 5 | International 86 Objective 7 | Role in society 96 Objective 9 | Real estate management 106 positioning and cooperation and national tasks Facts & Figures 86 Facts & Figures 96 Objective 10 | Working conditions, 110 Examples 88 National tasks 98 equal opportunities and young Examples 100 scientific talent Objective 6 | National cooperation 90 Facts & Figures 110 Facts & Figures 90 Objective 8 | Sources of financing 102 Gender monitoring 112 Competence centres 92 and allocation of funds Examples 114 Strategic initiatives 93 Examples 94

Financial key figures 134 Real estate key figures 149 Publication data 154 The 2013-2016 performance period Rising student numbers and starts as planned large-scale research facilities determine infrastructural development Personnel key figures 142 Continuing trends in personnel

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 5 OVERVIEW Optimal framework conditions allow the ETH domain to act as a role model in contributing towards Switzerland’s success as an attractive business and science location.

With gratifying mile­stones and advances the ETH Domain underlined its international position as a leader in research and its pioneering role in transforming Switzerland into a centre SELECTED for research and innovation. → p. 8 HIGHLIGHTS

Research requires energy: In the area of energy research and European research cooperation, two positive decisions were taken that are of high significance for the ETH Domain. The ETH Domain operates in an environment where the ability to produce innovations and transfer knowledge and technology are increasingly important in global competition. → p. 10 ENVIRONMENT

6 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain ENVIRONMENT The ETH Domain as a role model: In the ETH Domain, the environment and energy are more than just subjects to be taught or researched. The running of buildings and research facilities of the ETH Domain & ENERGY requires a lot of energy in itself. The management is aware of the responsibility this carries with it and strives to be a role model also at an operative level. → p. 18

ACADEMIC Sustained interest in study two Federal Institutes of courses at the two Federal Technology. Maintaining­ Institutes of Technology: excellence in education The increase in the number proved to be a challenge once LIFE of students and doctoral stu­ again in 2013. International dents and the rise in enrol­ success in research was ments on Bachelor’s degree evidenced by the successful programmes are evidence of application for project-based the continuing appeal of the funding from the EU. → p. 13 ORGANISATION & As the law governing sponsor­ ship of the ETH Domain, the ETH Act clearly defines the con­ stitutional mission to operate the Swiss Federal Institutes GOVERNANCE of Technology. This act also provides the legal basis for the research institutes of the ETH Domain. → p. 22

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 7 OVERVIEW Highlights

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1 Festive laying of the foundation stone (l. to r.): Mayor André Zoppi, President of the ETH Board Fritz Schiesser, President of the Cantonal Council Alex Hürzeler, PSI Director Joël Mesot, State Secretary Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, SwissFEL Project Manager Hans Braun and Marco Hirzel of the EquiFEL Suisse consortium which will carry out the construction work for the SwissFEL building. (Image: Frank Reiser / PS)

2 The former Serono headquarters in Geneva: site of the Biotech campus where the new Wyss Institute for bio- and neuro-engineering will also be located. (Image: EPFL)

3 Media conference of the Science journal at Eawag on arsenic in groundwater (l. to r.): Janet Hering, Director of Eawag, Natasha Pinol, Senior Communication Officer of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science ) and Nick Wigginton, Associate Editor with AAAS. (Image: Eawag)

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8 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Highlights

ETH Zurich WSL A boost for theoretical research The impact of climate change on trees and forests

In 2013, ETH Zurich set up a new Institute for Theoretical Studies How do trees in the forests of Central Europe react to droughts and (ITS), which invites four to six high-calibre scientists each from the warmer temperatures? And how can the various functions of a fields of mathematics, theoretical natural sciences and theoretical forest be maintained? These questions were discussed by 250 computer science to spend up to a year carrying out research in researchers at the ClimTree 2013 conference organised by the Swiss Zurich. The first Senior Fellow at ITS is Henryk Iwaniec, a leading Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL). number theorist from Rutgers University in the USA. The institute The discussions focused on assessing the expected changes, com­ further employs ten talented postdocs as Junior Fellows under the paring results from models and experiments, and examining sig­ supervision of professors from ETH Zurich. The new institute was nificant buffer factors such as soil properties or tree adaptation. established thanks to two generous donations of 25m CHF each. The conference offered an opportunity to present the practice-ori­ ented “Forests and Climate Change” research programme run by EPFL WSL and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Geneva gains its very own Wyss Institute ClimTree 2013 was described by experts as a milestone and attracted for bio- and neuro-engineering a lot of attention from the media.

Thanks to philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss, a Wyss Institute for Empa Biologically Inspired Engineering – inspired by the existing Wyss Successful cooperation with Swiss industry Institute at Harvard University – is to be set up on the new “Campus Biotech” in Geneva. The purpose of the new institute Joining forces with partners from industry to transform new mate­ is to support research groups from EPFL, the University of Geneva rials and technologies into marketable innovations is a top prior­ and other academic institutions, with the aim of bridging the ity at Empa. The institution’s success in this regard is demonstrated gaps between fundamental research and applied technologies to impressive effect by the over 300 agreements it currently has or clinical application. With 8,000 m2 of laboratory and office with partners from industry and commerce. Last year again over space, the Wyss Institute will offer an interdisciplinary platform 110 new research contracts were signed, mainly for research part­ for innovation and applied research. In connection with this, nerships and EU or CTI (Commission for Technology and Innovation) ten new professorships in the fields of immune, regenerative projects. Empa was able to establish a number of new partnerships and neuro-engineering are being established at EPFL and the with Swiss SMEs thanks to cooperation projects set up under the University of Geneva. CTI’s special measures to counteract the strong Swiss franc.

PSI Eawag Laying the foundation stone for SwissFEL Science media conference at Eawag

On 3 July 2013, the PSI held a ceremony with some 130 guests from Using groundwater contaminated with arsenic as drinking water the worlds of politics, business and science in attendance to lay puts the health of almost 20 million Chinese people at risk. This the foundation stone for its new large-scale research facility, was the conclusion found by a study presented in August 2013 at a SwissFEL, and so also marked the continuation of 25 years of media conference specially organised by the journal “Science” at successful research and technology development at PSI. Con­ the ETH Domain’s aquatic research institution, Eawag. The estimate struction work began on SwissFEL in spring 2013 and the building made by the study team, led by Eawag researcher Anette Johnson, is due to be complete and fitted out with the necessary technical is based on a new risk model, which uses geological and hydro­ infrastructure by the end of 2014. Once the building is complete, logical data as well as arsenic measurements from wells in China. work will begin on installing the technical components. The plan The study, which revealed previously unknown risk areas, is is for the finished facility to go into operation at the end of 2016. already being used by the Chinese government for its national The construction costs for SwissFEL, which will be open to groundwater monitoring programme. researchers from science and industry in Switzerland and abroad, will amount to about 275m CHF and are largely covered by the Federal Government (see p. 36).

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 9 ÜBERBLICK Environment | Political, economic, international

Energy research – research requires energy In 2013, the Swiss Federal Assembly made two highly significant decisions with positive consequences for the ETH Domain in terms of energy research and European research cooperation. The ETH Domain operates in a political and economic environ- ment in which the ability to produce innovations and transfer knowledge are becoming ever more important for putting Switzerland in the best possible position to compete globally as a centre for business and science.

With its approval of the “Coordinated Energy Research Switzer­ and research facilities offer an expedient solution, as they can land” action plan in March 2013, the Federal Assembly set the only be achieved at the price of a reduction in capacity utilisation ETH Domain some challenging tasks with regard to the Energy or availability, thus reducing the output of these facilities and Strategy 2050 and implementing the change in energy policy restricting their (cost-)effectiveness. decided upon in 2011. In close cooperation with universities of applied sciences, other higher education institutions and indus­ Making Switzerland a leading centre for research try, the ETH Domain is make a significant contribution through The complete revision of the Federal Act on the Promotion of its research, teaching and knowledge transfer activities towards Research and Innovation (RIPA) at the end of 2012 laid the legal achieving the ambitious objectives of the Energy Strategy in foundations for the Federal Government to provide support for a relation to the use of renewable energies and improvements in national innovation park. Since then, the structure of this Swiss energy efficiency. When the action plan was approved, the Fed­ Innovation Park, which is designed in the form of a network, has eral Parliament added an extra 60m CHF to the ETH Domain’s been defined in greater detail by the Konferenz der kantonalen budget appropriation for four years to ensure that the additional Volkswirtschaftsdirektoren (Conference of Cantonal Directors of energy research activities would not conflict with the previously Economic Affairs, VDK). The institutions of the ETH Domain play a defined objectives of the performance mandate. Within the ETH key part in this: the plan is to establish two centres (“hubs”) near Domain, these funds are being used to create new research teams ETH Zurich and EPFL and to supplement these with local “network and set up the infrastructure needed for such purposes as trans­ sites” in various cantons, with ETH Domain institutions – such as ferring research results to the market. Empa in St. Gallen or the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Aargau – September saw the handover of the dispatch on the Energy fulfilling an important role at these possibles sites, too. The VDK Strategy 2050 to the Federal Assembly. This dispatch includes the began its selection process for choosing the network sites in early quantitative requirements set out by the Federal Council which November 2013 and the intention is to obtain the approval of the the ETH Domain and federal enterprises have to fulfil as part of Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research their duty to lead by example. For example, these enterprises (EAER) for the definitive implementation concept for the Swiss Inno­ have been given the target of increasing their energy efficiency vation Park by summer 2014. A corresponding dispatch can then be by 25 % compared to the reference year 2006 by 2020. The ETH handed over to the Federal Assembly towards the end of 2014. Domain is prepared to assume the function of a role model within In terms of research and innovation policy, the ETH Board also the context of the Energy Strategy and is actively involved in the attaches great importance to the Ordinance on the revised Act coordinating bodies set up for this. It also endeavours to run on the Promotion of Research and Innovation (RIPO), which the both its existing and, in particular, its new large-scale research Federal Council brought into force along with the Act itself at the facilities (e.g. SwissFEL or the Piz Daint supercomputer) ener­ start of 2014. During the consultation process, the ETH Board gy-efficiently and to plan and implement its operations using campaigned strongly for further provisions regarding the payment state-of-the-art technology. However, the ETH Board does not of indirect research project costs (overheads) by the Commission believe that broad objectives relating to optimising efficiency for Technology and Innovation (CTI), government-funded research and consumption in the operation of energy-intensive teaching and the regulations on intellectual property. The fact that the

10 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Environment | Political, economic, international

corresponding requests were not fully taken into account means its bearing on the issue of tuition fees, the ETH Board intends to that, among other things, the institutions of the ETH Domain keep a close eye on further discussions on this topic and continue cannot receive payment for the overhead costs for CTI-funded to get involved if need be. projects until the end of 2016. The “Horizon 2020” EU research framework programme Tuition fees and grants on the political agenda The EU’s eighth framework programme for research and innova­ At the end of 2012, the ETH Board decided, due to the continuing tion for the period from 2014 to 2020 goes by the name of “Hori­ rise in student numbers and at the request of ETH Zurich and zon 2020”. In 2013, the Federal Council and Parliament approved EPFL, to double the tuition fees at both universities. This fee the terms for Switzerland’s participation as an associated coun­ increase is to be implemented in incremental stages starting from try and agreed to grant a loan of a good 4.4bn CHF. Negotiations 2015. These additional funds are to help maintain the universi­ with the EU regarding Switzerland’s association with this pro­ ties’ internationally recognised high standards of teaching. At gramme were temporarily suspended in February 2014 following the same time, ETH Zurich and EPFL are expected to develop the popular vote of 9 February. measures to cushion the social impact of the fee increase. This As far as the ETH Board is concerned, Switzerland’s continued landmark decision by the ETH Board prompted a number of moves participation as an associate in the EU research framework pro­ within the Federal Parliament. One parliamentary initiative, grammes – in which it has enjoyed great success in the past – is which proposes to make it possible to charge differentiated fees of fundamental importance in establishing the country as a cen­ for students with Swiss qualifications and those holding foreign tre for research and innovation. For one thing, it means that the qualifications instead of doubling the fees for all students, even­ tools which have previously proved effective can continue to be tually persuaded the ETH Board to put its attempt to increase used. These include the European Research Council (ERC) grants, tuition fees on hold in March 2013 until the parliamentary con­ for example, which Swiss researchers have been more successful sultations on this matter have been concluded. Based on this in obtaining than most, and also the FET Flagship initiatives – proposal, the National Council Science, Education and Culture specifically the “Human Brain Project” led by EPFL and the “Graphene” Committee (SECC-N) put forward its own initiative along the same project, in which both ETH Zurich and Empa are heavily involved. lines in May 2013, but the Science, Education and Culture Com­ In addition, the European nuclear research programme Euratom, mittee of the Council of States opposed it the following Septem­ with which Switzerland has been associated for 35 years, is now ber. At the end of October 2013, the SECC-N abandoned its initi­ also an integral part of the framework programme. As well as fusion ative in favour of a motion based on a similar content. This motion research and nuclear medicine, Euratom focuses on areas of research proposes that, in the event of a referral by the two Councils, the which coincide with the Energy Strategy 2050 and are recognised Federal Council and the ETH Board would be given the task of as important by the Federal Assembly. devising an amendment to the ETH Act which allows for the It is essential for Switzerland to take part in “Horizon 2020” as possibility of charging differentiated tuition fees. an associate in order to guarantee continued access for Swiss The issue of the cost of studies is also central to the current researchers to the relevant networks and expertise it offers. It would debate surrounding legislation on grants. In an indirect counter­ also enable them to influence the strategic and operational organ­ move to the “grants initiative” presented by the Verband der isation of the research programmes and to coordinate pan-European Schweizerischen Studierendenschaften (Association of Swiss Student projects. Above all, however, it is essential for further reinforcing Bodies, VSS), the Federal Council referred a proposal for a full international cooperation, which is extremely important for Swit­ revision of the existing Education Subsidies Act to the Federal zerland as a centre for higher education. The ETH Board hopes, Assembly. By shifting the authority towards the Federal Govern­ therefore, that an appropriate solution can be found that will allow ment, the students are seeking an extensive and substantive Swiss institutions to participate as fully as possible in these projects, harmonisation of grants and, as a result of this, an increase in which are of utmost importance for them. both the amounts granted and the number of grant recipients. By contrast, the indirect counterproposal by the Federal Council only Light on the horizon for the economic environment supports a formal harmonisation of the regulations on grants at amid more intensive technological competition cantonal level. The ETH Board is sceptical of the grants initiative, As in the past few years, the Swiss economy once again proved but it nevertheless considers a certain degree of substantive har­ to be encouragingly resilient in 2013, in spite of a challenging monisation and a heavier involvement of the Federal Government international economic environment, according to the State Sec­ in the issue of grants to be necessary. It also stressed the fact that retariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The persistent robustness of the living costs in general, and not tuition fees, represent the most the domestic economy – due to continuous immigration, low significant burden on students. At the end of October 2013, the interest rates and a lack of inflation – has played a key role in SECC-N decided to review its own counterproposal to the grants this. Exports are still lagging behind, but they, too, are showing initiative. Given the importance of grants legislation for ensuring more and more signs of an upturn. Thanks to the consistently equal opportunities in accessing higher education and in view of vibrant domestic economy, the Swiss economy was already able

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 11 OVERVIEW Environment | Political, economic, international

to achieve a pleasing growth rate of 1.8 % in 2013. By contrast, China’s success has so far manifested itself primarily in the form there is still no sign of a sweeping recovery in the export indus­ of engineering-based and second-generation innovations, i.e. in try, which seemed to be relatively immune to crises during the a combination of established technologies and products for new recent difficult years. However, improvement is in sight in this solutions, and in creative imitation. By 2040, the Chinese govern­ area, too, as it should receive positive impetus from the inter­ ment is aiming to push its industry to a point at which it can national economy, and specifically from the emerging recovery generate these radical innovations which offer a wide range of in the eurozone. Experts are therefore anticipating stronger and commercial and military benefits. more broadly based GDP growth of 2.3 % for 2014. The global system for research and development, technological The federal budget closed the year 2013 with a surplus of 1.3bn development and innovation is undergoing a major transformation: CHF. A deficit of 0.4bn CHF was budgeted. This improvement is due hierarchies which were previously clearly defined are breaking to budget underspending as well as high revenue from withhold­ apart, and a multi-polar world is emerging in these areas, too. ing tax. The government’s expenditure on education and research, This is enabling some countries in Asia – most notably China, South which was due to increase by 2.4 % in 2012, actually rose by 5.6 % Korea, Singapore and Taiwan – to significantly reinforce their rela­ due to extraordinary factors (package against further strength­ tive positions. There is now open, worldwide competition for the ening of the Swiss franc). The 3.4 % increase of the same position leading status in some fields of technology. A new world geogra­ (approximately 230m CHF) estimated for 2013 reflects the high phy is developing with regard to R&D and technology, one which priority attached to this area of activity by the Federal Council and is differentiated by branches of knowledge and economic sectors Parliament. These figures take full account of the Dispatch on (see OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2011). The Education, Research and Innovation for 2013–2016. partners in the strategic alliances maintained by the institutions In the wake of the economic crisis in 2008, companies in var­ from the ETH Domain in the Asian region should therefore be able ious OECD member countries reduced their research and develop­ to continue to gain strength. ment (R&D) and innovation activities, as is evident from the OECD Science, Technology and Industry Outlook 2012. However, this International competition to attract the “best minds” cutback was much less marked in countries which previously had The excellent international positions held by the institutions of solid framework conditions in place, such as Germany. In contrast, the ETH Domain (see section on benchmarking, p. 126) are crucial 2009 saw a sharp rise in government expenditure on R&D in many for ensuring that they can attract students, professors and research countries, offsetting the decline in private sector activities. Meas­ and teaching staff from both Switzerland and abroad. Optimal ures to promote innovation formed part of the packages designed framework conditions need to be put in place to maintain these to stimulate an economic revival. Due to the critical situation top international standings and to promote networking with the regarding public finances, however, an adjustment had to be made world’s leading institutions. These include the possibility to again soon afterwards. In many countries, budgetary constraints recruit the most outstanding and promising candidates, regard­ have led to a review of the innovation policy tools used. As the less of their nationality. The attractiveness of the ETH Domain OECD observed in 2012, public investments in science, technology institutions’ current research, teaching and working conditions and innovation are being applied with a greater focus on specific and the excellence of their researchers, teaching staff and students areas, with the main emphasis being on social and environmen­ put them in a strong position to compete for the best minds – tal issues (ageing society, health, energy, climate change, green after all, excellence attracts excellence. Several studies have growth) in countries such as Denmark, Germany and Korea. Beyond identified the quality of the research environment, the resources technology, the central focus of innovation policy is on services. available, freedom of research and an exceptional academic and Public demand is increasingly being used to boost the creation education system as key factors in choosing where to conduct and diffusion of innovations. research and confirm Switzerland’s outstanding position in the There is no sign of any stagnation in research and development global competition to attract researchers1. expenditure in emerging markets. China in particular upped its The internationalisation of the ETH Domain’s institutions is annual R&D spending by 21 % on average between 2001 and 2011, evidence, therefore, of their success in the global competition for followed by South Korea with 10.9 %. Overall, Asia invests more the best scientists, who in turn play a significant role in resolving money per year in research than Europe. Emerging markets are specific challenges in society, industry and the environment. constantly developing their knowledge-based economic segments. Brazil, India and China have earmarked their national innovation strategies as contributing factors in their long-term economic development. Highly developed countries – and especially Swit­ zerland – must therefore ensure that they continue their upward rise in the value creation chain, which means that they need to produce innovations.

1 SwissCore Synopsis 09/2012: Not money, but excellence attracts researchers.

12 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Academic life

Sustained interest in study courses at the two Federal Institutes of Technology The increase in the number of students and doctoral students as well as the rise in enrolments on Bachelor’s degree programmes are evidence of the continuing appeal of the two Federal Institutes of Technology. Maintaining excellence in education proved to be a challenge once again in 2013. International success in research was evidenced by the successful application for project-based funding from the EU. The institutions of the ETH Domain are playing an active role in making their research findings available to industry and society.

Studying at one of the two Federal Institutes of Technology is of 14,289 students (and 3,889 doctoral students) were enrolled extremely popular and the number of students and doctoral at ETH Zurich (18,178 in total). At EPFL, the total number almost students has been increasing continuously for years. 2013 saw reached the 10,000 mark at 9,868, including 7,810 students and more moderate growth than in previous years, however, with a 2,058 doctoral students. 3.5 % rise compared to 2012. Overall, the number of students The subject areas with the highest percentage increase in the reached around 22,100 in 2013, while the number of doctoral overall number of students and doctoral students include IT and students was at approximately 5,900. Of the 28,000 or so students communication technology, engineering, civil and geomatic and doctoral students enrolled at the two institutes in total, half engineering, followed by life sciences. In terms of new students are studying for a Bachelor’s degree and a quarter for a Master’s enrolling on Bachelor’s programmes, IT and communication tech­ degree. Another quarter is made up of students involved in doctoral nology saw by far the biggest increase with 17.6 %. The proportion studies or other continuing education programmes (MAS/MBA). There of women remains at a constant level at just under 30 %.

Fig. 1: Number of students and doctoral students 2004 2008 2012 2013 Students 14,354 16,233 21,251 22,099 Students on Diploma programmes 7,741 751 0 0 Students on Bachelor’s degree programmes 5,969 10,138 13,359 13,995 Students on Master’s degree programmes 0 4,649 6,981 7,241 Students on MAS/MBA programmes 644 695 911 863 Doctoral students 3,987 4,823 5,836 5,947 Students and doctoral students 18,341 21,056 27,087 28,046

was a rise of 4.8 % in the number of Bachelor’s students and of The rising student numbers continue to pose a challenge, with 3.7 % at Master’s level. In these two cases, the two Federal Insti­ the number of students per professor once again high in 2013, tutes of Technology can only control the numbers to a limited compared with leading universities in the English-speaking world. extent, if at all. The situation is different at doctoral level, where The supervision ratios for Bachelor’s/Master’s degree programmes, numbers can be controlled, and selection is on the basis of with 27.7 students per professor, and doctoral studies, with 7.8 academic performance and scientific potential. Here the increase doctoral students per professor, remain stable at a relatively high was 1.9 %. The growth in student numbers at Bachelor’s and level (see fig. 19, p. 124). Master’s level was higher at EPFL than at ETH Zurich, while at Various measures were taken to maintain excellence in educa­ doctoral level it was the other way round. In autumn 2013, a total tion. At ETH Zurich, a position paper on quality criteria in education

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 13 OVERVIEW Academic life

was approached and a new teaching assessment model was intro­ numerous lectures and offered specialist courses both within the duced (see fig. p. 30). The university also added a new format to ETH Domain and at other universities. This amounts to almost its existing online teaching provision in 2013, focused mainly on 16,000 teaching hours in 2013.

Fig. 2: Doctoral, Bachelor’s and Master’s theses supervised at the research institutes* 2004 2008 2012 2013 Doctoral theses supervised at research institutes 545 700 807 797 Bachelor’s, Master’s and diploma theses supervised at research institutes 286 391 542 530

* of students and doctoral students at ETH Zurich, EPFL or other universities

courses for ETH students. Meanwhile, EPFL increased its teaching Internationally successful research capacity and is using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to The institutions of the ETH Domain continued to lead the interna­ supplement its portfolio of study programmes. The range of MOOCs tional competition in terms of research in 2013. This was reflected, was increased to ten online courses in 2013. In addition to Eng­ among other things, by the fact that researchers from the ETH lish-language courses, a physics course in French was introduced Domain were again able to increase the amount of subsidies for first-semester students. This course was taken not only by EPFL received (see fig. 3). Most notably, the ETH Domain was once again students, but also by students across the world. awarded a high number of prestigious grants from the European ETH Zurich successfully took part in the audit of Swiss universities Research Council in 2013, including 14 Starting, 12 Advanced, 8 Con­ for the second time. This audit is conducted by the Swiss Center of solidator, 3 Proof of Concept Grants and 1 Synergy Grant (see Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (OAQ). section on benchmarking p. 126).

Fig. 3: Second-party funds from the EU 2004 2008 2012 2013 Second-party funds from the EU in m CHF 49.0 97.7 126.5 135.2

Preparations are currently also underway at EPFL for the 2014 audit. FET Flagship projects A new Article 16a was added to the ETH Act 2013 to help deal At the end of January 2013, the EU selected the “Human Brain with any capacity bottlenecks which may arise. This amendment Project” (HBP) led by EPFL and the Swedish-led “Graphene” project, gives the ETH Board the option, at the request of one of the Fed­ which involves researchers from ETH Zurich and Empa, as the two eral Institutes of Technology, to limit the admission of applicants with Flagship projects within the scope of the European “Future and foreign education qualifications to programmes in advanced semes­ Emerging Technologies” (FET) initiative. The six projects up for final ters. In 2013, neither the ETH Zurich nor the EPFL requested this. selection also included the “Guardian Angels” project led jointly For three years, the ETH Board has been backing a programme by ETH Zurich and EPFL as well as the “FuturICT” project, the sci­ at the two Federal Institutes of Technology to support the exchange entific aspects of which are being coordinated by ETH Zurich. of students between them. Students can apply for financial support The main objective of the HBP Flagship project coordinated by if they work on their Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis at the other EPFL is to enable computer-aided simulations of the human brain. Federal Institute of Technology or at one of the research institutes, This should facilitate key advances in neurosciences, medicine, social or attend summer schools. Since the programme started in the sciences, information technology and robotics. The project aims to autumn semester of 2012, so far 44 students from EPFL and 18 from build on EPFL’s Blue Brain neuroinformatics project (see p. 83). In ETH Zurich have taken the opportunity to spend time studying at an addition to EPFL, the other Swiss institutions involved in HBP are ETH Domain institution in a different linguistic region of Switzerland. ETH Zurich, the PSI, the Universities of Bern and Zurich, the Centre The research institutions play an important role in teaching hospitalier universitaire vaudois (CHUV) and IBM. The high propor­ in general and in the supervision of doctoral students. In 2013, tion of projects among the final selection in which research groups for example, 797 doctoral theses and 530 Bachelor’s and Master’s from the ETH Domain play a leading role testifies to the exceptional theses were completed at the research institutes – similar figures international competitiveness of its institutions. to the previous year. The contribution of the research institutes The intention is for the selected projects to receive up to 100m to education goes far beyond that of course. Employees of the EUR per year in funding over a period of ten years. The EU’s contri­ Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, bution to the initial implementation phase of the two Flagship Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Empa and Eawag gave projects (October 2013 to March 2016) is being financed on the basis

14 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Academic life

of the seventh EU Framework Programme for Research, in which Switzerland is involved as an associate country. The new EU Frame­ work Programme for Research and Innovation, “Horizon 2020” (2014 Students and doctoral students to 2020), will apply to the second phase (April 2016–2023). The ETH Board hopes that a suitable solution can be found soon despite Unless otherwise indicated, the term “students” always includes negotiations with EU being suspended for the time being. A signifi­ both Bachelor’s and Master’s students as well as students on con­ cant part of the funds is to be raised by the participating countries tinuing education programmes at Master’s level (MAS or MBA). Doc­ and institutions, as well as by industry. This funding portion can toral students, however, are defined as a separate category for the also be provided in the form of payment in kind. The “FET Flagship purposes of this report. Wherever students and doctoral students ERA-NET“ (FLAG-ERA) was launched in 2013 to help coordination are grouped together as a whole, this is indicated in the text and between the national research funding bodies from the countries graphics. This way of presenting student categories differs from the involved in the Graphene and HBP projects. It is designed to improve approach adopted by the Swiss University Information System (SIUS), cooperation and coordinate research measures taken at national or whereby doctoral students are included in the “student” category. regional level in the EU member states and associated countries. FLAG-ERA will make recommendations to the EU Commission regard­ ing the future development of the FET instrument within the context of “Horizon 2020”. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) tries involved. The steadfast and reliable dedication of Switzerland, represents Switzerland in FLAG-ERA. the ETH Domain and the participating universities allowed Swiss The national contribution to the HBP project is provided pri­ researchers to take the lead in the development of specific detec­ marily via the ETH Board’s financial contribution to the Blue Brain tor components, thereby maintaining their competitive edge in project run by EPFL. This provides an important basis for the HBP terms of technology and methodology. Flagship project and is one of three strategic initiatives of the ETH Board. Active knowledge and technology transfer During its annual strategy and controlling meetings with the Research infrastructures institutions (dialogues), the ETH Board also expects to be informed The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) periodically about the activities relating to the transfer of knowl­ is updating the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures with edge and technology (KTT). All institutions in the ETH Domain regard to the 2017-2020 budget period. This tool provides an attach great importance to KTT. The monitoring figures disclosed insight into prospective investments for the further development in this report only refer to KTT activities which can be measured and redevelopment of research infrastructures which are of directly in the form of patents, licences and spin-offs. These national and international interest for the scientific fields con­ monitoring figures show a consistent level of activity over several cerned. In October 2013, SERI and the SNSF launched a joint call years. Around 40 spin-offs are set up each year from the insti­ for applications to promote new research infrastructures of at tutions of the ETH Domain. least national importance. In parallel with this, existing research ETH Zurich takes a differentiated approach to promoting spin- infrastructures are being listed in an inventory, along with infor­ offs through its Pioneer Fellowships, which provide researchers mation on their development prospects. The updated Swiss with financial support and professional coaching to help them Roadmap is set to be published in spring 2015, with the update develop innovative products or services. The “ETH Innovation and work having begun at the end of 2013. The existing research Entrepreneurship Lab” (ieLab) brings together talented young infrastructures led by or involving the ETH Domain play significant researchers from ETH Zurich, experienced entrepreneurs and alliance roles in the national and international research environment. partners from industry. In doing so, it helps make research findings The ETH Domain is heavily involved in the particle physics exper­ available to business and society and exploit their commercial iments being carried out at CERN. The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics value. The life sciences ieLab was opened on ETH Zurich’s Höng­ awarded to Peter Higgs from the University of Edinburgh and gerberg campus in 2013. François Englert from the Université Libre de Bruxelles was there­ EPFL’s “Innovation Square” and “Science Park” have been com­ fore, indirectly, an achievement for CERN as well. Experiments at bined to form the “EPFL Innovation Park”, which is now home to CERN resulted in finding evidence of the Higgs boson, the existence 170 companies with 1,630 employees. Several more well-known of which had been postulated by the two physicists almost 50 international companies from various areas of research (IT, tele­ years ago. ETH Zurich, PSI and the University of Zurich were actively communications, pharmaceuticals, scientific publishing) estab­ involved in proving the existence of the Higgs boson right from lished themselves there in 2013. the start. This research success is the culmination of many years Graduates from the two Federal Institutes of Technology play an of scientific experiment-planning and development work to put instrumental role in shaping the universities’ interaction with busi­ the required research infrastructures in place. The large-scale ness, industry and public administration by transferring the latest facilities developed in complex, multinational collaborations knowledge and applying research findings. They are the main demand long-term commitment from the institutions and coun­ ambassadors for the ETH Domain’s achievements in research and

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 15 OVERVIEW Academic life

development at both national and international level. It is therefore very important to the institutions of the ETH Domain that their graduates should see themselves as part of the KTT chain and thus make a substantial contribution towards Switzerland’s innovation output. This motivates lecturers to plan research work in cooperation with business, industry or public administration, for example, and thus open up opportunities for interested students and doctoral students to carry out research work with a commercial partner. Important KTT work is often also carried out as part of large-scale research projects. The key factor here is that scientific experiments can often only be conducted after many years of intensive prepa­ ration and the development of the technologies, measurement methods and research infrastructure that are required. A great deal of KTT work is carried out during this development phase, and technological innovations with considerable market potential are created. One example of this is the development and production of SwissFEL components, which have led to collaborations with various (mainly Swiss) industry partners. Major industries and SMEs benefit from the opportunity this cooperation gives them to enhance their expertise, raise their profile and thus improve their position in the market. Furthermore, the jointly developed components are also attracting interest in other industrial sectors and giving rise to new and expected application possibilities (see p. 36 and 85). The research institutes cultivate a wide range of partnerships with industry, public administration and professional associations. They fulfil an important bridging function to help transfer research findings into practice. Empa, for example, had over 300 active research contracts with industry in 2013, while Eawag is facilitating the transfer of knowledge in aquatic ecology and the fishing industry by providing advice on fishery. Following completion, the planned experimental NEST building on the Empa site will offer industry partners and the institutions of the ETH Domain a unique platform for testing, evaluating and optimising innovations in building technology and the energy sector under real everyday conditions (see p. 77).

16 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Academic life | Personnel and professorial matters

Personnel matters of the Federal Council At the request of the ETH Board, the Federal Council elected Professor Lino Guzzella as the new President of ETH Zurich. The Professors 56-year-old is a Full Professor of Thermotronics at ETH Zurich and has been Rector of the university since 1 August 2012. He will take As part of their strategic four-year plans, the two Federal Institutes up office as President on 1 January 2015, succeeding the current of Technology submit their rolling plans for professorships to the incumbent Professor Ralph Eichler. ETH Board in the first half of each year. The ETH Board appoints Prof. Patrick Aebischer, President of EPFL, went on a six-month the individual professors at the request of the presidents of the research sabbatical on 1 August 2013 with the aim of exploring new two Federal Institutes of Technology. Altogether the ETH Board teaching methods. The Federal Council approved this sabbatical on dealt with 143 professorial changes in the reporting year. Nearly 20 February 2013 and appointed Dr Philippe Gillet, Vice President of 60 % of these concerned appointments of professors and the Academic Affairs, as interim President of EPFL and a member of the granting of the title of adjunct professor. Over 40 % concerned ETH Board for the period between 1 August 2013 and 31 January 2014. resignations, changes to conditions of employment and, above The Federal Council also reappointed the Director of Empa, all, reappointments of assistant professors following successful Gian-Luca Bona, for another four years at the request of the ETH interim evaluations. Board. His second term began on 1 September 2013. Appointments Election to the Executive Board of EPFL In 2013, the ETH Board appointed 12 female professors (6 at ETH Zurich At the beginning of March 2013, the ETH Board – at the request and 6 at EPFL) and 57 male professors (28 at ETH Zurich and 29 at of Prof. Patrick Aebischer, President of EPFL – elected Dr André EPFL). The resulting proportion of 17.4 % women professors is slightly Schneider as a member of the Executive Board. He succeeded below the average for the last four years (17.9 %). The total of 69 Prof. Francis-Luc Perret as Vice President for Planning and Logis­ appointments comprised the following: tics on 1 August 2013. He previously spent 12 years working for the World Economic Forum (WEF) and as President and CEO of his own - Full professors (women and men): 5 and 24; consultancy company, André Schneider Global Advisory. - Associate professors (women and men): 2 and 17; - Assistant professors with tenure track (TT) (women and men): Resignation from the Executive Board of EPFL 4 and 9; Grateful for the services he has provided, the ETH Board bid - Assistant professors without TT (women and men): 1 and 7. farewell to Prof. Francis-Luc Perret, who stepped down from his posts as EPFL’s Vice President for Planning and Logistics and as 21 of the appointments involved either promotions of associate Full Professor of Business Management (System Analysis) on 1 professors to full professors or of assistant professors to associate August 2013. professors; altogether 48 people were therefore newly appointed as professors at ETH Zurich (23) or EPFL (25). The ETH Board also Resignation from the Directorate of EPFL granted adjunct professorships to 15 scientists. With gratitude for his services, the ETH Board also bid goodbye to Dr Jean-Marc Cavedon, who stepped down as “Head of Nuclear Retirements and resignations Energy and Safety Research Department” on 31 August 2013. In 2013, the ETH Board received 16 notices of retirement for reasons of age, 10 at ETH Zurich and 6 at EPFL. ETH Zurich and EPFL also The ETH Domain’s pension fund: new employer notified the ETH Board of 7 and 4 resignations respectively for representatives take up office other reasons. The new employer representatives to the joint board of trustees of the ETH Domain’s pension fund, who were appointed in 2012 by the ETH Board in its capacity as employer, assumed their office on 1 January 2013. Their term of office runs until 31 December 2016.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 17 OVERVIEW Environment and energy

The ETH Domain as a role model In the ETH Domain, the environment and energy are more than just subjects to be taught or researched. The running of buildings and research facilities of the ETH Domain requires a lot of energy in itself. The management is aware of the responsibility this carries with it and strives to be a role model also at an operative level.

The growth of the ETH Domain over the past few years is not just In recent years, the institutions of the ETH Domain – in accord­ evident in the rising number of employees, students and doctoral ance with the climate targets set by the Swiss Federal Council – have students; it is also reflected by the associated increase, in abso­ adopted a consistent and successful policy of reducing CO2 emis­ lute terms, in the consumption of energy and the use of land for sions. This has resulted in a reduction in the use of energy from new buildings. However, this section on “Environment and fossil fuels which, combined with the increasing demand for energy, energy” goes further than focusing purely on the demand for has prompted a clear shift towards renewable energy sources. energy and land; it also provides figures and information on the Schemes to generate renewable energy on the ETH Domain’s own use of other resources and demonstrates specific measures for sites are also on the rise. However, the investment this requires reducing environmental pollution. and the cost/benefit considerations associated with this are hin­ In contrast to the rising demand for energy, the need for other dering progress in this regard. resources such as water and paper has, fortunately, remained at a constant level since 2006. In absolute terms it has even decreased Use of resources slightly in some cases. The rise in the overall consumption of energy With more than 19,000 employees and over 25,000 students and therefore poses the biggest challenge when it comes to further reduc­ doctoral students at work on the ETH Domain sites every day, it ing environmental pollution. There are a number of factors driving this is inevitable that large quantities of resources are used. As well growing demand, such as the constantly increasing need for computer as focusing on energy-intensive large-scale research projects processing power in all areas of research. The technological intensity and facilities, this “Environment and energy” section therefore of the buildings in the ETH Domain (e.g. laboratory technology) is also also presents figures and information relating to day-to-day growing year on year. Both of these factors are resulting in a noticea­ consumption as well as specific measures for reducing it. These ble rise in the demand for electricity, although the demand for energy measures include schemes to reduce waste and promote recy­ from fossil fuels is falling thanks to a number of measures taken. Apart cling, to save energy and water, to maintain and develop green from anything else, the ETH Domain operates some extremely ener­ and open spaces and to ensure compliance with sustainability gy-intensive large-scale research facilities with outstanding – and, in standards in construction, as well as efforts to keep emissions some cases, unique – qualities that contribute significantly to Swit­ within the recommended limits. zerland’s appeal as a centre of innovation and research. The first trends in consumption over the course of the year under However, the demand for energy has not risen as sharply, in review were only just emerging as the 2013 Annual Report was absolute terms, as the number of employees, students and doctoral being finalised. Precise information on consumption – including, students within the same period (in full-time equivalent, FTE). for example, details of the energy mix used by electricity suppliers This can be explained by a continuous improvement in efficiency. or analyses of measurements taken from building services systems One example of this is the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre – is therefore not released until sometime towards the end of the (CSCS) in Lugano. Not only does it run the sixth fastest mainframe first quarter of the following year. Table 4 (see p. 21) therefore computer in the world and the fastest in Europe, but it is also presents the key values for 2011 and 2012 for the ETH Domain over­ home to the world’s most energy-efficient petaflop computer, all and for 2012 for each of the six institutions. with 3.2 billion computer operations (3.2 gigaflops) carried out for In absolute terms, paper consumption fell by 19.8 % in 2013 each watt of electricity consumed (status as at the end of 2013). compared to 2012, while (drinking) water consumption was down

18 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Environment and energy

by 1.9 %. Energy costs for electricity and heating increased by 5.7 % Federation must not jeopardise the success of teaching, research in absolute terms, although there was only a marginal 0.2 % rise and innovation or the associated developments and advancements in final energy consumption (in absolute terms). Measured per FTE, in areas such as large-scale research facilities. final energy consumption saw a slight decline of 2.5 %. Electricity The ETH Board reviewed the Energy Strategy 2050 for the first consumption rose by at least 7 %. The fact that this increased while time at its last meeting in 2012. It has issued a position statement final energy consumption remained more or less constant can be which, amongst other things, draws attention to the fact that attributed to research facilities being put into operation or expanded, the ETH Domain already takes an economical approach to dealing and to the persistent shift towards renewable energy sources with energy and that suitable additional measures have been (including electricity) at the expense of fossil fuels. Along with the examined within the limits of financial feasibility and taking usual fluctuation in market prices, the rise in electricity consump­ costs and benefits into consideration. In May 2013, the ETH Board tion and increased use of “naturemade star”-standard energy also decided that the institutions of the ETH Domain should consol­ probably account for the rising energy costs. However, detailed idate and develop their existing environmental and energy activ­ analyses will not be available available until mid-2014. ities, with a focus on drawing up guidelines which set out spe­ cific objectives and action plans for achieving them. The A significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions “Environment and energy in the ETH Domain” task force is devel­ The analyses of greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 equivalents in 2013 oping the basic principles required for this. will not be released until spring 2014. The information below there­ fore relates to the data from the two preceding years, 2011 and 2012. A net total of 73,000 tonnes of CO2 were emitted in 2012, approxi­ The environment and energy in the mately 4,100 tonnes more than in 2011. A multi-year comparison institutions of the ETH Domain shows that this figure has remained within a relatively narrow range The new Energy Concept developed by ETH Zurich came into force since 2006, reaching its lowest point in 2011 with 67,081 tonnes of on 1 January 2013. The concept is based on 12 core guidelines and CO2 and peaking in 2008 resp. 2012 at 73,000 tonnes. Taking into corresponding measures applied to seven areas of activity: account the growth in personnel and the expansion of the research “Research”, “Education”, “Raising awareness among members facilities in the ETH Domain, efforts to improve efficiency and reduce of ETH Zurich”, “New buildings and renovations”, “Operating waste are having a noticeable effect in all areas. The greenhouse the infrastructure”, “Mobility” and “Reporting and communi­ gas emissions in CO2 equivalents per employee have fallen signif­ cation”. In 2013, a new heat pump was installed in the data icantly and continuously from 3,020 kg to 2,276 kg since 2006. centre on ETH Zurich’s Zentrum campus. This pump processes waste heat from the data centre and makes it useable for heat­ Implementing the Swiss Federation’s ing purposes. The efficiency of the data centre and the use of Energy Strategy in the ETH Domain waste heat from its seven large cooling plants – which account The Energy Strategy 2050 drawn up by the Swiss Federal Council for around 10 % of ETH Zurich’s electricity consumption – are (see p. 10 and 48) was submitted for consultation for the first time being continuously improved through measures to keep opti­ at the end of 2012. As far as the ETH Domain is concerned, the mising operations. On the university’s Hönggerberg campus, all most relevant areas covered by the strategy are research and outdoor lighting has been converted to LEDs. This enabled two development in the energy sector, the pilot and demonstration objectives to be met: a significant reduction in the amount of projects, the “Lighthouse” programme and the “Vorbildfunktion electricity required and reduced light pollution thanks to focused Bund im Energiebereich” (“The role model function of the Swiss lighting. The primary energy demand on the Hönggerberg campus Federation in the energy sector”) package of measures. With regard fell in spite of growth thanks to the implementation of the to the role model function, the Federal Council drafted in a coor­ “Anergy Grid”, a new energy supply system. dination team with help from the ETH Domain back in late 2012 Back in 2009, construction work began on one of Switzerland’s to draw up measures to be bundled together in an action plan. largest solar parks on the EPFL campus as part of a partnership The Federal Council is due to release this action plan in mid-2014 between the institution and Romande Energie. The solar power for the Federal Administration, armasuisse, the ETH Domain and plant, which boasts 15,000 m2 of solar cells and an installed capac­ companies with close links to the Swiss Federation, such as SBB, ity of two megawatts (7.2 GJ/h), was finally completed in March 2013. Swisscom, Swiss Post and Skyguide. In the year under review, four EPFL is also currently developing a new car-sharing system involv­ task forces were set up at federal level to develop possible elements ing two electric vehicles serving each of six locations. EPFL is also of the action plan in relation to the areas “Buildings and renew­ the site of a world first for a public building: 1,400 modules of able energy”, “Mobility”, “Green IT” and “Reporting and com­ innovatively designed, coloured and translucent solar cells developed munication”. The ETH Domain is involved in all of these task forces, by EPFL researcher Michael Grätzel have been installed in the glazed and it has drawn up a position statement giving its opinion on façades of the lobby of the institution’s new convention centre, these measures based on intensive consultations between the which is currently under construction. Instead of using silicon crys­ institutions. As far as the ETH Board is concerned, however, the tals to trap sunlight, these “Grätzel cells” use various organic dyes. measures and other energy-saving schemes adopted by the Swiss The convention centre building was designed by artists Daniel

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 19 OVERVIEW Environment and energy

Schläpfer and Catherine Bolle. When choosing colours for the glazed frontage, they opted for five different red, orange and green tones RUMBA in the ETH Domain to create a “warm and dynamic” atmosphere. However, the Grätzel cells do more than just let in light and generate electricity – they As a result of a Swiss Federal Council resolution on 15 also provide shade for the interior space on very sunny days, thus March 1999, the ETH Domain is involved in the reducing the amount of power required for air conditioning. “Resource and Environmental Management of the Natural planting with native and indigenous species has long Federal Administration” – or RUMBA for short. The been a feature of the open spaces at the Paul Scherrer Institute main aim of RUMBA is to continuously reduce the envi­ (PSI). These areas are cultivated without using any pesticides or ronmental impact caused by products and operational fertilisers. With more roof spaces having been planted up in 2013, activities of the Federal Administration. The RUMBA around 25 % of the available roof space is now being used to help concept has been introduced in all organisational improve the microclimate and enhance the biodiversity of the PSI units of the ETH Domain, but it is implemented in a site. The wood left over from maintaining the site is used by a local way that is adapted to the specific requirements of garden centre for its wood-chip heating system, while the food each individual educational or research operation. waste from the staff restaurant is supplied to a nearby biogas plant. Every two years – most recently in October 2013 – the Based on an agreement with PostBus Switzerland Ltd to improve Federal Administration publishes the “Environment PSI’s public transport links, this year has seen the introduction of Report of the Federal Administration” outlining the direct connections to the local railway stations, which run four progress achieved to date. times an hour during peak times. In terms of building work, the To meet the growing need for information in relation complete renovation of the staff restaurant was finished in 2013, to the environment and energy, the “RUMBA envi­ one of the objectives of which was to reduce the energy requirement. ronmental reporting by the institutions of the ETH The implementation of the PSI 2050 heat supply master plan also Domain – analysis and recommendations for data got underway during the course of the year under review. collection” project was launched in 2012. The aim of In 2013, an energy master plan was drawn up for the Birmens­ this project was to review and update the data col­ dorf site of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Land- lection methods used for the Federal Administra­ scape Research (WSL). This is designed to help reduce CO2 emissions, tion’s RUMBA resource and environmental manage­ which are already at a low level thanks to a wood-chip heating ment system, which are now ten years old. The system, even further over the next few years. WSL purchased project was led by EPFL and completed in April 2013. exclusively renewable energy in compliance with the “naturstrom In consultation with the RUMBA project management basic 2000” standard in 2013, 5 % of which was certified with the team at federal level, the system is being switched “naturemade star” label. The systems for cooling and for man­ over from the previous process involving a complex aging refrigeration, cold and air-conditioned rooms in Birmens­ calculation of useful energy, sometimes based on dorf were replaced in the first quarter of the year. This enabled estimated factors, to a process based on final energy. the amount of energy consumed by these systems to be reduced There is now also a central, network-based database by a third. 2013 also saw a reduction in fuel consumption per 100 available which is in line with the corresponding km, which was 30 % lower than in 2006, thanks to the ongoing indicator system used for finances. The results of the replacement of the WSL vehicle fleet. project are shown in table 4 right. In 2013, Empa managed to secure funding for the NEST project. NEST, which stands for “Next Evolution in Sustainable Building Technologies”, is a modular building with a fixed core (“backbone”) and interchangeable living and working spaces – known as units – on and in which sustainable building technologies can be tested out on a real-life scale. Empa has also made efforts to reduce the energy requirement on its Dübendorf site with the renovation of its staff restaurant, which was completed in 2013, and the instal­ to meet its own energy needs. No storage is required because the lation of new energy-efficient gas boilers to help minimise heat laboratory facilities use power all the time, including outside consumption. This is the continuation of a trend which was ini­ working hours. The system’s output can be displayed on monitors tiated a few years ago with the implementation of various reno­ at any time. The rest of Eawag’s energy requirement (around 10 vation schemes and measures to improve efficiency. TJ/a in total) is almost completely covered by green power certified At the turn of the year from 2012 to 2013, Eawag expanded its with the “naturemade star” label. The criteria for awarding this own solar cell-based power generation system, increasing its Swiss energy label are based on results from Eawag’s research capacity from 0.25 to 0.5 terajoules per year (TJ/a). The new system relating to hydroelectric power. Eawag also put forward the sug­ is installed on the renovated office building in Dübendorf. Eawag gestion to the City of Dübendorf to install LED lighting for the new does not supply any solar power back to the grid, as it needs this cycle track and footpath along the revitalised Chriesbach stream.

20 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Environment and energy

Fig. 4: Environment and energy data

ETH Domain ETH Domain ETH Zurich EPFL PSI WSL Empa Eawag ETH Domain 2011* 2012* 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 Trend 2013**

Basic data Energy reference area m2 1,382,000 1,399,000 658,300 427,600 135,700 27,600 122,300 27,600 1,359,700 FTE FTE 29,780 31,220 17,460 9,890 1,830 600 890 550 32,100

Energy Final energy net MJ/a 1,461,417,200 1,502,348,600 590,621,200 300,739,800 512,284,400 16,158,700 64,510,800 18,126,800 1,505,543,800

Electricity MJ/a 1,156,826,800 1,195,047,800 446,313,600 232,034,000 468,649,800 11,187,500 36,104,800 758,100 1,279,290,000 Electricity CH MJ/a 1,149,960,000 1,191,991,600 409,917,600 265,751,600 468,649,800 11,187,500 36,104,800 380,300 – Electricity CH heat pump MJ/a 41,463,300 36,773,800 36,396,000 0 0 0 0 377,800 – Supply of electricity MJ/a -34,596,500 -33,717,600 0 -33,717,600 0 0 0 0 –

Consumption of certified energy MJ/a 24,237,200 30,256,500 14,439,600 5,466,900 0 0 0 10,350,000 – without naturemade star certificate MJ/a 89,100 79,200 0 0 0 79,200 0 0 – Photovoltaic naturemade star MJ/a 3,105,100 5,527,600 0 5,466,900 0 0 0 60,800 – Hydro power naturemade star MJ/a 20,963,900 24,530,900 14,439,600 0 0 0 0 10,091,300 – Wind naturemade star MJ/a 168,300 198,000 0 0 0 0 0 198,000 –

Self-generated renewable electricity MJ/a 1,190,600 1,276,700 810,000 0 0 100,800 93,200 272,700 –

Photovoltaic MJ/a 1,190,600 1,276,700 810,000 0 0 100,800 93,200 272,700 –

Heat MJ/a 280,353,200 277,044,300 129,868,000 63,238,900 43,634,700 4,971,200 28,312,900 7,018,600 – Of which fossil fuels in total MJ/a 224,766,200 251,354,700 142,092,000 70,233,700 4,137,100 1,148,000 33,670,100 73,800 – Fuel oil MJ/a 44,820,400 66,417,800 21,240,000 39,824,500 4,137,100 1,148,000 0 68,300 – Natural gas MJ/a 146,361,300 161,868,600 120,852,000 30,409,200 0 0 10,601,800 5,600 – Natural gas BHKW MJ/a 33,584,500 23,068,300 0 0 0 0 23,068,300 0 – District heating MJ/a 152,617,200 133,689,900 85,660,000 0 39,497,600 0 1,587,600 6,944,800 – Wood chip MJ/a 3,475,000 3,823,300 0 0 0 3,823,300 0 0 – Heat supply MJ/a -100,505,200 -111,823,600 -97,884,000 -6,994,800 0 0 -6,944,800 0 –

Energy cost electricity and heat CHF/a 44,012,500 45,247,300 16,308,400 11,599,200 14,430,500 501,200 1,828,000 579,900 47,819,000

Water (drinking water) m3 586,000 584,400 282,800 146,000 119,500 7,200 24,100 4,900 573,500

Materials Paper kg 462,000 417,800 226,800 119,000 30,800 18,500 13,600 9,100 430,800 Paper (new fibre) kg 258,100 223,100 117,100 83,000 5,000 4,500 13,000 500 234,100 Paper (recycled) kg 203,900 194,600 109,700 36,000 25,700 14,000 600 8,600 196,700

Key figures environmental impact Primary energy MJ/a 3,769,980,000 3,857,166,000 1,460,482,000 769,419,000 1,429,013,000 39,244,000 139,476,000 19,532,000 – Proportion of renewable energy % 15.6 14.1 13.5 13.4 14.5 23.2 10.3 64.9 –

CO2 emissions t CO2/a 68,900 73,000 29,400 15,700 23,200 600 3,700 400 –

* Actual figures for the two previous years according to RUMBA statistics ** Provisional figures for year under review (trend) as at beginning of February – Definitive statistics for RUMBA to follow once the annual report is drawn up

The energy reference area is the sum of all gross floor areas, above and below ground, which must be heated or air-conditioned in order to be used. The key indicator “energy consumption” shows the total consumption of heat and electricity for buildings as well as for teaching and research activities. The so-called energy performance indicator (in MJ/m2 p. a.) serves to compare buildings which are put to the same use. In view of the differences in energy intensity amongst the various research activities conducted, and due to the fact that some types of usage cannot be compared with one another, a domain-wide energy performance indicator is not appropriate. The key indicator “energy costs” shows all expenditure (cash out) for the provision of energy (heat and electricity).

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 21 OVERVIEW Organisation and governance

Structure and leadership of the ETH Domain As the law governing sponsorship of the ETH Domain, the ETH Act clearly defines the constitutional mission to operate the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology. This act also provides the legal basis for the research institutes of the ETH Domain.

The ETH Domain and its environment which includes a four-year budget appropriation; a performance The Federal Act on the Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH Act) of mandate for the ETH Domain from the Federal Council, which is 4 October 1991 defines the status, structure and mission of the ETH tailored to the budget; and the annual credit allocation from Domain. According to the legislative provisions, the ETH Domain Parliament. The Federal resolution regarding budget appropria­ is autonomous and the ETH Act stipulates that it is affiliated to the tion over a four-year performance period is based on the Federal responsible federal department. The ETH Act also defines the auton­ Council’s dispatch on the promotion of education, research and omy of both Federal Institutes of Technology and – indirectly – the innovation. These political tools are supplemented by financial four research institutes. The ETH Board is the strategic leading and controlling, which provides information on the accounts and supervision body of the ETH Domain. mission fulfilment. The ETH Board’s reporting system comprises three parts: in the Mission and leadership Annual Report, the ETH Board focuses on the achievement of the According to the principal mission set out in Art. 2 of the ETH Act, performance goals and illustrates how the annual federal financ­ both Federal Institutes of Technology and the four research insti­ ing contribution has been used. In a self-evaluation report in tutes (institutions of the ETH Domain) are to do the following: each half of the performance period, the ETH Board indicates the - Educate students and specialists in scientific and extent to which the goals of the performance mandate have technical fields and provide ongoing continuing education, already been met. At the end of the performance period, the ETH - Expand scientific knowledge through research, Board produces a final report showing how the performance - Foster upcoming young scientists, mandate was fulfilled during the performance period just ended. - Render scientific and technical services, The final report must be approved by the Swiss Federal Assembly. - Perform public relations activities, The ETH Board is responsible for the strategic leadership of the - Exploit their research findings. ETH Domain (see next section). Responsibility for the operational leadership of the individual institutions of the ETH Domain lies The institutions of the ETH Domain discharge their mission in with the members of the Executive Boards of both Federal Insti­ observance of internationally recognised standards. They take tutes of Technology and the Directorates of the four research account of Switzerland’s needs and promote international coop­ institutes. In accordance with Art. 4 Paragraph 3 of the ETH Act, eration. the institutions of the ETH Domain assume all responsibilities which are not assigned to the ETH Board by the ETH Act. Performance mandate and budget appropriation The ETH Domain is managed according to an effect-oriented lead­ ETH Board: Mission and operating principles ership model. The political authorities specify performance stand­ The ETH Board defines the strategy of the ETH Domain within the ards and key financial parameters, while the ETH Domain, as a framework of the performance mandate, represents the ETH service provider, is responsible for implementing the specifications. Domain to the government and government authorities at fed­ Political leadership is the responsibility of the Federal Parliament eral level, issues controlling directives, carries out strategic con­ and the Federal Council. The following elements serve as core trolling, approves the development plans of the institutions of leadership tools: the Federal resolution approved by Parliament, the ETH Domain, oversees their implementation and supervises

22 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Organisation and governance

11 members ETH Domain As on 31 December 2013 ETH Board

Federal Institutes of Technology over 18,000 students and doctoral students over 9,800 students and doctoral students 10,491 employment contracts 5,526 employment contracts

ETH Zurich EPFL

Research institutes

1,8991 865 Arbeitsverhältnisse*employment contracts 514 employment contracts 923 employment contracts 474 employment contracts PSI WSL Empa Eawag

the ETH Domain. It agrees targets with the institutions and eral Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research allocates Federal funding on the basis of the institutions’ budget (EAER), the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Inno­ requests. It submits requests to the Federal Council for the selec­ vation (SERI) and the Director of the Federal Finance Adminis­ tion of the Presidents of both Federal Institutes of Technology tration (FFA). The President of the ETH Board is responsible for and of the Directors of the four research institutes, elects the holding periodic individual discussions with the Presidents of other members of the Executive Boards of both Federal Institutes the two Federal Institutes of Technology and the Directors of of Technology and appoints the other members of the directorates the research institutes, who present reports on the strategic of the four research institutes. Finally, the ETH Board appoints development of their institutions. professors at the request of the Presidents of both Federal Insti­ tutes of Technology. Audit and Executive Committees The ETH Board performs its supervisory function through the The Audit Committee assists the ETH Board in financial supervision use of the following tools: periodic reporting from the institutions and in the monitoring of risk management, of the internal con­ on resources (finances, human resources, real estate), annual trol system and of financial auditing activities. It is generally reporting from the institutions on the status of mission fulfilment composed of three ETH Board members who are independent of with regard to agreed targets, annual strategic controlling talks the executive leadership, but may also involve additional people between the ETH Board and the institutions (known as dialogues) in a consultative capacity. The head of the Internal Audit depart­ and reports from the institutions within the framework of their ment and the head of the Finance section of the ETH Board’s staff risk management systems. Moreover, the ETH Board’s Internal attend the meetings. Audit staff evaluate the risk management processes, internal The Executive Committee assists the ETH Board in preparing control system and governance processes of the institutions and for and following up on meetings and in fulfilling its duties as report on them to the ETH Board, in particular the ETH Board’s an employer. It also liaises with social partners. It is composed Audit Committee. of the President of the ETH Board (chair), the Presidents of both The rules of procedure of the ETH Board are published in the Federal Institutes of Technology, the representative of the compilation of Federal law. The ETH Board meets five times a year research institutes and the representative of the University for one or two days at a time. It met for ten days in 2013 and Assemblies. The Executive Director and, if necessary, the head spent another seven days in dialogues with the institutions of of the Human Resources section of the ETH Board’s staff attend the ETH Domain. The ETH Board meetings focused on strategic the meetings. and budgetary discussions, the reporting of the institutions, the appointment of professors and the selection or appointment of Remuneration of the ETH Board prominent figures for the vice-presidencies and directorates of In 2013, the President of the ETH Board received a salary of CHF the institutions. Finally, it put forward a proposal to the Federal 359,983 (including CHF 82,992 social insurance contributions) for Council for the election of the new President of ETH Zurich, who his 80 % FTE position. In addition, he received an entertainment will take up office on 1 January 2015. allowance of CHF 5,000. The President is insured by the Swiss Proprietor discussions are held twice a year between the Federal Pension Fund, the rules of which determine the employ­ President of the ETH Board, the General Secretariat of the Fed­ er’s contribution. The other six members of the ETH Board who

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 23 OVERVIEW Organisation and governance | Management bodies

President’s Office and members of the - Dr Adrienne Corboud Fumagalli, Empa ETH Board Vice-President Innovation - Prof. Dr Gian-Luca Bona, Director and Valorisation - Dr Peter Richner, Deputy Director The ETH Board of the current term of office - Prof. Dr Francis-Luc Perret, - Dr Brigitte Buchmann, (2012–2016) is made up of the following Vice-President Planning and Logistics Member of the Directorate members: (until 31.7.2013) - Dr Xaver Edelmann, - Dr André Schneider, Vice-President Member of the Directorate (until 31.7.2013) - Dr Fritz Schiesser1, President Planning and Logistics (since 1.8.2013) - Dr Pierangelo Gröning, - Prof. Dr Paul L. Herrling2, Vice-President Member of the Directorate - Prof. Dr Ralph Eichler1 PSI - Prof. Dr Harald Krug, - Prof. Dr Patrick Aebischer1,3 - Prof. Dr Joël Mesot, Director Member of the Directorate - Prof. Dr Joël Mesot1 - Dr Peter Allenspach, - Beatrice Fasana Arnaboldi Member of the Directorate Eawag - Dr Dr h. c. Barbara Haering2 - Dr Jean-Marc Cavedon, - Prof. Dr Janet Hering, Direktorin - Beth Krasna2 Member of the Directorate (until 31.8.2013) - Prof. Dr Rik Eggen, Deputy Director - Jasmin Staiblin - Dr Kurt N. Clausen, - Prof. Dr Jukka Jokela, - Dr Markus Stauffacher1 Member of the Directorate Member of the Directorate - Olivier Steimer - Prof. Dr Leonid Rivkin, - Prof. Dr Peter Reichert, Member of the Directorate Member of the Directorate ETH Zürich - Prof. Dr Gebhard F.X. Schertler, - Prof. Dr Hansruedi Siegrist, - Prof. Dr Ralph Eichler, President Member of the Directorate Member of the Directorate - Prof. Dr Lino Guzzella, Rector - Prof. Dr Friso Van der Veen, - Prof. Dr Bernhard Wehrli, - Prof. Dr Roman Boutellier, Vice-President Member of the Directorate Member of the Directorate Human Resources and Infrastructure - Prof. Dr Alexander Wokaun, - Dr Robert Perich, Vice-President Member of the Directorate Legend Finance and Controlling 1 Member of the Executive Committee - Prof. Dr Roland Yves Siegwart, WSL 2 Member of the Audit Committee Vice-President Research and - Prof. Dr Konrad Steffen, Director 3 For the period from 1 August 2013 to 31 Corporate Relationsn - Dr Christoph Hegg, Deputy Director January 2014, Prof. Dr Philippe Gillet, - Prof. Dr Rolf Holderegger, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, EPFL Member of the Directorate was appointed Acting President ad - Prof. Dr Patrick Aebischer, President - Dr Andreas Rigling, interim of EPFL and Member of the - Prof. Dr Philippe Gillet, Member of the Directorate ETH Board. Vice-President Academic Affairs - Dr Jürg Schweizer, Mitglied der Direktion - Prof. Dr Karl Aberer, - Dr Niklaus Zimmermann, Vice-President Information Systems Member of the Directorate As on 31 December 2013

are not employees of any of the institutions of the ETH Domain ETH Internal Appeals Commission each received a lump sum of CHF 20,000 in 2013. Additionally, they Administratively, the ETH Internal Appeals Commission is part of were paid a total of CHF 45,000 in meeting attendance remuner­ the ETH Board and decides on appeals against rulings made by ation and reimbursed for expenses actually incurred in accordance bodies of the institutions of the ETH Domain. Appeals mainly relate with the expenses rules. Those members of the ETH Board who to matters arising from legislation on human resources and higher are employees of one of the institutions of the ETH Domain do education. Appeals against the rulings of the ETH Internal Appeals not receive additional fees for their activities on the ETH Board. Commission can be made to the Federal Administrative Court. For the scope of a 50 percent FTE position, the ETH Board covers the wage and social costs incurred by ETH Zurich for the repre­ Internal Audit sentative of the University Assemblies of both Federal Institutes The Internal Audit department conducts internal audits for the of Technology, in order to guarantee this representative’s inde­ institutions of the ETH Domain (Art. 35a Para. 1 of the ETH Act and pendence from any institution. Art. 11 of the Federal Audit Office Act). This department reports

24 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Organisation and governance | Management bodies

Appeals authority ETH Board support

ETH Internal Appeals Commission 2013 Internal Audit The ETH Internal Appeals Commission is an independent The ETH Board employs Internal Audit staff (as per Art. 35a of the judicial authority based in Bern and reports to the ETH Board. ETH Act), who report directly to the President of the ETH Board. - Prof. Dr Hansjörg Peter, President - Patrick Graber, Head - Beatrice Susanne Vogt, Vice-President - Astrid Forster, Member Staff of the ETH Board - Consuelo Antille, Member The ETH Board’s staff support it in fulfilling its legal mandate, - Jannick Griner, Member particularly regarding strategic leadership, supervision, promo­ - Yolanda Schärli, Member tion of cooperation in the ETH Domain and liaising with the - Prof. em. Rodolphe Schlaepfer, Member Federal authorities.

Executive Team - Dr Michael Käppeli, Executive Director directly to the President of the ETH Board and its activities are - PD Dr Kurt Baltensperger, Science supervised by the Audit Committee. It provides independent, - Markus Bernhard, Communication (until 31.10.2013) objective auditing services and supports the ETH Domain in - Dr Dieter Künzli, Finance achieving its aims by assessing the effectiveness of the risk man­ - Dr Urs Müller, Legal Services agement processes and of the internal control, monitoring and - Michael Quetting, Real Estate governance processes. It is also responsible for coordinating and - Martin Sommer, Human Resources supporting the external audits of the ETH Domain. The Internal Audit department reports on its own activities, in particular to the Audit Committee. Information policy Auditors Its statutory role makes the ETH Board an interface between The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) performs external auditing science, politics and society. Within its rules of procedure, the duties for the ETH Domain (Art. 35a Para. 3 of the ETH Act). It is ETH Board undertakes to ensure honest, appropriate and trans­ responsible for auditing the accounts of the individual institutions parent communication for the benefit of society and aims to of the ETH Domain and the ETH Domain’s consolidated accounts. explain its decisions and reinforce the role and reputation of the In 2013, the SFAO audited the financial statements of both Federal ETH Domain. Responsibility for this resides with the President. Institutes of Technology as well as the consolidated financial The key communication tools are the ETH Board’s annual report statements of the ETH Domain. As in previous years, it delegated to the Federal Government, the website www.ethboard.ch, tar­ the auditing of the financial statements of the four research geted media relations work and the case-by-case illumination institutes to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bern. The SFAO’s audit of relevant facts and positions, particularly regarding policies on report on the consolidated accounts comprises a confirmation education, research and innovation. report and a management letter. The Audit Committee discusses these reports annually with representatives of the SFAO. In 2013, Guidelines concerning secondary occupations the SFAO invoiced CHF 268,144 for its 2012 annual review and the The ETH Board has adapted its guidelines regarding the procedure 2013 mid-term review of the entire ETH Domain. for assessing secondary occupations exercised by members of the Executive Boards of the two Federal Institutes of Technology and Internal control system members of the directorates of the four research institutes of 15 The institutions of the ETH Domain have an internal control sys­ October 2012 in line with the new statutory provisions on person­ tem, which was introduced in line with Federal regulations. The nel set out in the ETH Domain Ordinance of 19 November 2003 (new SFAO can thus audit the accounting system and finance-related Article 7a) and the Personnel Ordinance for the ETH Domain of 15 business processes using the same methods as for other Federal March 2001 (new Article 56a). institutions or private-sector enterprises of comparable size.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 25 OVERVIEW Organisation and governance | Members of the ETH Board

Fritz Schiesser Joël Mesot * 1954, Swiss citizen, Dr iur. * 1964, Swiss citizen, Prof. Dr sc. nat. President of the ETH Board (80 %) Member of the ETH Board since 2010 (representative of the Chairman of the Executive Committee since 2008 research institutes) and of its Executive Committee since 2010 Lawyer at RHS & Partner Rechtsanwälte und Director of PSI since 2008, Dual professor at ETH Zurich/EPFL since 2008 Urkundspersonen since 1998 (part-time) Joël Mesot studied physics at ETH Zurich, obtaining a doctorate in solid-state Fritz Schiesser studied law at the University of Zurich and has been a lawyer physics. After residing abroad, he joined PSI, where he became head of the and notary since 1998. From 1990 to 2007, he was a member of the Council Laboratory for Neutron Scattering in 2004 and was elected director in 2007. of States, where he served as President from 2003 to 2004, and he was Joël Mesot is a board member at the “European Association of National President of the Foundation Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation Research Facilities”, second Vice President of the Marcel Benoist Foundation from 1999 to 2007. Fritz Schiesser is a board member at the Sandoz Family and a foundation board member at "Förderstiftung Technopark Aargau". He Foundation, Proto Chemicals, Schweizerische Mobiliar and Hefti AG. As of is also a member of the “German Helmholtz Senate Commission”, the “Inter­ 2009, he is a member of the Foundation Board of the think-tank Avenir national Science Policy Committee of the NRC Kurchatov Institute”, Russia, Suisse and since 2012 member of the Foundation Board of the Swiss Science and the “Neutron Advisory Board of Oak Ridge National Laboratory”, USA. Center Technorama in Winterthur. Beatrice Fasana Arnaboldi Paul L. Herrling * 1969, Swiss citizen, Dipl. Ing. Lm * 1946, Swiss citizen, Prof. Dr phil. II Member of the ETH Board since 2012 Member of the ETH Board since 2004 and Vice-President since 2008 Managing Director at Sandro Vanini SA since 2013 Chair Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases since 2012 Beatrice Fasana Arnaboldi studied food sciences at ETH Zurich. After a train­ Paul L. Herrling obtained a doctorate in natural sciences at the University of eeship at the Nestlé Research and Development Center in New Milford (Con­ Zurich. From 1996 to 2002 he was Head of the Novartis Pharma research, from necticut, USA), she worked in various leadership roles for several large food 2002 to 2010 Head of Corporate Research at Novartis International, and then and beverage production companies in Switzerland, including Chocolat Frey worked as Head of the Novartis Institutes for Developing World Medical and Coca-Cola. Until the end of 2012, she ran her own company BeFood Research until the end of 2011. At the University of Basel, he has been pro­ Consulting SA. Since 2013 she has held the position of Managing Director at fessor of drug discovery science since 2001 and member of the University Sandro Vanini SA, a company of the Haecky Group. Council since 2007. He is on Boards of Trustees in the Novartis Group and in various foundations. Barbara Haering * 1953, Swiss and Canadian citizen, Dr sc. nat., Dr h. c. Ralph Eichler Member of the ETH Board and of the Audit Committee since 2008 * 1947, Swiss citizen, Prof. Dr sc. nat. Managing Partner and Vice-President of the Supervisory Board Member of the ETH Board since 2004 and at econcept since 1998 of its Executive Committee since 2008 Barbara Haering studied natural sciences and obtained a doctorate in spatial President of ETH Zurich since 2007 planning at ETH Zurich in 1996. From 1979 to 1983, she was a member of the Ralph Eichler studied physics at ETH Zurich and he returned there as a pro­ Cantonal Council of Zurich and she served on the National Council from 1990 fessor in 1989. From 1998 to 2002, he was Deputy Director of the Paul Scher­ to 2007. Barbara Haering is Managing Partner and Vice-President of the rer Institut PSI, where he then served as Director until 2007. Ralph Eichler is Supervisory Board at econcept and member of the board of directors of the on the Boards of Directors of Belenos Clean Power Holding Ltd. and Venture Ernst Schweizer AG. She co-chairs the European Research and Innovation Incubator AG. He is a member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences. Area Board (ERAB) of the European Commission and is also the President of He is also Vice-President of the Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Universities the Foundation Board of the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (CRUS) and board member of “swissuniversities” association, founded in 2012. as well as of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining.

Patrick Aebischer Beth Krasna * 1954, Swiss citizen, Prof. Dr med. * 1953, Swiss and US citizen Member of the ETH Board since 2004 and Member of the ETH Board since 2003 and President of the Audit of its Executive Committee since 2008 Committee since 2008, Independent member of the Board of Directors President of EPFL since 2000 Independent Board Member Beth Krasna has a degree in chemical engineering Patrick Aebischer studied medicine and neurosciences at the universities from ETH Zurich and a master’s degree in management from the Massachusetts of Fribourg and Geneva. He has worked as a professor at Brown University Institute of Technology (Cambridge, USA). Beth Krasna is a member of the Boards (Rhode Island, USA). In 1999, the Federal Council elected him President of Directors of Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, Bonnard & Gardel Holding, Coop and of EPFL. Patrick Aebischer conducts research on the molecular mechanisms Raymond Weil. She is also a member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences of neurodegenerative diseases. He has founded three biotechnology firms as well as of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and is a member of the respective Boards of Directors of the Lonza Group and, since March 2010, president of the Fondation en faveur de l’art chorégraphique. and Nestle Health Science.

26 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain OVERVIEW Organisation and governance | Members of the ETH Board

Members of the ETH Board (1st row, left to right): Fritz Schiesser (President), Paul Herrling, Ralph Eichler, Patrick Aebischer; (2nd row, left to right): Joël Mesot, Beatrice Fasana Arnaboldi, Barbara Haering, Beth Krasna; (3rd row, left to right): Jasmin Staiblin, Markus Stauffacher, Olivier Steimer

Jasmin Staiblin Olivier Steimer * 1970, German citizen, Dipl. Ing. * 1955, Swiss citizen Member of the ETH Board since 2012 Member of the ETH Board since 2012 CEO of Alpiq Holding Ltd. since 2013 Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jasmin Staiblin studied electrical engineering and physics at Karlsruhe Banque Cantonale Vaudoise since 2002 Institute of Technology (Germany) and the Royal Institute of Technology in Olivier Steimer studied jurisprudence at the University of Lausanne. He is Stockholm (Sweden). After joining the ABB Corporate Research Center in Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Swiss Federal Railways and of the Dättwil as a research assistant in 1997, she advanced through various Bank Council of the Swiss National Bank. He presides over the Foundation positions at ABB. From 2006 until 2012 she was Country Manager and Board of the Swiss Finance Institute and the committee of the Bureau de President of the Executive Board at ABB Schweiz. Since 2013 she has been construction de l’Université de Lausanne-Dorigny. Amongst others he is mem­ CEO of the energy company Alpiq Holding Ltd. She is also a member of the ber of the Board of Directors of Ace Ltd in Zurich and of Allreal Holding AG in Board of Directors at Georg Fischer AG and Rolls-Royce plc. Baar. He also is vice-president of the Foundation Board at Avenir Suisse and a member of the Executive Committee at Economiesuisse. Markus Stauffacher * 1952, Swiss citizen, Dr phil. nat. Member of the ETH Board since 2007 and of the Executive Committee since 2008 Delegate of the university assemblies of ETH Zurich and EPFL Senior scientist at ETH Zurich Markus Stauffacher graduated in zoology at the University of Basel and he obtained a doctorate in zoology at the University of Bern in 1988. This recipient of prestigious research prizes and three-time winner of the Golden Owl teach­ ing award has been a senior scientist at ETH Zurich since 1994; from 1996 to 2011, he was also responsible for special fields at the University of Zurich’s Vetsuisse Faculty. He has been an animal protection expert on the Council of Europe since 1997 and the ETH Zurich Executive Board’s animal welfare delegate since 2010.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 27 FASCINATION Fascination, diversity and excellence – values the ETH Domain stands for. They are impressively highlighted in the chapter “Fascination”.

A transdisciplinary, inter- EPFL university project launched by EPFL and Ca’Foscari Uni- Virtual time versity in Venice aims to let us experience and digitally travel to ETH Zurich explore the lagoon city as far back as 1000 CE. historic Venice Quality management

Teaching at ETH Zurich ensures that students receive a research- focused and practice-oriented education. To this end, the university has, for a long time, PSI adopted a differentiated approach to quality management. A bright future: the SwissFEL

There are only five such research facilities in the world: with the SwissFEL, a new large scale research facility is being built at PSI for carrying out research into dynamic physical, chemical or biochemical processes at the atomic level.

28 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain WSL The WSL is globally renowned for its tree-ring research. An Wood from the extraordinary discovery in Zurich’s Binz district has now ice age revealed pine stumps aged over 13,000 years old.

A futuristic petrol station is Empa being set up on the Empa site in Dübendorf. It takes surplus The petrol station electricity and makes it usable for mobility purposes and sup- of the future plying it to petrol pumps as a renewable fuel (component).

Eawag In the field of water conservation standardised toxicity tests always Gill cell cultures been carried out on fish and fish embryos until now. Eawag has instead of developed an alternative test using gill cells that might replace animal tests animal tests.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 29 FASCINATION ETH Zurich | Quality management

Teaching: differentiated quality management Teaching at ETH Zurich ensures that students receive a research-focused and practice-oriented education. To this end, the university has, for a long time, adopted a differentiated approach to quality management which is supported by students and lecturers alike. In 2013, the Rector set out “Quality Criteria for Teaching” in a binding document which applies across ETH Zurich.

Thea Schweigler is a chemistry student in her fifth semester. For the to check whether a curriculum meets the required standards. past two years she has been involved in the Vereinigung der Che­ A few well-coordinated tools from the quality management miestudierenden (Chemistry students’ society, VCS) at ETH Zurich. system are used to provide students, lecturers, departments Together with her fellow students on the chemistry, chemical engi­ and the Executive Board of ETH Zurich with information about neering and interdisciplinary natural sciences programmes, she what specifically needs to be improved or changed in teaching organises what is known as “semester feedback” over the course and learning. of the semester. “Talking to the professors directly about their courses One example is the final course evaluation for the evaluation during the semester is extremely worthwhile,” she says. of teaching. Each course is evaluated by the students in writing, The semester feedback scheme was introduced four years ago and recently online, too. The evaluations take place every two on the initiative of the VSETH, the student association of ETH years, at the end of the autumn and spring semesters of the Zurich, making it one of the latest tools to be added to the academic year. Courses involving written performance assessments university’s quality management system. Its aim is to examine are evaluated after the examination. The students receive a the content and quality of the courses taught, as well as their request to carry out an online assessment of the courses they focal areas within the current curriculum. What makes the semes­ have attended, the lecturers responsible for the courses and the ter feedback concept unique is that it is organised and imple­ examinations, as well as their own learning behaviour. The mented by students from the various faculty associations in evaluations can be viewed by the students, lecturers and the consultation with their professors. “The semester feedback pro­ Rector at the appropriate level for them. The evaluation results vides us, as teaching staff, with important input for our work,” are discussed by the departmental teaching committees, which says Prof. Andreas Vaterlaus, “because it is gathered during the are made up of equal numbers of lecturers, students and assis­ course of the semester, so we still have an opportunity to respond tants, then the head of the department decides on any measures to any specific requirements from the students.” for improvement to be taken and informs the Rector of these in a report. The reports also comment on the results of previous Coherent quality assurance measures measures taken. “Our aim,” says Andreas Vaterlaus, “is to keep Andreas Vaterlaus is a physics professor, but he is involved in further developing the quality of teaching, which is already at a another specialist field, too: training prospective secondary school very high standard.” The Educational Development and Technol­ teachers in specialist methodology for teaching physics. He has ogy (LET) unit run by the Rector offers teaching courses or coach­ also gained the position of Prorector for Curriculum Development ing sessions introducing innovative teaching and learning meth­ at ETH Zurich. Together with his team, he provides support for ods to help lecturers and assistants. departments looking to revise or completely redevelop study The semester feedback and the final evaluation complement programmes. This involves offering guidance on all matters relat­ each other in that, while there is a delay before the final evalu­ ing to quality assurance. In 2013, the Rector also set out the key ation assessments and any associated measures taken can make elements for ensuring high-quality teaching in the “Quality Cri­ an impact on how the evaluated courses are run in the future, teria for Teaching”. These can be used to help organise and the semester feedback offers the chance to make immediate develop study programmes, and they also serve as a tool for the changes. For the semester feedback scheme, student repre­ relevant department, Executive Board or an external team of experts sentatives work together with the relevant lecturers to draw up

30 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION ETH Zurich | Quality management

1

2 3

4

5

1/2 One of the quality assurance tools used for teaching: questionnaires for evaluating a course.

3/4 A constructive environment: Prof. Antonio Togni, Thea Schweigler and Prof. Andreas Vaterlaus (from left to right) discuss the semester feedback and final evaluation as well as possible measures for improvement.

5 Logo of the EduApp mobile application for studying and teaching at ETH Zurich.

6 Multifunctional and interactive: students can use EduApp to ask questions during a lecture and the lecturer 6 can answer them straight away.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 31 FASCINATION ETH Zurich | Quality management

a questionnaire, which the students can download via ETH Zurich’s Assessing Master’s theses – a benchmark project multifunctional mobile application “EduApp” and must complete run by the IDEA League within a two-week period. “These kinds of tools are also impor­ The Master’s thesis usually marks the culmination of a university tant for us, to help establish a relationship based on trust,” says Master’s degree programme. The assessment of these theses Antonio Togni, a professor of chemistry, “We take the students’ should be transparent and consistent, which is why the IDEA requirements seriously.” “As a lecturer, you naturally want to League launched a benchmark project to compare Master’s the­ know how the material you are teaching is being received and ses from all of its partner universities. During workshops, profes­ whether it is being understood,” adds Andreas Vaterlaus. As far sors involved in the IDEA League formulated six “golden princi­ as Thea Schweigler is concerned, the main advantage of the final ples”. One of these recommends including an element of evaluation is that it assesses the quality of the examinations as self-reflection in the assessment to enable students to document well as the courses themselves. “For us as students, examinations their individual learning process and understand it better. The and the way they are structured serve as an extremely important “golden principles” are to be discussed at the IDEA League part­ control mechanism for our continued learning,” says the chemistry ner universities in 2014 with a view to incorporating them into student. ETH Zurich places great importance on ensuring that the universities’ quality management systems. these examinations run fairly and properly. With this in mind, a guide for lecturers on how to award grades has recently been Specialists in the further development of teaching produced – after all, the correct way to test students is also The Rector also provides financial support for innovative teach­ something which has to be learned. “It may be that the content ing projects, many of which are carried out in departments which of an examination does not reflect the focus of the course itself,” have a “teaching specialist” on their staff. These specialists, who says Thea Schweigler. have experience of teaching at university level, help the lectur­ ers with their teaching, develop new teaching concepts to meet Future-oriented study programmes the requirements of the department and conduct research into The skills and knowledge that industry requires from university higher education. Being directly integrated in the departments, graduates are changing, which is why ETH Zurich also works the teaching specialists are able to work with the lecturers to continuously on developing the curricula for its study programmes. make a direct contribution towards the further development of Prorector Andreas Vaterlaus believes that the content of teaching teaching. “Quality management at ETH Zurich,” concludes Prorec­ and the range of courses on offer must meet the current and tor Andreas Vaterlaus, “is arguably unique in terms of its coher­ future needs of society and industry and be assessed according ence. It helps provide the optimum training for upcoming young to this. In terms of quality assurance, this means that the content academics, no matter whether they are being prepared for a of the curriculum, and not just the quality of the courses, must career in industry or in science.” be checked on a regular basis. These checks take place either every two years by means of a survey of former students conducted in cooperation with the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), or every six to eight years through assessments carried out by international teams of experts as part of departmental evaluations (see section on benchmarking, p. 126). The departmental evaluations also give an impression of how the courses offered by ETH Zurich stand up to international com­ parison: “When it comes to curriculum development, we are very happy to receive recommendations from external specialists, too. These evaluators come from the world’s leading institutions in a specific field,” explains Andreas Vaterlaus. The picture provided by the various feedback tools used serves as a basis for revising curricula. In 2013, for example, the curriculum for the environ­ mental sciences programme was analysed in depth, including by external experts. Changes are currently under discussion.

32 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION EPFL | Digital Humanities

Virtual time travel to historic Venice A transdisciplinary, interuniversity project launched by EPFL and Ca’Foscari University in Venice aims to let us experience and digitally explore the lagoon city as far back as 1000 CE. Unique historical source material – books, documents, maps – is being digitised and turned into a virtual time machine.

So you'd like to pay a visit to the 14th century Venetian textile Venice Time Machine’”, says Professor Frédéric Kaplan, “we want merchant Ludovicu Diedo in his palazzo? Or trace the route taken to train a new generation of ‘digital’ humanities scholars.” by his ship when it set off from Venice in 1439 to sail via Messina The project began with the realisation that while the Internet and Malaga before finally unloading its cargo in Southampton? can provide a snapshot of the world via satellites and Google Or are you more interested in how the lagoon area gradually Earth or Google Maps, it cannot reflect the dimension of time or became built up over the centuries? the past. “We are building a timeline,” explains Frédéric Kaplan, In the future, “The Venice Time Machine”, a project launched “along which, in our case, Venice can be studied at any point in by EPFL and Venice's Ca’ Foscari University, will be able to answer its history.” Available historical data from all kinds of sources, questions like these at the click of a mouse and in 3D. The aim dating back to the year 1000 CE, are now being linked together of the first phase of this project, which is expected to run for to give the city on the lagoon new life. This provides the observer between five to ten years, is to digitise a large part of the avail­ with new insights, a new perspective. “Our goal is to build a kind able historical source material about the lagoon city – books and of ‘Google Maps’ for the past, capable of interlinking individual documents, letters and maps and even musical scores and paint­ pieces of information and reconstructing an overall picture of ings – and to link all the resulting data together. Through the the city for any year of the last millennium.” project, the researchers hope to gain new and integrated findings about Venice's historical, economic and cultural development. Three seconds to scan each page “We want to use digitisation not only to bring together several The Digital Humanities pioneers chose Venice for their pilot pro­ different disciplines of the humanities and connect information ject for a variety of reasons. In the Middle Ages, the city on the from all kinds of sources, but also to enable people to experience lagoon not only dominated the seas, but was also Europe's trad­ this information in an entirely new way,” explains Frédéric ing centre. The city's officials kept meticulous records about tax Kaplan. He has held the newly-created chair of Digital Human­ payments or changes in the population, and also every shipment ities at EPFL since 2012. of goods was written down. The “Archivio di Stato de Venezia”, the City Archives of the Republic of Venice – which occupy over Connecting history and the digital world 300 rooms and about 80 kilometres of shelves – harbour a treas­ This fledgling science uses computational methods, mathemat­ ure trove of books, maps and administrative documents accu­ ical models and algorithms, and applies them to the arts, lit­ mulated over hundreds of years. It is a unique collection of his­ erature and cultural sciences. This requires interdisciplinary torical material. Because of its wealth, the city was also a centre cooperation between members of traditional academic fields for fine art, music and literature. such as history, archaeology and geography, and experts in mod­ Digitising this valuable material and making such a massive ern computer science and IT. For example, Digital Humanities can volume and density of data usable is one of the biggest challenges transfer antiquarian books into the digital world or make use of facing this project. “In Switzerland, we have the most advanced the methods of the still new discipline of computational linguis­ digitising technology in the world," says Frédéric Kaplan. However, tics (linguistic data processing), an interface between linguistics working on these unique sources remains very tricky. The scanners and information science. Last but not least, it is about modelling have to work without damaging the documents and yet efficiently and visualising large and complex volumes of data. “With ‘The in terms of time. “With the current technology, digitising an ancient

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 33 FASCINATION EPFL | Digital Humanities

manuscript still takes up to an hour, but we need to reach at least the speed of three seconds per page,” says Professor Frédéric Kaplan. And there are further challenges: most of the sources are handwrit­ ten and often in different languages, such as old Venetian dialects, but also Latin or Tuscan. Once digitised, the sources will need to be transcribed. Frédéric Kaplan argues that by combining linguis­ tic databases and machine vision methods, this process could be partly automated, a least for some administrative documents that follow rather standardised structures.

“Like a gigantic Sudoku” But how can this incredible volume and density of data from so many different sources be consistently processed, encoded and coded so that it is all compatible and enables “The Venice Time Machine” to become a reality? “Reconstructing maps of the past is like a gigantic Sudoku,” explains Professor Kaplan. Every will, work contract or map drafted by the city’s administration adds a new layer of knowledge. A tax document may for instance mention a shop in a given street, near a famous palazzo. An ancient map shows the precise position of the palazzo, leaving only a few pos­ sibilities for the position of the shop and a crime report involving the shop’s owner permits to disentangle the last ambiguities. In this way, with the aid of computers, all the separate data are connected and visualised in various ways to ultimately pro­ duce a detailed picture. From this wealth of data it will not only be possible to reconstruct urban maps but also to trace the development of trade, the courtly life of the Doges, and the history of music and the arts. In future, an interactive approach could mean that users can study their own individual Venice. It is a personalised way of looking at history, with a degree of diversity that has never been possible before. Venice will thus become a real historical experience for every observer.

A knowledge platform of global interest The preliminary work for “The Venice Time Machine” project has already started, with ten principal investigators, 20 PhD students and about 60 Master’s students involved. A joint Master's pro­ gramme by EPFL and Ca’ Foscari University is currently being designed. Prof. Frédéric Kaplan, whose background is in engi­ neering, is fascinated by the possibilities of this modern, trans­ disciplinary research at the interface between the humanities and technology. Before he took up the professorship of Digital Humanities in 2012, he carried out research on robotic technology and artificial intelligence at various universities in Paris. He also worked for ten years in Sony's Computer Science laboratory. Bring­ ing Venice back to life digitally is his biggest project so far. “Essen­ tially, a knowledge transfer platform like this is of global interest,” says Frédéric Kaplan, “because what we are revealing here is part of the cultural heritage of humankind.”

34 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION EPFL | Digital Humanities

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1 The late Gothic Palazzo 5 5 “Like a gigantic Sudoku” − graphics of related Foscari: domicile of the Venetian information on the lagoon city. (Image: EPFL) Ca’ Foscari University. (Image: Ca’ Foscari) 6 Visualised 3D model of the development of Venice over the millennia. (Image: EPFL) 2 Professor Frédéric Kaplan, who holds the chair of “Digital Humanities” at EPFL, in front of Jacopo de‘ Barbari’s map of Venice.

3 The “Archivio di Stato de Venezia” holds a unique treasure of historical documents and maps. (Image: Frédéric Kaplan)

4 Ancient document: the city's officials kept meticulous records e.g. about tax payments. (Image: Frédéric Kaplan) 6

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 35 FASCINATION PSI | SwissFEL

A bright future: the Swiss X-ray free-electron laser The SwissFEL X-ray free-electron laser, a new large-scale facility being built at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is designed for carrying out research into dynamic physical, chemical or biochemical processes at the atomic level. The construction of SwissFEL, which is one of only five such research facilities in the world, is progressing according to schedule and two out of three experimental stations have already been defined.

Viewed from above, the dimensions of the future SwissFEL large- vative materials,” he adds. The intention is for the new scientific scale X-ray free-electron laser facility are clear to see. The first knowledge gained from these studies at the interface between building structures are beginning to emerge on the construction fundamental and applied research to be put to use not only in a site, which extends over approximately 750 metres in the Würen­ scientific context, but also for the benefit of the Swiss economy. lingen forest near Villigen. Such is the scene captured by Webcam Findings from SwissFEL could be applied by businesses involved 1, one of three cameras recording the construction’s progress in in drug research, for example, or by companies dealing with pro­ real time (www.psi.ch/swissfel-bauinfo/webcams). The ground­ cess optimisation in the chemical industry, the use of new mate­ breaking ceremony for SwissFEL was held on 3 July 2013, with the rials, electronics or even alternative processes for generating energy. building structures due to be completed by the end of 2014. The When it is finished, the facility will be able to produce very neighbouring municipalities have been involved in the planning short X-ray light pulses with laser-like properties. This will right from the start, partly to ensure that SwissFEL is integrated enable researchers to track extremely quick processes such as the as naturally as possible into the surrounding recreation area. Two formation of new molecules during chemical reactions, to deter­ wildlife crossings are included in the plans, for example, while mine the exact structure of vital proteins or to examine the a protective wall is being installed alongside a path to keep it precise composition of materials. “You have to think of SwissFEL free for cyclists and pedestrians. Interested visitors can find out as a very large microscope,” says Rafael Abela. “At the moment, more about the project from online information, brochures and our knowledge of many processes is limited to what happens at an interactive information desk (see p. 101), as well as from the the beginning and at the end – but we don’t know what happens information board available on site. in between, such as precisely how a chemical reaction unfolds SwissFEL will go into operation at the end of 2016. Rafael Abela, at the atomic level. Until now this has simply been impossible Project Leader Photonics for SwissFEL at PSI, is delighted with the to see.” Once SwissFEL is up and running, the researchers will be progress of the construction work, which has so far managed to able to trace and analyse rapid processes of this kind in detail. remain on schedule. The facility is being built in stages based on They will be able to see, in a step-by-step sequence, how the three crucial elements: the almost 700-metre long building struc­ smallest parts of a substance separate from one another during ture itself, the accelerator (the central and largest component of a chemical reaction and gather together to form a new structure. the facility) and the three planned experimental stations, i.e. the hubs where the researchers will eventually carry out their work. Tricky tasks for developers SwissFEL is an X-ray light source which combines state-of-the-art Reinforcing Switzerland’s status as a centre for research technologies from the fields of acceleration physics, optical lasers The SwissFEL large-scale scientific facility will reinforce Switzer­ and magnet technology in one innovative large-scale research land’s status as a centre for research in the long term and “help facility. Extremely short and intense flashes of X-ray light are researchers, including biologists and chemists as well as materials produced inside the facility using emitted electrons, which are scientists, to make new discoveries through fundamental research,” forced onto a narrow, snake-like course by strong magnets known says Rafael Abela. “The focus here is on structural biology and as undulators. This takes advantage of the fact that electrons protein research, investigating dynamic processes in molecules or which have to change their course emit electromagnetic radiation; between individual atoms, and examining solid bodies and inno­ depending on the nature of the movement, the radio waves

36 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION PSI | SwissFEL

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1 Rafael Abela, Project Leader Photonics for SwissFEL at PSI, is delighted with the progress of the project.

2 MDC Max Daetwyler is building 4 Marco Pedrozzi, Coordinator SwissFEL the mechanical element of the Injector, attends preliminary tests on the undulators in which the X-ray 250 MeV injector. (Image: PSI) light will be produced. 5 The first structures are emerging on the 3 Embedded in its natural construction site, which is approximately surroundings: the SwissFEL 750 metres long, in the Würenlingen forest. X-ray free-electron laser at PSI. (status as at November 2013) (Drawing: PSI) A Injector B Linear accelerator C ARAMIS undulators 5 D Beamlines, experiments and laboratories

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 37 FASCINATION PSI | SwissFEL

produced may be visible light or just X-ray light. The X-ray light has not yet reached the preliminary testing stage, will be to generated at SwissFEL can be used by the scientists at the exper­ “research the atomic structure of membrane proteins,” accord­ imental stations to study dynamic or biochemical processes. ing to Dr Rafael Abela. This kind of knowledge could have far- The developers at PSI were faced with some tricky tasks in reaching consequences for medical research and the researchers planning and designing the highly complex SwissFEL facility, are hoping to uncover new findings on, for example, molecular with some aspects requiring new technologies to be developed processes in infectious diseases or even tumours. from scratch. “Rather than simply borrowing the technology from similar facilities in the USA and Japan, we wanted to build on their experiences,” says Rafael Abela. There is good reason for this: right from the start, SwissFEL was designed to be more economical and more compact than existing X-ray lasers. “At 700 metres in length, our large-scale facility is also much shorter,” Dr Rafael Abela explains. As the very first energy- optimised X-ray free-electron laser, it also sets new standards with an innovative energy concept designed to reduce power consumption. SwissFEL will also be the only facility of its kind in the world to feature a heat recovery system, which will feed waste heat back into the PSI energy grid.

A focus on photochemistry and materials research It was clear from the very beginning that the developers would rely on cooperation with Swiss companies for certain aspects of the project, such as building the accelerator components. The precision manufacture of the accelerator modules, which have tolerances measured in thousandths of a millimetre, is being taken care of by TEL Mechatronics AG (formerly known as Oerlikon Mechatronics), a company based in Trübbach in the Rhine valley region of the canton of St. Gallen. The task of constructing the mechanical part of the undulators – the devices in which the X-ray light is produced – has been awarded to MDC Max Daetwyler AG from Bleienbach in the canton of Bern. “By setting up large-scale facilities, we not only want to open up new opportunities for research centres and universities, but it is also our deliberate intention to establish a way of transferring technology to Swiss industry,” says Rafael Abela. When the high-tech facility goes into operation in 2016, as planned, it will comprise three different experimental stations, two of which have already been defined. One will be devoted to disciplines such as photochemistry, through which fundamental catalytic processes can be examined. In this area, the research­ ers at PSI are also hoping to find answers to questions relating to renewable energies. “If we can find an answer to the question of why photoactive complexes are only 20 percent active, for exam­ ple, it might enable us to build structures more effectively,” says Rafael Abela. At this experimental station, it will be possible to investigate chemical processes which could aid the development of more efficient catalysts. The intention is also for pioneering experiments on protein structures to be carried out here, to complement the research being conducted at PSI’s Swiss Light Source (SLS) facility. The second station to have already been defined will be primarily geared towards materials research. This will involve studying the atomic structure of innovative materi­ als, including materials which could be used to store information. One of the objectives of SwissFEL’s third research station, which

38 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION WSL | Tree-ring research 3

Wood from the ice age The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) is globally renowned for its tree-ring research. An extraordinary discovery in Zurich’s Binz district revealed pine stumps aged over 13,000 years old, which are being analysed to obtain new scientific findings and valuable insights into climate change.

The tree stumps, of which there are nearly 260 in total, are now ETH Zurich scientists, led by Lukas Wacker, analyse how much of being kept on the WSL site in Birmensdorf, near Zurich, where this specific carbon is present in the samples and use this to they are carefully sorted and covered with canvas. At first glance, determine the age of the pines,” explains Ulf Büntgen. they look like any old tree stumps and you would probably pass by them in a forest without a second thought. Yet they are caus­ Tree rings serve as climatic fingerprints ing a scientific sensation. Over the next few years, keen scientists With the support of the building company involved, the precious will be using them to glean valuable insights into the climatic tree stumps were properly secured and transported to WSL, where conditions in Switzerland at the end of the last ice age. they are now being comprehensively catalogued, analysed and What is remarkable about this wood is its age: the pines grew evaluated. The age and size of this unique discovery is not just over 13,000 years ago, just after the retreat of the great Alpine useful to the tree-ring research carried out at WSL; it is also of glaciers. This makes this substantial and well-preserved discov­ interest to other researchers from all manner of disciplines across ery the oldest of its kind. The intention now is to carefully study the world. For example, WSL is currently working with specialists the wood from these trees for scientific purposes. For the WSL such as archaeologists, biologists, botanists and geneticists from tree-ring researchers – or dendrochronologists – this find is a Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. particular stroke of luck: the stumps were found in the Binz “We hope that the Binz discovery will help us gain new insights district of Zurich, practically on their doorstep. into the climate shortly after the glacial retreat and supplement Was that a coincidence? “Not exactly,” says Ulf Büntgen, Head the existing knowledge in the international dendrochronological of the Dendroecology Group at WSL, “Thanks to the work of our database,” says David Frank, who leads WSL’s Dendroclimatology late colleague Professor Klaus Felix Kaiser, we knew that there Group. This database, which was set up years ago thanks to WSL must once have been a forest on the discovery site. But we didn’t and is supplied with data from numerous research centres across know how much of it had actually been preserved.” In spring the globe, contains ring measurements from thousands of trees. 2013, WSL technical staff member Daniel Nievergelt went out for It is an important source of data for climate researchers, as tree a walk and, coming across an excavation pit which had been dug rings provide valuable information about the development of a on the site, decided to take a closer look. There, lying in a skip, tree and the environmental influences to which it was exposed. he found a tree stump that had been unearthed from the loamy The effects of dry summers and cold winters make a particular soil and set aside for disposal by construction workers – a stump impact, making it possible to reconstruct the climate of the past. dating back thousands of years. Conclusions about changes in climate can then be drawn from Researchers from ETH Zurich initially used 14C dating to deter­ comparisons with current data. mine the age of the trees. This confirmed that the prehistoric Yet how can tree rings be scientifically analysed? “We cut a forest originated from the end of the last ice age, some 13,500 small wedge out of the trunk. It is important that the material years ago. This dating method, known as radiocarbon dating, is is still intact, from the bark right through to the centre,” explains a standardised procedure for calculating the age of organic mate­ Ulf Büntgen, giving a few examples by way of illustration. The rial. The year in which the carbon bonded can be determined rings are clearly distinguishable and vary in width. Researchers with the help of naturally occurring radioactive 14C atoms, which measure the widths of the tree rings and the density of the wood, decompose completely within approximately 50,000 years. “The revealing patterns shared by all rings originating from the same

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 39 FASCINATION WSL | Tree-ring research

period in a particular type of tree within specific regions. “It’s like a climatic fingerprint,” says Ulf Büntgen. Wide rings and very dense wood are an indication of good growing conditions, with plenty of warm weather and sufficient rain to stimulate the tree rings’ growth. Narrow rings, on the other hand, tend to be a sign of a dry, cold climate. By analysing the tree rings of ancient trees, Ulf Büntgen and an international and multidisciplinary team of researchers have been able to reconstruct, for example, the summer climate in Europe over the past 2,500 years. This involved examining some 9,000 samples from oaks and conifers and comparing this data with research results from archaeologists, historians and clima­ tologists. This interdisciplinary approach has made it possible to demonstrate correlations between climatic conditions and social events in history. For instance, the famine during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) was exacerbated by a cold period. It has also been possible to prove, for the first time, that the plague which hit Europe in the mid-14th century coincided with climatic variations. Virulence and the spread of the Black Death were likely influenced by the cold, damp climate at the time.

Interdisciplinary tree ring research Now that global climate change is high up on the political agenda, dendrochronologists have found that their scientific work is in high demand. The latest report from the UN’s climate panel (IPCC), for example, gave tree-ring analysis as a primary source when presenting progressive changes in temperature as part of climate change over the past millennium. Scientific findings of this kind have also found their way into political debate on issues such as how to deal with climate change. Recent improvements in technological facilities and scientific procedures for analysing organic cell material are a key reason why tree-ring research now plays such an important role within climate research. WSL researcher Kerstin Treydte, for one, analy­ ses isotope concentrations in individual tree rings to determine the CO2 content in the atmosphere far back in the past. “If we compare this data with current measurement values, we can draw conclusions regarding the impact of climate change and the greenhouse effects on plant growth,” explains David Frank. The isotope analyses are carried out by scientists at the WSL labora­ tory in close cooperation with colleagues from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). They involve separating individual tree rings and analysing wood samples using a mass spectrometer. It is no surprise that WSL is leading the way in terms of inter­ national tree-ring research. After all, back in the early 1970s Professor Fritz Schweingruber had already established tree-ring analysis at what was then the Federal Institute for Forest Research (EAFV). “Now we are spearheading tree-ring research at interna­ tional level,” Ulf Büntgen says with pride.

40 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION WSL | Tree-ring research

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1 WSL storage space in Birmensdorf, where the prehistoric tree stumps are being kept.

2 Daniel Nievergelt, WSL technical staff member, discovered the subfossil forest and its over 13,000-year-old tree stumps. 5

3 A piece of wood, processed and catalogued, provides insights into the climatic conditions at the end of the last ice age.

4 Precision work: microsections are produced using the microtome.

5 Prepared and stained microsections ready for wood anatomical analysis.

6 A tree ring under the microscope: the individual cells are clearly recognisable and reveal different stages of decomposition of the wood found in Binz. 6

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 41 FASCINATION Empa | Future mobility

The petrol station of the future A futuristic petrol station is being set up on the Empa site in Dübendorf. It takes surplus electricity and makes it usable for mobility purposes by converting it into chemical energy, storing it and supplying it to petrol pumps as a renewable fuel (component) for private transport vehicles.

Welcome to the petrol station of the future! Known as the “Future we can develop practical and economically feasible solutions which Mobility Demonstrator”, it will be up and running on the Empa do not rely on fossil fuels to meet the mobility requirements of the campus in Dübendorf from 2014 onwards. It is the centrepiece of a future,” says Brigitte Buchmann, with conviction. “The platform is demonstration platform sponsored by the Swiss Federal Office of not just a demonstration facility; it will also be used for fundamen­ Energy (SFOE) for showcasing innovative technologies in the mobil­ tal research into solar water splitting, collecting CO2 from the atmos­ ity sector. “From green energy to clean fuel” is the phrase used by phere or methanation, which will then be transferred to applied Brigitte Buchmann, a member of Empa’s board and Head of the research and used in the Demonstrator at a later stage.” Mobility, Energy and Environment department, to describe the objective of this platform. While today’s conventional petrol pumps An example of sustainable mobility dispense unleaded petrol or diesel, the Demonstrator’s pumps The project has been designed with a whole raft of objectives in provide pure hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles, a mixture of hydrogen mind. It aims to make use of renewable energies as the basis for and natural gas or biogas for gas-powered vehicles and electricity producing sustainable fuels such as hydrogen, methane or even for electric vehicles. synthetic fuel. It also intends to prevent surplus power from wind Installed on the roof of this “fuel hub” is a photovoltaic system. and solar energy from being wasted and to make it capable of This provides solar power, which is then fed into an electrolyser, being stored in the form of hydrogen. This opens up the possibil­ where – just like any surplus energy temporarily accumulated from ity of establishing a link with the electricity and gas market and the grid – it splits water to obtain hydrogen (and oxygen). Unlike providing a new use or long-term storage for the energy obtained electrical power, hydrogen is a gaseous energy source, which means from this. Adding hydrogen to natural gas and biogas at petrol it can be stored efficiently and cost-effectively, used to generate stations also helps to improve the efficiency of combustion engines energy for mobility or even combined with the greenhouse gas CO2 and to reduce their emissions, which in turn has a positive effect to produce methane. This concept is known amongst experts as on CO2 emissions. “Ultimately,” Brigitte Buchmann sums up, “the “power-to-gas” and offers great potential for converting energy into Future Mobility Demonstrator is a practical example of how sustain­ fuel. “The storage and use of surplus energy from renewable sources able mobility can be implemented in a scalable way.” are essential elements of a successful energy turnaround,” says Mobility (including private transport) is currently responsible Project Manager Brigitte Buchmann. In the context of this wider for around 40 percent of Switzerland’s CO2 emissions. According to programme, the “Future Mobility Demonstrator” is just one of sev­ SFOE figures, transport is also the biggest culprit in overall energy eral research and technology platforms in the ETH Domain. It is an consumption, accounting for approximately one third. Sustainable interdisciplinary project which pools together a diverse range of mobility needs to be established in a step-by-step process. Gas, scientific expertise from various research institutions, universities electricity and hydrogen-powered vehicles have a key role to play and partners from industry. Aside from Empa, the Paul Scherrer in this, because they are much easier to convert to using renew­ Institute (PSI) contributes its expertise in electrolysis, while ETH Zurich able energy sources than vehicles which run on petrol or diesel. offers specialist knowledge of regulating and optimising technical For an overall assessment, however, researchers also have to con­ systems and developing new combustion methods for combustion sider the different drive technologies’ overall expenditure on energy engines, and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) provides and materials, along with issues such as the need to provide grid connection know-how. “With the ‘Future Mobility Demonstrator’, vehicles with fuel when there is no surplus electricity available.

42 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION Empa | Future mobility

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1 Christian Bach, Head of the Internal Combus­ tion Engines department at Empa, is in charge of CLEVER Volkswagen, a car powered by bio­ methane and electricity from the “Clean and 5 Efficient Vehicle Research” project jointly run by Empa, ETH Zurich, Bosch AG and Volkswagen.

2 Christian Bach explains the new combustion method for controlled turbocharged natural gas/ biogas engines and hybridisation in coordination with this.

3 Powered by a hydrogen-based fuel cell: the “hy.muve” municipal cleaning vehicle undergoes an inspection as part of a pilot test.

4 How do electric engines behave in testing under real-life conditions? Christian Allenspach (left) and Thomas Bütler at the car test bench.

5 Test in real-life conditions: hydrogen used as a fuel for private and goods transport.

6 Lorry engines are also being further devel­ oped, prepared for biogas and examined on the new engine test bench. 6

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 43 FASCINATION Empa | Future mobility

Interest from industry The energy turnaround postulated by the Swiss Federal Council and the CO2 legislation set to be imposed on cars and vans from 2015 make Empa’s Demonstrator an interesting project for indus­ try, too. Some companies are already actively involved in the research platform. One automotive manufacturer, for example, is providing assistance with practical tests on several natural gas and biogas-powered vehicles over the course of a two-year trial involv­ ing the addition of hydrogen to the gas. The natural gas or biogas is being mixed with two, 15 or 25 percent hydrogen. The research­ ers will then evaluate the test results to show what impact this has on the engine operation and efficiency, CO2 emissions and mileage. A compressor manufacturing company has now also expressed an interest in working with the researchers on this project, while local energy providers such as Glattwerk AG and the City of Dübendorf have already entered into a partnership. “hy.muve” (“hydrogen-driven municipal vehicle”) is the name of a hydrogen-powered road sweeping vehicle developed by Empa in collaboration with the PSI and the Swiss company Bucher Schörling, the world’s leading manufacturer of municipal clean­ ing vehicles. This road sweeper runs on a hydrogen-based fuel cell, which generates power for the electric drive system on board and consumes 60 to 70 percent less energy than a conventional vehicle. This example also goes to show that industry is engaging intensively with the issue of sustainable mobility. The “hy.muve” road sweeper has already been put to use on the streets of Meyrin, Bern, St. Gallen and Basel as part of a pilot test. However, the problem of how to supply stored electricity, methane/hydrogen fuel mixtures and pure hydrogen to petrol pumps throughout the country has not yet been resolved – and this is precisely what the “Future Mobility Demonstrator” project on the Empa campus is now aiming to do. Once the Demonstra­ tor goes into operation, it will be possible to fuel several hydro­ gen and gas-powered vehicles there per day and to supply electric vehicles with stored electricity via a charging station. The Demonstrator also has a showroom, where both private indi­ viduals and interested companies can come and find out about the latest technologies for decentralised power-to-gas systems and low-emission, sustainable mobility in private transport. That may be the moment when the platform’s fundamental research makes the transition into applied research, and ultimately into the market as an innovation.

44 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION Eawag | Alternative to animal testing

Toxicity tests on gill cell cultures instead of fish According to EU regulations, standardised toxicity tests on chemical products are necessary for determining their environmental compatibility and how toxic they are to humans. In the field of water conservation, these tests have always been carried out on fish and, more recently, fish embryos, but now the Dübendorf-based research institute Eawag has developed an alternative test using gill cells propagated in vitro from rainbow trout instead.

Refrigerators, workbenches, pipettes, microscopes and test appa­ the “Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of ratus: the workspaces in the Department of Environmental Chemicals” (REACH) in 2007. This regulation stipulates that all indus­ Toxicology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and trial chemicals placed on the market in quantities of more than Technology (Eawag) in Dübendorf look like any other typical test one tonne per year must undergo a toxicity analysis. The purpose laboratory. This is where chemicals and wastewater are analysed of this is, naturally, to protect people and the environment from to determine their toxicity, and scientific and toxicological harmful substances. However, rather than reducing the need for experiments are carried out to help protect the environment. testing on animals, this regulation also means that more animal Researchers usually use live fish for testing purposes, but this is testing is being carried out worldwide. not the case at Eawag. “We have set ourselves the challenge of developing a test for examining chemicals which requires no Older test procedures could become superfluous animal testing whatsoever,” says Kristin Schirmer, Head of the Environmental toxicology for water conservation purposes has Department of Environmental Toxicology. always relied on tolerance tests carried out on fish. These tests Eawag, which is part of the ETH Domain, has been working on have to be OECD-certified and internationally recognised. For a reducing animal testing activities in environmental toxicology long time, the method used to date – known as the “acute fish for some time and is leading the way in this regard at international test” – was regarded as the scientific standard. This involves level. Kristin Schirmer’s team made a breakthrough in 2013 when exposing the laboratory fish, kept in aquariums, to different they succeeded in proving that it is also possible to accurately doses of the substance being tested over a four-day period, then predict the acute fish toxicity of chemicals using a rainbow trout assessing the lethality of the substance in the fish with each gill cell line that has been cultured in the lab and propagated in concentration. However, while this procedure enables testing vitro. This means it is no longer necessary to use live fish or fish bodies to draw general conclusions about the toxicity of a sub­ embryos to carry out this kind of scientific analysis. stance, it does not allow them to determine the cause of the toxic reaction or the impact of long-term exposure on the animals. A potential new standard There is also a more refined procedure, the “early life stage These encouraging results from Eawag’s research are now being test”, which is carried out on fish. In this case, embryos are verified by an international “round robin” test. Various test exposed to a toxic substance dissolved in water. If, after exposure, laboratories around the world are conducting tests to discover the embryo develops into a normal-sized adult fish, then there whether they come up with comparable results based on identi­ was no or only a low level of toxicity present in the substance. cal samples and how these results compare to standardised results However, if there are signs of cell damage or restricted growth, in fish toxicology. If they do, the Eawag scientists will be able to this is evidence of the potential harmfulness of the chemical apply for certification from the Organisation for Economic Co- substance in question. This method is more time-consuming, operation and Development (OECD), which is required for their but also more useful than the acute test – although again it relies test to be recognised as an internationally recognised standard. on live organisms. Animal testing statistics issued by the Federal “We started by just critically examining the use of live fish in Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) indicate that, in 2012 toxicological test series,” says biologist Kristin Schirmer. This became alone, 4,734 fish were used in experiments in Switzerland for the an increasingly focal issue as the EU introduced a regulation on protection of humans, animals and the environment.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 45 FASCINATION Eawag | Alternative to animal testing

Alternative options for animal testing For more information: Reducing the number of fish used in testing is in the interests of everyone concerned. “First and foremost there are ethical reasons Video for doing this, but there are economic reasons, too,” says Kristin www.eawag.ch/repository/utox/cellsens/embryonen_en/ Schirmer. “Animal testing is expensive and laborious.” The Euro­ pean Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs offered support for Kris­ tin Schirmer’s research group in investigating alternative fish cell line tests as well as embryo-based tests which do not involve killing any more mother fish. “We are working with zebrafish embryos,” explains Kristin Schirmer. These develop outside the mother fish and their transparency makes any changes easy to see. The fertilised eggs are left exposed to the test chemical in a petri dish for 48 hours and then analysed microscopically. These analyses have revealed that the toxic substances do not behave any differently in the embryos than they do in adult fish. This fish embryo test was certified by the OECD in 2013 and has now become established in practice. From adult fish to embryos, and from embryos to cells – this is the next step scientists intend to take, so they are pressing ahead with cell line research: “We asked ourselves whether the analyses would work without animal testing, too,” says Kristin Schirmer, “If acute toxicity can be detected in fish embryos, why not in fish cells as well?” The gill cell line used by the research­ ers had already been extracted from a rainbow trout in a labora­ tory in Waterloo (Canada) at the beginning of the 1990s. This also explains its impressive name of “Rainbow Trout Gill – Waterloo1” or “RTgill-W1” for short. These cells are practically immortalised because they can be reproduced and cultivated indefinitely. Intensive research and series of tests on RTgill-W1 proved that the researchers’ optimism was justified: “We were able to show that the cell lines can predict acute fish toxicity in a similar way to acute fish or embryo tests,” says Kristin Schirmer, “but with absolutely no need for animal testing.” This minor scientific sensation has elicited an overwhelmingly positive response and is attracting great interest from industry and test laboratories all over the world. After all, the Eawag scientists are also convinced that the round robin tests now underway will produce the same positive results as their own experiments. “Then we will apply for certification from the OECD,” declares Kristin Schirmer.

46 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION Eawag | Alternative to animal testing 1

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1 Toxicity tests on cultured gill cells instead 4 The gill cells are exposed to chemicals in of live fish: biologist Kristin Schirmer is pleased varying concentrations in 24-well plates and with having found a successful alternative. their vitality is then analysed.

2 In the cell culture lab: up to ten million 5 Microscopic image of a coloured gill cells are cultivated in these bottles. RTgill-W1 gill cell.

3 Melanie Knöbel, scientific and technical 6 Samples are taken during the test to meas­ staff member, explaining the steps of the ure exposure concentrations in the medium. cell test.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 47 FASCINATION ETH Domain | Energy research

Comprehensive energy concepts for town and country The decision by the Federal Council and Parliament to phase out nuclear power in the long term and the ensuing Energy Strategy 2050 stipulate a massive expansion in the use of renewable energy sources. The “Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland” action plan that was approved in April 2013 sets out the detailed implications of this undertaking for research and development.

The “Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland” action plan con­ SCCER, which has already been approved. The aim is to use research centrates on three areas: building up expertise in universities on and development in cooperation with industry to help generate all relevant scientific questions relating to energy, providing targeted significantly more electricity from renewable sources in Switzer­ project support and promoting young talent. The plan is to set up land – by expanding hydroelectric power and tapping into deep a network of seven interuniversity competence centres by 2020, geothermal energy sources, for example. called the Swiss Competence Centers for Energy Research (SCCER), “Until now, we have mainly used geothermal technology to in the key research areas of efficiency, networks and their com­ obtain heat,” he says, “and now we are pushing forward with ponents, energy systems, economy-environment-law-behaviour, research on drilling down to depths of five kilometres or more efficiency concepts, processes and products to do with mobility, to extract heat for conversion into electricity.” Hydrothermal biomass, storage and the provision of electricity. geothermal systems tap into the layers of hot water that lie at Pure and applied energy research have been priorities for greater depths and use the energy obtained in this way to gen­ education and research in the ETH Domain for years; the main erate electricity. According to the professor, “at least five big focus is on reducing CO2 emissions and developing energy-efficient geothermal centres are needed in Switzerland to meet the target processes. Alongside the interdisciplinary academic cooperation, that has been set.” These installations could cover 5 to 10 % of another important objective is the direct transfer of new technol­ Switzerland's electricity requirement. They use the very latest ogy into industry. That is why the ETH Board set up the Competence drilling techniques, such as “thermal spallation”, to drill down Center for Energy and Mobility (CCEM) under the auspices of PSI extremely deep in very hard rock. Three possible drilling locations as long ago as 2006. Since then, over 50 projects have been are currently being evaluated, and the first test drilling is planned initiated, in partnership with universities, universities of applied to take place in two to three years' time. As with most energy sciences and industry, with 12 new projects added to the list in sources, there are certain risks associated with geothermal energy, 2013. At ETH Zurich alone, over 100 professors are researching but these will reduce as scientific knowledge advances. questions relating to energy. More than 50 of these have joined forces at the Energy Science Center at ETH Zurich. Solar fuels The Energy Center (CEN) at EPFL also works on many important Drilling deep for geothermal energy areas of research such as the production and storage of hydrogen, Domenico Giardini is one of them. A professor at the Institute for energy in urban environments, bioenergy and sustainability, Seismology and Geodynamics, he sees the Federal Council's action electricity for electric vehicles and energy efficiency. A laboratory plan as confirmation of his work so far. “ETH Zurich,” he says, “is for wind energy and renewable energies is presently working on actively involved in all seven of the fields of competence sup­ Large Eddy Simulation (LES), a method for modelling and meas­ ported by the action plan.” He coordinates the geothermal research uring turbulent flows. Scientists use this to simulate wind flows at ETH Zurich, one of the areas of renewable energy in which the in order to work out the best locations for wind farms. Confederation is placing high hopes. It wants a million households Storing solar energy is another area of renewable energy to be supplied with electricity from geothermal energy by 2050. research that will be especially important in the future. This is The professor is working hard on researching the required tech­ done by creating hydrogen, for example via electrolysis of water, nologies. Domenico Giardini is also to lead the “Electricity Supply” and then recovering electricity using fuel cells, in a process that

48 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION ETH Domain | Energy research

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1 Prof. Domenico Giardini – along with the Federal Government – is placing high hopes on geothermal energy as a renewable energy source.

2 The extraction of geothermal energy requires the latest drilling techniques – another area of research covered by ETH Zurich. (Image: St. Gallen municipal utilities)

3 Prof. Alexander Wokaun is researching tech­ nologies for supplying energy with as few CO2 emissions as possible and for generating synthetic 6 natural gas from biomass, Switzerland’s second most important source of renewable energy.

4/5 Banking on solar power: the new Swiss Tech 7 Convention Center at EPFL features an impressive glass façade made from dyed solar cells based on the technology of Grätzel cells. (Image: Alain Herzog / EPFL)

6/7 Work in the wind tunnel used by Empa and ETH Zurich: simulations are carried out here to see how air masses flow around buildings. This helps determine their effects on comfort, health and energy consumption.

(Image: Monika Estermann / ETH Board)

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 49 FASCINATION ETH Domain | Energy research

is virtually emission-free. The electricity produced with fuel cells can lead to changes in the demand for power from hydroelectric can be used to power cars or as a stationary power source. As plants at different times,” says Martin Schmid, from the Department well as the work on “solar fuels” at PSI, ground-breaking research of Surface Waters Research. This has consequences for what hap­ in this field is being carried out by Prof. Kevin Sivula, Head of the pens to the beds of lakes and rivers. When water is discharged EPFL Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Optoelectronic Nano­ from a power plant, the water level in the reservoir sinks and materials (LIMNO). He and his team have developed a method rapidly surges up in the downstream river. Experts call this hydro­ for storing solar energy very cheaply, whereby iron oxide becomes peaking. “Many waterways are already suffering from the effects an important component in a photoelectrochemical solar cell. In of the use of hydroelectric power,” says Martin Schmid. The pos­ a single entirely self-contained device, this cell generates elec­ sible effects of the change in dynamic and the planned construc­ trons from sunlight and uses their energy to break water down tion of new small hydroelectric power plants as part of the Energy into oxygen and hydrogen. Strategy 2050 on the ecology in the rivers are being investigated by Eawag within the context of the "Electricity Supply” SCCER. The Biomass as an energy source aim of the project is to make scientifically-based findings about A leading role in energy research falls on PSI Prof. Alexander how the damaging consequences could be kept in check. Wokaun, who has been in charge of energy research at PSI since 1994 and is Head of the Competence Center for Energy and Mobil­ Energy concepts for the city of the future ity (CCEM). He is working with teams of scientists driving forward While the WSL is looking at the consequences of the increased research to find technologies that will supply energy with as few use of renewable energy sources in semi-natural, peri-urban CO2 emissions as possible. One of these is the conversion of biomass and urban spaces, Empa – along with PSI – is studying, among into biogas and its use. Biomass consists of wood, plant material other things, “energy supply in the local urban environment”, containing water, organic household waste or even sewage sludge, says Viktor Dorer, Deputy Head of the Laboratory of Building Sci­ and can be used to produce heating energy, electricity or fuel. That ence and Technology. The aim of this is to create a self-regulat­ is why researchers at PSI are developing the "Biomass to Methane" ing system for supplying building complexes and urban districts method for generating fuels like synthetic natural gas from biomass. with renewable energy. An “Energy Hub” has been set up to The next step is to scale up this process chain. Using biomass is optimise the energy mix for individual buildings or entire districts. CO2-neutral because the CO2 that is generated when the fuel is Concepts of this kind are also being developed for the village of burned absorbed in the biomass that is grown to replace it. In the Zernez in Grisons as part of a CTI project, which aims to establish future, wood and wood waste could play an important role in a sustainable carbon-neutral energy supply by 2020. Temperatures obtaining energy from biomass, as has been shown in a study are higher in cities than in the rural surrounding area, and climate carried out by WSL. To further improve the economic efficiency of change is exacerbating this effect. “Buildings may suddenly need wood-based power plants, scientists at PSI are currently designing mechanical cooling, which requires more electricity, if passive a research and technology platform for demonstrating how to cooling through ventilation at night, for example, is no longer extract, store and convert renewable energy. sufficient,” says Viktor Dorer. Empa investigates the behaviour of wind flows, which play a significant part in the urban climate Social acceptance of wind turbines and which provide insight into the ideal configuration of build­ Renewable energies are obtained from wind, water, sunlight, ings or building complexes, in a wind tunnel 25 metres long and geothermal energy and biomass. As part of the Energy Strategy up to four metres high. Empa is also analysing how cooling 2050, it is essential to build plants that can use these kinds of surfaces, “green islands” and the configuration of buildings can energy. It is important to bear in mind the implications for nature, affect temperature changes and the corresponding energy the environment and society. “Wind turbines, photovoltaic instal­ requirement in cities (see p. 52). lations and the use of wood for biomass have a huge influence on the landscape and therefore on tourism, biodiversity and our visual environment,” says Christoph Hegg, Deputy Director at WSL in Birmensdorf. Researchers at WSL are analysing the possible effects of the turnaround in energy supply on the natural environ­ ment and present their findings for political and social debate. For example, maps of the country like those produced at WSL show the potential for wind turbines in different locations throughout Switzerland and combine that with possible conflicts of interest with nature conservation and recreation for the local population. Studying the effects on nature of the use of renewable energies is also an area of research at Eawag. At present, 56 % of the electric­ ity generated in Switzerland comes from hydroelectric power. “Increased use of renewable energies alongside hydroelectric power

50 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION ETH Domain | Future cities

The liveable city of the future In the 21st century, for the first time in the history of mankind, more than 50 % of the world’s population are living in cities. The resulting structural changes in the habitats of man, animals and plants are the subject of research in the ETH Domain. Making urban life more environmentally friendly and pleasant is one of the big challenges facing science.

When it comes to researching sustainable cities for the future, the Another FCL project is studying the urban structure around Future Cities Laboratory (FCL) in Singapore has a very important role Singapore’s international airport. This is one of Asia’s largest air­ to play. This laboratory is the first research project for the “Singapore- ports and an important hub between Europe, South-East Asia and ETH Center for Global Environmental Sustainability” (SEC) that opened Oceania. Scientists have been investigating how this international in the Asian city-state in 2012 – an interdisciplinary research hub hub influences urbanisation in the immediate surrounding area of ETH Zurich in one of the fastest growing regions of the world. in Malaysia and Indonesia. The experience gained from these “Cities are dynamic systems with complex interactions,” says Kees scientific findings also feeds back into Switzerland, where there Christiaanse, Professor in the Department of Architecture at ETH are similar projects, for example for Zurich’s Langstrasse district or Zurich and Head of the Urbanisation Processes programme at the the area around Zurich Airport. Moreover, the results and insights FCL. “Only through interdisciplinary research can the prospect of gleaned from research at FCL are a valuable resource for training sustainable urbanisation be achieved in rapidly growing urban experts, as it helps them to prepare students and graduates of landscapes.” His research module on urban strategies and resources further training courses in Switzerland for the global job market. examines two dimensions: transformation processes within cities However, it is not only in industrialised and emerging countries and urbanisation phenomena between cities and airports, especially that urban development and planning are important, but increas­ the flows of people and goods. It is only at first glance that these ingly also in less developed countries, for example in Africa. There, two dimensions seem to offer different perspectives with no link Jérôme Chenal from the Urban Sociology Laboratory at EPFL is between them. “In all cities, in the West or the East, large or small, carrying out fundamental scientific research on urban planning centralised or sprawling, we always see the same phenomenon,” and design and advising official bodies. Chenal is a qualified says Kees Christiaanse. “Any modern urban agglomeration is always architect who initially studied urban development processes in characterised by multiple urban nodal points that contribute struc­ Asia and in recent years has focused on West Africa, visiting the turally to the vitality of the organism that we call a city.” region regularly and seeking the answers to academic questions in major cities like Abidjan and Dakar. “If you want to help change International strategies for urban projects things in these cities, to introduce viable structures for the future, A good example of this is the project Rochor+, an area to the you first have to understand how the people who live there func­ north of Singapore’s main financial district and one of the last tion,” says Jérôme Chenal of what he has learned. He is convinced remaining areas of the city that has grown more or less organi­ that cities and urbanisation cannot be created on an architect’s cally and has a good social mix. Both the city’s financial district drawing-board. For him, one of his highest-priority tasks is to and its tourist infrastructure are extending ever further outwards. pass on specific and practical knowledge where it is most desper­ Led by Kees Christiaanse, the researchers are studying how this ately needed, for example in Africa. He is doing this in a very expansion will affect the existing multifunctional diversity of modern way: through the online study programme “Villes afric­ Rochor+. The scientists’ main finding is that the key features of aines” that will begin in February 2014. Set up as a Massive Open the nature and economic fabric of this area are its compactness, Online Course (MOOC), the series of lectures is intended to help structure and uniquely varied mixture of small businesses. Now make the planning of African cities more efficient. The free access it is a question of finding strategies so that Rochor+ can continue to basic knowledge about urban development is obviously meet­ to steadily develop in the face of the change that is looming. ing a need: as of December 2013, 3,000 students have already

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 51 FASCINATION ETH Domain | Future cities

signed up for the course, including many from Africa. “If every Species diversity in urban and rural environments single one of these participants only remembers one or two of the The effect on natural ecosystems of increasing urbanisation and things that we will work on together,” says Jérôme Chenal, “then intensive building is the subject of numerous scientific studies we will already have achieved a great deal.” at WSL and Eawag. In recent years, a number of interdisciplinary projects on this kind of subject have been set up in partnership Urbanisation in the micro-urban environment with ETH Zurich and EPFL. In 2012, a project called “Enhance”, Alongside the big strategic questions about urbanisation, urban run by the Competence Center for Environment and Sustainabil­ development is always also about vital research questions in the ity (CCES) with the participation of WSL, ETH Zurich, EPFL and micro-urban environment. “The strong worldwide trend towards Eawag, came to an end. This project was set up to study habitat urbanisation,” explains Viktor Dorer, Deputy Head of the Laboratory connectivity in urban, rural and waterside areas and to take of Building Science and Technology and Head of the Urban Phys­ measures to support it. “This project was then continued in 2013 ics Group at Empa, “is leading to heat island effects and the spread as ‘Enhancehouse’, which also looked at the role of green roofs of toxins in cities.” This has a negative impact on the urban climate in cities,” says Marco Moretti, Project Manager for Biodiversity in and consequently on people’s well-being and health in the urban the City at WSL in Bellinzona. The main question was whether environment. For the researchers, it is a question of understand­ the green roofs that are becoming more and more popular with ing the physical processes that are at work here. They use a specially architects create isolated “green islands” or whether the popu­ developed wind tunnel to simulate the spread of toxins, evapora­ lations of insects that colonise them interbreed. The research tion, air turbulence and convection. Also in this context, Empa showed that connecting the green oases in cities encourages researchers are studying the growing use of decentralised renew­ species diversity among flying insects. This in turn fits with the able energies in urban districts and communities. Areas of inter­ overall picture presented by the results of the major project est include how to build efficient energy systems that make it “BiodiverCity” that came to an end in 2011, in which ecologists possible to operate systems using fluctuating and decentralised and sociologists studied the interconnections between urban energy sources in a micro-urban environment, and the introduc­ biodiversity, the built environment and their acceptance by local tion of self-regulating concepts for urban energy hubs. The project residents as part of the national research programme NRP 54. IDEAS4cities of the Competence Center Energy and Mobility (CCEM), “One perhaps not very surprising result was that green areas in for example, is working on this together with Empa. the local environment were highly desirable everywhere, regard­ Eawag is also researching how cities in industrialised western less of their geographical location in Switzerland,” says Marco countries and their infrastructures are changing in the micro-urban Moretti. “They should be left as wild as possible, but neverthe­ environment, and how they can prepare themselves for the future. less maintained.” The greatest biodiversity occurs where as many Such cities have a water management system, consisting of the different herbs, shrubs and trees as possible are grown. However, drinking water supply and wastewater systems, which has been the surprise was that the idea that cities support relatively few built up over generations. This is of great value to the economy species was refuted: just as many different species were counted and plays an important role in maintaining hygiene and quality in cities as in the countryside – albeit different ones. This offers of life for the inhabitants. However, increasing urbanisation, and scientific proof of the significant ecological value of green areas climate change bringing extreme weather conditions, combined and parkland as well as green roofs in cities. They not only with the ageing of the water infrastructure, represent major prob­ provide important habitats for animals and plants but also ‘green lems for urban water management all over the world and also in corridors’ through a city. Switzerland. “So far,” says Max Maurer, Professor at ETH Zurich and Eawag expert in urban water management, “we have not thought very much about how we can make our water manage­ ment systems more sustainable and fully functioning for the future.” He and his team have been working since 2010 on an interdisciplinary project called “Sustainable Water Infrastructure Planning” (Swip), which aims to work out how to use the coun­ try’s water resources sustainably. “We are working out the crite­ ria for water management in the future,” says Max Maurer, “in order to modernise it in terms of technology and thus improve its quality.” Besides the needs of the population, climate change and population growth are factors here. When the project is completed, data ought to be available that will help cities and communities in their decision-making and long-term planning of their water supply and sewage infrastructure. “In future,” says Max Maurer, “the scientific findings from this kind of project could also be very important for emerging and developing countries.”

52 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION ETH Domain | Future cities 1

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1 At ETH Zurich and at FCL Singapore, Prof. Kees Christiaanse examines transformation 3 4 processes within cities as well as urbanisa­ tion phenomena between multiple urban nodal points. (Image: Callaghan Walsh / Singapore)

2 Organically grown and diverse: ETH Zurich and FCL researchers are developing strategies so that Rochor+, in the north of Singapore, can sustainably develop in the face of the change that is looming. (Image: Callaghan Walsh / Singapore)

3 Mauretania‘s capital Nouakchott: urban development and planning of sustainable structures play an increasingly important role in less developed countries. (Image: Benoît Vollmer)

4 Dakar under development: classical city-planning instruments are being put 5 to the test here on a daily basis. (Image: Jérôme Chenal)

5 Prof. Max Maurer is working on the sus­ tainable use of water resources in Switzerland and is investigating criteria for the water management system of the future.

6 “Dynamic, cosy, green”: the diverse biosphere at the Limmatauen Werdhölzli in Zurich offers a space for rest and recreation and the protection of species and nature. 6

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 53 FASCINATION ETH Domain | Big data

Big data – using large volumes of data efficiently The volume of academic data worldwide is growing exponentially. Handling it requires ultra-modern computers. However, big data also means that the volume of data has to be collected and sorted, stored and efficiently processed for use. This is an area of research in which the ETH Domain is involved, too.

Thanks to rapid technological progress and exponential increases better algorithms, while at the same time continuously improv­ in performance in the IT sector, the global data volume is currently ing energy efficiency.” That is why the CSCS is very proud of “Piz doubling every two years. By the start of 2013, the global data Daint”, a Cray computer which went into operation last Novem­ mountain already exceeded an unimaginable two zettabytes – ber and, with a theoretical output of over seven petaflops, that's a two with 21 zeros. The research carried out in the ETH Domain achieves an actual performance of 3.2 billion calculations per also generates vast amounts of data that need to be collected, watt. That makes it the most high-performance supercomputer distributed, stored, searched, analysed and visualised – whether in Switzerland, one of the fastest in Europe and the most energy- coming from major research projects and installations like Blue efficient petaflop computer in the world. “This,” says Thomas Brain and SwissFEL or the fields of meteorology and geothermal Schulthess, “will make our electricity consumption far, far lower energy, biology, nanotechnology and medicine. than originally predicted.” The “Piz Daint” computer has 20 times However, the term big data refers not only to the volume of the computing power of its predecessor “Monte Rosa” but uses data but also to the speed at which that data is being produced, only 2 ½ times as much electricity. By using the new computer the growing number of users, and the diversity of the sources, and and the climate and weather codes that have been newly devel­ therefore of the format and reliability, of the data. Data may be oped by ETH Zurich and MeteoSchweiz, climate studies and generated by companies or by academics but also by the Internet weather forecasts can now be calculated at a higher resolution and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, not to and multiple times, which would be too expensive using con­ mention localisation data. That is to say, there is a mixture of ventional computer architecture. For example, this allows severe structured and unstructured data, with complex interconnections. storms and bad weather to be recognised even earlier so that It is a question of tracking down the interesting and the useful in the population can be warned in good time. this mass of data. Millions of datasets generated through computer simulation High-performance and “green”: An algorithm is a logical sequence made up of countless indi­ new technologies in supercomputing vidual steps in order to convert raw data into useful information. “Ensuring that such volumes of data remain scientifically useful “It's like cooking. You can't eat raw meat, you have to cook it requires ultra-modern and extremely high-performance comput­ first,” says Anastasia Ailamaki, Professor of Computer Science and ers,” says Prof. Thomas Schulthess, Director of the Swiss National Head of the Data-Intensive Applications and Systems Laboratory Supercomputing Centre CSCS in Lugano-Cornaredo. The CSCS is a at EPFL. Her aim is to optimise algorithms so as to be able to unit of ETH Zurich which itself carries out cutting-edge research, process large and complex volumes of data quickly and efficiently. in that it develops, operates and supports new technologies in This kind of data is generated, for example, by the Blue Brain and supercomputing. The main focus for its scientists is always the Human Brain projects at EPFL, in which initially an animal’s brain requirement to prepare data technically in such a way that the and later also the human brain are being recreated, neuron by information being sought can be used quickly and efficiently. neuron, by computer simulation in order to gain a better under­ “The challenge,” says Thomas Schulthess, who is also a professor standing of how nerve cells work in the brain. Ultimately it needs in Computational Physics at ETH Zurich, “lies in not only constantly to be possible to combine the research results with other data for increasing computer performance, but also finding new and processing. In order to be able to handle the volumes of data, in

54 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION ETH Domain | Big data

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1 Prof. Anastasia Ailamaki: her goal is to optimise algorithms and develop programs that work regardless of the volume of data. 3 2 Talking about the latest results: Anastasia Ailamaki wth her research colleague Manos Athamassoulis.

3 The Cray XC30 “Piz Daint” supercomputer at the CSCS in Lugano. (Image: CSCS)

4 He's proud of the most high-performance supercomputer in Switzerland: CSCS Director Thomas Schulthess. 5

5 Interior view of a storage unit at the CSCS. (Image: CSCS) 4

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 55 FASCINATION ETH Domain | Big data

2013 the CSCS – together with EPFL, ETH Zurich and IBM Research – “The pixel detectors developed by our electronics engineers and installed a new IBM supercomputer for the Human Brain Project, physicists have helped Peter Higgs, who predicted the existence with a capacity four times higher than its predecessor. of the Higgs particle that was named after him and discovered at Anastasia Ailamaki is working on making these computing CERN, to win the Nobel Prize last year, along with Francois Englert,” operations run faster and more efficiently. “One of my aims,” she says Olivier Rolland proudly, Head of IT at the PSI. The pixel detec­ says, “is to develop programs that work regardless of the volume tors developed at the PSI, he explains, can be considered the eyes of data.” At present, says the data processing expert, large volumes of the particle accelerator – in other words, those components of data from all kinds of different sources cannot be processed that enable it to “see” electronically. Without the data that was efficiently and fast enough. “Now we want to improve not only obtained in this way, the existence of the Higgs particle, one the software, but also the hardware, such as processors,” she specific elementary particle, may well not have been proven. explains, “by attempting to make programs run in parallel.” This is being done by means of new applications which enable a Data exchange on a large scale computer to process data simultaneously on several processors What became a big success for research presents a challenge for and from different sources. “At present, data management soft­ data processing because the pixel detector developed at the PSI ware proceeds one step at a time,” explains the professor. “While for the particle accelerator at CERN records 16 gigabytes per sec­ one processor is working, the other is virtually idle because it is ond. “A conventional hard disc would be full in one minute,” waiting for the processed data. We want to give the processor explains Olivier Rolland. That is why researchers at the institute less time to rest.” This would have beneficial effects not only for are working hard not only on ways of managing the ever-grow­ EPFL scientists but also in fields such as earthquake research or ing volume of data, but also on finding new methods for com­ astronomy. “If data management technology gets faster, it will pressing, processing, cataloguing and, not least, archiving it. This be possible to predict natural disasters such as tsunamis or hur­ work is also being carried out in the knowledge that the Swiss­ ricanes more quickly.” Certain applications could also make the FEL which is currently being constructed, and is able to “film” analysis of research results accessible for other purposes. “If we molecular processes, will also produce vast quantities of data. can do that,” says Anastasia Ailamaki, “data could be available “That is why,” continues Rolland, “it is vitally important for the on a just-in-time basis – i.e. at any time.” Christoph Koch, research that data transfer to grid computing (the cloud) at any Professor at the Laboratory for Data Analysis and Applications at time is a guaranteed part of the process, since that's the only EPFL, is also concerned about protecting data and controlling way that researchers worldwide can access the data.” what happens to it. “In our research work, we have to try not The WSL institute is confronted with scientific data of a completely only to make processes more efficient,” says Koch, “but also to different kind. “Our data comes mostly from sensors,” explains develop technologies to protect the data better.” Sandro Bischof, a technical employee at WSL. In the avalanche- prone areas of Switzerland alone, there are 160 of these weather Computing power for rare physical processes sensors. This is the only way that the risk of avalanches in the The need to analyse data for experimental verification of extremely country can be predicted. WSL also gathers data such as photo­ rare physical processes was one of the driving forces behind the graphic records about forests, and meteorological data. The meas­ expansion of an extensive supercomputing infrastructure. For urements, some of which date back centuries, are only useful to example, particle physics experiments on the PSI accelerator scientists if they can be compared with others, but this means they involve a detector capable of verifying that a muon decays into have to be available digitally. That is why WSL is involved with an electron and a gamma ray. It is expected that only one out of ENVIDAT, an international development platform for environmental 100,000bn muons decays into those two components. Verifying information and management systems. ENVIDAT collects data from such an exceptionally rare decay requires an extremely high- numerous environmentally relevant processes so that it can be performance 336-node computing infrastructure (PSI-CMS) to analysed by everyone involved. For the people at WSL, “big data” carry out the necessary data analysis. In fact, the requirements means, above all, data exchange on a big scale and the reuse of of the huge particle physics experiments on the Large Hadron data that has already been collected from many different sources. Collider (LHC) accelerator at CERN in Geneva are even more demanding. Here, the PSI made an important contribution to the development and construction of the barrel pixel detector used in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment. The search for the extremely rarely occurring Higgs particle called for an extremely high-performance computing infrastructure to be set up, in order to analyse and scientifically evaluate the initial 10 petabytes of data (≈10,000 standard PC hard discs). This infrastructure forms part of the computing and storage network for the LHC experiment that is spread all around the world.

56 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION ETH Domain | Health and Life Sciences

Research in the interests of people and their health Health and Life Sciences are key focus areas in the ETH Domain: the whole spectrum from fundamental research through applied research to industry. In 2013, institutions in the ETH Domain achieved some outstanding results, including in research into how human cells behave on the nanoscale, in cancer research and the treatment of tumours, and at the interface between man and materials.

At ETH Zurich, the range of activities in the field of Health Sciences find out how to grow new heart valves for children. Together, the has always been broad. At almost the same time as the founding two scientists want to develop robust biosynthetic implants that, of the umbrella organisation “Zurich University Medicine”, which over time, can convert themselves into natural tissue so that they unites the medical research and training capabilities of ETH Zurich, can adjust as children grow. the University of Zurich and Zurich University Hospital, a new New medical technologies have also been an important area department named “Health Sciences and Technology” (D-HEST) of research at Empa for many years. The Materials Science Institute was created 2012 for research at the interfaces between engineer­ focuses on studying the interaction between synthetic implant ing, neuro-, movement, nutrition and food sciences, as well as materials and human cells. “We work at the interface between biology, medicine and social sciences. The study of how natural materials and life, from proteins to the biosphere,” says Alex cells respond to synthetic materials is the specialist field of Dommann, Head of the Empa department “Materials meet Life” Viola Vogel, Professor of Applied Mechanobiology at ETH Zurich. in St. Gallen. Member of the Empa Board Prof. Harald Krug explains why this is so important: “Our society is getting older all the time, Research on the nanoscale and, also, the ‘leisure society’ with its high-risk sports means that Slowly, the macrophage – a scavenger cell that is classed as a we require more and more ‘spare parts’.” Perfecting the technol­ leucocyte or white blood cell – extends tentacle-like fibres and ogy of these, and improving the body's tolerance of them and in a flash gobbles up a rod-shaped bacterium. Viola Vogel follows their lifespan, are high priorities for the Empa researchers. Nano­ the demo film on her computer excitedly and explains, “We're technology opens up new opportunities for medical technology. exploring how cells behave on the nanoscale.” The professor and Katharina Maniura, for example, a chemist and specialist in the her team use high-resolution light and scanning tunnelling interactions between materials and biology, is studying the inter­ microscopes in their work, which make the miniature world of action between the materials of which the surfaces of implants cells and their surfaces visible to the human eye. Since cells sense are made and human cells. She extracts these cells from biologi­ the physical properties of materials by pulling on the materials, cal material that she obtains from hospitals. Then, in a cell culture Viola Vogel's scientific interest is focused on how human cells in the laboratory, she investigates how nanomaterials and cells register mechanical tensile forces and convert them into bio­ respond to one another. chemical signals. The researchers decode these signal conversions to understand how material properties control the fate of human Nanotechnology – the key to material design cells and can promote tissue formation. Their scientific findings Empa works closely with industry when it comes to new materi­ feed directly into implant technology, where they are applied to als and how they could be used in or on the human body. For the manufacture of synthetic heart valves or artificial knee and example, it is working with the dental implants company Strau­ hip joints. “The aim,” says Viola Vogel, “must always be to design mann in Basel and ETH Zurich to try to overcome the cosmetic implants and their surface materials in such a way that they problem of grey titanium screws shining through dental implants. encourage the regeneration of functional tissue.” One very prom­ This project is part of the Competence Centre for Materials Science ising project is a partnership with Prof. Simon Hoerstrup of the and Technology CCMX that was set up by the ETH Board in 2006 Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Zurich. A and runs joint research platforms that are co-financed by indus­ specialist in heart and vascular surgery, he is using stem cells to try. This is where nanotechnology comes in. The researchers are

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 57 FASCINATION ETH Domain | Health and Life Sciences

working on applying a strong, pink surface finish to the titanium cancer. For nearly 20 years, Melody Swartz has been studying the core, which would give a much better appearance. The use of role of the lymphatic system in the spread of cancer cells and the nanotechnology is also very important in antenatal medicine. process of metastasis, and how this knowledge could be used to “We are researching how nanomaterials behave at the placental find vaccines or drug treatments. Her area of research is an inter­ barrier so that we can develop new concepts for treatments that disciplinary combination of cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, are suitable for pregnant women without damaging the foetus,” bioinformatics and engineering science. “As an engineer,” explains explains Alex Dommann. A modified perfusion system has been the American, who won a MacArthur Fellowship for her research specially constructed for this purpose. It is able to maintain both in 2012, “I have been trained to absorb information from lots of the maternal and the foetal circulation in the placenta for several different fields and put it all together.” Scientists know that a hours. It should be possible to use nanoparticles - as packaging, tumour spreads via the lymphatic system in the body, but they do as it were - to transport substances either only in the mother's not know why. How do the cancer cells manage to overcome the bloodstream or specifically into the placenta, without exposing body's own immune system? “Really,” says Melody Swartz, “the the unborn child to them. “We are trying to find out which body ought to identify the cancer cells and destroy them.” How­ particles pass through the placental barrier and which do not.” ever, cancer cells have developed a mechanism that allows them to infiltrate the functional lymphatic system and evade the body's Proton radiation of cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy immune defences. In this respect, the lymphatic system has, as it Various research groups at the PSI are working very successfully in were, turned out to be an involuntary accomplice for the tumour. the field of people and their health. In this application-oriented Scientists have known for a long time that the lymph nodes drain­ research, the scientists are focusing their attention on the diag­ ing the tumour are changed under its influence so that the immune nosis and treatment of cancers. They work with university hospi­ defences are suppressed. “This means,” says Melody Swartz, “that tals to concentrate on those methods of tumour diagnosis and the lymph supports the growth of the tumour.” With her team, treatment for which the particle radiation that is available at PSI's Swartz has been trying to find a way of breaking through this large-scale research facilities is most useful. Patients with certain mechanism. “What would happen if we changed the lymph nodes kinds of tumours have been treated at the PSI proton therapy associated with the tumour in such a way that the immune system facility since 1984. This centre, developed by specialists at the PSI re-learned how to recognise tumour cells as alien and dangerous?” and operating on the same site as the institute, is unique. “We the researcher asked herself. The results are encouraging: as she are the first and only compact radiation therapy facility in the hoped, the lymph nodes may serve as a starting point for cancer world to offer scanning for deep-seated tumours,” says Prof. vaccinations that directs immune response against the tumour Damien C. Weber, Director of the Proton Therapy Centre at the PSI. more effectively. This means that not only would the tumour be “The scanning is far more accurate and makes the treatment less attacked, but the body's immune system could also be able to invasive for the patient,” continues Weber. By the end of 2012, resume its protective function. “This method of fighting cancer more than 900 patients with tumours in the brain, spinal column would be far gentler than chemotherapy and possibly also more or skull base, or sarcomas in the pelvic region, had been treated successful and lasting in the long term, because, like any vaccine, using the compact proton scanning gantry. Now for the first time, there is a memory function. This means that it protects the body the most up-to-date scanning technology that is used in Gantry 2, against any dormant tumour cells which might otherwise trigger a the latest generation of proton radiation machines, makes mul­ relapse or allow new tumours to grow,” explains Melody Swartz. tiple, three-dimensional scanning possible, so that tumours that move when the patient breathes (for example in breast or lung cancer) can be treated with a very homogeneous dose without damaging the surrounding tissue. The first patient was treated using the new compact gantry in November 2013. Initially in 2014, brain tumours will be treated, then the clinical phase for tumours that move during respiration is planned to begin in 2017. Proton therapy has also proved to be extremely successful in the treatment of tumours on the back of the eye. Since 1984, the PSI has been operating the OPTIS machine in close cooperation with the Hôpi­ tal Ophtalmique Jules Gonin at the University of Lausanne and has used this radiation technology on over 6,100 patients with mela­ nomas of the eye. Follow-up examinations have shown that in over 98 % of cases, the growth of the tumour was stopped, or the tumour was made to disappear. Cancer research is also an area of interest at EPFL. Ground- breaking results from research by Melody Swartz, Professor and Head of the Institute of Bioengineering, may soon lead to a vaccine against

58 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain FASCINATION ETH Domain | Health and Life Sciences

1

3 2

1 The lymph system in her sights: Melody Swartz, Professor at the Institute of Bioen­ gineering at EPFL, is studying the role of the lymphatic vessels in the spread of cancer and, among other things, working on a vaccine against cancer.

2 Unique in the world: the Gantry 2 proton radiation machine that went into operation at the PSI in 2013 is able to destroy even deep- seated tumours more accurately. (Image: PSI)

3 Structured implant surfaces offer good growth conditions for human cells. They improve the implant's integration into the body's own tissues, which significantly increases durability. (Image: Empa)

4 Research at the interface between natural 4 cells and synthetic materials: Viola Vogel, Professor of Applied Mechanobiology at ETH Zurich, with her colleague Dr Maria Mitsi. 5 5 The object of Viola Vogel's studies: a human macrophage (a scavenger cell) approaching a bacterium, magnified thousands of times under the scanning tunnelling microscope.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 59 INSIGHT “The performance mandate sets out the Swiss Federal Council’s targets and sub-targets for the ETH Domain for the period from 2013 to 2016. As well as stating strategic goals, it includes financial, infrastructural and 1 personnel-related objectives.” Strategic goals Teaching 4 “The ETH Domain will provide teaching that is first-class in Strategic goals an international comparison and attractive to students.” 3 Research infrastruc- tures and large-scale Strategic goals research projects Know-­ “The ETH Domain will operate existing research infra­ ledge and structures of nationwide importance, implement projects in accordance with the ‘Swiss Roadmap technology for Research Infrastructures’ and, in case of success, 2 participate in European flagship projects.” Strategic goals transfer (KTT)

Research “In order to reinforce Switzerland’s innovative strength and competitiveness, the ETH Domain will promote the “The ETH Domain will further transfer of its insights and competencies to society and expand its leading position in the economy. It will further develop its KTT strategy international research.” and implement it consistently.”

60 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 6 Strategic goals National cooperation

“The ETH Domain will ensure greater cooperation within 7 5 both the Domain and the Swiss higher education land­ Strategic goals Strategic goals scape.” Role in International society and positioning and national cooperation tasks “The ETH Domain will continue to expand its cooperation and net­ “The ETH Domain will working in teaching and research maintain a dialogue with with the best institutions in the society and fulfil tasks world and strengthen its inter­ 9 of national interest.” national profile.” Financial and infrastructural objective Real estate management

“The ETH Domain will coordi­ nate the management of properties and real estate and ensure that both value and 10 functionality are maintained.” Staff objectives Working conditions, 8 equal opportunities Financial and infrastructural objectives and young scientific Sources of financing talent

and allocation of funds “The ETH Domain will create attractive and family-­ friendly working conditions, promote equality of “The ETH Domain will enhance its financing basis opportunity and develop young scientific talent.” and efficiently deploy the available funds.”

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 61 INSIGHT Objective 1 | Education | Facts & Figures

“The ETH Domain offers 1 students an attractive education that is first- rate by any international standards.”

amongst Bachelor’s graduates from both the institution itself and other universities in Switzerland and abroad. 1,383 of the new THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE students who enrolled on Master’s programmes in 2013 have already obtained a Bachelor’s degree from ETH Zurich. The transfer rate is still at about 95 %. In addition, there are 646 new Master’s students The number of students at the two Federal Institutes of Technol- who completed their Bachelor’s degrees at another university in ogy continues to rise, proving how attractive the courses are. The Switzerland or abroad (+6 % compared to 2012). These students moderate increase in student numbers (compared with previous were selected from a pool of around 2,500 applicants (2012: 2,300). years) still requires action to be taken to ensure that the quality ETH Zurich offers an excellent and research-oriented education. of the education provided is maintained at the highest level. These It therefore affords top priority to quality management in general include ongoing quality improvements thanks to the teaching and in teaching in particular. As part of this, it attaches great impor­ evaluations by students, expanding the capacity of teaching tance to obtaining a wide range of feedback from external sources. rooms and the range of courses, greater use of new methods of For this reason, it volunteered to take part in the quality audit of teaching and learning, and carrying out examinations online. The Swiss universities in November 2013 for the second time. This audit criteria and measures are regularly reviewed as part of curriculum is conducted by the OAQ, which surveys the institutional quality development and adapted to suit new requirements and circum- management system with focus on teaching (see p. 65). stances. The research institutions carry out a substantial amount As part of the continuous development of its teaching activities, of teaching and complement what the Federal Institutes of Tech- ETH Zurich approved a position paper on “Quality Criteria for Teach­ nology can offer. Optimising the framework conditions for ing” in 2013, as well as guidelines for awarding grades for written research-based teaching remains a high priority for the ETH Board. examinations. One of the purposes of the position paper is to provide a basis for international expert committees to assess cur­ ricula within the context of departmental evaluations. Finally, a new model for teaching assessments carried out by students, which ETH Zurich now also includes the examination at the end of the course con­ The number of students at ETH Zurich reached 18,178 in autumn cerned, was introduced across all departments in 2013 (see p. 30). 2013, exceeding the 18,000 mark for the first time (2012: 17,781, +52 % since 2003). The proportion of female students remains EPFL unchanged at 30.6 %, while the percentage of foreign students In autumn 2013, EPFL had 9,868 students and doctoral students, rose slightly to 33.5 % (2012: 33.3 %). 6 % or 562 more than in 2012. In order to maintain its good Once again, the mechanical engineering Bachelor’s programme teaching conditions, EPFL is sticking to its long-term strategy. recorded the largest intake, with 465 new students signing up Among other things, it has made new lecture theatres available, in autumn 2013 (2012: 442). The architecture (258 new students) conducted some courses in duplicate and reorganised lecture and health sciences and technology (220 new students) pro­ theatres to increase their capacity. grammes came second and third in this ranking. From September 2013, undergraduate teaching was restructured The 40 Master’s programmes are proving extremely popular in order to establish a common foundation of technical subjects

62 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 1 | Education | Facts & Figures

to prepare students for multidisciplinary work at the end of their and landscape management or snow and natural hazards would Bachelor’s and Master’s courses. The introduction of the “Infor­ suffer significantly without the input of the WSL. At the same time, mation, Calcul et Communication” course extended the range on adjunct professors and associate professors at WSL are substantially offer and a course on “Global Issues” is being prepared. Moreo­ involved in supervising some 115 Master’s students and 136 doctoral ver, students can take advantage of tutorials on the Analysis and students. One of the highlights of the institute’s teaching activities Physics courses. is the joint professorship in landscape ecology set up with ETH EPFL is playing a leading role in Europe on MOOCs. So far ten Zurich, which was approved in 2013. WSL also provides a range of MOOCs with over 400,000 applications have been held in one year. training and education opportunities for specialists and upcoming For the “General Physics” course, a MOOC in French was organised young researchers. One example is the recently launched “Junge during the first semester with students from all over the world Landschaftsforschung” (“Emerging landscape research”) confer­ (especially from Africa), as well as EPFL beginners. ence, organised by the Landscape Research Center WSL. This event, In preparation for the planned accreditation of courses at the along with the summer schools held on a regular basis, gives young end of 2014, course descriptions now include the learning outcomes researchers a chance to present their projects to a wider specialist to be achieved. The departments still work on formal harmonising audience and discuss them with experienced experts. This offers of course contents with professional skills profiles. an opportunity to tackle interdisciplinary environmental issues in With regard to doctoral studies, EPFL introduced a strategy to fill an effective way and cultivate professional networks. the gaps identified in certain areas in 2012. In addition, new sum­ mer courses are being prepared, the mentoring programme has Empa been implemented and joint recruitment days have been suggested. Education is as important at Empa as research. In 2013, the Empa Various measures in connection with the continuing education staff again spent over 3,800 hours (+11 % compared with last foundation UNIL-EPFL (FCUE) resulted in improved processes and year) teaching at universities in Switzerland and abroad. The better support for course managers. New course initiatives, espe­ majority of these continue to be at the two Federal Institutes of cially in the fields of Computer Science, terahertz technology and Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) and Lausanne (EPFL), where 15 occupational safety, have increased the number of training courses Empa researchers hold professorships. Another important con­ and the proceeds from them. The foundation will undergo a com­ tribution to education is made in the form of supervising Master's prehensive audit during 2014. and Bachelor's students (2013: 120) and doctoral students (2013: 214). Over a quarter of the students come from foreign universi­ PSI ties, proving that Empa has excellent international connections In 2013, scientists from the PSI spent more than 4,450 hours teach­ in this regard, too. It continues to be an active provider of ing students at the two Federal Institutes of Technology, other Swiss non-university specialist training and continuing education. More universities as well as universities of applied sciences and foreign than 5,000 people took part in the over 100 courses and events universities. Numerous institutional partnerships have been set up organised by the Empa Academy. over the past few years, as demonstrated by the number of joint professorships, which now stands at 44. New professorship roles Eawag in the fields of radiation oncology, chemistry, theoretical physics Teaching at Eawag extends far beyond the ETH Domain. It is based and mineralogy have boosted PSI’s networking with other institu­ on the institute’s own research, covering niche topic areas and tions and are strengthening its internal research activities by involv­ addressing all kinds of different aspects of water and the connections ing upcoming young scientists. Many of the 300 or so doctoral between them. Overall, researchers from Eawag spend roughly 3,000 students currently working at PSI, and approximately 800 doctoral hours teaching at the two Federal Institutes of Technology, thus students from external institutions each year, make use of the SLS contributing significantly to education in the field of environmen­ (Swiss Light Source), SINQ (Swiss Spallation Neutron Source) and SµS tal systems and environmental engineering sciences. They also spent (Swiss Muon Source) large-scale research facilities and PSI’s facili­ 800 hours teaching at other higher education institutions – mainly ties for particle physics. On top of this, more than 2,000 people at cantonal universities. Eawag researchers are supervising more benefit from training and continuing education courses at the PSI than 140 doctoral students, around 100 of whom based at Eawag training centre on topics such as protection against radiation in themselves, as well as over 130 students working on Bachelor’s and laboratories, nuclear power plants and nuclear medicine. Master’s theses. The institute has established partnerships with cantonal universities in Bern (aquatic ecology and social sciences), WSL Neuchâtel (hydrogeology), Zurich (environmental psychology and The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research aquatic ecology), St. Gallen (innovation research), as well as Fribourg (WSL) is enriching Switzerland’s educational landscape teaching and Basel. In 2013, it stepped up its collaboration with universities niche areas and supplementing the courses offered by universities of applied sciences in central and eastern Switzerland. Another and universities of applied sciences. Around 60 % of the teaching mainstay of Eawag’s teaching activities is its internationally oriented provided by WSL (1,888 hours) is geared towards the two Federal summer schools, the latest being a course on “Environmental Sys­ Institutes of Technology. The quality of some programmes on forest tems Analysis” held in Dübendorf in 2013.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 63 INSIGHT Objective 1 | Education | Examples

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1 Self-study on screen: ETH Zurich is supplementing its online teaching resources with courses in a new format. (Image: Peter Rüegg / ETH Zurich)

2 A virtual glimpse inside the Bronze Age axe provides indica­ 2 tions of how it was made. Marked: A air pockets B gilding (Image: PSI)

A

B

64 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 1 | Education | Examples

ETH Zurich EPFL Comprehensive and efficient quality assurance Three centres dedicated to teaching and technology

For the second time, ETH Zurich volunteered to take part in a In April 2013, EPFL’s Pedagogical Research and Support Center quality audit carried out by the Swiss Center of Accreditation and (CRAFT) split into three complementary units allowing further Quality Assurance in Higher Education (OAQ) for the Swiss University development in their respective areas. The Teaching Support Center Conference (SUC). Around 60 people from all areas and university (CAPE) will be concentrating on the quality of teaching on campus groups of ETH Zurich were involved in drawing up a self-evaluation through deeper analysis of teacher evaluations as well as offering report in preparation for the site visit by an international commit­ advice and training to staff and support for their projects. The tee of experts. In November 2013, leading professors from the research activities have been grouped with the creation of the CHILI Technical University of Munich, RWTH Aachen, Delft University of lab (Computer-Human Interaction in Learning and Instruction). Technology and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Finally, the Center for Digital Education (CEDE) will be providing Sciences, Vienna paid a visit to ETH Zurich. A student from EPFL facilities and expertise for the development of MOOCs, the Massive presented the students’ perspective to the expert group, which, Open Online Courses. This interfaculty centre will bring together in its oral final assessment, seemed impressed by the tremendous seven EPFL professors from across various disciplines. commitment of all members of ETH Zurich and their strong affinity with their university. The experts judged the quality assurance PSI system to be streamlined, efficient and comprehensive (see p. 30). Humanities scholars meet at PSI

ETH Zurich Almost four thousand years ago, a decorated axe was placed in a New online resources for teaching dead person’s grave near Lake Thun – an unusual object for this area and time. Now, thanks to analyses carried out using neutron ETH Zurich has long since made use of innovative online resources tomography at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), researchers have to aid its teaching. Since last autumn semester, it has been running been able to depict the inside of the axe without damaging it. three online courses in a new and extended format as part of a Experts have used these images to draw conclusions on how the pilot project. Rather than being designed as online distance axe was made. The analyses were conducted on behalf of the courses, these programmes are primarily aimed at the university’s Historical Museum of Bern. PSI has been working successfully with own students. The new resources are intended to supplement museums and archaeological institutions in Switzerland and traditional face-to-face teaching in lectures and tutorials. The abroad for ten years. Participants in the 18th International Con­ students prepare for their lectures independently with the help of gress on Antique Bronzes, held at the University of Zurich in Sep­ video sequences and online exercises. They can also discuss their tember 2013, have highlighted this well-established exchange by learning material with tutors and with one another in an online spending one of the congress days at PSI. forum. Two of the three online courses teach basic principles for the “Economics” and “Physics II” lecture programmes, while the third provides an introduction to the statistics software R.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 65 INSIGHT Objective 1 | Education | Examples

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3 The SwissFEL Science and Technology workshop at the SwissFEL injector tunnel is aimed at students from Switzerland and abroad. (Image: PSI)

4 Excursions and lectures provide the necessary material for the students’ project work. (Image: WSL)

5 Jukka Jokela, Professor of Aquatic Ecology (2nd from left), shows environmental sciences students how to identify different species in real water courses. (Image: Eawag)

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66 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 1 | Education | Examples

PSI Empa SwissFEL Science and Technology workshop CTI training programme to support young entrepreneurs

For the third time in a row, the Swiss FEL Science and Technology The new “CTI Entrepreneurship” programme got off to a successful workshop was held at PSI in 2013, in cooperation with ETH Zurich start in 2013. This is a support programme for young entrepreneurs, and the University of Zurich. Through talks and practical exer­ backed by the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI). The cises based on the SwissFEL facility currently being built at PSI, five-day courses offer young researchers and would-be founders the two-day course aims to show Swiss and foreign students of start-up companies valuable expertise, first rate practical expe­ how X-ray free-electron lasers work and how they can be used rience and the right opportunities for further development. The for research in biology, chemistry and physics. Using the 250 first course, covering topics such as “Business Creation” and “Busi­ MeV injector developed for test purposes, the students carry out ness Development”, took place at Empa in St. Gallen at the end of emittance measurements and evaluate their results under the April. In the Zurich/Eastern Switzerland region, in addition to Empa, guidance of an accelerator expert. Up to eight people can take the TECHNOPARKS® in Zurich and Winterthur, the Zurich University part in this annual workshop. of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), HTW Chur, the St. Gallen University of Applied Sciences, the universities of St. Gallen, Liechtenstein and WSL Zurich and the technology parks STARTFELD, tebo and glaTec are Students from Lausanne come to learn in Davos also responsible for organising courses.

The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Davos Eawag hosted the “ENAC week” in May 2013 for the second time. Michael Experiencing research in practice in the Ticino Lehning, a professor at both the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) and EPFL, ran the The 70 or more researchers from Eawag who teach at Swiss univer­ interdisciplinary course with colleagues from EPFL. In projects sities spend at least as many hours on practical sessions as they do with titles such as “Renewable energy in Davos” or “A sustain­ on lectures. Providing practical training for students is one of able single-family house”, Bachelor’s students from the fields of Eawag’s particular strengths. A group of environmental sciences architecture, civil engineering and environmental engineering students from ETH Zurich benefited from this in summer 2013, when learned about the complex relationships between society, they had the chance to spend a week in a remote valley in the infrastructure and the environment and between science, engi­ Ticino mountains and learn about the diversity of species living in neering and business. They were enthusiastic about the course: the local waters. As well as enhancing the students’ knowledge, “The projects were exciting and suited our different fields of the aim of this was to allow them to experience the day-to-day study […]. For the first time, I was faced with a practical project activities of applied research. “We play an important role in the and able to apply what I had learned to date. This was a great Swiss labour market,” claims Jukka Jokkela, Professor of Aquatic way to see what my future career might be like”. Ecology, “because we not only teach the students theory, but we also show them what research is like in practice”. Empa Steady rise in the number of doctoral and postdoctoral students

As a research institute in the ETH Domain, Empa is closely involved in the training of doctoral and postdoctoral students. It enjoys a good reputation among young researchers: more and more doctoral students are choosing to finish their education and training at Empa. In fact, in recent years the number of doctoral theses being supervised at Empa has risen by about 10 % each year, on average. In 2013, Empa researchers supervised 214 doctoral students, more than ever before. Almost two-thirds of those began their studies at one of the two ETH institutions, about 20 % at other Swiss uni­ versities and the rest at foreign universities. The doctoral students at Empa are a very international group: only one in three of them took their Master's in Switzerland. The situation is similar for post­ docs: in 2013 for the first time there were over 100 postdocs work­ ing at Empa, accounting for about 20 % of all the researchers there.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 67 INSIGHT Objective 2 | Research | Facts & Figures

“The ETH Domain is 2 further strengthening its leading position in international research.”

Scientists from ETH Zurich also enjoyed great success in the intense competition for funding from the National Centres of THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE Competences in Research (NCCR) scheme run by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF): they played a leading role in five out of the ten projects awarded top marks. The Swiss Federal Coun­ In 2013, the ETH Domain strengthened a number of areas of cil finally granted approval for one project under its own auspices research in order to cater for future requirements. These include and three co-managed projects. agricultural sciences, energy research, research on the sustain- Last but not least, ETH Zurich researchers received a number able handling of resources, health and life sciences and risk of prestigious prizes in 2013, including a “Tech Oscar” from the research. The growing volume of resources coming from European Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which was awarded research funding organisations, the many highly regarded pub- to Markus Gross, and the Gordon Bell Prize from the Association lications, bibliometric analyses and countless national and inter- for Computer Machinery, presented to Petros Koumoutsakos. national prizes bear witness to the leading international quality In 2013, ETH Zurich carried out a bibliometric analysis of the of research in the ETH Domain and the substantial contributions scientific publications produced as part of its main focus areas it makes to innovation in Switzerland. Innovative scientific meth- for the period from 2008 to 2011. The results are impressive: the ods and interdisciplinary platforms are becoming increasingly publications from the ETH Zurich professorships involved in the important for research. The institutions in the ETH Domain con- NCCR on “Quantum Science and Technology”, for example, made tinued to develop these and set up new ones, for example for an extraordinarily strong impact on the international research building technologies and in translational biomedical research. community (Crown Indicator MNCS: 2.54; international average: The ETH Domain maintained its strategic alliances with Idiap, IRO, 0.8-1.2). The proportion of works within the top 10 % of the most SwissTPH and CSEM, and entered into two new ones with the IRB frequently cited publications was also three times higher than and inspire AG. In the cases of CSEM and inspire AG, the relevant would be expected based on the volume of publications (PP (top performance agreements for SERI are still being developed. 10 %): 31.5 %). The publications in the other main focus areas of ETH Zurich also achieved above-average international success. To achieve top performances in research and education, the range of subjects covered needs to be continuously adapted in line with the latest developments in science. In 2013, ETH Zurich ETH Zurich brought a total of 35 new professors on board. 22 of these pro­ ETH Zurich’s achievements in research include nine ERC Starting fessorships were newly established, while the other 13 underwent Grants and five ERC Advanced Grants awarded by the European a reorganisation in terms of content – in some cases a substan­ Research Council to researchers from the university in 2013. At tial overhaul – following the departure of the previous professors. 27 % and 36 % respectively, ETH Zurich researchers have a very ETH Zurich therefore realigned or restructured around 7 % of its high success rate in obtaining these grants. Four Consolidator subject portfolio. Greater emphasis was placed on, among other Grants and one Proof of Concept Grant were also awarded. things, agriculture, systems biology and risk research in particular.

68 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 2 | Research | Facts & Figures

EPFL PSI The high quality of research at EPFL has been acknowledged by With the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ), the Swiss Light the European Research Council, which has awarded 76 ERC Grants Source (SLS) and the Swiss Muon Source (SµS), the PSI is respon­ in the Starting and Advanced categories (five and six, respectively, sible for running large-scale scientific research facilities and in 2013), resulting in over 30 million francs in funding every year. opens these up to the national and international research com­ In addition, EPFL has received eight Proof of Concept Grants from munity, as well as to users from industry. The laying of the foun­ the ERC program, which shows its role as a facilitator of research dation stone for the SwissFEL X-ray free-electron laser in July 2013 and innovation. The continued support provided by the univer­ marked an important step on the way to creating another large- sity through the investment in advanced research equipment and scale research facility at PSI. From 2016 onwards, SwissFEL will the co-funding of SNSF R’Equip grants allow its researchers to offer researchers the opportunity to study dynamic physical, remain competitive participants in the global activity of knowledge chemical and biochemical processes at the atomic level. creation. In the last few years, EPFL has significantly increased In the course of the financial year, two PSI researchers success­ PF7 funding whilst SNSF grants have remained relatively stable, fully applied for the prestigious ERC Consolidator and Advanced closing the gap between the two sources of funding. Grants awarded by the European Research Council. They overcame The reputation of EPFL has attracted renowned researchers strong competition to secure this funding, which will provide a from around the world to join its faculty in Valais, Neuchâtel, substantial boost for the research groups concerned in the fields Geneva and Lausanne, and this has become especially evident of aerosol and materials research. in 2013. In the first call of the EPFL Fellowship program, there was By ensuring that the Swiss Competence Centers for Energy an amazingly high number of applicants: 219 from abroad who Research (SCCER) are heavily involved in its research activities and wish to join EPFL for a two year program (success rate 5.5 %). taking on the “Leading House” role in collaborative programmes, In 2013, EPFL researchers were well recognised for their research. PSI has managed to reinforce its position as Switzerland’s foremost In particular, Prof. Michael Grätzel, from the Laboratory of Pho­ energy research centre for the long term. tonics and Interfaces, received the Marcel Benoist prize for his research on solar cells, known as “Grätzel cells” (see p. 48). Prof. WSL Jacques Fellay, from the Global Health Institute, received the At the Bellinzona site, a monoplotting tool has been developed National Latsis Prize, recognising excellent young scientists under that will be an important aid in spatial research. It enables users, the age of 40, for his research on the human genome and its with the help of control points and a digital elevation model, to defense mechanisms against viral disease. easily transpose a single image into an exact location on maps EPFL has recently extended the research landscape to Valais or other images. Until now, this was only possible with stereo­ and Geneva. In Valais, a new collaboration with regional research scopic aerial photographs. Ever since the last quarter of the 19th institutes, such as the SUVA rehabilitation clinic and HES-SO century, events that change the landscape such as landslips, Valais-Wallis, is foreseen in the areas of energy, health and risk. floods or avalanches have increasingly often been documented At the “Campus Biotech” in Geneva, a center for bio- and neuro­- using terrestrial photography. With monoplotting, for the first engineering has been founded, which will bring together time the scale of the damage can be quantified using georefer­ researchers from UNIGE and EPFL as well as Cantonal Hospitals. enced data. The method offers a cost-effective way of transfer­ These EPFL offshoots will contribute to the development and ring terrain-related information onto maps. It is especially use­ visibility of EPFL at the national and international level. ful when the situation is changing rapidly, for example in the case of avalanches or floods, but the weather conditions make aerial photography flights impossible or there are no resources for them. The tool is also a very effective way of raising awareness among the population by showing a dynamic visualisation of the destruction caused to the landscape. By using time-lapse pho­ tography, a gradual process can be observed to very impressive effect, as shown on a CD published in 2013.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 69 INSIGHT Objective 2 | Research | Facts & Figures

Empa In 2013, energy research was one of the main focus areas for Empa. Researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich, led by Maksym Kovalenko, developed nanomaterials out of tiny tin crystals which allow sig­ nificantly more energy to be stored in lithium-ion batteries: a first step towards the battery of the future. Among other awards, in December Kovalenko received the 2013 Ruzicka Prize for his work. Empa researchers made progress in more than one way in the field of thin-film photovoltaic technology: they set a new world record for energy efficiency in flexible solar cells based on CIGS semiconductors (see p. 48) – an achievement which they repeated shortly afterwards with flexible cadmium telluride solar cells. In 2013, Empa succeeded in securing funding for its two demon­ stration platforms, “NEST”, for innovative building and construc­ tion technologies, and “Future Mobility”, for sustainable mobil­ ity (see p. 42), thanks partly to support from industry and the canton of Zurich. Both projects are quite far advanced; the initial concepts for the first four residential and office modules have already been drawn up and will be built, along with the central “backbone”, in 2014.

Eawag Long-term research paves the way for fruitful cooperation on tackling practical problems. 2013, for example, saw a stronger focus on drinking water research, with the launch of the “Basel-Landschaft 21 Regional Water Supply” project. This joint project involving Eawag and other partners is investigating under­ lying processes, hazards and structural weaknesses in model regions and solutions for safeguarding the quality of drinking water. The impact of river revitalisation schemes on ground­water quality is one of the topics being examined. Eawag is also look­ ing into this particular issue as part of the “RECORD Catchment” project being carried out in the River Thur catchment area, within the framework of the Competence Center Environment and Sus­ tainability, CCES (2012-2016). Broadly speaking, the purpose of this is to gain a mechanistic understanding in order to gauge the effects of large-scale revitalisation work and to prevent flooding or periods of drought. Concurrent studies into hydroecology are also being conducted, partly in conjunction with the use of hydropower. The urgent need for research into these areas was underlined in March 2013 by the incident involving a power station on the River Spöl below the Punt dal Gall dam, in which environmentally hazardous sludge was discharged into the river.

70 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 2 | Research | Sub-objective 4a

Sub-objective 4a “From the federal budget appropriation for 2013–2016, it will allocate a total of CHF 60 million to be earmarked as follows for measures to strengthen energy research in the ETH Domain: one third for building up expertise (new professorships and setting up and expanding research groups) in accordance with the ‘Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland’ action plan, and two thirds for new energy-related research infra- structure. It will also contribute to setting up and operating the SCCER competence centres, by taking part in the ‘Energy’ competitive funding programme (CTI/SNSF).”

A boost for energy research In 2013, the institutions in the ETH Domain further intensified their already strong commitment to energy research. In March 2013, the Federal Assembly approved the Federal Council's Dispatch on the “Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland” action plan. This gave the ETH Domain a sum of 60m CHF for the 2013-2016 parliamentary term: 20m CHF for building up expertise (new professorships and setting up and expanding research groups) and 40m CHF for new energy-related research infrastructure. The ETH Board has divided this funding between its institutions on a thematic basis and assigned mandates accordingly. As part of the process of implementing the action plan, the CTI put the seven proposed subject-based national competence centres that will make up the SCCER out to tender. The various institutions of the ETH Domain coordinated their applications and, acting in close cooperation and in association with universities of applied sciences, they have been successful. Their bids were accepted for five of the centres. In a sixth they will play the role of a partner organisation; the seventh centre was put out to tender again at the end of 2013. Furthermore, in October 2013, numerous research groups from the ETH Domain submitted project applications as part of the call for proposals under the two new National Research Programmes, NRP 70 “Energy Turnaround” and NRP 71 “Managing Energy Consumption”. These are currently being evaluated.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 71 INSIGHT Objective 2 | Research | Examples

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1 Donor Max Rössler, prize winner Olivier Voinnet and President of ETH Zurich Ralph Eichler (from left 3 to right) at the ETH Zurich Foundation’s “thanks­ giving” event. (Image: Heidi Hostettler / ETH Zurich)

2 The ant pictured on the superconducting chip shows the scale of the electronic circuits used for teleportation. (Image: Jonas Mlynek / ETH Zurich)

3 EPFL start-up NanoLive produces 3D images of living cells. (Image: EPFL)

4 Graphene and molybdenite: a new flash memory prototype. (Image: EPFL)

5 Two types of magnetic molecules were arranged in a regular pattern, with the magnetisation of every other molecule “switched off”. (Image: PSI)

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72 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 2 | Research | Examples

ETH Zurich EPFL Biologist awarded the Max Rössler Prize Fantastic flash memory combines graphene and molybdenite

Olivier Voinnet, Professor of RNA Biology at ETH Zurich, was EPFL scientists have combined two materials with advantageous awarded the Max Rössler Prize in mid-June 2013. The university electronic properties – graphene and molybdenite – into a flash presents this award to highly promising young professors who memory prototype that is very promising in terms of perfor­ are in the process of developing their research career. The prize mance, size, flexibility and energy consumption. Molybdenite was set up thanks to a donation from mathematician and ETH and graphene both have a two-dimensional chemical structure Zurich alumnus Max Rössler. Olivier Voinnet’s work focuses on (they are made up of a layer only a single atom thick) that gives investigating the effect of small interfering RNA molecules on the them huge potential for miniaturisation and mechanical flexi­ regulation of vital processes. These molecules were first discov­ bility. Although graphene is a better conductor, molybdenite ered 15 years ago and for a long time their function remained (MoS2) has advantageous semi-conducting properties. MoS2 has unclear. The genes which contain the code for constructing these a band gap in its electronic structure that graphene does not, molecules were long regarded as “junk DNA” with no identifiable allowing it to switch very easily from an “on” to an “off” state, use. Thanks in part to Olivier Voinnet’s research, it has now using less electricity in the process. emerged that these RNA molecules play a decisive role in regu­ lating and shutting down genes. PSI Towards a sodium-ion battery ETH Zurich Breakthrough in quantum physics Lithium-ion batteries supply electrical energy to laptops, mobile phones and electric cars. However, lithium is expensive and pro­ ETH Zurich is a global leader in quantum sciences and has made ducing it puts a strain on the environment. An alternative option a number of significant breakthroughs in this field, which offers would be to use sodium instead of lithium, but to develop sodi­ great potential for discovery. For example, a team led by Andreas um-ion batteries, a knowledge of how sodium ions behave in Wallraff, a professor in the Laboratory for Solid State Physics, has potential battery materials is essential. Researchers at PSI, together successfully teleported information onto a computer chip for the with colleagues from ETH Zurich, the Toyota research laboratory first time. While in conventional telecommunications information and the CROSS research centre in Japan, have shown that the paths is transmitted via electromagnetic impulses, teleportation takes of ions vary depending on the temperature. These variations relate advantages of the system’s quantum mechanical properties. Only directly to small changes in the structure of the material. By sin­ the information itself is transported, rather than the information gling out and stabilising these changes, new materials with opti­ medium as well. Teleportation is seen as a key element in the mised properties can be produced – including some which could construction of quantum computers in future, which are expected potentially be used in batteries. to deliver higher processing performances. PSI EPFL Altering quantum properties for quantum computers A real-time look into living cells Working with colleagues from India, researchers at PSI initially Two young EPFL scientists have developed a device that can used two alternating types of flat, nanometre-sized magnetic create 3D images of living cells and track their reaction to var­ molecules to produce a chessboard effect. Thanks to the way ious stimuli without the use of contrast dyes or fluorophores. they were constructed, the molecules could form themselves Yann Cotte and Fatih Toy from the Microvision and Microdiag­ into the nano-chessboard pattern. Using this molecule arrange­ nostics Group in EPFL’s School of Engineering combined holo­ ment, the researchers were able to “switch off” the magneti­ graphic microscopy and computational image processing. In the sation of every other molecule depending on their chemical February 2013 edition of Nature Photonics, the researchers environment. This meant that they could manipulate the quan­ demonstrated the potential of their method by creating a film tum state of part of the molecules in a targeted way. Being able of a growing neuron and the birth of a synapse. The technology to specifically alter the state of individual quantum objects is is being developed further by the start-up NanoLive and has essential for the development of quantum computers, although already won several innovation prizes. they are still a long way from coming into use. In the shorter term, however, these materials could possibly be used in highly sensitive gas sensors.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 73 INSIGHT Objective 2 | Research | Examples

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7 6 Alpine toadflax (Linaria alpina) on Piz Forun, approximately 3,000 metres above sea level, with Piz Kesch in the background. (Image: Sarah Burg / SLF)

7 This primeval forest in Ukraine is characterised by an amazing variety of forest structures, with deadwood, young growth and ancient trees sharing the smallest of spaces. (Image: WSL)

8 Combined surface analysis by the 3D NanoChemiscope of a polymer compound used in the manufacture of organic solar cells. (Image: Empa)

9 Assembly of the 3D NanoChemiscope by our industrial partner ION-TOF in the German city of Münster. The company was involved in the development of the equipment and is now marketing it. (Image: Empa)

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74 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 2 | Research | Examples

WSL Empa The effect of climate change on mountain summit flora Making electricity from (waste) heat – a thermoelectric converter Researchers from the “Summit Flora” project have collected veg­ etation data from 150 Swiss mountain summits over the past Even waste heat can be converted into electricity with the help of three years. They compared their findings with those recorded by what are called thermoelectric converters (TEC). Empa researchers researchers who compiled species lists on the same peaks 100 years are working with the Winterthur-based company Hexis, which, ago. Mountain summit flora has changed considerably since then. among other things, produces fuel cell heating equipment for Most plant species can be found at higher altitudes and more apartment blocks, to develop a TEC to make fuel cell systems up to frequently, while even specialist high-altitude species have far 10 % more efficient. To achieve this, the Empa team synthesised from disappeared. This means that, on average, 42 % more plant different semiconductor materials which meet extremely strict species are growing in the mountain tops. High Alpine areas are specifications and in some cases combine contradictory properties, probably the only ecosystems in Switzerland where biodiversity is such as conducting electricity as efficiently as metals but not con­ increasing to such a great extent. The type, extent and dynamics ducting much heat, like an insulating material. When creating the of the changes observed suggest that they have been brought high-temperature TEC, the Empa team developed a new kind of about by global warming, showing that rising temperatures are measuring device in-house and used it to analyse samples of making an impact on more than just glaciers. material at extremely high temperatures.

WSL Eawag A primeval forest under the microscope Interdisciplinary research into micropollutants

The Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh primeval forest in Ukraine’s Carpathian Nowadays, the contamination of water systems with micropol­ mountains is the largest primeval beech forest in Europe, covering lutants is regarded as a major environmental problem. However, around 100 km2. In 2010, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow it is not yet known how these pollutants affect complex aquatic and Landscape Research (WSL) joined forces with Ukrainian partners ecosystems. “EcoImpact”, an interdisciplinary research project to carry out a sampling inventory and study the forest’s biodiver­ launched in January 2013, aims to bridge this knowledge gap. A sity. The results were presented at an international conference in hundred wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland are cur­ Ukraine in 2013 and summarised in a report entitled “Inventory of rently being upgraded to include new treatment steps. The addi­ the Largest Primeval Beech Forest in Europe”. The forest consists tional treatment modifications required to remove micropollut­ almost exclusively of beech trees, with other species making up just ants from the wastewater provide a unique opportunity to study 3 %. It offers an impressive variety of forest structures and an the effects of these pollutants on natural aquatic ecosystems. astonishing number of lichen and insect species have been found Due to the complexity of the problems, analyses and anticipated here. The findings from the forest are to be used to raise interna­ results of this project, all twelve Eawag departments are involved. tional awareness of Europe’s last primeval beech forest and improve forest management and nature conservation in Switzerland. Eawag Innovative toilet passes its first field test in Uganda Empa Maximum-resolution nano-analytics on all fronts Thousands of lives could be saved each year if everyone had access to a functioning toilet. Infants are particularly at risk of dying if Anyone wishing to develop new materials also needs to be able to they drink water which has been contaminated with bacteria due analyse them in the utmost detail. For this purpose, Empa operates to a lack of adequate sanitary facilities. The “Diversion Toilet” is some maximum-resolution analytical equipment, most of which designed to solve this problem. It was developed by an interdis­ it has developed itself. One such device is the “3D NanoChemis­ ciplinary team of researchers at Eawag with the aim of creating a cope” that was introduced at the start of 2013 – a remarkable low-cost solution that would accommodate the various toilet further development of the familiar techniques of microscopy and usage habits of people living in slums. This unconventional squat­ mass spectrometry that not only reveals the surface structure of ting toilet underwent its first field test in Kampala in 2013. As far materials down to the atomic level, but also analyses it from the as the users were concerned, the toilet passed the practical test, physical and chemical points of view. In a “noise-free” lab at the but new challenges emerged, too. The researchers are now work­ IBM Nanotechnology Center in Rüschlikon, Empa also put an inno­ ing with partners from industry to tackle these issues. vative transmission electron microscope into operation in October that is even able to analyse individual chemical compounds.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 75 INSIGHT Objective 3 | Knowledge and technology transfer | Facts & Figures

“In order to reinforce Switzer- 3 land's innovative strength and competitiveness, the ETH Domain will promote the transfer of its insights and competences to society and the economy. It will further develop its KTT strategy and implement it consistently.”

Zurich joined representatives from strategic industry partners to discuss topics such as risk research, global food security, sustain­ THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE able building and electric energy. At the 2013 Industry Day, some 200 industry representatives exchanged ideas with leading researchers and founders of ETH Zurich spin-off enterprises. The ETH Domain continued to be extremely active in knowledge Members of ETH Zurich registered 171 inventions in 2013, 103 of and technology transfer (KTT) during 2013. Strategic partner- which led to applications for patents. Furthermore, 38 new licence ships were strengthened and extended. Numerous projects and technology transfer agreements granting intellectual property with the involvement of industry were initiated or continued, rights were concluded. for example via CTI projects, and the resulting patents, licences ETH Zurich equalised its previous record for creating new enter­ and exploitation contracts have led to many innovative prod- prises in 2013 with the foundation of 24 new spin-off companies. ucts and processes. Some important practical services were also Its spin-off organisations have also proved very successful: 25 of provided for the public administration. Several institutions them featured in the TOP 100 ranking of highly promising Swiss sought greater geographical proximity to their industrial part- start-ups, with seven of these making it into the top 15. Spin-offs ners by working with them in situ and developed this into a also once again claimed some significant prizes, including the ZKB strategy whereby institutions settle there and establish a clus- Pioneer Award and the deVigier Award. VirtaMed won the Swiss ter. The number of promising spin-off and start-up companies Economic Forum Award 2013 in the “Hightech” category. In addition, arising from the ETH Domain was especially high in 2013. in 2013 ETH Zurich spin-offs received over 80m CHF in investments. These successes can be attributed in part to ETH Zurich’s wide-ranging endeavours to promote spin-offs. With its Pioneer Fellowships, the university provides both financial support and ETH Zurich professional coaching for researchers who have come up with ETH Zurich stepped up its cooperation with industry even further innovative technology and an interesting business idea. The Pioneer in 2013. For example, 759 research contracts were concluded with Fellows are given space to work in the Innovation and Entrepre­ third parties (including 240 with Swiss companies), with an over­ neurship Labs (ieLabs). A new ieLab was opened on the Höngger­ all volume of 183,000,000 CHF (+19 % compared to 2012). The berg campus in 2013, offering over 200 m2 of laboratory and office university set up or consolidated important strategic partnerships space for activities relating to life sciences. ETH Zurich granted 10 with companies such as ABB, Alstom and Sulzer. Within the con­ new Pioneer Fellowships and supported a total of 27 Pioneer Fellows text of eight partnership councils (see p. 79), experts from ETH in 2013, 13 of whom have already set up their own companies.

76 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 3 | Knowledge and technology transfer | Facts & Figures

EPFL WSL The cooperation between Swiss industry and EPFL, especially with “Research for people and the environment” – the slogan of the Swiss SMEs, is often based on funding from the CTI. In 2013, 39 CTI Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) projects were supported with contractually secured funding of highlights the great importance of knowledge transfer. The focus on about 10.5m CHF. The Consortium Alliance led by EPFL was a part people is reflected, on the one hand, by the specific questions exam­ of this. With the help of the cantons of Western Switzerland, it ined, which often concern public goods that are highly relevant to took over certain responsibilities to industry after the CTI's KTT society and their spatio-temporal dynamics. On the other hand, the consortia were wound up. institute’s diverse implementation activities also demonstrate how The “Quartier de l’innovation” and the “Parc Scientifique” on this element of the slogan is put into practice (e.g. the monoplotting the EPFL campus were combined under the name “EPFL Innova­ tool explained on p. 69 or the more than 50 information leaflets). tion Park”. This comprises 153 companies, including 110 start-ups, Findings are communicated and put up for discussion through the with over 1,700 employees. In 2013, Crossing Tech, Merck Serono media, but also in direct contact with local population. For example, and ViaSat established facilities on the site. a broad-based study on the diversity of forest use and how it has In 2013, the direct funding of projects by industry (not counting changed since 1800 (“Hüeterbueb und Heitisträhl”) was presented in donations for the creation of professorships) amounted to approx­ the form of talks, not just in cities but in various villages, too. imately 13m CHF – a slight fall compared with 2012 (16m CHF). On the other hand, the number of partnerships with companies Empa increased. About 80 work placements were offered and more than By working closely with industry, Empa was able to sign more than 50 events were organised and/or financed by partner companies. 110 new research contracts with commercial partners in 2013. Projects The technology transfer process also gathered momentum in like this lead to successful market innovations such as the “wrist­ 2013. More than 40 licensing and transfer agreements were signed, watch” monitor made by the company STBL, a revolutionary new a significant increase over 2012 (31). A total of 12 start-ups were way of measuring blood pressure. Or the technology developed in founded. The 100 best start-ups in Switzerland included 22 from partnership with SANITIZED AG and the swissastest AG (former Empa EPFL, with three in the Top 10. Several of them received prizes or Testmaterialien AG) to protect fibre surfaces from odour-causing succeeded in procuring capital worth a total of 100m CHF. 70 appli­ bacteria on textiles, which was awarded the Swiss Technology Award cations were submitted for “Innogrants”, resulting in support for 2013. Empa's patent portfolio currently comprises about 61 patents. 10 projects. In order to encourage this entrepreneurial spirit, August In 2013, it registered 15 new patents, either alone or in partnership saw the opening of La Forge, a new co-working space for budding with industry, and 19 new licensing and exploitation contracts were entrepreneurs. 20 projects have so far been approved. signed. The Business Incubator “glaTec” on the Empa campus in Interdisciplinary centres such as MetaMedia, the EPFL Ecal-Lab Dübendorf celebrated its 5th anniversary in 2013. Its start-ups have and the Energy Centre are continuing their technology transfer been extraordinarily successful: all 13 of the new companies sup­ activities, with a number of projects running in parallel. In 2013, ported so far are active on the market and expanding. One of these the Transportation Center (TRACE), which has a very high profile is the recent Empa spin-off Monolitix AG, specialising in flexible in the media, launched 14 projects costing over 2.8m CHF. mechanisms that are low-friction, low-wear and also lighter, more hygienic and cheaper than conventional joint mechanisms. PSI In July 2013, the PSI, the Canton of Aargau and a potential investor Eawag joined forces with a marketing specialist to carry out a feasibility Eawag and Empa support the transfer of knowledge and technology study for the “PARK innovAARE” scheme, which will be an exten­ into industry and society through a common technology transfer sion to the PSI campus and has been put forward as a candidate office. In 2013, a researcher from Eawag was appointed as the new to serve as a network hub for the Swiss Innovation Park. In its head of the Swiss Fisheries Advisory Office (FIBER), which is jointly current state of development, the concept envisages interested run by Eawag, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the companies setting up businesses next door to PSI, allowing them Swiss Fishing Association, and promotes the mutual exchange of to benefit from being in close proximity to the large-scale research knowledge and practical experience. FIBER is working closely with facilities and the scientists and technicians working there and Eawag’s recently launched “Swiss Rivers” programme (see p. 95). enjoy direct links to PSI’s key areas of research. As part of the Eawag’s practice-oriented PEAK courses, which provide continuing relocation strategy, business models and priorities for research education for specialist professionals, have been running for 20 years cooperation are being drawn up to enable the companies concerned now and are as popular as ever. The 2013 programme was particularly to take part in implementing new technologies and innovations. wide-ranging, with 12 courses on offer. With a long-standing part­ Initial talks have begun with selected companies in Switzerland nership with the Swiss Water Association (VSA) already established, and abroad which are regarded as key players in their field. The 2013 saw Eawag step up its cooperation with the Swiss Gas and Water intention is for other companies within the same value creation Industry Association (SVGW) to provide courses relating to drinking chain to form a cluster around these core businesses. water and strengthen its collaboration with Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) on taxonomy courses.

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1 Sensirion’s very small humidity sensors (pictured next to a pin) have become established as the market standard. (Image: Sensirion)

2 The fifth Partnership Council on the topic of hydroelectric power stimulated a dialogue between industry and science. The picture shows the Gelmersee reservoir in the Bernese Oberland. (Image: Markus Foedisch / KWO)

3 IBM and EPFL have joined forces to find a solution for improving data transfer. (Image: photos.com)

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78 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 3 | Knowledge and technology transfer | Examples

ETH Zurich PSI A success story Same ingredients, different effect

In recent years, ETH Zurich has produced numerous spin-off com­ Companies in the pharmaceutical industry are faced with the chal­ panies which apply scientific findings to tangible products and lenge of trying to reliably determine what structures form during services. Evidence suggests that ETH Zurich spin-offs enjoy which drug production processes and which of these are most above-average levels of success compared to other start-up busi­ effective. The Brussels-based company Excelsus Structural Solu­ nesses and create a good many new jobs. Over the past 15 years, for tions – a PSI spin-off set up by long-standing PSI researcher Fabia example, the spin-off company Sensirion has developed into a Gozzo – offers help with this. “We use PSI’s Swiss Light Source (SLS) benchmark enterprise. Set up in 1998, it is now one of the world’s to determine the exact structure of substances for our clients,” leading manufacturers of high-quality sensors, which can be used explains the company’s founder, “as well as how the substances to measure humidity and gas or liquid flow rates. The Stäfa-based change with time”. In 2013, Excelsus Structural Solutions conducted company employs around 550 people across the world and supplies a large marketing campaign and launched a professional website. customers in the automotive engineering, medical technology, This enabled the company to attract important new clients despite building technology, industrial production and consumer goods only being established the year before. industries, amongst others. PSI ETH Zurich A park for Swiss innovation Active exchange with industry partners With the “Park innovAARE” concept, the Canton of Aargau and PSI On 23 October 2013, the fifth Partnership Council was held on the intend to set up a network hub for the Swiss Innovation Park. This topic of energy. Representatives from ten partner companies in well-developed project is based on the high-tech zone already the energy sector discussed the issue of hydroelectric power with planned in detail by PSI. Through an investor, PSI wants to encour­ professors and selected postdoctoral students from ETH Zurich. In age businesses benefitting from being in close proximity to the addition, new professors were presented, along with their fields cutting-edge PSI research facilities and the experts working there of research, and ideas for innovative research projects were to set up next door to its own site. To run its extensive facilities, exchanged. The Partnership Council events are held jointly by ETH PSI has acquired wide-ranging technological expertise and con­ Zurich and the ETH Zurich Foundation. The topics covered include tinuously developed new key technologies. It has already made sustainable construction, risk research and global food security, these technologies available to businesses in the past for use in with more subject areas planned for future discussions. These developing products and penetrating new markets, and is now events allow ETH Zurich’s industry partners to gain a direct and keen to strategically develop this approach further. in-depth insight into the university’s research and promote a long-term exchange between the two.

EPFL Shifting the Internet into high gear

A new-generation of analog-to-digital converters (ADC), devel­ oped by a joint team of IBM and EPFL’s Microelectronics Systems Laboratory, has the potential to greatly increase the speed and volume of data that can be transferred over the Internet. ADCs are essential to electronics. They translate analog signals – images and sounds from the physical world – into digital infor­ mation. But the total volume of data transferred over the Inter­ net is estimated to be increasing by 60 % every year, making current converters simply not up to the task anymore. The new ADC is not only twice as rapid as other existing designs, but it also holds the record for occupying the smallest area on the silicon chip, thus making it the most compact and energy efficient ADC to date. Thanks to this device, images, audio, and video will soon travel through cyberspace much faster, using less energy.

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4 The new RAMMS::ROCKFALL module devel­ oped by WSL and SLF predicts several scenarios to determine the risk of rockfalls along the Murg Valley road. (Image: WSL/SLF)

5 The innovative cell matrix, a flexible mat made of biodegradable synthetic material, which supports cell growth in the healing process. (Image: Allesandro Della Bella / CTI / Empa)

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80 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 3 | Knowledge and technology transfer | Examples

WSL from these. The cell matrix has already performed perfectly in Research programme for Alpine farming animal studies; now the first clinical trials are about to take place.

Researchers from 17 institutions have been thoroughly investi­ Empa gating the future prospects of Alpine farming as part of the inter- From laboratory world record to mass production and transdisciplinary research programme “AlpFUTUR – The future of summer pastures in Switzerland”, which has been jointly Thin-layer solar cells such as those based on CIGS semiconductors coordinated by the WSL and the Agroscope research institute for (copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide) offer enormous potential five years. The publication entitled “Zukunft der Schweizer Alp­ for the cost-effective production of solar power. Empa researchers wirtschaft” (“The future of Swiss Alpine farming”) sets out ways have been working in this field for some time, and have already to develop Alpine farms which find themselves caught between set several world records for efficiency, most recently in January tradition and innovation and what needs to be taken into account 2013 with an efficiency rate of 20.4 % for CIGS cells on lightweight, to cultivate Alpine land economically, sustainably and with sup­ flexible plastic substrates. In order to scale the technology up from port from society. The initial results have been incorporated into laboratory use to full-size modules, Empa is working closely with the new Swiss agricultural policy, which enters into force in Jan­ the young company Flisom. In February, Flisom and Empa suc­ uary 2014. The 200 researchers, Alpine farmers, public officials ceeded in securing third-party funding to build a production site and advisors attending the programme’s final session all agreed with an annual capacity of 15 megawatts. The proposed plant will that Alpine farming will still be practised in 100 years’ time. serve as the prototype for other sites for the cost-effective large- scale industrial production of flexible solar modules. WSL Making rockfalls predictable Eawag Infrastructure planning tools for water sector One click of the mouse is all it takes to make dozens of rocks tum­ ble down mountainsides on the screen. The latest upgrade of the There are major uncertainties involved in planning water supply RAMMS (Rapid Mass Movement Simulation) software package for and wastewater disposal infrastructure for local authorities in rockfalls uses newly developed friction laws to predict when and Switzerland. The state of the infrastructure itself, coupled with the where rocks will make contact with the ground. It simulates how impact of climate change and other unpredictable factors, makes high and how far they would bounce, how quickly they would fall it difficult to take long-term decisions. 2013 saw the completion into the valley, where they would land or be stopped and how the of Eawag’s SWIP (Sustainable Water Infrastructure Planning) pro­ terrain would change their trajectory. For the first time, it can also ject, which aimed to find out what tools could be used to improve be used to work out real rock forms. The module underwent several decision-making and therefore long-term planning in this highly months of testing in 2013, during which expert practitioners had sensitive area of supply infrastructure. The Eawag researchers the chance to assess it. Researchers from the WSL and SLF Institutes worked closely with practitioners, who tested various deci­ wanted to use this as an opportunity to support practical work, sion-making tools. Now time will tell how the newly developed enhance their understanding of rockfall processes and improve approaches can be applied in practice. rockfall protection. The module was developed in collaboration with ETH Zurich. More information about RAMMS is available at Eawag ramms.slf.ch/rams eQcharta, an Eawag spin-off

Empa Michael Döring, a landscape ecologist from Eawag’s Department of Giving the body a helping hand with wound healing Aquatic Ecology, set up the spin-off company eQcharta GmbH in 2013. The business specialises in collecting and analysing quantita­ It's a simple enough idea: a synthetic dressing in which skin cells tive and spatial data on the quality, usage, influential factors and have been cultured is applied to a wound to stimulate the forma­ changes of aquatic ecosystems. This data can be used to develop tion of new skin. When healing is complete, it detaches itself. It is holistic protection and usage strategies, to carry out risk assess­ exactly this kind of biocompatible cell matrix that Empa has devel­ ments and to plan restorations, modifications for residual water oped in partnership with the Lucerne company Nolax – and for and monitoring programmes. The Eawag spin-off assists and advises which it was nominated for the CTI MedTech Award in August last authorities, decision-makers, institutions and companies in eval­ year. This cell-friendly dressing – a sponge-like pad made of pol­ uating, implementing and monitoring the success of projects of this yurethane – could be of enormous benefit, especially in the case nature. eQcharta is currently working on a dynamic residual water of chronic wounds; more than 50 million people worldwide suffer concept for Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG in the Trift flood plains.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 81 INSIGHT Objective 4 | Research infrastructure and major research projects | Facts & Figures

“The ETH domain operates 4 existing research infrastructure of national importance, runs projects under the ‘Swiss Road­ map for Research Infrastructure’ and, if its bid is successful, will participate in European Flagship projects.”

THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE

It is no longer conceivable for cutting-edge research to be carried out without vast amounts of research infrastructure and large- scale projects. In 2013, the ETH Domain pushed ahead with a number of projects of national significance: with the successful implementation of the High-Performance Computing and Net- working Strategy (HPCN), a modern infrastructure permanently operated by ETH Zurich is now available to Swiss universities and research institutions in the form of the CSCS in Lugano. Another goal of the performance mandate was achieved when EPFL's Human Brain project was selected to be one of two European FET Flagship initiatives. The laying of the foundation stone for the SwissFEL building at the PSI was an important milestone on the road towards providing the Swiss scientific community with an entirely new large-scale research facility. All other research infra- structure at the two Federal Institutes of Technology and research institutions also serve to increase method competence and oppor- tunities for experimentation, creating added value for Switzerland as a research centre and for researchers from all over the world.

82 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 4 | Research infrastructure and major research projects | Facts & Figures

ETH Zurich EPFL New energy-efficient supercomputer at CSCS Blue Brain Project The new “Piz Daint” supercomputer at the Swiss National Super­ The Blue Brain project has been pioneering simulation-based computing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano went into operation in April neuroscience as a method to unify knowledge and data about the 2013. Having since been upgraded in the autumn, it now boasts brain using supercomputers. By including it as a research project a peak performance of over seven petaflops, making it one of of national importance in the 2013–2016 planning of the ETH Board the fastest computers in Europe. The upgrade involved replacing (budget: 73.4m CHF), the project enters a new phase with a lead­ one of two conventional CPU processors on each of the computer ership role on a national and international level. The most nota­ nodes with graphics processing units (GPU). Originally designed ble success is the award of the prestigious EU FET Flagship grant for the games and graphics industries, these offer less function­ to the “Human Brain Project”, comprising 80 research institutions ality than CPUs but are optimised to perform numerical calcula­ from Switzerland and abroad. Thanks to Switzerland's strong com­ tions much more quickly and efficiently. “Piz Daint” also features mitment, EPFL and the Blue Brain Project will coordinate the an innovative communication network, which links the individ­ project and provide the operational base. The support by the ETH ual nodes. This new hybrid system is the first of its kind and one Board and the attraction of national and international grants is of the most energy-efficient in the world. It can be used to reflected by the increase of expertise in the Blue Brain Project from generate models in much greater detail and with a much higher 41 to 70 employees (Dec 2012 vs Nov 2013) and the nomination of resolution – all while consuming less energy. two adjunct professors by the ETH Board, with further progression Initial tests have shown that “Piz Daint” can run a climate foreseen for 2014 and beyond. simulation three times more quickly than an older supercomputer, The mandate of the ETH Board on pursuing the necessary High “Monte Rosa”, with the same number of nodes. It is also virtu­ Performance Computing resources in collaboration with the Swiss ally three times more energy-efficient than the same type of National Supercomputing Center (ETHZ/CSCS) has been successfully computer equipped with CPUs only, and seven times more efficient implemented. As part of the ETH Board Blue Brain allocation, than “Monte Rosa”. The new system is particularly useful for EPFL/BBP and ETHZ/CSCS procured a first fully-dedicated super­ researchers studying climate and earth sciences, chemistry, mate­ computer for brain simulations and installed it at CSCS’s new rials science and nanoscience. However, physicists and biologists, facility in Lugano, where it is operated by CSCS on behalf of BBP. who are running increasingly intensive processing applications A three-way research collaboration between EPFL, ETHZ and at CSCS, can also benefit from it. IBM Research further allowed this 4-rack IBM BlueGene/Q super­ To exploit the full potential of the new computer architecture, computer to be augmented with a novel memory module, posi­ the application programs need to be adapted. To do this, appli­ tioning it as a unique research platform for future interactive cation software developers from various disciplines are working brain simulations. A total of 140,841 CHF of investments in pre­ with mathematicians and computer scientists to develop new paratory work at CSCS as well as 1,340,400 CHF in infrastructure computing algorithms as part of the Platform for Advanced Super­ and 33,705 CHF in technology have been made by BBP. Operational computing (PASC) initiative. costs of the system amounted to 369,185 CHF (2.65 FTE, electric­ Now that “Piz Daint” has been fully upgraded, the implemen­ ity, data centre, backup) in 2013 (see p. 54). tation of the High-Performance Computing and Networking (HPCN) strategy can be declared a success.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 83 INSIGHT Objective 4 | Research infrastructure and major research projects | Facts & Figures

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1 The Cray XC30 supercomputer “Piz Daint” at CSCS in Lugano. (Image: CSCS)

2/3 Recreating the brain of an animal – and later of a human – one neuron at a time with the help of computer simulation will provide insights into how nerve cells work inside the brain. (Image: EPFL)

4 3D model of SwissFEL being built in the Würenlingen forest.

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84 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 4 | Research infrastructure and major research projects | Facts & Figures

PSI The new SwissFEL large-scale research facility Research on large-scale devices In 2016, the new SwissFEL large-scale research facility will become The PSI operates unique large-scale research facilities on behalf operational at PSI. Along with similar resources in the USA, Japan, of the Swiss Confederation, some of which are the only ones of Germany and South Korea, SwissFEL is one of five X-ray free-electron their kind in the world. Using the Swiss Light Source (SLS), for lasers in the world. This new generation of X-ray light sources is example, researchers can “X-ray” all kinds of materials to deter­ expected to lead to significant scientific breakthroughs, which will mine the precise composition of structures right down to nano­ form the basis for new developments in energy and environmental scale. The Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ) can be used to technology, IT, computer sciences and healthcare. SwissFEL will also examine new materials for applications such as superconductors help to meet some of the growing demand for PSI’s experiment or computer memories or to X-ray metal, making it possible to resources which could be met by the other X-ray free-electron lasers look inside objects such as running engines or bronze busts available from 2016. Up to 5,000 hours of experiment time will be without damaging them. Meanwhile, the Swiss Muon Source (SμS) available to users at PSI’s various research facilities each year. is mainly used to study magnetic fields inside materials. SwissFEL is heavily geared towards the research interests and The research facilities at PSI are so costly to maintain that requirements of Swiss universities and industry and boosts their individual universities or large companies could not afford to run competitiveness at international level. As one of the world’s lead­ them alone. Yet many scientists need this complex equipment ing large-scale scientific research facilities, it will set new stand­ to achieve their research goals. PSI therefore offers external users ards in research and help to ensure that students, doctoral students access to its resources, too. and specialists in various fields – including power electronics, Before they pack up their samples and head to the PSI site, computer technology, materials technology and engineering, vac­ external researchers have to submit an application to the user uum technology, sensor technology and image processing – are service for experiment time on the institute’s equipment. The consistently provided with world-class training. number of applications has steadily increased in recent years, SwissFEL offers fresh impetus for innovation in Swiss industry, with demand now far exceeding supply. Experiment time on the which will benefit from the development of new knowledge, meth­ PSI facilities is therefore only granted to the best applicants, who ods and tools at an early stage. Businesses will also enjoy oppor­ are selected based on a scientific assessment by an external tunities to collaborate with PSI and the universities and to carry out expert committee. experiments on SwissFEL for their own research and development PSI’s high popularity rests on its reliable equipment, which is purposes. The SwissFEL facility itself is being developed and imple­ constantly being improved and enhanced. But many users also mented in close cooperation with Swiss industry. The experiences appreciate the outstanding scientific and technical support gained from this will give the Swiss companies involved a techno­ offered by PSI’s own researchers. Known as “beamline advisors”, logical edge over their international rivals and enable them to these researchers are responsible for keeping the facilities in developing and manufacture further products (see also p. 36). perfect condition for external use. To become top user advisors for their beamline, they have to carry out experiments themselves and pass on the experience they gain from these. This is a very demanding role: with experiment time at a premium, they are conducting experiments even at night or during weekends. It takes a great deal of dedication and team spirit to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 85 INSIGHT Objective 5 | International positioning and cooperation | Facts & Figures

“The ETH Domain is further 5 extending its cooperation and networking on education and research with the best institu- tions in the world and boosting its international standing.”

(IARU), a union of ten global leading research-oriented higher education institutions. The member universities exchange ideas THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE on best practice in teaching, research and management and offer programmes for students. In October 2013, an IARU workshop was held at ETH Zurich on the topic of “Women and Men in Globalizing The institutions of the ETH Domain occupy a leading position Universities”. The participants analysed data from all of the mem­ internationally for their research and education. Their excellence ber universities about the proportion of women at the various depends on their performance in international competition and stages of an academic career and discussed gender stereotypes. comparisons and on collaborating and sharing knowledge with The Swiss-Kyoto Symposium took place at ETH Zurich and the the very best in the world. Thanks to the favourable environment University of Zurich in November 2013. Some 200 researchers from that Swiss scientific policy offers bottom-up initiatives, the a range of disciplines at ETH Zurich, EPFL, the University of Zurich institutions of the ETH Domain are very well positioned and able and Kyoto University met in Zurich to strengthen their institutional to measure up to first-rate institutions worldwide. This allows relationships and reinforce their joint research activities. The sym­ all kinds of networking to take place with similar educational posium was the first event in the run-up to the celebrations and research institutions all over the world, through institu- marking 150 years of diplomatic relations between Switzerland tional contacts, joint projects or bilateral arrangements between and Japan in 2014. researchers. In this way, they boost their own competitive ETH Zurich is also involved in collaborative work with developing advantages and make a substantial contribution to solving the and transition countries. In 2013, the Egyptian entrepreneur Samih very real problems facing society, the economy and the environ- Sawiris once again funded ten doctoral scholarships and three ment in Switzerland and around the world. The ETH Domain is winter schools at ETH Zurich. The intention is for these doctorates an important factor in the appeal of Switzerland as a centre for to make a direct contribution towards improving living conditions knowledge and research, and it also plays an important ambas- in developing countries and to create immediate and medium-term sadorial role in the world of science, research and innovation. benefits for these states. ETH Zurich also joined forces with the University of Zurich in 2013 to conduct a survey of the careers of around 400 scholarship holders from developing and transition countries. The results of this survey were published in January 2014. ETH Zürich In 2013, the SERI once again appointed ETH Zurich as “Leading House” EPFL for Switzerland’s research collaboration with China, Japan, South EPFL wants to strengthen its international profile and increase its Korea and now also with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region critical mass in important branches of science such as neuroscience, which show promising potential for development. With the SEC (see health, nutrition, digital sciences, energy, materials research, p. 51), ETH Zurich has a regional hub which provides the optimum robotics, production, space travel, extreme environmental condi­ conditions for fulfilling this role for the benefit of Switzerland. tions and key technologies. In 2013 there were four specific achieve­ 2013 saw the President of ETH Zurich, Ralph Eichler, take up the ments: EPFL improved its position in international rankings, and chairmanship of the International Alliance of Research Universities since 2013 has been one of the 20 best universities in the world

86 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 5 | International positioning and cooperation | Facts & Figures

(No. 13 and No. 19 in the Leiden and QS rankings respectively, see at the first Davos Atmosphere and Cryosphere Assembly (DACA), p. 129). Secondly, in 2013 the efforts that have been made in the where over 1,000 researchers gathered to discuss the impact of digital sciences produced concrete results. For example, EPFL was global warming on the cryosphere. WSL researchers currently hold entrusted with the coordination of the “Human Brain Project” the presidencies of both the International Association of Cry­ (simulation-based neuroscience), increased its range of MOOCs ospheric Sciences (IACS) and the International Association for (currently approx. 400,000 students) and launched the “Venice Time Landscape Ecology (IALE), and many of its staff perform leading Machine” project in the Digital Humanities discipline (see p. 33). roles in countless other international organisations. Through its EPFL was also able to strengthen its partnerships with Korea involvement in EFFICIENT, the Central European Regional Office of (KAIST, Samsung) and Russia (first Swiss-Russian Innovation Day, the European Forest Institute (EFI), WSL is part of a continental closer cooperation with top Russian universities). It launched a new forestry network which has links to most universities with forestry programme for research work placements, open to students at departments and forest-related research institutes in Europe. prestigious institutions (in particular MIT, CMU, McGill, NUS, HKUST), and continued to coordinate bilateral Swiss research programmes Empa with India (a symposium in India on medical technology), Brazil Empa's international partnerships with prestigious universities (seed money projects), Latin America, South-East Asia and Russia. and research institutions expanded greatly in 2013. This was Finally in 2013, EPFL also continued developing its academic reflected both in new cooperation agreements and in partnerships networks. Noteworthy here are EPFL's partnership with the Danish, on specific projects. For example, Empa is taking part in the EU's Eindhoven and Munich technical universities to form the EuroTech Graphene Flagship project, one of the two approved FET Flagship Universities Alliance (creation of a communications platform, joint projects. Bibliometric analysis carried out by the Scimago Lab MOOCs in the field of energy), or the “Réseau d’excellence des sciences showed that over 55 % of all Empa's publications are the result de l’ingénieur de la Francophonie” (RESCIF), with the launch of of working with foreign partners. This confirms the results of a MOOCs with Africa, in Yaoundé and Dakar. The year also saw the study by the Dutch institution CWTS in 2012. Empa's excellent launch of CURES (Centre Universitaire de Recherche sur l’Energie pour international links and outstanding status in materials research la Santé) in Yaoundé and CARE (Centre Asiatique de Recherche sur enabled it, for example, to host the 5th Symposium of the World l’Eau) in Ho Chi Minh City and the development of an urban devel­ Materials Research Institute Forum in Dübendorf in June 2013. opment scheme in Haiti. But Empa not only has a strong international network but also achieves excellent scientific results, as evidenced by the Noéton­ PSI TexRank study on textile research in Europe, in which Empa was The PSI cultivates an outstanding international network, as reflected ranked 2nd, and in fact 1st for applied research (see p. 133). in the user statistics for its large-scale research facilities, for exam­ ple. Around half of the time allocated for conducting experiments Eawag on the PSI beamlines is taken up by research groups from abroad, Eawag researchers are actively involved in more than 100 inter­ and particularly from countries in the EU. The high availability of national committees and networks and approximately one third its beamlines and the excellent quality of its measuring stations of the institute’s external funding comes from international pro­ have also made PSI a sought-after partner for developing inter­ jects. Pilot projects in South Africa, for example, are currently national large-scale research facilities. The support provided by investigating innovations relating to the treatment of wastewater the institute includes contributions in developing components for and the recovery of nutrients. Eawag received funds for this XFEL, the European X-ray free-electron laser in Hamburg and for research from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of an the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden. international competition, for use in implementing local facilities PSI’s appeal to upcoming young scientists from beyond Switzer­ and establishing a corresponding network of clients and strategic land’s borders is notably demonstrated by the EU funding programme partners. Approaches based on social sciences also play a role, “PSI-FELLOW”, which has made one call for applications to date. In and these are being fully incorporated into Eawag’s new Envi­ 2013, a total of 31 postdocs from 22 countries started research work ronmental Social Sciences department. The aim is to enable find­ at PSI under this scheme. Many of these will return to their home ings from many years of research with Swiss partnerships to be countries after their fellowship at PSI and help build a long-term applied to international projects, as well as to allow knowledge international network for Switzerland as a centre for research. and experience from international projects to be fed back into projects at the national level. Eawag fosters a culture of exchange, WSL be it via formal arrangements (Memoranda of Understanding), The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape through sabbaticals or, most importantly, by means of informal Research (WSL) sets itself apart from its competitors on a global cooperation. 2013 saw a further rise in the number of visiting scale by organising or co-organising several international con­ academics coming to Eawag from all over the world. gresses each year. In 2013, for example, it held the “ClimTree” conference (see p. 9), which focused on the effects of climate change on trees and forests. Climate change was also a key topic

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 87 INSIGHT Objective 5 | International positioning and cooperation | Examples

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1 ETH Zurich scientists at Singapore’s Future Cities Laboratory study robot systems for precise and efficient construction of high-rise models. (Image: ETH Zurich)

2 Researchers from Switzerland and Cameroon are working together to improve the electricity grids in Africa. (Image: EPFL/RESCIF)

3 Plastics recycling in Delhi, India: dis­ 2 mantling, sorting and processing plastic waste is manual work. (Image: Empa)

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88 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 5 | International positioning and cooperation | Examples

ETH Zurich WSL A paradigm shift in urban planning Exchanging forestry knowledge in Europe

ETH Zurich and the National Research Foundation Singapore set up The greatest advantage of the European knowledge transfer por­ the Singapore-ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability tal forestknowledge.net lies in pooling together and presenting (SEC) in 2010. The SEC achieved its first success with the creation of wide-ranging knowledge from research and practice. Several the Future Cities Laboratory (FCL), which aims to promote sustain­ up-to-date articles are published on the portal every week, and able and resilient urban development. Founding Director Gerhard demand for scientifically proven knowledge about forests and Schmitt, who handed over his office to Peter Edwards in October, forest cultivation is high: with 130,000 users per month and over gave a positive assessment at the midterm review, which was 3,000 articles, including some in several languages, forestknowl­ conducted by international experts. They concluded that the SEC edge.net has become the European information platform of choice is a role model for global research projects, as it paves the way for for forestry matters. It was developed by four forestry research a paradigm shift at all levels of urban planning rather than simply institutions: the Forest Research Institute of Baden-Württemberg relying on optimising the systems already in place. In particular, (FVA), the Bavarian Forest Institute (LWF), the Austrian Federal the experts highlighted the expertise, diversity and creativity of Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and the SEC’s international team, which has enabled it to make major Landscape (BFW) and the WSL Institute. Eight institutions have advances in urban planning and quickly established the FCL as a been involved in the platform in 2013. WSL plays a key role in global knowledge hub. providing technical support for the portal and has been responsi­ ble for undertaking general editorial work and quality assurance. EPFL A Cameroon-based lab to tackle electric blackouts Empa Sustainable recycling industry for developing countries EPFL and ENSPY (Ecole nationale supérieure polytechnique de Yaoundé) are establishing a joint laboratory in the Cameroon cap­ The reuse of mineral raw materials as a business model for devel­ ital. The two universities will work together to develop technolo­ oping countries: this is an approach that has been supported for gies for stabilising and improving electricity grids. The problem of some time by Empa and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs electricity networks in sub-Saharan Africa is critical, particularly (SECO), with the “Swiss e-Waste Programme”. Enormously success­ for hospitals as medical equipment is very sensitive to sudden ful sustainable recycling systems for electric and electronic waste variations in current. ENSPY and EPFL have opened a joint labora­ have been set up in countries such as India, China, South Africa tory in order to develop solutions. It is expected that twelve and Colombia. At the “ICT for Sustainability”conference that Empa researchers, Swiss and Cameroonian, will work with academic and helped to organise in February 2013, the project partners launched industrial partners. The project is part of the RESCIF programme, their new programme, called “Sustainable Recycling Industries”. which brings together North-South French-speaking universities. The aim is to recover what are called secondary raw materials and make them available for reuse on the global market. PSI Reconstruction of the Fukushima nuclear disaster Eawag Leading the way in wastewater treatment Researchers at PSI, along with colleagues from seven other coun­ tries, are taking part in an OECD project to reconstruct the events Eawag has been conducting research into methods for removing that happened in the reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear micropollutants from wastewater for over 30 years. This experience power plant in Japan during the nuclear disaster of March 2011. has been put into practice in Switzerland to great effect. As a result, The main aim of reconstructing the final state of the reactor cores the country is now leading the way in wastewater treatment at is to help TEPCO, the company which operates the damaged plant, international level. Attracted by this pioneering reputation, hun­ to prepare for future decontamination work on the reactors’ dreds of experts from all over the world flocked to Zurich last year protective casing. The project participants are carrying out their for an international conference organised by Eawag on the topic of simulations separately and independently. Not until a later stage micropollutants. The international research community took advan­ will the results from each team be compared with one another. tage of the chance to hear about the extensive knowledge presented The purpose of this approach is to identify similarities and dif­ by Eawag’s experts. Visits to local sewage treatment plants also ferences and thus reinforce the scientific soundness and credi­ helped to reinforce the foreign guests’ impression of Switzerland as bility of the results. a forward-thinking and environmentally conscious country.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 89 INSIGHT Objective 6 | National cooperation | Facts & Figures

“The ETH Domain is working 6 for closer cooperation, both within the Domain and in the Swiss university environment.”

at both ETH Zurich and EPFL. The title of professor was also awarded to a member of staff from Empa in recognition of his services to THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE ETH Zurich. In addition, ETH Zurich manages the Competence Center Environment and Sustainability (CCES) and the nation-wide SystemsX.ch initiative. As well as demonstrating its commitment Institutions work together closely and successfully in the com- to being a responsible member of the ETH domain at an academic petence centres of the ETH Domain. Their activities are now being level, the university also takes responsibility with regard to man­ consolidated. In the field of energy, cooperation was intensified agement. For example, Robert Perich from ETH Zurich is leading last year in the interests of coordinating work on the SCCER. a project designed to bring the accounting standards in the ETH Following the definite rejection of the proposed joint visual Domain in line with the International Public Sector Accounting presentation by the ETH Domain at an internal hearing in Standards (IPSAS), which was intensively promoted in 2013. autumn 2012, sub-goal 2 of the performance mandate will not The establishment of the “Hochschulmedizin Zürich” (“Zurich be pursued any further. With the offshoots of the EPFL in Geneva, University Medicine”) umbrella organisation in 2012 pooled together Valais and Fribourg, and the expansion of the Basel campus of expertise in fundamental medicine, natural sciences and engi­ ETH Zurich, the ETH Domain is making an important contribution neering, clinical research and care. Further programmes were to the further development of the Swiss university environment. launched in 2013, including the Cancer Network Zurich, the Network The goal is to achieve closer cooperation with other universities for Regenerative Medicine and the Centre for Personalised Medicine. and universities of applied sciences by establishing shared pro- In 2013, ETH Zurich’s Basel-based Department of Biosystems fessorships and research projects. The ETH Domain's role in shap- Science and Engineering, which was set up in 2007, was given a ing the university environment includes being involved in the further boost with the creation of two new professorships and projects and programmes of the SUC as well as in local consortia the renovation of its existing laboratory and office building. The such as Hochschulmedizin Zürich or Campus Biotech in Geneva. new building currently being planned for the Schällemätteli site Both Federal Institutes of Technology are engaged in setting up should be ready for use in 2019. platforms for translational research as part of the SUC's cooper- At the ETH Zurich-run CSCS in Lugano, which is open to all Swiss ation and innovation project, SwissTransMed. researchers, the national strategy for supercomputing (the HPCN Strategy) was not only implemented on time and on budget in 2013 with the commissioning and upgrade of the new “Piz Daint” super­ computer, but it also far exceeded expectations by producing a peak ETH Zurich computing performance of seven petaflops (see p. 54 and 83). ETH Zurich fosters an intensive, partnership-based dialogue with numerous educational and research institutions in Switzerland, EPFL particularly at its sites in Zurich, Basel and the Ticino. Together with a number of other institutions and Swiss univer­ Within the ETH Domain, ETH Zurich boosted its partnership sities (see p. 93), EPFL is involved in the national research initi­ with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in 2013 by setting up three ative Nano-Tera.ch and the initiatives of the competence centres jointly funded professorships. One of the new professors works in the ETH Domain, CCMX and NCCBI.

90 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 6 | National cooperation | Facts & Figures

In 2013, EPFL and the University of Geneva announced the WSL setting up of the “Campus Biotech” project at the former head­ National cooperation takes place in various areas, including quarters of Merck Serono in Sécheron, Geneva. The site has been research. In this respect, WSL is actively involved in joint projects bought by the Wyss Fondation and the Bertarelli family. This with public administration and industry as well as with science, neurosciences and biotechnology project is being carried out with e.g. within the framework of the ETH Domain’s CCEM and CCES the University of Geneva and the two university hospitals in competence centres (see p. 92) or the new competence centres Lausanne (CHUV) and Geneva (HUG) (see p. 9 and 95). for energy research (see p. 50). In 2013, for example, it launched In April 2013, EPFL and the canton of Fribourg signed a Mem­ 60 new projects with non-university partners. These collabora­ orandum of Understanding on a project called the Smart Living tive research schemes make it possible to transform those affected Lab. The idea is to set up a laboratory for researching sustainable by the issues concerned into active participants by adopting an architecture and building technologies. This inter-institutional inter- and transdisciplinary approach. and interdisciplinary competence centre focusing on innovative With its 11 joint professorships and the many teaching appoint­ technologies and concepts in construction brings together EPFL, ments for its researchers, WSL is highlighting another aspect of the University of Fribourg, the University of Applied Sciences and national cooperation within the context of higher education. This the College of Engineering and Architecture in Fribourg. is enhanced by the institute’s involvement in universities of In June 2013, canton Valais and EPFL signed an agreement to applied sciences, and in particular the School of Agricultural, set up the new “EPFL Valais Wallis” campus, in cooperation with Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL). the Valais University of Applied Sciences. The Valais government One emerging example of cooperation is NFZ.forestnet, a net­ confirmed the creation of 11 professorships in the fields of energy work of eight universities, research centres and institutions in and health. There is also to be an experimental research platform the regions around Nancy in France, Freiburg in Germany and called “Energypolis” and the infrastructure for technology transfer. Zurich in Switzerland. Together, these organisations are devel­ In 2013, the cooperation with Swiss institutions involved in oping advanced teaching modules in specialist subject areas, medicine intensified. The SwissTransMed project (platforms for which are being implemented in the participating countries. By translational medical research), financed by the SUC and the ETH running summer schools, for example, they are therefore Domain, has been implemented by five Swiss universities and strengthening both national and international cooperation and both Federal Institutes of Technology which enabled tendering enriching the range of educational programmes on offer. to begin for the relevant platforms. Plans were also announced for the design and construction of the Swiss Cancer Centre Agora, Empa which will bring together the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Empa researchers play an important role in the competence the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and EPFL. With regard to educa­ centers of the ETH Domain. So far, Empa has carried out more tion and training, three students were able to benefit from the than 30 projects in the CCEM, 28 projects in the CCMX and 14 “passerelle” or bridging clause and, after taking a Bachelor's course projects under the SUC’s Nano-Tera Initiative. The “Swiss Coating in Life Sciences, switched to a Master’s course in medicine at UNIL. Center” is currently under construction. The industrial partner OC Oerlikon has funded a coating installation worth over 2m CHF, PSI whose operation will be financed for the next five years through Through the wide range of topics covered by its own energy research a CCMX project. A roll-to-roll plant for wet chemical coating and and its affiliation with the ETH Domain’s CCEM, the PSI is able to a vacuum coating plant used, for example, for solar cells, are make significant contributions towards implementing the Swiss also being constructed at the centre. Federal Government’s new energy strategy. Measures adopted by the Empa also plays an active part in other national networks, Federal Council to enhance energy research include setting up an such as the planning for the proposed Zurich hub of the Swiss interuniversity network of research competence centres, known as Innovation Park and the research and innovation centre “Rhy­ the SCCER. PSI is assuming the role of “Leading House” for two Search” in Buchs. At the already approved SCCER on the topic of approved SCCERs (“Storage”, in cooperation with Empa, and “Bio­ storage, Empa researcher Andreas Züttel has been appointed mass”). This, along with the integration of further activities in other Deputy Director. Empa researchers have also submitted numerous SCCERs, means that PSI’s research activities are guaranteed to be project proposals for the NRP 70 programme “Energy Turnaround” heavily involved in these schemes on a long-term basis. which was launched in the middle of 2013, and these are due to The PSI has 25 joint professorships with the Federal Institutes of have been evaluated by mid-2014. Technology, which is testimony to the close cooperation of the uni­ In total, Empa holds 21 joint professorships with the two versities. Alongside its cooperation with the institutions of the ETH Federal Institutes of Technology and Swiss universities. These Domain, PSI has been aiming to establish stronger links with Swiss connections at staff level play an important part with regard to universities of applied sciences. The most recent example of this was the national and domain-wide cooperation and knowledge the foundation of the Institute of Biomass and Resource Efficiency transfer between institutions. in Brugg-Windisch by PSI and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) at the start of 2013.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 91 INSIGHT Objective 6 | National cooperation | Competence centres

Eawag In addition to nine professorships with ETH Zurich, EPFL and the CCEM – Energy and Mobility University of Bern, Eawag has 15 researchers serving as adjunct professors at Swiss universities and two more holding Swiss When it comes to implementing the Energy Strategy 2050, the National Science Foundation (SNSF) professorships. Eawag’s coop­ convergence of energy networks (electricity, gas, heating), the eration with the universities of applied sciences is primarily based storage and delivery of new renewable energies and the provision on shared training and continuing education programmes, as of mobility services will play an increasingly important role. The well as largely informal contact when collaborating on research. CCEM, with the PSI as the “leading house”, is already supporting In its research activities, the institute also works closely with numerous projects in these areas. These have now been joined by non-academic partners. One example of this is the successful six new ones. There are projects studying the generation of hydro­ flow cytometry project: this method, which can be used to deter­ gen and synthetic natural gas from solar power and biomass, the mine the quality of water within just a few minutes, has recently use of hydrogen in mobility and how it can be integrated in the been included in the Swiss Food Compendium (SLMB) and Swit­ market, the modelling of convergent energy systems, how to expand zerland is the first country in the world to adopt it. Eawag is the capacity of major power supply lines and how to treat the providing support during this implementation and further devel­ emissions from vehicles. Swiss universities of applied sciences are opment phase, too. The need to take national concerns, such as involved in many of these projects as important research partners. the energy turnaround, into account plays a significant role in So far, start-up funding from the ETH Board has enabled the Eawag’s research, which is why 2013 saw a stronger focus on areas CCEM to support 56 projects and initiate projects worth a total of such as energy. nearly 223m CHF. Under the “Novatlantis” programme, forums have been held on construction and mobility, with a view to transferring exper­ tise to cities and regions, planners and architects, while the first CCEM pilot projects have been implemented in the Basel region.

www.ccem.ch, www.novatlantis.ch

CCES – Environment and Sustainability

In 2013, the CCES Project Mountland won the “Award for Transdis­ ciplinary Research” presented by the Swiss Academies of Science. This recognises the success of the eight inter- and transdisciplinary research projects currently being run by the ETH Domain's Compe­ tence Center Environment and Sustainability. Another project which got off to a successful start in 2013 was the “EnviDat.ch” project, an initiative to help research institutions and federal offices to manage their environmental data. Educational activities and dialogue with target groups outside academia also developed in a very positive way. For example, the first Master's theses with direct practical applications have already been completed, in cooperation with cantonal Environmental Protection Agencies. A very promising partnership between ETH Zurich and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) has been established with the com­ pletion of the first joint Bachelor's theses on the visualisation of scientific research results in the field of climate and waterways. Lastly, the CCES Winter School “Science Meets Practice” for doctoral students in their third year has now become a firm fixture.

www.cces.ethz.ch

92 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 6 | National cooperation | Competence centres and strategic initiatives

CCMX – Materials Science and Technology SystemsX.ch: successful start to Phase 2

The Competence Centre for Materials Science and Technology (CCMX) SystemsX.ch, the national initiative to promote systems biology serves as a driver for long-term research partnerships between in Switzerland, moved into its second phase in December 2012. the ETH Domain and Swiss industry. In line with its 2012-2016 SystemsX.ch finances research, technology and development strategy, three out of the four new faculty chairs co-funded by projects (RTD projects), transfer projects and grants for postdocs CCMX have already been appointed (two at EPFL and one at ETH (Transition Postdoc Fellowships) and interdisciplinary doctoral Zurich). and the fourth appointment is well underway. Two Mate­ projects. Altogether 33 new projects were approved in this rials Challenges (research platforms co-financed by industry for reporting year. 15 of those projects are being led by either ETH researching scientific issues that are important to industry) are Zurich or EPFL. close to finalisation, while initial discussions for Materials Chal­ About 250 researchers attended the “All SystemsX.ch Day 2013” lenges in several other areas are ongoing. In addition to the 23 in Bern in May, in order to learn about the new RTD projects. In current projects, seven courses and events targeting academic and 2013, the annual SystemsX.ch retreat for about 50 doctoral students industrial researchers were also organised. These were very suc­ and postdocs took place in Engelberg and was on the theme of cessful. “Principles of good scientific collaboration”. In January 2013, the European Research Network (ERA-NET) www.ccmx.ch ERASysAPP (ERA Systems Biology Applications) came into being, which brings together 16 institutions in 12 countries. SystemsX. ch represents Switzerland in this network and leads the way on NCCBI – Biomedical Imaging “Education and Exchange”, among other things supporting two Summer Schools in 2013. The National Competence Center for Biomedical Imaging (NCCBI) supports jointly directed PhD projects in biomedical imaging www.systemsx.ch within the ETH domain. As a result of four calls for research pro­ posals, ten theses have now been completed and 21 are ongoing, of which three started in 2013. In February 2013, the students and Nano-Tera.ch their supervisors presented their research progress at the third annual NCCBI meeting. The Nano-Tera.ch research initiative is an important mechanism The NCCBI provides an excellent mechanism for bringing for the national funding of research in engineering sciences, together different research groups within and outside the ETH especially for the development of complex systems to do with domain, as acknowledged by a survey related to the yearly report­ healthcare and the environment, where nanomaterials and huge ing 2012. These newly created partnerships have to date resulted volumes of data (“big data”) are used. in 40 publications, and advanced biomedical imaging technol­ Nano-Tera.ch has now become an established research pro­ ogies ranging from new quantitative 3D tomographic microscopy gramme which, in its initial phase (2008–2012), provided funding techniques to novel image-processing methods for magnetic for 77 projects, including 19 large-scale projects in the field of resonance imaging. Applications have also been developed relat­ Research and Technology Development (RTD). These projects led to ing to Alzheimer's, lung disease, osteoporosis and chronic pain, a large number of demonstrator products which were presented among others. at the annual meeting of the research programme in May 2013. It is on this sound footing that Nano-Tera.ch now enters its www.nccbi.ch second phase (2013–2016), in which it will fund 18 new RTD pro­ jects. A special feature of this second wave of projects is that they will often combine engineering sciences and life sciences, thanks to the involvement of partner hospitals. Seven additional RTD projects were selected at the end of 2013. So far, over 700 researchers have benefited from this kind of funding; the sponsorship has led to more than 800 publications which have attracted a great deal of media attention.

www.nano-tera.ch

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 93 INSIGHT Objective 6 | National cooperation | Examples

1

2

1 Visual presentation of the Agrovet-­ Strickhof project, which is to be imple­ mented over the next few years. (Image: ETH Zurich)

2 Campus Biotech will breathe new life into the biotechnology sector in the Lake Geneva region. (Image: Alain Herzog / EPFL) 3 3 How do you become innovative? Those discussing this question at Empa includ­ ed Elmar Mock, one of the inventors of the Swatch watch (right), and Empa's Director Gian-Luca Bona. (Image: Empa)

94 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 6 | National cooperation | Examples

ETH Zurich WSL Agrovet-Strickhof taking shape Science prize for Mountland

ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and the Canton of Zurich’s The CCES Mountland project managed by the Swiss Federal Insti­ Competence Centre for the Agriculture and Food Industries Strick­ tute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) has won the hof have joined forces to set up the Agrovet-Strickhof training 2013 “swiss-academies award for transdisciplinary research”. This and research centre in Lindau over the next few years. This cen­ prize is awarded by the Network for Transdisciplinary Research tre will combine university studies in agricultural and veterinary (td-net), an initiative of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, sciences with the practical requirements of agriculture. The Zurich to exemplary research projects which deal with socially relevant Cantonal Government approved the pilot project in autumn 2013 issues across various scientific disciplines. Nine research groups and is applying for a loan of 29m CHF to build a livestock centre. from WSL, ETH Zurich and EPFL have been investigating the impact ETH Zurich has been granted long-term building rights and the global change is having on mountain landscapes and how it university therefore expects to finish constructing the planned affects the provision of ecosystem goods and services, such as new metabolic centre in 2017. Initial tests have already been protection against natural hazards or food and timber produc­ carried out in the temporary metabolic centre on the existing tion. Based on this research, they have built up an integrative Strickhof premises in 2013. picture of the ecosystem goods and services in mountain regions today and in the future. EPFL Geneva: EPFL launches Campus Biotech Empa Networking platform for Swiss managers In May 2013, a consortium comprising EPFL, the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Hansjörg Wyss of the Wyss Foundation and the In April, Empa successfully launched a new series of events called Bertarelli family, launched Campus Biotech on the old Merck the “Empa Technology & Innovation Forum”. More than 70 invited Serono site at Sécheron, Geneva. The group aims to add new leaders from Swiss industry met Empa's senior management to impetus to the biotechnology sector in the Lake Geneva region. discuss the subject of “Open Innovation” and its implications for From EPFL, researchers from the Human Brain project, Blue Brain Switzerland as a centre for industry and knowledge. The speakers project and the majority of the Center for Neuroprosthetics will included the co-inventor of the Swatch, Elmar Mock, and the pub­ move to the Sécheron site. The State Council of the Canton of licist and philosopher Ludwig Hasler. The culinary highlight of the Geneva has committed to financing the rental of the Human Brain evening was the dinner, served among the heavy machinery in the Project labs via an annual contribution of 1 million Swiss francs Bauhalle, Empa's Civil Engineering building. The second event, on for 30 years as well as 5 million Swiss francs of additional funds “Innovation and Sustainability”, followed at the end of November, over the coming years. and the next is already being planned.

PSI Eawag One of 2,666 guest researchers Swiss Rivers programme launched

Petr Leiman, an assistant professor at EPFL, is one of 2,666 exter­ Water protection experts in Switzerland are facing major chal­ nal researchers to use the large-scale research facilities at the lenges. The requirements imposed by the new Swiss Waters Pro­ Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in 2013. Experiments carried out on tection Ordinance can only be met if science and practice work the Swiss Light Source (SLS) have enabled him to describe, in together. Eawag’s practice-based “Swiss Rivers” research pro­ unprecedented detail, how a particular type of bacteria acts gramme is designed to further the development of an effective during the transmission of diseases. There are numerous experts network. The programme was launched in spring 2013 as a joint on hand to support guest researchers working at PSI, including initiative by Eawag and the Federal Office for the Environment physicists, biologists, chemists, mathematicians, engineers and (FOEN). The objective is clear: to use applied research to support technicians. They offer expertise gained from their own research practical water course management in Switzerland’s waterways. to help carry out experiments and make sure that the research With this in mind, Eawag has appointed a water course ecologist facilities are highly accessible and continuously developed. who specialises in restoration and disturbance ecology and will maintain direct contact with practitioners in the field.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 95 INSIGHT Objectice 7 | Role in society and national tasks | Facts & Figures

“The ETH Domain maintains 7 a dialogue with society and performs tasks in the national interest.”

edition of this science programme, which is run by ETH Zurich for adults, young people and children, focused on the topic of human THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE communication in all of its biological, technological and social aspects. The autumn 2013 programme explored the search for the perfect material. Some 8,000 visitors took advantage of this The ETH Domain used both new and established channels to opportunity to find out more about these fascinating topics. maintain a close dialogue with the public. The continuing high Another example of an intensive exchange with the public was level of interest shown at public debates and information events the ETH-Klimarunde event in October 2013, where researchers shows that the institutions of the ETH Domain succeeded in from ETH Zurich discussed the new UN climate report and the choosing topics and formats which are popular. It is worth high- conclusions to be drawn from it with a keen audience. The UN lighting the many activities – such as “ETH on the road” or EPFL's climate report was also one of the topics featured in the ETH-Kli­ “Bus des sciences” – which take place at the two universities mablog (“ETH climate blog”), which has been reporting on issues and the research institutions. They are constantly increasing in relating to climate change based on the latest knowledge since number and inspire young people with a fascination for the STEM 2009. The blog branched out into other topic areas in 2013 and subjects. The proactive publicising of scientific results and focal is now being run under the name “Zukunftsblog” (“Future blog”). areas for research, especially by maintaining a high profile in Stirring up young people’s enthusiasm for natural sciences and the media, also leads to sustainable growth, as shown in stud- technology and encouraging them to study STEM subjects (science, ies and analyses carried out by public bodies. Finally, the insti- technology, engineering and mathematics) is one of the main tutions of the ETH Domain continue to carry out the national priorities of ETH Zurich. It presents its range of study programmes tasks assigned to them by the state. The scientific services are to schoolchildren through a variety of events. In September 2013, constantly being improved so that they can be provided at the around 8,400 upper secondary school pupils attended the open highest possible standard. They reach a broad public and have days for prospective students at ETH Zurich and the University of a nationwide impact. Zurich. ETH Zurich also visited eight secondary schools across Swit­ zerland as part of its touring exhibition “ETH unterwegs” (“ETH Zurich on tour”). 112 secondary school pupils also had the oppor­ tunity to spend a week working on a project with researchers from ETH Zurich the fields of architecture, biology, mathematics or physics in 2013. ETH Zurich continued to cultivate an active dialogue with society Lastly, 37 graduates from 24 schools presented the final projects in 2013. At the Scientifica science days in Zurich at the end of they had carried out for their school leaving examination, which August, which were based on the theme of “Risk – what we dare related to the topic of mathematics, IT, natural sciences or tech­ to do when”, well over 20,000 visitors discovered how willing nology, at ETH Zurich. This gave them the chance to discuss their they are to take risks and listened to researchers from ETH Zurich work in person with an expert from the university. and the University of Zurich explain how they identify risks and where potential dangers lurk. A great deal of interest was also attracted by the Treffpunkt Science City events. The 2013 spring

96 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objectice 7 | Role in society and national tasks | Facts & Figures

EPFL WSL For the first time, a course was organised for employees on the Public lecture evenings held as part of scientific conferences, subject of sustainability. The aim was to encourage them to feel a discussions with representatives of local municipal authorities sense of responsibility towards society and the environment in their at the “Forest Day”, school tours around the WSL Institute for daily work and to show them how they themselves can contribute Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), and workshops at events to sustainability on campus. At the beginning of 2013, a new car such as the “Natur” trade fair in Basel – these events, which are sharing system using electric vehicles was introduced, called “Elec­ aimed at a range of different target audiences, are organised tricEasy”. There are six charging stations on campus, each with two regularly by WSL to help raise public awareness of its work. After vehicles available, and already over 500 people have used them. all, such events leave a lasting impression on visitors, who are In April 2013, 17,000 people attended the Robotics Festival on fascinated by expert knowledge and WSL’s work in general thanks the EPFL campus. This popular science event was intended to to personal interaction with the researchers. These encounters show the general public that universities are open and exciting stir up people’s interest in the work of WSL and prompt many places of education. By talking to researchers and going on a tour event participants to become “ambassadors” for WSL’s cause in of the campus, visitors were able to gain a better picture of the their own environment. This demonstrates that the considerable work of researchers and students. The festival is often the first effort put into transferring knowledge pays off. One of the high­ opportunity for young people – and others, too – to enter a lights of 2013 was the performance of an artist who was involved scientific institution and venture into a world which is all too in WSL’s “Artist in Lab” programme at the Montreux Jazz Festival, often perceived to be inaccessible. where she incorporated long-term ecosystem data into light When it came to equality of opportunity in encouraging young installations and sound effects. people's interest in science, EPFL offered lots of activities, not only on campus but also outside. On a tour of schools in western Empa Switzerland, its “Science Bus” presented an interactive exhibition Lifecycle analysis is becoming more and more important in the about the 13 departments of the university. On the Schools' Open evaluation of new materials and technologies. In a study for Day, the doors of EPFL's laboratories were open to more than TA-SWISS, for example, Empa investigated the opportunities and 1,600 young people, and parents and children had the oppor­ risks presented by electric mobility, and made recommendations tunity to take part in scientific workshops. for the most environmentally friendly and resource-saving kinds Altogether in 2013, promotional campaigns made contact with of future mobility. Furthermore, Empa analysed on behalf of the over 9,000 young people – whether for a few hours or a complete Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), whether the Federal week during the “Holiday Pass” programme, during Science Weeks Major Accidents Ordinance on handling synthetic nanomaterials at EPFL or the various activities of the Centre Roberta. The young should be modified by adopting special regulations regarding audiences consisted mainly of girls. The aim was to increase their human and eco-toxicity. awareness of science and, especially, technical courses which, Empa is also active on various fronts relating to airborne despite significant progress in the last 10 years, still remain a toxins. It has developed safer flame retardants to replace the largely male-dominated field. frequently highly noxious materials and ensured, by investigating the environmental impact and the transportation and chemical PSI conversion processes, that especially harmful substances such as The PSI promotes dialogue with society through a varied range the flame retardant HBCD were banned. of events and exhibits at the PSI center and makes scientific Thanks to the measuring stations operated by the National Air findings accessible to a wide audience by presenting them in a Pollution Monitoring Network (NABEL), Empa researchers have comprehensible way. An interactive information counter about identified the sources of numerous toxins and quantified their the new large-scale research facility SwissFEL was added to the emissions. One example being trifluoroacetic acid, a persistent psi forum’s range in 2013. A model of the facility, original com­ pesticide that occurs in the atmospheric breakdown of a newly ponents and webcams document the progress made on the introduced coolant for car air conditioning systems. SwissFEL construction site and allow visitors to gain an insight into this major project (see p. 100). For many years, PSI has been performing an important national service by running the Center for Proton Therapy (CPT) for treating ocular melanoma and deep-seated tumours. 2013 saw the first patients undergo clinical treatment in the “Gantry 2” irradiation facility. In addition to treating patients, the centre’s activities also focus on continuously improving therapy options and enhancing clinical research, which has been given a significant boost by the appointment of a new head of the CPT (see p. 58 and 99).

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 97 INSIGHT Objectice 7 | Role in society and national tasks | Facts & Figures

Eawag Eawag plays an important role in ensuring that decision-makers Selected national tasks and experts in practice are provided with key new findings on water management. It also carries out official national tasks with, ETH Zurich for example, its work at the Ecotox Centre and its activities for 75 years of economic research monitoring radioactivity in aquatic systems (see p. 99 right). Eawag sets an example for society (as a “good citizen”), gets On 23 September 2013, in the presence of many leading business­ involved in the regions where it has research sites – by helping men and politicians, the Swiss Economic Institute (KOF) at ETH to monitor water quality in Lucerne, for instance – and cultivates Zurich celebrated its 75th anniversary. Founded in 1938 as the contact with the local population. Under the auspices of the Institute for Economic Research, the KOF has carried out regular Canton of Zurich, the institute is involved in the revitalisation of surveys of companies since 1955 and these still form the core of its the Chriesbach stream on its own doorstep (see p. 101). This research. The results of these surveys feed into the Economic project was initiated by Eawag and is funded by the Swiss Federal Barometer and are enormously important for the economic and Government and the City of Dübendorf. Eawag continued to have political development of the country, as Federal Councillor Johann a pioneering role with regard to the sustainable use of resources Schneider-Ammann declared in his speech. in 2013. It has also made additional improvements to its buildings in terms of renewable energy and has further enhanced the use ETH Zurich of solar energy in the Forum Chriesbach building by installing a ETH-Bibliothek: extending cooperation new hot water tank and heat storage system. In mid-2013, the INUIT cooperation project came to an end, and the two major library databases belonging to the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich were successfully integrated. This means that it is now possible to search all the library holdings at Zurich's univer­ sities in a single process. These reference sources are supplemented by the holdings of EPFL, the research institutions in the ETH Domain, various universities of applied sciences and a great many other institutions all over Switzerland.

ETH Zurich Swiss Seismological Service under new management

At the start of June 2013, geophysicist Stefan Wiemer took over as Head of the Swiss Seismological Service (SED), the federal agency responsible for monitoring earthquakes that is based at ETH Zurich. In June, the first of two phases of renewing and extending Swit­ zerland's strong-motion seismic network came to an end. The measuring stations now send their data to the SED continuously. This is used to record current seismic activity and localised ground motion during earthquakes.

98 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objectice 7 | Role in society and national tasks

EPFL WSL Plasma Physics Research Centre (CRPP) Interactive and easily readable avalanche bulletins

The aim of the CRPP test programme (using the variable config­ The avalanche bulletin was set up by the WSL Institute for Snow uration Tokamak (TCV) and the Torpex) and the modelling pro­ and Avalanche Research (SLF) to inform people – especially skiers cedures is to prepare for scientific use of the International Ther­ and safety officials – about the risk of avalanches. The avalanche monuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and also to optimise the bulletin was completely revamped in winter 2012/13, making it experimental reactor, DEMO. The main purpose of the latter is to easier for users to quickly find out what the situation is like in solve the problem of heat dissipation from the Tokamak. The CRPP various regions of the Swiss Alps and immediately be alerted to is also involved in the setting up of the ITER, working on high-fre­ the most important information. The avalanche bulletin is split quency waves and the supraconductor (SULTAN test plant). into two parts: a zoomable, interactive map with descriptions of To ensure that the TCV will be able to play an important role hazards and text information about snow cover and the weather. in Euratom Horizon 2020, the upgrades announced during the The clearly arranged graphic display and layout make the bulle­ ETH Board audit are being implemented. By 2015, the neutral tin easy to understand. It is issued twice a day during the winter beam heating system will be ready for operation. and appears in four languages, thanks to an automatic transla­ The restructuring of the CRPP was brought to an end in 2013. Work tion function based on a catalogue of set phrases. The bulletin is on materials science has ceased so that the CRPP can concentrate free to view at www.slf.ch and via the “White Risk” app. on activities which will enable it to make the greatest possible contribution on nuclear fusion in the European Research Programme. Eawag Quality of Swiss waters

PSI On behalf of the Department of Radiation Protection at the Fed­ New Head of the Center for Proton Therapy eral Office of Public Health (FOPH), Eawag uses its gamma-ray laboratory to continuously monitor radioactivity in aquatic sys­ The PSI operates the first and only spot-scanning gantry in the tems. Together with the WSL and the Federal Office for the Envi­ world that is able to treat deep-seated tumours using proton ronment (FOEN), it is involved in the National River Monitoring radiation; it is also the only centre for proton therapy in Switzer­ and Survey Programme (NADUF) which tracks the concentrations land. The appointment of Dr Damien Weber, an internationally of substances occurring in selected Swiss watercourses. esteemed radiation oncologist, as the new Head of the Center for Proton Therapy (ZPT), while he retains his connection with the Eawag Universities of Bern and Zurich, will strengthen the PSI's links with Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology university hospitals and intensify its clinical research. The Ecotoxicology Centre run jointly by Eawag and EPFL works closely with the Swiss authorities. For example, in 2013 employees at the Centre helped produce an assessment concept on microim­ purities from various sources in Switzerland. In another project they demonstrated how encapsulating biocides prevented them from being washed out of rendering on facades and entering the water system. Together with international partners, the Ecotox Centre also developed an improved evaluation system for ecotox­ icological data, to make regulatory ecotoxicology assessments more objective, and helped drive forward the standardisation of a number of biotests.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 99 INSIGHT Objectice 7 | Role in society and national tasks | Examples

1 Valais Councillor Jean-Michel Cina explained his canton’s approach to the new Spatial Planning Act. (Image: Heidi Hostettler / ETH Zurich)

2 EPFL and ETH Zurich measure levels of pollution with a network of sensors, here 1 on a tram in Zurich. (Image: ETH Zurich)

3 The interactive counter about SwissFEL provides information on various aspects of the new large-scale research facility at PSI. (Image: PSI) 2 4 Christoph Hegg (WSL), Josef Hess (FOEN), Konrad Steffen (WSL), Eva Reinhard (FOAG) and Markus Stauffacher (ETH Board) lay the foundation stone for the Plant Protection Laboratory. (Image: WSL)

3

4

100 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objectice 7 | Role in society and national tasks | Examples

ETH Zurich WSL Consolidation as a solution Foundation stone laid for the Plant Protection Laboratory

For the fourth time, ETH Zurich invited guests to join a public In 2013, the WSL began work on building a laboratory and green­ dialogue about a socially controversial topic. At the “Spatial plan­ house at biosecurity level 3, in order to research the pathogens ning discussion” organised by Network City and Landscape on 11 causing plant diseases subject to the Containment Ordinance October 2013, expert scientists, spatial planners and politicians (ContainO). These include, for example, the Asian long-horned discussed the future of urban and landscape development in Swit­ beetle, the Oriental chestnut gall wasp or Phytophthora ramorum, zerland. The question of how the revised Spatial Planning Act a fungus-like organism which can infect numerous tree species should be implemented was addressed and researchers from ETH and cause them to die off. Due to international trade, such animals, Zurich put forward some concrete solutions. The participants plants and microorganisms reach Switzerland more and more fre­ agreed that high-quality internal development is the best way of quently, which is why research on how to diagnose and combat creating new living and working space. As the presentations them is of great economic and scientific importance. showed, however, individual cantons are implementing this pol­ www.waldschutz.ch icy in extremely different ways. Empa EPFL The long road towards the 2000-watt society Air quality in an app Even though the vision of a 2000-watt society has been in existence A new smartphone app, “Mobile Observatory”, developed by EPFL’s for 15 years, Mr and Mrs Switzerland are still miles away from Distributed Information Systems Laboratory (LSIR), allows users to achieving its objectives. This was shown in a study carried out by consult the levels of certain pollutants measured in precisely Empa and ETH Zurich. The researchers worked out the ecological defined spots in the city. Commuters can thus choose their itiner­ footprint of Switzerland by questioning 3,369 households about ary with a single click, and in real time, based on the air quality their accommodation, transport, diet and consumer goods, and en route. This is particularly useful to those who suffer from res­ combining their answers with lifecycle analyses drawn from Empa's piratory disease. The information comes from a network of sensors “ecoinvent” database. Conclusion: Not one of the households ques­ installed on the roofs of several trams and buses, in the context tioned met the conditions for the 2000-watt society; even those of a project called OpenSense that has been conducted over the that used energy economically emitted too much CO2. Furthermore, past three years in Lausanne and Zurich by four EPFL and one ETH there was no evidence to support the economic theory that the Zurich laboratories. Public transport is the ideal platform from environmental impact initially increases as incomes rise, but then which to collect this kind of data: it provides mobile, reliable, falls again. The only glimmer of hope was that energy-saving predictable, and complete coverage of a given area. households were to be found in all income categories.

PSI Eawag Research at a fingertip Chriesbach turned back into an enjoyable habitat

The psi forum visitors’ centre at PSI has been offering interested “Without the steadfast commitment of Eawag, this project would members of the public insights into the world of science for 15 probably have fizzled out,” says Christian Marti from the Office for years. The centre’s 20 interactive exhibits and 3D cinema demon­ Waste, Water, Energy and Air of the Canton of Zurich. Marti led the strate the various areas of research covered by PSI. A 4 × 1.8 metre project for restoring the Chriesbach stream on the Empa/Eawag site interactive information counter about SwissFEL was introduced in up to the point where it flows into the River Glatt. When this 2013, telling visitors about different aspects of the new large-scale kilometre-long stretch of water was blocked in the 1970s, it solved research facility due to be launched at PSI in 2016. A 1:400 scale a flooding problem. This would usually be a good reason not to model provides a glimpse inside SwissFEL and original components alter the situation, but the stream became little more than a drain­ are used to explain the technology behind it. Webcams show live age canal. In 2013, with plenty of effort and support from the City pictures of the construction site, while a fictitious media show of Dübendorf and ewz, the energy service provider for the City of presents the research that could be carried out at the facility in Zurich, Eawag successfully turned its local stream back into a future. Questions about how SwissFEL will be integrated into its diverse habitat. Not only that, but it now also serves as a research surroundings are also answered. site for students and a space for visitors to enjoy.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 101 INSIGHT Objective 8 | Sources of financing and allocation of funds

“The ETH Domain will 8 enhance its financing basis and efficiently deploy the available funds.”

mandate (research-based education of upcoming young scientists in pure sciences, natural sciences, engineering and architecture). THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE This funding consists of credits from the Federal Government’s contribution (A2310.0542) and investment credit relating to ETH Domain buildings (A4100.0125). In its Dispatch on Education, The ETH Domain enjoys a solid financial base and the proportion Research and Innovation (ERI Dispatch), the Federal Council of third-party funding has stabilised at a high level. Due to allowed for increasing growth in the ETH Domain between 2013 increased cooperation, the costs were below the defined budget. and 2016 and, in February 2012, it instructed Parliament to pro­ As a consequence, the result is 43m CHF better than planned. vide total credit of 9,480.9m CHF (fig. 5). Parliament increased From a financial perspective, 2013 was a good year for the ETH the financial contribution to the ETH Domain by 103m CHF, thus Domain and the start into the 2013–2016 performance period was taking into account the rising number of students and ensuring a success. The ETH Board’s criteria-based allocation of funding, smooth growth in the 2013–2016 planning period. As part of the which deliberately focuses on the strategically important resolution passed by the Federal Council on the energy strategy medium to long-term objectives, has also proven successful. dispatch, the performance mandate issued to the ETH Domain was supplemented to include a sub-objective (4a) – to strengthen energy research – under Objective 2 and the ETH Domain was awarded additional funding amounting to 60m CHF. Financing operations On 19 December 2012, the Federal Council approved a consol­ Due to the long-term nature of their curricula, scientific devel­ idation and critical task review package for 2014 (Konsolidierungs- opment plans and costly research infrastructure, academic systems und Aufgabenüberprüfungspaket 2014, “KAP 2014”). This included can only respond to changes in the financial environment with cutbacks for the ETH Domain amounting to a total of 86m CHF, a considerable delay. but the savings package was rejected by a National Council vote It is therefore extremely important to secure continuous and during the 2013 winter session. This means that the planned reliable basic financing, both for making a financial contribution economisation measures for 2014 will not be implemented and to the ETH Domain and for allocating ETH Board funds to the the impact on the ETH Domain is reduced to 58m CHF. There is various institutions. therefore estimated to be 9,599.9m CHF available to the ETH The ETH Domain is financed by means of contributions from Domain for the period between 2013 and 2016, provided Parlia­ the Federal Government (internal resources), competitively ment does not decide on additional spending cuts. acquired funds from public organisations (second-party resources) Second-party resources are competitively acquired resources and private sources (third-party funding), service revenues and from both the Federal Government (Swiss National Science Foun­ other income. Figure 6 shows the development of revenues from dation, Commission for Technology and Innovation) and the EU’s internal and second-party resources and third-party funding. research funding bodies; these include research assignments from Internal resources, which amounted to 2,378.8m CHF in 2013 federal or cantonal authorities. Third-party funding includes and make up more than 73 % of total revenues, are used to secure donations and bequests as well as compensation for collaborative the financing for the performance mandate, particularly the basic work with industry and revenue from services. The proportion of

102 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 8 | Sources of financing and allocation of funds

Fig. 5: Development of the budgetary framework for the ETH Domain for 2013-2016

2012 C 2013 B 2014 FP 2015 FP 2016 Total Basis 2013–2016

Budgetary framework as per ERI Dispatch 2013-2016 dated 22 February 2012 2,174.5 2,227.4 2,303.2 2,414.6 2,535.7 9,480.9 Growth in % 2.4 3.4 4.8 5.0 Ø 3.9 Federal decree 25 September 2012: “Equalisation increase” 32.0 45.0 26.0 103.0 Budgetary framework for the ETH Domain 2013-2016 2,259.4 2,348.2 2,440.6 2,535.7 9,583.9 Growth in % 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 Ø 3.9 Federal decree 13 March 2013: Appropriated increase in funds as per action plan “Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland” 12.0 16.0 16.0 16.0 60.0 Budgetary framework for the ETH Domain 2013-2016 2,271.4 2,364.2 2,456.6 2,551.7 9,643.9 Growth in % 4.5 4.1 3.9 3.9 Ø 4.1 Federal decree I Federal Financial Budget for 2014 dated 12 December 2013: Increase in the budgetary framework for property portfolio adjustment 14.0 14.0 Budgetary framework for the ETH Domain 2013-2016 2,271.4 2,378.2 2,456.6 2,551.7 9,657.9 Growth in % 4.5 4.7 3.3 3.9 Ø 4.1 Development of credit, taking into account the budgetary framework for the ETH Domain 2013-2016: Directives of the Federal Council on the Federal Financial Budget for 2014 / FP 2015-2017: Consolidation and Task Evaluation Package (KAP) 2014: Minimum utilisation -29.0 -29.0 -58.0 Credit, taking into account the budgetary framework for the ETH Domain 2013-2016 2,271.4 2,378.2 2,427.6 2,522.7 9,599.9 Growth in % 4.5 4.7 2.1 3.9 Ø 3.8 Of which (allocation according to credit): Confederation subsidies (credit A2310.0542) 2,073.9 2,168.5 2,207.0 2,318.1 8,767.5 Construction investment ETH Domain (credit A4100.0125) 197.5 209.7 220.6 204.6 832.4 Total credit, taking into account the budgetary framework 2,271.4 2,378.2 2,427.6 2,522.7 9,599.9

C = Calculation, B = Budget, FP = Finance Plan

revenues made up of second-party resources and third-party costs. Given the high esteem the ETH Domain enjoys with public funding has grown steadily over the past few years and is now at and private investors, this should be possible. Whether there is 23 %. According to the performance mandate, it looks set to a maximum limit to this growth depends on what proportion of increase further as long as the scope and quality of teaching is indirect costs is paid for by sponsors. From a financial perspective, not called into question due to problems with covering indirect the introduction of overhead contributions to cover indirect costs

Fig. 6: Development of internal and second-party resources and third-party funding In m CHF

3,500 3,057 3,072 3,131 2,893 3,000 2,760 408 426 409 2,656 355 338 2,421 2,412 454 2, 500 383 440 477 2,242 2,319 409 245 280 372 213 241 324 2,271 295 279 2,130 2,208 2,175 2, 000 242 252 2,050 1,880 1,949 1,788 1,826 1,854 1, 500

1 ,000

500

0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Internal resources Second-party resources Third-party funding (incl. service revenues and other income)

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 103 INSIGHT Objective 8 | Sources of financing and allocation of funds

Fig. 7: Basis for funding allocation decisions Basis for funding Target system dimensions Performance dimensions allocation decisions

Purpose/mandate (ETH Act) Dialogue

Self-evaluation “Strategy” Objectives/priorities (strategy factors) Peer evaluation per ERI period (per- formance mandate) Indicators “Performance” (qualitative + (outcome/impact factors) quantitative)

Extreme framework Ambitions/objectives conditions of the institutions “Load” (target agreements) (load factors)

Basis for funding allocation decisions

relating to research contributions from the Swiss National Science 2. The allocation of funding should support the development Foundation from the 2008–2011/12 period onwards was significant. of the institutions and avoids false incentives. Service revenues include income from tuition fees, patents, When selecting the criteria for its funding allocation model, licences and scientific and administrative services. They make up the ETH Board closely examined the possible incentives and approximately 4 % of revenues. risks of each criterion. The catalogue of criteria and its imple­ mentation in practice support the ETH Board and the devel­ Deploying funds efficiently opment of the institutions. In the 2008–2011 ERI period, the ETH Board developed a model for allocating funds based on performance. This model (fig. 7) focuses 3. The allocation of funding should promote on the performance dimensions “strategy”, “performance” and cooperation within the ETH Domain. “load” and is based on criteria used by the ETH Board in its annual The focus here is on previous and anticipated developments performance evaluation of the six ETH Domain institutes. It was at the institutions over time – including in relation to perfor­ used for the first time in preparing the 2012 budget. Figure 8 shows mances – rather than on a direct comparison between the the funds allocated to the institutions in 2013. institutions. Such a comparison would only be possible to a limited extent anyway for reasons of heterogeneity, and it also With this criteria-based funding allocation model, the ETH Board harbours the risk of giving false incentives: priority should be is pursuing three aims: given to cooperation within the ETH Domain, not competition.

1. The ETH Board should fulfil its management To evaluate the performances of the ETH Domain as a whole and and controlling function. its institutions individually, the ETH Board has to engage inten­ The most important role of the ETH Board is its strategic man­ sively with the institutions and look far beyond automated per­ agement function for the entire ETH Domain. The annual formance measurements. After all, one of the unique character­ “dialogues” with the management of the institutions play an istics of the ETH Domain is its ability to unite scientific and important part in this. These “dialogues” largely focus on technical higher education and research institutions which have discussing the institutions’ strategic development schemes close links with one another and fulfil complementary roles in and the outcomes are incorporated into the assessment of the parallel with one another. “strategy” performance dimension. The ETH Board performs its strategic controlling function by adhering to the key crite­ Shareholdings of the ETH Domain (guideline) ria in the catalogue of criteria, which form the basis for assess­ In 2013, the ETH Board conducted an interdepartmental consul­ ing the “performance” performance dimension. tation to partially revise the Ordinance of 24 March 2004 on Intellectual Property in the ETH Domain and Shareholding in Companies. The revision work will continue in 2014 once the results of the interdepartmental consultation are available.

104 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 8 | Sources of financing and allocation of funds

Fig. 8: Allocation of funding to the institutions of the ETH Domain in 2013

In m CHF B 2013 Proportions ETH Domain [1] [6] 2,271.4 100 % ETH Zurich [2] 1,118.4 49.2 EPFL [3] 556.5 24.5 PSI [4] 286.3 12.6 WSL 50.5 2.2 Empa 92.3 4.1 Eawag 53.7 2.4 ETH Board [5] [6] 113.8 5.0

Additional information on the 2013 budget: [1] Annual instalment as per ERI Dispatch 2013-2016: 2,227.4m CHF, equalisation increase 32.0m CHF, appropriated funds “Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland” action plan: 12m CHF, property portfolio adjustment: 2013: excl. 6m CHF (funds blocked) [2] Incl. HPCN: 18.4m CHF, additional costs for earthquake monitoring network: 0.4m CHF, property portfolio adjustment: 2013: excl. 6m CHF (funds blocked) [3] Incl. Blue Brain Project: 13.4m CHF [4] Incl. SwissFEL: 38.4m CHF [5] Incl. strategic projects, SUC programmes and CIP-SUC, financing of improvement costs for accelerator facilities at PSI [6] Incl. appropriated funds “Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland” action plan: 60m CHF in total (2013: 12m CHF 2014-2016: 16m CHF per year). These funds did not form part of the resolution on funding allocation

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 105 INSIGHT Objective 9 | Real estate management

“The ETH Domain will coordinate 9 the management of properties and real estate and ensure that both value and functionality are maintained.”

Consequently, the ETH Board saw a need for the real estate port­ folio to be brought into line with the future requirements of the core THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE activities. The challenges here lie less in planning and managing the real estate portfolio and more in assessing the impact that the future development of the core activities will have on real estate. On top In view of the growing importance of managing the ETH Domain’s of this, there is the matter of securing sustainable financing for real remarkable real estate portfolio, the Swiss Federal Council has estate holdings and their development and the issue of long-term included strategic objectives relating to this area in its perfor- maintenance, which are becoming increasingly important in light mance mandate for the first time. The aim is to combine further of the need to maintain value and functionality and as the buildings professionalisation through a focus on requirements and econo- age (see section on “Energy and the environment”, p. 18). mic efficiency with sustainability, action geared towards the In the year under review, the project management team from long term and the implementation of the Federal Government’s the ETH Board’s Real Estate staff department, with help from all Energy Strategy 2050. The ETH Domain is taking up this challenge. the institutions of the ETH Board, started developing the overall spatial and financial concepts. Based on the long-term plans regarding the core activities and spatial requirements and taking strategic financial planning into consideration, the potential space Long-term development planning for core activities available in future is being determined and compared with the The core activities of the ETH Domain – teaching, research and space currently on offer. This should make it possible to recognise the transfer of knowledge and technology (KTT) – are sometimes issues relating to science and research which are of significant developing very dynamically, for example, at EPFL by the estab­ relevance to real estate management at an early stage, to identify lishment of satellite facilities. The continuous growth in student the key driving forces behind developments and to keep a record numbers and increasingly complex research are leading to a rise of consequential costs for investments, operations and mainte­ in the demand for personnel and infrastructures, especially real nance arising from the necessary measures taken. The aim is also estate. The pursuit of scientific excellence is posing ever greater to ensure that the value and functionality of the real estate hold­ demands in terms of quality. In addition, short-term cooper­ ings placed at the disposal and management of the ETH Domain ation opportunities offer the chance to push forward or start by the Swiss Confederation are maintained over the long term. The up strategic initiatives, particularly in relation to research. Real measures derived from the overall spatial and financial concepts estate management must support these developments and meet are being incorporated into a multi-year investment plan on a the corresponding requirements, both now and in the future, rolling basis and all projects to be carried out are being consolidated in a sustainable and timely way. Spatial, structural and tech­ under an annual construction programme. The overall spatial nical infrastructures therefore provide an essential basis for concepts for each of the institutions are combined in an overrid­ performing the ETH Domain’s core activities and are instrumen­ ing spatial and financial concept for the ETH Domain. The individ­ tal to the success of its institutions, not least in the face of ual institutions are responsible for implementing this. The ETH international competition. Board will assess the results of the first project phase in spring 2014 (target concept and implementation planning).

106 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 9 | Real estate management

Fig. 9: Current values as at 31 December 2013

100 %

90 %

80 %

70 %

60 %

50 %

40 %

30 %

20 %

10 %

0 % 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380

Very good condition, good as new Middling condition, plan/implement measures Good condition, no measures necessary Poor condition, measures essential Average weighted by original value of properties: 82.9 %

Maintaining value and functionality The inclusion of the new “Objective 9” on real estate management The evaluation of the entire ETH real estate portfolio confirms in the 2013-2016 performance mandate highlights the importance the trend which has been developing for several years: despite of the ETH Domain’s statutory requirement to maintain the value the old age of some of the buildings and their many years of and functionality of its real estate portfolio, especially since the intensive use, their current value calculated in relation to their properties concerned are owned by the Swiss Confederation. The original value remains consistently high. There is no decrease in average age of all properties used by the ETH Domain is around 50 the current value to be observed, and the buildings with the years, with a significant proportion – in terms of both volume and lowest values are successively included in the institutions’ ren­ value – of the portfolio having already been through several cycles ovation strategies. This serves as proof that the ETH Domain fulfils of renovation. Amongst the ETH Domain’s 400 properties there are its responsibility of managing the buildings placed at its disposal numerous flagship demonstration buildings constructed over a by the Federal Government in a sustainable manner and with period ranging from the year 1858 to the present day. The real estate adequate maintenance of value and functionality. With this report, portfolio used by the institutions of the ETH Domain includes well- the ETH Domain meets the information requirements of the known, centrally located historical edifices, as well as contemporary Federal Government and the Swiss Confederation as the owner of office and laboratory buildings, large energy-intensive research the real estate with regard to maintaining value and functionality. facilities and entire alpine farms. The portfolio also features some Renovation projects worth more than 620m CHF are currently historically significant properties included in official listings of included in the 2014–2017 investment plan. In 2013, these triggered historical buildings and monuments to be preserved or protected. an investment volume of some 70m CHF. In addition, ongoing The properties – particularly the historical buildings – are sometimes maintenance work to the tune of around 30m CHF was funded very costly to renovate and require challenging construction projects. from the state financial contribution. The ETH Domain and its institutions accept their responsibility to preserve this cultural heritage. However, the framework conditions Sustainable development relating to this often impose restrictions on the use of buildings The ETH Domain has already been playing a significant part in and on spatial development. The two Federal Institutes of Tech­ implementing the Federal Government’s “Sustainable Develop­ nology and the research institutes use the same standard STRATUS ment Strategy” and the “Cleantech Masterplan” for several years. methods and tools to assess the condition of individual buildings It does this not only through the active research activities of its and plan medium- and long-term maintenance work. Each year, institutions in investigating promising new technologies and the current value of the properties which are significant in terms concepts, but also by applying these strategies to its own energy of volume and value is given as a key indicator for the maintenance and real estate management. ETH Zurich, for instance, has of value and functionality (see fig. 9). designed its own “Anergy Grid” system and is gradually putting

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 107 INSIGHT Objective 9 | Real estate management

it into practice on its Hönggerberg campus, with both new and submitted to the Coordination Group for Construction and Property existing buildings being prepared and equipped for it. The sys­ Services (KBOB) and the Federal Procurement Commission (FPC) in tem is based on the concept of storing excess heat produced on the spring of 2014, with the trial phase set to begin in 2015. site in the ground and then using it as required during the As part of its efforts to ensure sustainable development, the winter. This groundbreaking approach was presented to the par­ ETH Domain aims to establish as extensive a network as possible liamentary committees back in 2006 as an objective for the future. with the Swiss Confederation (in its capacity as owner), the other The ETH Domain is also carrying out pioneering work in the devel­ federal construction and property services, and the various Swiss opment of innovative construction methods for structural engi­ cantons and municipalities. To help make this possible, the ETH neering. In the year under review, for example, ETH Zurich drew Board is involved in both the managing committee and various up the concept for the HIA Annex building, known as the “House task forces of KBOB, as well as being part of the core group for of Natural Resources”, with the aim of using a combination of implementing the “Cleantech Masterplan”. waste wood and concrete as a building material. In the context of implementing the Federal Council’s Energy Accessible buildings Strategy 2050 the ETH Domain is to play an integral part in ful­ The sites and buildings of the ETH Domain are places of public filling the Federal Government’s intended function as a role interest and, provided there are no risks involved, free access is model. In the year under review, the ETH Domain was involved in guaranteed in principle. The facilities must therefore be designed task forces commissioned to define objectives and packages of to offer as easy and unobstructed access as possible for visitors, measures in relation to this. As a major consumer of electricity students, staff and local residents. The real estate portfolio is devel­ – primarily due to its energy-intensive large-scale research facil­ oped in compliance with the relevant legal requirements and build­ ities – the ETH Domain has an interest in carefully weighing up ing and technical standards, and all projects are assessed in this measures to boost energy efficiency and establishing the neces­ regard as part of the evaluation carried out by the ETH Board for the sary conditions for fulfilling its core business of teaching and construction programme. In addition to implementing statutory research (see “Environment and energy”, p. 18). requirements, EPFL, for example, is also looking to find even better There is consensus amongst experts that true costs have an solutions by participating in architectural competitions in cooper­ effect on sustainability. In the development of the overall spatial ation with the AVACAH (Association Vaudoise pour la Construction and financial concepts, attention is therefore also being paid to Adaptée aux Handicapés). Other notable examples of measures taken calculating life cycle costs. This involves checking the financial during the year under review include the renovation of the staff sustainability of the consequential costs resulting from expansions restaurant at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), where space was made of the portfolio and the financing for these, as well as taking the in the guest area to install a separate passenger lift in the visitors’ economic benefits of measures for improving energy efficiency room. Even on sites and in external locations which can be difficult more actively into account in the decision-making process. ETH to access, most of the buildings are equipped with WC facilities for Zurich, in consultation with the ETH Board, developed a method­ people with disabilities and disabled parking spaces are provided ology for this which has been taught in continuing education right next to the building entrances. schemes at other institutions in the ETH Domain. This methodol­ ogy was also put into practice for the first time in planning the Making real estate management more flexible further development of the research and teaching building GLC. The new real estate directive for the ETH Domain entered into force The large-scale research facilities, which require a high level of on 1 January 2013. One of the principal objectives of the ETH Board investment and energy, are a special case in that they have a in formulating the directive was to take the ETH Domain’s governance limited useful life given the rapid technological advances and, as model and apply it to real estate management as far as possible – prototypes, they are unique in their usage and operational char­ bearing in mind that the ETH Domain only uses and manages the acteristics. Their materials and energy requirements are optimised properties in its real estate portfolio, which are owned by the Fed­ in line with the usage requirements for their planned service life. eral Government. As a construction and property service appointed As part of the complete revision of the Ordinance on the Organ­ by the Federal Council, the ETH Board has an important role to play. isation of Federal Public Procurement (OPPO, in force since 1 January The real estate directive assigned the relevant tasks, responsibilities 2013), the institutions of the ETH Domain were confirmed as pro­ and powers in a way that gave the institutions to which they were curement agencies for the real estate sector. To ensure that federal assigned plenty of room for manoeuvre and allowed the ETH Board procurements are economically efficient, legally compliant and to assume its strategic and supervisory role to good effect. The year sustainable, representatives from all federal construction and prop­ under review was therefore the first year of the directive’s trial erty services were tasked by the Federal Council with developing an period, and some institutions took this opportunity to review their efficient, nationwide procurement controlling concept. It is already own organisations and processes. ETH Zurich, for example, is under­ stipulated in the procurement policy currently adopted by ETH Zurich, going a comprehensive transformation: it is examining its processes, for example, that sustainability and life cycle costs must be taken organisation, resource planning and working tools and revising into consideration for all procurements carried out. The correspond­ them if necessary to ensure that it can continue to hold its own ing concept developed during the year under review is due to be against external rivals as a competitive building agency.

108 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 9 | Real estate management

In line with the guiding principles of the new real estate directive, the process for developing construction programmes Membership of KBOB was revised and corresponding tools were developed for the 2015 construction programme in cooperation with the ETH Domain In 1999, the Swiss Federal Council handed over real institutions. The process has now been more specifically defined estate properties that were previously managed cen­ and streamlined in light of significant milestones. The trial run trally to the ETH Board for its direct use and manage­ already carried out for the 2014 construction programme showed ment. This came with the obligation to join forces with that the quality of the construction programmes is consequently the other newly established construction and property improving and that Federal Government is able to gain even more services, the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics security as an owner and investor. and armasuisse to form what is known as the Coordi­ The development of the real estate portfolio is not just being nation Group for Construction and Property Services driven forward by growth in the core activities and the infra­ (Koordinationskonferenz der Bau- und Liegenschafts­ structure this requires. The quality of life on a campus is also organe der öffentlichen Bauherren, KBOB). The purpose influenced by general infrastructural facilities such as shopping of KBOB is to jointly safeguard the property ownership amenities and student accommodation buildings. This increasingly interests of the Federal Government and to manage its raises the questions of whether the intended use of real estate real estate in a responsible and coordinated way. property really corresponds with the core competences of the The ETH Domain therefore appoints one member of institution or whether this can be achieved without putting third the KBOB Board and is involved in professional groups. parties at an advantage, and whether alternative financing mod­ The “Nachhaltiges Bauen” (“Sustainable building”) pro­ els should be used to push development forward. In 2013, ETH fessional group draws up basic principles and recom­ Zurich decided to build and operate two student accommodation mendations for public sector property developers, their facilities and to construct an office building in collaboration with agents and the general public with the aim of ensuring private investors based on specifically adapted PPP (Public Private that environmental protection, social requirements and Partnership) models. Contracting models are also increasingly economic efficiency throughout the property life-cycle being taken into consideration for energy projects. However, this are taken into consideration when undertaking con­ can bring with it certain risks, as shown by the withdrawal of a struction work. The “Beschaffungs- und Vertrags­wesen” contractor involved in installing a waste wood heating system on (“Procurement and contracting”) professional group the Empa and Eawag site in Dübendorf. Reusing revenue from develops tools to facilitate cooperation between public property sales which have already been completed is proving to sector property development and the private construc­ be an equally effective way of creating more flexibility. According tion industry. If necessary, the KBOB Board designates to a resolution by the Federal Parliament, this revenue will be specific work groups to deal with special issues or available for investing in the Federal Government’s real estate assignments from the Federal Council. assets for the first time in the 2014 budget year. www.bbl.admin.ch/kbob/

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 109 INSIGHT Objective 10 | Working conditions, equal opportunities and young scientists | Facts & Figures

“The ETH Domain creates 10 attractive and family-friendly working conditions, supports equal opportunities and trains young scientists.”

This progress is due to the targeted promotional measures taken, which were stepped up even further in 2013 and laid down THE ETH BOARD’S PERSPECTIVE in ETH Zurich’s Gender Strategy on the Professorial Level. In par­ ticular, ETH Zurich is enhancing the support provided by female professors from the relevant department to female candidates Identifying and supporting young scientists are essential prere­ who are invited to an interview as part of a recruitment procedure. quisites for maintaining high quality in education and research. In This action was taken on the basis of a recommendation by the the contest for the best talent, the institutions of the ETH Domain ETH Women Professors’ Forum (WPF), which was founded in 2012. are offering their doctoral and postdoc students even better ETH Zurich has taken steps across the board to revise and opportunities for career development. In order to secure and optimise its catalogue of measures for promoting upcoming strengthen their international position and ensure that they pro- young scientists. Its range of promotional activities extends from vide excellent training opportunities, the institutions endeavour providing funding for junior research positions and support with to attract and keep the best students at all levels, regardless of career planning to specific continuing education programmes their gender, nationality, cultural background or social origins in areas such as university teaching. In 2013, ETH Zurich once and, in particular, to attract women for management positions again received support from the Marie Curie COFUND programme and decision-making committees. They are committed to provid- run by the European Union for its “ETH Zurich Postdoctoral ing working conditions in which professional and family life are Fellowship Program”, which was set up to recruit outstanding compatible. The institutions fulfil their role as a socially respon- young researchers. Over a period of five years, this programme sible employer by employing or continuing to employ staff with has given a total of 140 researchers the opportunity to undertake disabilities whenever possible, and making it easier for people a two-year fellowship at ETH Zurich in order to enhance their with disabilities to reintegrate into professional life. skills with a view to pursuing a career in science. 98 of these fellows are financed by COFUND. ETH Zurich is an important training centre for young profes­ sionals: a total of 171 trainees from 13 different professions received ETH Zurich training at ETH Zurich in 2013. Lastly, ETH Zurich is also committed ETH Zurich is endeavouring to increase the proportion of women to the integration of people with disabilities. In 2013, it provided at all levels of its organisation, and particularly amongst the pro­ training for two interns in collaboration with the “Informatik für fessors and non-scientific managers. In 2013, 30 people took up Autisten” (“IT for people with autism”) foundation. posts as Full or Associate Professors at ETH Zurich. Six of these were women (20 %). Two female Assistant Professors were also appointed EPFL (22 %), which means that the total proportion of women at pro­ The workforce at EPFL has grown again so that, at the end of 2013, fessorial level has risen from 10.6 % to 12.8 % and at the assistant there were 5,526 posts (5,098.7 FTEs), up 2.8 % on last year. The professorial level from 25.5 % to 27.9 % since 2008. The proportion proportion of women was 33 %, with the number of female of female managers in non-scientific roles has increased signifi­ doctoral students having now reached over 500. That is an increase cantly from 22 % to 29.6 % in the past five years. of 7 % compared with 2012. The rise in the proportion of women

110 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 10 | Working conditions, equal opportunities and young scientists | Facts & Figures

in scientific posts is primarily due to an appointment policy which to career and budget planning, and convey skills relating to pres­ gives precedence to women with equal qualifications. entation techniques, statistics and programming. The PhD society Following the satisfaction survey Atmos II, the results of which is run by the doctoral students themselves, with the help of mem­ were published at the start of 2013, measures were taken to improve bers of the Directorate, Workplace Diversity and HR. Not only does internal mobility and make scientific careers more flexible. The this boost cooperation between doctoral students from different introduction of a system for monitoring absences from the workplace backgrounds and WSL locations, but it also strengthens teamwork showed that the rate of absenteeism of 2.7 % is below the Federal between employees working in different fields and at different Statistical Office's average figure of 3.2 %. This system allows for levels of the hierarchy. The Workplace Diversity advice centre con­ more control while making working hours more flexible (incl. tele­ tinues to offer coaching, moderation and mediation for individuals working). This is one of the measures that allow men and women and groups on matters relating to diversity, inclusion and equal to combine professional and family life as successfully as possible. opportunities. This range of methods is also increasingly being used The number of graduates from continuing education courses for consolidation purposes to deal with other work-related tensions. rose by more than 10 % in 2013. Particular importance was attached to courses allowing faster, more efficient integration in the work­ Empa place. In the bilingual course catalogue for employees, 35 % of In 2013, Empa once again won an UND award for “Family AND Work” the courses are offered in English. Great efforts have been made (Familie UND Beruf) in the “Best Practice” category. The assessment to create more training places (+8 %), and, for the third year in reflected the huge improvements that have been made, especially a row, 100 % of the apprentices gained federal certification. in relation to work content, management approach and staff devel­ EPFL also organised numerous events and programmes to sup­ opment. On the basis of the results of the NRP 60 survey on “Women port employees' personal development and encourage women to in engineering - sought-after and respected?”, a training module continue their scientific careers. For example, the Equal Opportu­ for managers has been developed that focuses particularly on the nities Offices of the universities and universities of applied sciences career barriers facing women. The module is to be integrated in in Western Switzerland signed a cooperation agreement and set management training in 2014. A further 22 Empa postdoc fellows up the “Relève Académique” platform. EPFL took part in an event were selected under the Empa Postdoc COFUND project. A new organised at the Swiss Embassy in Washington at which it presented COFUND application is planned as part of “Horizon 2020”, and the its exhibition about female Nobel Prize winners in the field of possibility of extending the scheme to doctoral students is being science and two female professors from EPFL gave talks. considered. The Empa and Eawag crèche celebrated its 20th anni­ versary along with the inauguration of the former Eawag research PSI boat “Forch” as a new attraction for the children and a new climb­ The promotion of upcoming young researchers in the “STEM” ing frame. There was also another one-week summer camp for the fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is a children of Empa employees in 2013 (see p. 115), while over 70 key priority for PSI and a variety of measures were put in place children took part in the National Future Day. in 2013 to support this. The iLab school laboratory, which marked five successful years in operation with more than 15,000 visits Eawag from schoolchildren, launched a new experiment on the topic of Eawag is committed to promoting upcoming young scientists, in spectrometry. In September, PSI held its inaugural “Youth Day” particular doctoral students, providing them with excellent infra­ to give talented young people a closer insight into the fascination structures, specific training and information events focused on of science and technology and the attractive study and career specific topics. The 2-year Eawag Postdoc Fellowship aims to possibilities offered by STEM subjects. Around 2,500 guests took cultivate the talent of young researchers, while the prestigious advantage of this opportunity to pay a visit to PSI. EPP partnership programme offers students from universities in In 2013, PSI continued to pursue its successfully launched developing countries the opportunity to conduct research at “Rückkehr in die Berufstätigkeit” (“Return to work”) programme Eawag. The institute’s mentoring programme for postdoctoral with the appointment of two more female postdocs. This pro­ researchers came to an end in 2013. Next year, however, Eawag gramme helps female scientists and engineers to return to work will be taking part in the collaborative Swiss-German Mentoring after temporarily putting their careers on hold for family reasons. Programme. At the same time, it will continue to run the “Fix PSI’s own day care centre, KIWI, is currently looking after some the leaky pipeline!” initiative together with the other institutions 70 children – thus offering their parents just what they need to in the ETH Domain. The proportion of women in management help them balance work and family life. positions remains consistently high, and measures to help all employees balance their career and family life are published on WSL the Intranet. In addition to offering a joint crèche facility with In light of a survey conducted in 2012 concerning the lives of the 136 Empa, Eawag also provides financial support for parents with doctoral students currently working at WSL, a PhD society has been low incomes. The institute also endeavours to help employees set up to pool together the most popular support modules. These who are ill or disabled to continue working. modules provide training on a range of topics from self-organisation

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 111 INSIGHT Objective 10 | Gender monitoring

The ETH Board strategy for promoting women among the students at ETH Zurich is approximately 30 %. equal opportunities in the ETH Domain At professorial level, the average proportion of women is almost Ensuring competitive success at international level relies on 13 %. However, some departments, such as the Department of recruiting the most talented researchers, teaching staff and stu­ Biology, boast significantly higher proportions of female students dents. Promoting equal opportunities between men and women (just over 50 %) and female professors (18 %). Another department plays an important role in exploiting the potential of young to fall within this category is the relatively new Department of academic talent to optimum effect. In the period from 2008 to Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST), where the proportion 2013, the proportion of women at all academic career levels in of women among students and professors are over 60 % and the ETH Domain grew slowly but steadily. The measures which 26 % respectively. have made or are expected to make the biggest and most sus­ Specific questions of human relevance seem to be more tainable impact are to be pursued further in a targeted way, appealing to women, which is why ETH Zurich is working on based on best practice approaches. When outlining its strategy adapting its study programmes. Lecturers are also to be encour­ for promoting equal opportunities in the 2013-2016 performance aged to gear the structure and thematic content of their lectures period at the end of 2010, the ETH Board decided to focus par­ towards the needs of both men and women.

Fig. 10: Leaky Pipeline – ETH Zurich: Proportion of women and men by study level and function group

D-BIOL 2012 BA MA Dr Post-Dr* SA* SS* Prof* D-HEST 2012 BA MA Dr Post-Dr* SA* SS* Prof* 100 % 100 % 90 % 90 % 80 % 80 % 70 % 70 % 60 % 60 % 50 % 50 % 40 % 40 % 30 % 30 % 20 % 20 % 10 % 10 % 0 % 0 %

Women Men * Post-Dr: Postdocs and scientific assistants II SA: Senior assistants and scientists (temporary) SS: Senior scientists (permanent) Prof: Assistant professors and full professors

ticularly on increasing the proportion of women in management Promoting female professors positions and decision-making bodies, as well as on measures Thanks to the concerted efforts of all of the EFPL faculties, the such as stepping up the recruitment of female professors and average proportion of female professors virtually doubled between defining gender monitoring within the ETH Domain. Furthermore, 2002 (5.5 %) and 2012 (10.7 %). This increase is particularly inter­ all of the funding used in the ETH Domain to implement measures esting to note in the School of Engineering (Faculté des Sciences for promoting equal opportunities is to be doubled to at least et Techniques de l’Ingénieur, STI), which deals with areas of 0.4 % of the financial contribution from the Federal Government research that traditionally attract very few women. This success compared to 2009. is undoubtedly due to the programme put in place for promoting female professors, which is starting to bear fruit. The number of Gender monitoring female assistant professors, for example, has risen from zero to Since 2010, ETH Zurich has been carrying out a gender monitoring seven within the space of five years, which equates to 35 % of all scheme designed to help ascertain the proportion of women at assistant professors at STI. This has created a “pool” which can the various stages of the academic career ladder. This involves be used to increase the proportion of women working under full collecting and analysing figures for both ETH Zurich as a whole and associate professorships in future. The proportion of female and for each individual department. students (at Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral levels) at STI grew The gender monitoring 2012/13 by department has brought to from 12 % to 16.3 % between 2002 and 2012 (the EPFL average is light some interesting disparities. On average, the proportion of 27 %), which corresponds to 403 students.

112 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 10 | Gender monitoring

The programme for promoting female professors at STI stipulates gramme for its management staff. It will run the workshop for the among other things that, when a position becomes vacant, at least first time in April 2014, initially with members of the Directorate, one woman should be put forward for inclusion in the recruitment before putting it into practice at other management levels too. committee’s short list. If an outstanding female candidate turns out to be only the second choice for a vacancy, she may be offered a job Financial reporting anyway provided that this is compatible with the faculty’s strategy. The annual financial reports from the institutions, which were pre­ Importance is also placed on actively seeking out promising female sented to the ETH Board for the first time in the spring of 2013, have scientists and encouraging them to come to the STI. The intention is shown that, with the overall costs of around 9m CHF in 2012, the to extend this policy to other faculties of EPFL too in future. target of 0.4 % of the financial contribution from the Federal Govern­

Fig. 11: EPFL – Female professors per faculty (%)

Proportion of female professors* 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 School of Basic Sciences (FSB) School of Life Sciences (SV) School of Engineering (STI) School of Computer and Communication Sciences (IC) School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC)

2002 2012 * Full, associate and assistant professors

Fig. 12: EPFL – Teaching staff at STI (FTE)

Number 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 2012 39 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

Full professors Adjunct professors Associate professors Senior scientists Assistant professors

A changing corporate culture ment was achieved. As expected, a good 45 % of these costs arose As part of the National Research Programme NRP 60 on “Gender as a result of measures taken to help staff balance an academic career Equality”, Empa and the PSI from the ETH Domain were involved in with family life, such as the provision of crèche facilities. The pro­ a project entitled “Women in engineering professions: sought-after portion of costs relating to programmes and projects with a focus on and respected?”. This project studied the effect of corporate cultures gender (including schemes to promote upcoming young scientists in on the careers of female engineers and scientists and revealed STEM subjects, career building and mentoring programmes) came to obstacles which stand in the way of women, in particular, taking on 13 %. 24 % of the costs were spent on creating new professorships at leading roles. Corporate cultures, which are often technically-focused the two Federal Institutes of Technology for highly qualified female and male-oriented, influence the formal and informal practices used professors who were candidates for a standard position but were not for recruiting and developing or promoting employees. appointed, with the vacancy being filled by a man. Remuneration The results of the project were used as a basis for planning a for employees tasked with promoting equal opportunities at the six half-day workshop on this topic, which is aimed particularly at institutions of the ETH Domain accounted for just under 15 % of the managers. Empa has incorporated the issue of gender-specific overall costs. The remaining 3 % were attributed to gender studies management cultures in the ongoing continuing education pro­ and action taken to combat discrimination on the grounds of gender.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 113 INSIGHT Objective 10 | Working conditions, equal opportunities and young scientists | Examples

1

2

3 1 Doctoral student Arabella Mauri (left) offered fascinating insights into engineering at the LIMES event for schoolgirls. (Image: Florian Meyer / ETH Zurich)

2 Teams from ten different countries 4 competed at the 2013 International Physicists tournament. (Image: Alain Herzog / EPFL)

3 Silvan Melchior, electronics apprentice at PSI, at the WorldSkills apprenticeship competition in Leipzig. (Image: PSI)

4 Empa Director Gian-Luca Bona used an apple measured by laser to explain to the children how the data can be used to create images for a 3D animation. (Image: Empa)

114 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INSIGHT Objective 10 | Working conditions, equal opportunities and young scientists | Examples

ETH Zurich PSI Promoting women in a tangible way A world-champion apprentice

Equal opportunities for men and women is a key concern for ETH Silvan Melchior, an electronics apprentice at PSI, has won the Zurich. This is why, 20 years ago, it created the Office of Equal gold medal in his specialist field at the WorldSkills apprenticeship Opportunities for Men and Women, known as “Equal!”, which is competition in Leipzig. A total of 16 trainees from 16 countries now under the direct responsibility of the President of ETH took part in the electronics competition. Zurich. Since 2010, Equal! has published an annual gender mon­ First prize at the WorldSkills competition is Silvan Melchior’s itoring report, offering information on the proportion of women reward for an intensive preparation period, starting with the at various levels of the academic hierarchy. It also actively cam­ Swiss electronics championship title he claimed a year or so paigns to increase the number of women in professorship roles earlier at the SBB workshops in Bellinzona. He then won the in particular and the number of female students over the coming “national Skills” contest at the Bern Vocational Training Fair, years. ETH Zurich lays great emphasis on promoting young talent competing against medal winners from other Swiss championship in general. In mid-January, for example, 70 schoolgirls aged 15 events to prove his performance and earn his ticket to Leipzig. to 17 had the opportunity to find out about mechanical and PSI offers training in 14 vocational apprenticeships. Graduates electrical engineering first-hand at a LIMES (Ladies in Mechani­ from PSI are often amongst the best in their year group. cal and Electrical Engineering Studies) event. In a day of talks, demonstrations and laboratory tours, they learned about various Empa aspects of these fields, including product design, biomechanics Empa Summer Camp: Catch them early … and nanoelectronics. If the interest in the Empa Summer Camp is any indication of the EPFL enthusiasm for technology of the next generation(s), then today's EPFL team wins International Physicists tournament shortage of engineers and scientists could soon be a thing of the past. As every year, the 20 places were booked up in no time. For The fifth edition of the International Physicists’ Tournament (IPT) one week, the 7- to 12-year-old children of Empa employees can took place in Switzerland from 2 to 5 April 2013. Teams from ten take a peek inside the laboratories and try their hand at building different countries met on the EPFL campus for the competition, a wooden car powered by compressed air, or a suspension bridge, having worked over the previous months on physics problems or doing an experiment in the chemistry lab. The annual Summer linked to everyday life. By exploring theoretical and experimen­ Camp aims both to help parents working at Empa to reconcile tal aspects of the phenomenon concerned, each team was asked their working and family lives better and also to introduce the to present their solutions to other teams during “Physics Fights”. children to engineering and natural sciences at an early age. These debates were judged by an international jury composed of professors and PhD students. Having won the selection Eawag rounds, the EPFL team went on to win their first International Crèche celebrates its 20th anniversary Physics Tournament in front of Poland, France and Russia. On 6 July 2013, some 150 visitors gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the “IG Kinderpavillon” parents’ association and 20 years since inaugurating the Empa and Eawag crèche. The original crèche was set up on 1 November 1994 in the former Empa guesthouse and occupied two rooms with a kitchen, bathroom and a large garden. Now it is housed in new buildings con­ structed in 2006 and offers places for 34 children in three groups. These figures alone are sign of the crèche’s success. It has become firmly established as part of both Empa and Eawag and helps to attract outstanding young researchers to both institutions. For 20 years, the two research facilities have offered them optimal care for their children in the local vicinity until they reach nurs­ ery school age.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 115 CLOSE-UP The chapter Close-up presents and comments the ETH Domain in figures, compact and informative.

NEW ADMISSIONS IN BACHELOR’S PROGRAMME 5,255

Academic achievement report Benchmarking The two Federal Institutes of Technology have seen The comprehensive quality management system a further increase in the influx of students enrolling adopted by the institutions of the ETH Domain on engineering, information and communication ensures that teaching and research, knowledge and technology (ICT) and life sciences programmes. technology transfer and management are further The number of new students on other courses of developed on a continuous basis. The aim of this is study remained stable. This indicates that ETH Zurich to strengthen the institutions’ competitive edge. and EPFL are positioning themselves as university- Their outstanding position at international level is level training centres for subject areas which are demonstrated by various current examples. in high demand.

116 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain INTERNAL RESOURCES (IN CHF) 2,271. 4m

Financial key figures The financial statements for 2013 are largely in line with the budget. Additional internal resources have Change in the proportion provided the basis for realising the most important of foreign objectives, such as providing attractive, top-quality

2010 2011 2012 2013 employees education and consolidating the ETH Domain’s leading position in research.

Personnel key figures In 2013, the ETH Domain once again saw a sharper rise in the number of employees than in the two previous years, with the proportion of foreign staff also increasing to almost 52 %. Two thirds of all scientific Real estate key figures personnel now come from abroad. As in previous years, the continuous need for new infrastructure due to increasing numbers of employ- ees, students and doctoral students and the construc- tion of new large-scale research facilities posed a challenge for the real estate management teams at the institutions of the ETH Domain in 2013. With an eye on future growth, they are therefore revising their plans for spatial further development.

INVESTMENTS IN THE REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO (IN CHF) 265m

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 117 CLOSE-UP Monitoring table

Fig. 13: Monitoring table referring to the performance mandate of the Federal Council on the ETH Domain for the period 2013-2016

Indicators Reference values Monitoring 2004 2008 2012 2013 TEACHING Students and doctoral students* Students 14,354 16,233 21,251 22,099 Percentage women 27.4 29.3 29.3 29.1 Percentage foreigners [1] 19.9 27.3 34.4 35.5 in Diploma programme 7,741 751 0 0 in Bachelor's programme 5,969 10,138 13,359 13,995 in Master's programme 0 4,649 6,981 7,241 in MAS/MBA 644 695 911 863 Supervision ratio [2]** BA/MA students per professor 24.3 25.1 27.3 27.7 Teaching by research institutes [3] 10,145 15,569 14,735 15,670 Doctoral students 3,987 4,823 5,836 5,947 Percentage women 24.5 28.6 29.8 30.4 Percentage foreigners [1] 57.1 62.7 70.6 72.6 Supervision ration [2]** Doctoral students per professor 7.1 7.8 7.8 7.8 Students and doctoral students 18,341 21,056 27,087 28,046 Percentage women 26.7 29.1 29.4 29.4 Percentage foreigners [1] 28.0 35.4 42.2 43.3 Supervision ration [2]** Students and doctoral students per professor 32.5 34.0 36.4 36.6 New admissions in Bachelor's programme 2,922 4,052 5,072 5,255 Graduations Bachelor’s 1 1,656 2,216 2,249 Percentage women 0.0 27.1 29.2 28.4 Percentage foreigners [1] 100.0 16.8 21.8 24.3 Diploma, Master's 1,723 1,978 2,320 2,663 Percentage women 23.0 27.0 30.8 29.3 Percentage foreigners [1] 15.1 21.3 36.0 39.2 Doctorate 719 832 1,095 993*** Percentage women 28.0 25.2 30.1 29.2 Percentage foreigners [1] 54.9 59.1 63.8 67.7 Supervision by the research institutes Bachelor's, Master's and Diploma 286 391 542 530 Doctoral students 545 700 807 797 Percentage women 36.1 34.6 36.3 Percentage enrolled in the ETH Domain 66.1 67.2 67.9 Percentage enrolled at foreign universities 17.3 13.5 13.4

RESEARCH Publications [4] - - - - Second-party resources/third-party funding [5] in m CHF 454.2 706.4 912.2 873.8 Percentage of financial contribution 25.4 36.2 41.9 38.5 Second-party resources 241.6 323.8 477.3 453.6 of which SNSF 100.0 141.6 216.3 209.0 of which CTI 28.3 26.1 53.9 36.8 of which EU 49.0 97.7 126.5 135.2 Third-party funding 104.3 230.5 292.7 263.8

118 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Monitoring table

Indicators Reference values Monitoring 2004 2008 2012 2013 KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (KTT) Patents (new registrations) 166 125 195 193 Licences 111 178 230 223 Spin-offs 25 46 38 43

PERSONNEL [6] Professors** 565.0 619.4 744.0 767.2 Percentage women 6.7 10.7 11.8 12.4 Percentage foreigners [1] 55.3 61.8 66.7 67.1 Scientific personnel - 7,956.5 9,663.9 9,927.3 Technical and administrative staff - 4,728.8 5,238.9 5,436.3 Apprentices - 386.0 430.0 435.0

FINANCES / REAL ESTATE (in m CHF) Internal resources 1,788.2 1,949.4 2,175.4 2,271.4 of which Federal financial contribution 1,603.0 1,778.4 2,040.7 2,073.9 of which investment credit of the Federal government for buildings 185.2 170.9 134.7 197.5

[1] Students and professors with non-Swiss nationality [2] Students or doctoral students per professor [3] Number of hours per year, partly based on estimates [4] Publishing activity is assessed every four years as part of the interim evaluation [5] including service revenues and financial result [6] in full-time equivalents (FTEs), comparable data for 2004 not available

* Counting method: Headcounts; for description of counting method, see box, p. 121 ** For description of counting method, see box, p. 121 *** In the context of the revision of ETH Zurich doctoral regulations, the last doctoral graduation deadline of 2013 was postponed from December 2013 to January 2014. This explains the reduction in completed doctorates to 993; without this change, 1,168 doctoral students would have graduated in 2013.

The performance mandate (see supplement) defines the annual report as a critical self-assessment of the ETH Domain conducted by the ETH Board (see performance mandate p. 3,338). This is oriented towards the objectives of the perfor­ mance mandate, as seen in the Insight section of this report (see pp. 60–115). The fulfilment of objectives is measured quantitatively by means of relevant indicators, particularly the monitoring table.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 119 CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report

Engineering, ICT and life sciences: a steady rise in new Bachelor’s students The two Federal Institutes of Technology have seen a further increase in the influx of students enrolling on engineering, information and communication technology (ICT) and life sciences programmes. The number of new students on other courses of study remained stable, within the expected range of fluctuation from year to year. This indicates that ETH Zurich and EPFL are positioning themselves as university-level training centres for subject areas which are in high demand, while ensuring that their fundamental science programmes are still as attractive as ever. Striking this balance is crucial to the long-term academic development and innovation potential of the ETH Domain.

Teaching and EPFL can be explained by the fact that not all courses are 2013 saw a further rise in the number of students and doctoral offered every year (see fig. 16). The two Federal Institutes of Tech­ students at the two Federal Institutes of Technology, which nology have recorded 54.9 % growth in the number of Bachelor’s, reached a new record total of 28,046 (see fig. 14). This corresponds Master’s and diploma students since 2004 (+50.7 % at ETH Zurich, to an overall increase of 3.5 % compared to the previous year +63.1 % at EPFL). Overall, the number of doctoral students has risen (students: 4.0 %). 13,995 of the students were studying for a to 49.1 % since 2004 (+48.8 % at ETH Zurich, +49.8 % at EPFL). Bachelor’s degree, while 7,241 were undertaking Master’s degree In the year under review, there was no increase in the propor­ studies and 863 were enrolled on continuing education pro­ tion of women at either student or doctoral student level. The grammes (MAS/MBA). There were also 5,947 doctoral students proportion of female doctoral students and Master’s students registered at either of the two Federal Institutes of Technology has levelled off at approximately 30 %, while the proportion of (see fig. 16). Following the trend observed over the past few years, female Bachelor’s students actually fell slightly – to 28.6 % – the growth in the numbers of students and doctoral students at compared to the previous year (29.2 %). This comes in spite of ETH Zurich slowed down, falling to an overall rate of 2.2 %. EPFL great efforts made by both Federal Institutes of Technology to also saw its first slowdown in the rise in student and doctoral attract more women to study STEM subjects (science, technology, student numbers since 2007, but at 6 % the growth rate was still engineering and mathematics) (see fig. 15). relatively high. There was a further increase in the percentage of foreign students at all levels of study, with a rise from 29.5 % to 30.9 % Developments in teaching at Bachelor’s level and from 70.6 % to 72.6 % at doctoral level. Despite having long been an oversubscribed subject area, there Growth among Master’s students has slowed down, resulting in has been a drop in the number of students studying architecture a percentage of foreign students of 43.1 % at the end of the year as a result of falling numbers of new enrolments during the period (2012: 42.8 %). These students are mostly foreign-educated, i.e. from 2010 to 2012. System-oriented natural sciences and the sub­ foreign nationals who come to Switzerland for study purposes, ject area of management, technology and economics at ETH Zurich having resided abroad while obtaining the relevant education also recorded slight reductions in student numbers, as in the qualifications (see fig. 17). previous year. Student numbers rose in all other subject areas at As expected due to demographic development, the number of both Federal Institutes of Technology. There was once again a new students enrolling on Bachelor’s degree programmes did not notable increase in the field of engineering in particular (see fig. increase to the same extent as in previous years, but nonetheless 14), where the number of Bachelor’s students rose by 4.8 % in saw a high level of growth at 3.6 %. ICT study programmes recorded 2013, with the number of Master’s students and doctoral students above-average growth in new enrolments of 17.6 % (see fig. 18). increasing by 3.7 % and 1.9 % respectively. The significant fluc­ The enduring popularity of engineering subjects (including civil tuations in the numbers of MAS/MBA students at both ETH Zurich and geomatic engineering) among young adults is reflected in a

120 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report

3.4 % overall rise in new engineering students. The field of life There is a great deal of fluctuation in the figures recorded by the sciences also boosted its number of new enrolments with an institutions due to periodic releases of new licences, but the over­ increase of 6.3 %. Having recorded a decline in new students over all total was more or less the same as in the previous year. the past three years, architecture appears to have stabilised its With 43 spin-offs set up over the course of the year, the ETH student intake in 2013 at a similar level to the previous year. Fol­ Domain once again came close to reaching the record number lowing a very sharp rise in 2011 and another slight increase in 2012, achieved in 2008 and 2009. The spin-offs from the ETH Domain the number of new students enrolling on exact science and have an exceptionally long lifespan. The original business ideas natural science courses gained slightly by 1.7 %, which is within play an instrumental role in this, but equally essential is the the normal range of year-to-year fluctuation. Since the Bologna outstanding support provided by the technology transfer agen­ system was introduced in 2005, the number of new enrolments cies and funding programmes and structures of the ETH Domain on Bachelor’s degree programmes has risen by 55.7 % overall. or its associated technology centres during the initial phase. In 2013, the number of professors working at the two Federal Institutes of Technology increased to a similar extent as the number of students. This did not have any significant impact on the supervision ratio, which rose overall from an average of 36.4 REPORTING METHODS: HOW THE FIGURES ARE COUNTED students per professor to 36.6. The supervision ratio, which serves primarily as an indicator to aid comparison with the ratios pub­ All student and doctoral student numbers and the indicators lished by foreign universities, was calculated at 27.7 students per derived from them are based on headcounts. In cases of simultane­ professor at Bachelor’s/Master’s level and 7.8 at doctoral level. A ous enrolment on several programmes or levels of study, the pri­ large portion of the supervision is provided by senior scientists oritised programme (the prioritised level) is counted. The student and other scientific personnel employed by the two Federal numbers include visiting and exchange students, but not physical Institutes of Technology and the four research institutes. If the education teachers (until 2008 for ETH Zurich). The education of relevant personnel categories are taken into account, the career military officers at ETH Zurich has been run as a Bachelor’s “extended” supervision ratio amounts to fewer than 25 students programme since 2003. Students on the introductory mathematics per tutor on average (previous year: approximately 25). Having course (CMS students) at EPFL are not included. Students taking the deteriorated from year to year since 2007, this ratio now seems joint Master’s course in nuclear engineering offered by the two to have stabilised (see fig. 19). Federal Institutes of Technology are counted at both institutions. In 2013, scientists from the research institutes provided a total In the academic achievement report (including monitoring of 15,670 hours of teaching across an extensive range of subject table, see p. 118) all professors at both Federal Institutes of Tech­ areas, putting in 10,203 hours at the two Federal Institutes of Tech­ nology who are directly or indirectly involved in the teaching and nology and 5,467 at other universities and universities of applied supervision of students and doctoral students are counted (in sciences (see fig. 21). The research institutes also fully or partially full-time equivalents), including members of the Executive Boards funded 67 joint professorships with ETH Zurich or EPFL and 41 with at professorial level as well as dual professorships. However, pro­ other higher education institutions in Switzerland and abroad. fessors who have an employment contract with ETH Zurich and/or This involvement in higher education and the wide variety of EPFL are included in the personnel reporting (see p. 142 ff.). This attractive subjects on offer in the field of applied research are what means that dual professorships financed by a partner university prompted many students to choose to carry out their thesis work are only included in the academic achievement report. In order at one of the research institutes. This is demonstrated by the 797 to calculate the supervision ratio, the full professors, associate doctoral theses and 530 Bachelor’s and Master’s theses supervised professors and all assistant professors – including professor­ by scientists from the research institutes in 2013. ships sponsored by the Swiss National Science Foundation – are therefore taken into account. The senior scientists, maîtres Knowledge and technology transfer d’enseignement et de recherche and permanently employed In terms of its knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) activities, scientific personnel included in the “extended” supervision ratio the ETH Domain can look back on a successful year. This is reflected belong to senior management (functional levels 10-13). by the high number of patent applications submitted, licences granted and spin-offs launched, although these indicators only represent one aspect of KTT. ETH graduates are a crucial factor in ensuring the transfer of the latest research findings into practice, as are students who complete a Master’s degree outside the ETH Domain and doctoral students who work on their theses in col­ laboration with an industry partner or company. The institutions of the ETH Domain recorded a total of 193 pat­ ent applications and 223 licences in 2013 (see fig. 22). All of the patents applied for were “priority applications”, and the licences also included licensing agreements for upgraded software packages.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 121 CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report

Fig. 14: Students and doctoral students by discipline

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 ∆2012/2013 in %

Architecture 2,035 2,113 2,226 2,388 2,553 2,743 2,994 3,098 3,177 3,097 - 80 - 2.5 ETH Zurich 1,289 1,329 1,385 1,502 1,598 1,697 1,848 1,900 1,950 1,852 - 98 - 5.0 EPFL 746 784 841 886 955 1,046 1,146 1,198 1,227 1,245 18 1.5 Civil and Geomatic Engineering 1,623 1,650 1,763 1,746 1,980 2,170 2,405 2,727 2,900 3,074 174 6.0 ETH Zurich 833 910 975 981 1,141 1,278 1,434 1,576 1,629 1,740 111 6.8 EPFL 790 740 788 765 839 892 971 1,151 1,271 1,334 63 5.0 Engineering Sciences 4,399 4,464 4,564 4,732 5,081 5,597 5,985 6,391 6,816 7,245 429 6.3 ETH Zurich 2,675 2,771 2,859 3,033 3,301 3,677 3,901 4,167 4,341 4,549 208 4.8 EPFL 1,724 1,693 1,705 1,699 1,780 1,920 2,084 2,224 2,475 2,696 221 8.9 Information and Comm. Technology 2,347 2,188 2,067 1,939 1,906 1,929 2,070 2,253 2,367 2,536 169 7.1 ETH Zurich 1,080 1,017 999 977 981 997 1,029 1,082 1,083 1,158 75 6.9 EPFL 1,267 1,171 1,068 962 925 932 1,041 1,171 1,284 1,378 94 7.3 Exact and Natural Sciences 3,256 3,273 3,295 3,373 3,671 3,942 4,155 4,476 4,780 4,883 103 2.2 ETH Zurich 1,881 1,935 2,008 2,083 2,271 2,470 2,606 2,790 2,903 2,972 69 2.4 EPFL 1,375 1,338 1,287 1,290 1,400 1,472 1,549 1,686 1,877 1,911 34 1.8 Life Sciences 2,112 2,315 2,508 2,678 2,858 3,034 3,176 3,314 3,708 3,879 171 4.6 ETH Zurich 1,832 1,951 2,040 2,128 2,255 2,391 2,472 2,551 2,823 2,923 100 3.5 EPFL 280 364 468 550 603 643 704 763 885 ,956 71 8.0 System-Oriented Sciences 1,929 1,961 1,919 1,927 2,030 2,104 2,205 2,261 2,201 2,159 - 42 - 1.9 ETH Zurich 1,929 1,961 1,919 1,927 2,030 2,104 2,205 2,261 2,201 2,159 - 42 - 1.9 Management, Technology and Economics 540 488 529 626 778 819 859 833 870 897 27 3.1 ETH Zurich 394 339 350 433 534 562 592 584 583 549 - 34 - 5.8 EPFL 146 149 179 193 244 257 267 249 287 348 61 21.3 Humanities, Social and Political Sciences 100 130 154 169 199 202 255 276 268 276 8 3.0 ETH Zurich 100 130 154 169 199 202 255 276 268 276 8 3.0 Total number of students 18,341 18,582 19,025 19,578 21,056 22,540 24,104 25,629 27,087 28,046 959 3.5 ETH Zurich 12,013 12,343 12,689 13,233 14,310 15,378 16,342 17,187 17,781 18,178 397 2.2 EPFL 6,328 6,239 6,336 6,345 6,746 7,162 7,762 8,442 9,306 9,868 562 6.0 of which women 4,904 5,057 5,279 5,520 6,131 6,627 7,149 7,585 7,973 8,238 265 3.3 ETH Zurich 3,441 3,570 3,712 3,930 4,345 4,707 5,050 5,292 5,445 5,560 115 2.1 EPFL 1,463 1,487 1,567 1,590 1,786 1,920 2,099 2,293 2,528 2,678 150 5.9 of which foreigners 5,130 5,343 5,704 6,204 7,453 8,396 9,488 10,456 11,437 12,152 715 6.3 ETH Zurich 2,636 2,821 3,092 3,519 4,438 5,113 5,698 6,205 6,559 6,751 192 2.9 EPFL 2,494 2,522 2,612 2,685 3,015 3,283 3,790 4,251 4,878 5,401 523 10.7

Number (headcount) of students including doctoral students at ETH Zurich and EPFL combined in nine subject areas. For description of counting method, see box, p. 121.

Fig. 15: Percentage of women among students and doctoral students at ETH Zurich and EPFL

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 % in Bachelor’s programme 27.3 27.6 28.2 28.8 28.9 28.9 29.4 29.2 28.6 % in Master’s programme 21.9 25.0 26.8 28.0 29.0 29.2 29.2 28.7 29.4 % in MAS/MBA* 29.0 30.3 31.3 34.2 34.8 37.0 37.1 36.7 34.6 % in Doctoral programme 25.6 27.1 27.3 28.6 29.3 30.4 29.4 29.8 30.4

* Continuing education programmes MAS/MBA: Master of Advanced Studies / Master of Business Administration

Development of the proportion of women at the various study levels since 2005. Explanation of the methods used in counting see box, p. 121.

122 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report

Fig. 16: Students and doctoral students according to study level

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 ∆2012/2013 in %

Bachelor’s programme 5,969 8,518 9,086 9,416 10,138 10,970 11,716 12,600 13,359 13,995 636 4.8 ETH Zurich 3,794 5,350 5,982 6,332 6,896 7,344 7,757 8,236 8,468 8,817 349 4.1 EPFL 2,175 3,168 3,104 3,084 3,242 3,626 3,959 4,364 4,891 5,178 287 5.9 Master’s programme 0 2,012 2,888 3,909 4,649 5,326 5,997 6,568 6,981 7,241 260 3.7 ETH Zurich 0 ,522 1,255 2,302 3,028 3,749 4,281 4,607 4,755 4,811 56 1.2 EPFL 0 1,490 1,633 1,607 1,621 1,577 1,716 1,961 2,226 2,430 204 9.2 Diploma programme 7,741 3,453 2,324 1,316 751 395 191 0 0 0 ETH Zurich 5,252 3,453 2,324 1,316 751 395 191 0 0 0 EPFL 2,489 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MAS/MBA* 644 503 528 565 695 676 792 801 911 863 - 48 - 5.3 ETH Zurich 354 344 336 383 436 502 606 659 763 661 - 102 - 13.4 EPFL 290 159 192 182 259 174 186 142 148 202 54 36.5 Total number of students 14,354 14,486 14,826 15,206 16,233 17,367 18,696 19,969 21,251 22,099 848 4.0 ETH Zurich 9,400 9,669 9,897 10,333 11,111 11,990 12,835 13,502 13,986 14,289 303 2.2 EPFL 4,954 4,817 4,929 4,873 5,122 5,377 5,861 6,467 7,265 7,810 545 7.5 Doctoral programme 3,987 4,096 4,199 4,372 4,823 5,173 5,408 5,660 5,836 5,947 111 1.9 ETH Zurich 2,613 2,674 2,792 2,900 3,199 3,388 3,507 3,685 3,795 3,889 94 2.5 EPFL 1,374 1,422 1,407 1,472 1,624 1,785 1,901 1,975 2,041 2,058 17 0.8 Total number of students and doctoral students 18,341 18,582 19,025 19,578 21,056 22,540 24,104 25,629 27,087 28,046 959 3.5 ETH Zurich 12,013 12,343 12,689 13,233 14,310 15,378 16,342 17,187 17,781 18,178 397 2.2 EPFL 6,328 6,239 6,336 6,345 6,746 7,162 7,762 8,442 9,306 9,868 562 6.0

* Continuing education programmes MAS/MBA: Master of Advanced Studies / Master of Business Administration.

Number (headcount) of students according to study level. For description of counting method, see box, p. 121.

Fig. 17: Percentage of foreign students and doctoral students at ETH Zurich and EPFL

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

80 %

70 %

% in Doctoral programmes: 60 % total number of foreigners 50 % foreign educated foreign nationals

40 % % in Master’s programmes: total number of 30 % foreigners foreign educated foreign nationals 20 % % in Bachelor’s programmes: 10 % total number of foreigners 0 % foreign educated foreign nationals

Proportion of foreign students in total, plus foreign-educated foreign nationals (foreign nationals who resided abroad when obtaining the relevant educational qualifications) as a percentage of the total number of students at the two Federal Institutes of Technology. For description of counting method, see box, p. 121.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 123 CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report

Fig. 18: New admissions to Bachelor’s courses at ETH Zurich and EPFL

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 ∆2012/2013 in %

Architecture 508 578 534 629 689 671 646 599 604 5 0.8 Civil and Geomatic Engineering 358 377 379 459 513 556 638 620 613 - 7 - 1.1 Engineering Sciences 842 872 847 1,056 1,200 1,183 1,240 1,354 1,429 75 5.5 Information and Comm. Technology 333 307 278 325 396 425 448 465 547 82 17.6 Exact and Natural Sciences 600 623 647 787 810 832 954 986 969 - 17 - 1.7 Life Sciences 425 441 438 486 523 529 578 700 744 44 6.3 System-Oriented Sciences 274 271 260 287 276 318 321 336 335 - 1 - 0.3 Management, Technology, Economics ------Humanities, Social and Political Sciences 35 13 17 23 18 13 13 12 14 Total 3,375 3,482 3,400 4,052 4,425 4,527 4,838 5,072 5,255 183 3.6

New admissions to Bachelor’s courses at the two Federal Institutes of Technology since 2005 according to subject area: there is no Bachelor’s course in management, technology, economics; in humanities, social and political sciences, there is only one Bachelor’s course (for career military officers) and student numbers are low, so no statistically relevant statement can be made regarding the trend of new admissions. For description of counting method, see box, p. 121.

Fig. 19: Supervision ratios at ETH Zurich and EPFL

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Supervision ratio 32.5 32.7 32.6 32.1 34.0 34.7 35.1 35.8 36.4 36.6 in Bachelor’s/Master’s programme 24.3 24.6 24.5 24.0 25.1 25.7 26.1 26.8 27.3 27.7 in Doctoral programme 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.8 8.0 7.9 7.9 7.8 7.8 Extended supervision ratio 20.5 20.2 20.2 20.4 21.9 22.4 23.0 23.8 24.5 24.7 in Bachelor’s/Master’s programme 15.3 15.2 15.2 15.3 16.1 16.6 17.1 17.8 18.4 18.7 in Doctoral programme 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.6 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.3 5.2

Supervision ratios at the two Federal Institutes of Technology: The ratio is based on the total number of students overall (i.e. including doctoral and Master of Advanced Studies / Master of Business Administration students) or the total number of students studying in a Bachelor’s/Master’s course or for a doctorate. For information on the categories of professor and other persons involved in teaching who are included in calculation of the supervision ratio (“extended supervision ratio”), see box, p. 121.

Fig. 20: Degrees awarded according to study level

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 ∆2012/2013 in %

Bachelor’s 1 118 1,039 1,452 1,656 1,835 1,900 1,988 2,216 2,249 33 1.5 ETH Zurich 1 118 381 838 1,086 1,203 1,283 1,304 1,447 1,447 0 0.0 EPFL 658 614 570 632 617 684 769 802 33 4.3 Master’s/Diploma 1,723 1,783 1,807 1,949 1,978 1,988 1,898 2,159 2,320 2,663 343 14.8 ETH Zurich 1,167 1,144 1,203 1,309 1,306 1,317 1,270 1,506 1,650 1,847 197 11.9 EPFL 556 639 604 640 672 671 628 653 670 816 146 21.8 MAS/MBA * 435 461 332 471 336 400 283 301 256 346 90 35.2 ETH Zurich 237 233 226 213 213 239 174 203 184 228 44 23.9 EPFL 198 228 106 258 123 161 109 98 72 118 46 63.9 Doctorates 719 774 861 852 832 962 986 1,027 1,095 993** - 102 - 9.3 ETH Zurich 471 506 569 572 566 651 650 696 747 579** - 168 - 22.5 EPFL 248 268 292 280 266 311 336 331 348 414 66 19.0

* Continuing education programmes MAS/MBA: Master of Advanced Studies / Master of Business Administration ** In the context of the revision of ETH Zurich doctoral regulations, the last doctoral graduation deadline of 2013 was postponed from December 2013 to January 2014. This explains the reduction in completed doctorates to 993 resp. 579; without this change, 1,168 resp. 754 doctoral students would have graduated in 2013.

124 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report

Fig. 21: Teaching provided by research institutes

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1,000 17,000 16,000 900 15,000 14,000 800 13,000

700 12,000 11,000 600 10,000 9,000 500 8,000

400 7,000 6,000 300 5,000 4,000 200 3,000 2,000 100 1,000 0 0

Teaching hours per year Teaching activities of the research institutes of the Supervised Doctoral theses ETH Domain. Left axis: number of supervised Bachelor’s, Supervised Bachelor’s/Master’s/Diploma theses Master’s, Diploma and Doctoral theses; right axis: number of teaching hours given per year.

Fig. 22: Knowledge and technology transfer in the ETH Domain

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Patents 166 154 159 142 125 155 128 147 195 193 ETH Zurich 85 77 84 79 64 78 63 72 87 103 EPFL 43 44 36 36 40 44 47 52 75 66 Research institutes 38 33 39 27 21 33 18 23 33 24 Licences 111 117 152 218 178 176 178 194 230 223 ETH Zurich 25 23 24 42 48 37 39 45 35 38 EPFL 42 46 56 64 29 47 45 50 31 41 Research institutes 44 48 72 112 101 92 94 99 164 144 Spin-offs 25 19 28 33 46 45 38 40 38 43 ETH Zurich 12 9 16 21 23 24 20 22 22 24 EPFL 8 5 8 12 18 20 14 15 12 12 Research institutes 5 5 4 0 5 1 4 3 4 7

Knowledge and technology transfer activities of the institutions of the ETH Domain using the indicators of patents (priority applications only) and licences (including technology transfer agreements) as well as newly founded companies (spin-offs).

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 125 CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report | Benchmarking

Comprehensive quality management at the ETH Domain institutions The comprehensive quality management system adopted by the institutions of the ETH Domain ensures that teaching and research, knowledge and technology transfer and management are further developed on a continuous basis. The aim of this is to strengthen the institutions’ competitive edge. Their outstanding position at international level is demonstrated by various current examples.

The institutions of the ETH Domain operate a comprehensive peers – experts from comparable institutions – of the potential quality management system to continuously monitor and further for development and improvement should be carried out with develop their teaching, research, knowledge and technology clearly defined objectives and at appropriate intervals. They transfer (KTT) and resource management activities. This involves should enable a candid self-assessment, not only of strengths each institution comparing selected concepts, methods, tools and development potential but also of weaknesses, and should and processes in these areas of its own operations with those of therefore have no direct influence on the allocation of funding. other institutions. Since the institutions’ self-evaluations are The report suggests that success in obtaining third-party funding based on this comparison with other institutions, they are rela­ should not be seen as a key success factor and should instead tive to and dependent on the comparative institutions in ques­ be viewed in relation to the institutional framework conditions tion. This “benchmarking” is an essential part of the quality and the basic funding available. Since the self-motivation of management system. Benchmarking activities can be divided scientists serves as a fundamental basis for scientific practice, into two main categories based on their aim and purpose: bench­ the report advocates boosting motivation through trust and free­ marking which is primarily for the purposes of organisational dom of scope as the primary means of improving performance. development and benchmarking which is mainly used to meas­ It also emphasises the importance of the selection and supervi­ ure and monitor the performances achieved (performance mon­ sion of scientists, with transparent recruitment processes, coher­ itoring; see box on the right). ent criteria and high-quality procedures being absolutely essen­ Benchmarking is a well-established tool in the private sector tial in this regard. The ETH Domain’s benchmarking activities in particular, but it is now increasingly being applied in the world presented below should be viewed with this in mind. of academia and science, too. Its use in a scientific environment is not without controversy, however. Benchmarking is only an Benchmarking activities expedient tool in this context if it is target-oriented and if the Figure 23 (right) provides a non-exhaustive overview of the activi­ chosen benchmarks are carefully selected and relevant to the ties carried out at the institutions of the ETH Domain, which com­ institutions being compared. The Swiss Science and Innovation plement one another and are used for benchmarking purposes. Council (SSIC, formerly the Swiss Science and Technology Council Most of these activities are aimed at organisational development, (SSTC)) recently published a report on this, which presents ten with relatively few being carried out for performance monitoring theses1. The report is based on relevant research literature and purposes. The frequency with which benchmarking activities take critically examines the opportunities, limits and effects of the place depends on the activities themselves. They may be carried quality assurance and performance review methods used in out on a continuous basis (e. g. curriculum development, gather­ science. The theses recommend applying performance measure­ ing publications and citations) or at set intervals (e.g. evaluations ment schemes in an appropriate and methodically considered of organisational units at least every eight years, bibliometric way which is geared towards targets and guided by reason. It analyses for interim evaluations every four years). The key findings advises that attention should be paid to the proportionate time from the benchmarking activities and the measures derived from spent by scientists on assessing their performances, as well as these by the management of the institutions are brought to the the validity and the limitations of the assessments, particularly attention of the ETH Board. The qualitative findings in particular those of a quantitative nature. Evaluations involving analyses by are useful for further developing the institutions in terms of

1 SSTC Report 3/2013 Performance Measurement and Quality Assurance in Science

126 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report | Benchmarking

promoting scientific excellence. ETH Board, for its part, regularly BENCHMARKING reports to the Federal Council and the Federal Parliament through the legally prescribed channels. By order of the Federal Council, There is no universally applicable definition of bench­ the ETH Domain is assessed midway through each planning period marking, but it is basically understood as a com­ by an international team of experts assembled by the State Secre­ parison of concepts, tools or processes used by dif­ tariat for Education, Research and Innovation (interim evaluation). ferent organisations or institutions, with the aim being to learn from others. It is important to define the Fig. 23: Benchmarking activities in the ETH Domain specific objectives and purposes of each benchmark­ ing process at the start to ensure that suitable com­ Evaluations by external experts (peer reviews) of parison partners and benchmarks can be selected. A – ETH Zurich departments distinction is generally made between benchmarking – EPFL faculties – research institutes (or parts thereof) for organisational development purposes and bench­ – administrative units marking for performance monitoring. – the ETH Domain (and the ETH Board)

Audits by Benchmarking for organisational development – the Internal Audit (as part of horizontal audits) In the case of benchmarking for organisational devel­ – external auditors (e.g. audits of the institution’s quality management opment, the focus is on reviewing and improving the system by the Swiss Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance in institution or organisation concerned based on com­ Higher Education (OAQ) or the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO)) parisons between concepts, tools and processes used Benchmarking in teaching by the institution/organisation itself and those used Curriculum development, programme administration by others. This type of benchmarking, which can be in collaboration with leading international universities used with the aim of either continuous or breakthrough (IDEA League, IARU, GULF, EuroTech Universities) improvement, is not very standardised and should be Surveys chosen and adapted with the specific situation in mind. of graduates after completing their studies (carried out internally and Most of the benchmarking carried out in the ETH Domain externally by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO)); to ascertain how satisfied employees are with their working conditions falls into this category, even if it is not necessarily defined as such, and is designed to help improve con­ Recruitment and promotion procedures cepts, tools and processes used by the institutions or Professorships, appointing research and administrative staff the ETH Domain. This benchmarking calls for institutions Research infrastructures and the ETH Domain to take an open approach to their e.g. the performance of and demand for large-scale own strengths and weaknesses and requires a confi­ research facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI); CSCS → For selected benchmarking activities at PSI, see page 131 dential, non-public framework. Acquisition of funding Benchmarking for performance monitoring for promoting research at national, European and international level (e.g. Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Benchmarking for performance monitoring involves EU research framework programmes) comparing institutions, or parts of institutions based → For selected benchmarking activities at ETH Zurich and EPFL, on comparable performance indicators or key figures. see page 128 ff., for Eawag see page 133

It is important to ensure that the indicators are com­ Publications and citations parable and that they are based on commonly agreed Subject-specific bibliometric analyses definitions and standardised data collection methods. → For selected benchmarking activities at WSL, see page 132

This type of benchmarking can be actively initiated International university rankings by the institutions themselves and carried out in subdivided by region and specialist area cooperation with comparison partners – “from → For selected benchmarking activities at ETH Zurich and EPFL, see page 129 within”, as it were. However, this benchmarking can Rankings of specific areas of research also be provided “from the outside” by external par­ at research institutes and/or universities ties. In this case the institutions have limited influence → For selected benchmarking activities at Empa, see page 133 over the selection and use of indicators, which are often based on publicly accessible data such as inter­ The evaluations by international expert committees are the national university rankings. cornerstones of academic benchmarking activities and are carried out in accordance with specified principles. The ETH Board com­ missions evaluations of ETH Domain institutions as a whole, while evaluations of the ETH Domain are ordered by the Federal Council. Evaluations of individual units of an institution are commissioned

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 127 CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report | Benchmarking

by the Executive Board or Directorate of the institution in question. presented in closer detail on account of their topicality and the In 2013, the ETH Board took note of evaluations of three departments public availability of the relevant data in the 2013 Annual Report. of ETH Zurich and one faculty of EPFL, as well as evaluations of three With regard to ETH Zurich and EPFL, this report shows the current laboratories at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and of Empa as a positions of these universities in various rankings and demon­ whole. The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape strates how they have progressed in these rankings between 2008 Research (WSL) was evaluated in October 2013 and the expert report and 2013. The success of these two Federal Institutes of Technology and the opinion statement by the Directorate are due to be presented in obtaining ERC grants over the entire period of the EU’s seventh to the ETH Board in 2014. As part of its strategic controlling function, Framework Programme for Research (FP7) is also highlighted. the ETH Board will review the implementation measures planned Meanwhile, the international status of the research institutes is by the institutions in the course of annual discussions. shown by means of recent benchmarking activities relating to the The ETH Board’s Internal Audit provides auditing and advisory performance of research infrastructures (PSI), publications in spe­ services for the ETH Board and the institutions of the ETH Domain. cific subject areas (WSL), rankings of specific areas of research Internal audits carried out as part of horizontal audits (audits on (Empa) and success in acquiring third-party funding (Eawag). specific topics carried out across all institutions of the ETH Domain) can be regarded as benchmarking activities. Horizontal audits → Benchmarking: ETH Zurich and EPFL rankings include benchmarks which can be used for organisational devel­ The most internationally recognised university rankings confirm the opment. The audits carried out by external experts include those academic excellence of the two Federal Institutes of Technology, conducted by the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) and by the Swiss which managed to maintain or even improve their standing in Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education almost every category in 2013. ETH Zurich and EPFL are both in very (OAQ), which took place at ETH Zurich in November 2013 and are good positions in relation to other universities in a global com­ planned to be held at EPFL in December 2014. parison. The THE, QS and Leiden rankings (see fig. 24 right) also offer Quality assurance in the area of teaching is carried out on an a comparison specifically with European universities, all three of ongoing basis and the international alliances with leading uni­ them placing ETH Zurich and EPFL amongst the top eight universities versities provide the ideal framework for this. Surveys of graduates in Europe. ETH Zurich is listed above EPFL in the THE and OS European of ETH Zurich and EPFL are conducted at regular intervals. Used in rankings, but the Leiden ranking for Europe puts EPFL in first place, conjunction with teaching evaluations, these surveys enable with ETH Zurich in third. The European universities ranked above prompt adjustments to be made to curricula in line with changing the two Federal Institutes of Technology are almost all English- framework conditions and make it possible to assess the com­ speaking institutions from the UK. This means that ETH Zurich and petitiveness of graduates on the labour market. The procedures EPFL hold top positions among the universities in continental Europe. for appointing professors and for recruiting and promoting scien­ A look at the rankings according to subject area shows that both tific, technical and administrative staff are important elements of ETH Zurich and EPFL tend to rank higher in natural sciences and the quality assurance system. The quality and performances of the engineering than in life sciences, an area which has only been institutions are ultimately determined by their employees. Large- established and significantly developed at these two institutions scale research infrastructures are made available for common use during the past ten years. However, the definitions of the subject by national and international research communities. They are in areas vary considerably from one ranking to the next, which limits competition with other research infrastructures across the world the extent to which comparisons can be drawn. and are constantly being compared with them in terms of the Annually published rankings are used as a basis for showing efficiency and quality of their output. trends over the course of several years (see fig. 25 right). ETH Zurich Other important benchmarking activities include successful appli­ has long held an outstanding position in the THE and QS World cations for research promotion funding awarded on a competitive Rankings and has either maintained or improved on this over basis or bibliometric analyses assessing, for example, the quantity the years. It was ranked 12th and 14th respectively in 2013. EPFL, and quality of publications and citations based on the importance meanwhile, has seen a remarkable rise up the THE and QS World of the publishing bodies and the frequency of citations. These Rankings; it climbed some 30 places in the QS ranking to reach indicators enable comparisons to be made with other institutions 19th position within the space of six years. and are often used in combination with other indicators to produce University rankings provide an easy means of quickly gaining international rankings of universities or research institutes. an impression of how a university stands up to international comparison. However, the attention which these rankings receive Selected benchmarking activities should not be allowed to obscure the fact that their informative This report gives one or two examples of benchmarking activities value is limited and they must therefore be interpreted and com­ for each of the ETH Domain institutions in order to illustrate the pared with caution. current positioning of the institutions for a specific area in an international context. Although they represent only a small pro­ portion of the activities, these particular examples are being

128 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report | Benchmarking

Rankings observed worldwide

In most worldwide rankings, publicly available (but in some cases also reputation (with a 40 % weighting on academic reputation and 10 % on specially gathered) statistical data on teaching and supervision, employer reputation), followed by the supervision ratio (20 %), citations research, publishing activity, second-party resources and third-party (20 %) and internationality (10 %). ARWU (Academic Ranking of World funding, and international networking is incorporated into the calcula­ Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University) uses performance indica­ tion of indicators. These indicators are used to produce a ranking of tors relating to the quality of graduates and teaching staff based on the universities worldwide, for certain regions and/or for individual disci­ number of prestigious awards received (Nobel Prize, Fields Medal) and plines. The rankings vary in terms of the selection and weighting of the the number of highly cited researchers; research performance is judged key performance indicators used and they therefore each have a specific on the basis of publications in the fields of nature and science in relation emphasis. It is important to note that the methods used are subject to to the number of researchers at an institution. By contrast, the Leiden change and, over time, this limits the scope for comparison. ranking relies exclusively on the universities’ research performances as THE (The Times Higher Education World University Rankings) uses 13 measured by publication activity. This is based on the proportion of performance indicators for teaching (30 % weighting), research (30 %), publications each university has among the top 10% of the most fre­ citations (30 %), third-party funding (2.5 %) and international outlook quently cited publications in the relevant subject area. (7.5 %). QS (QS World University Rankings) places the main emphasis on

Fig. 24: Rankings of ETH Zurich and EPFL at worldwide and European level according to the THE, QS, ARWU and Leiden rankings in 2013

THE QS ARWU Leiden Rank World Europe SCI ENG LIFE World Europe SCI ENG LIFE Overall SCI ENG LIFE World Europe

3 1 4 8 8 5 7 6 5 8 1 12 12 13 8 13 14 15 15 19 15 23 20 21 29 26 37 39 41 51 57 61 76 81

101 105 101 121 141 161 151

THE: The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013–2014, SCI = Physical Sciences, ENG = Engineering & Technology, LIFE = Life Sciences QS: QS World University Rankings 2013, SCI = Natural Sciences, ENG = Engineering & Technology, LIFE = Life Sciences and Medicine ARWU: Academic Ranking of World Universities 2013 of Shanghai Jiao Tong University SCI = Natural Sciences and Mathematics, ENG = Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences, LIFE = Life and Agricultural Sciences ETH Zurich Leiden: Leiden ranking 2013 of the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University (NL) EPFL

Fig. 25: Rankings of ETH Zurich and EPFL according to the THE and QS rankings from 2008 to 2013

Rank 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 1 ETH Zurich EPFL 12 12 11 13 15 15 14 18 18 20 19 21 24 THE World Rankings ETH Zurich 29 QS World Rankings ETH Zurich* 31 32 THE World Rankings EPFL 35 37 QS World Rankings EPFL* 40 41 42 * published in the Times Higher Education 46 48 Supplement (THES) until 2009 and therefore 50 referred to as a THE ranking. 51

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 129 CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report | Benchmarking

The most successful institutions in obtaining ERC grants from 2007 to 2013*

Fig. 26: ERC Starting and Advanced Grants

University of Cambridge 39 59 18 University of Oxford 33 45 30 ETH Zurich 24 54 2 EPFL 24 50 2 University College London 30 15 29 Hebrew University of Jerusalem 28 27 13 Weizman Institute of Science 36 29 1 Imperial College London 24 35 1 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Life Sciences Physical and Engineering Sciences Social Sciences and Humanities

Fig. 27: ERC Starting Grants

University of Cambridge 67 University of Oxford 56 University College London 46 EPFL 40 Hebrew University of Jerusalem 39 Weizman Institute of Science 39 Imperial College London 33 ETH Zurich 32 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Fig. 28: ERC Advanced Grants

University of Oxford 52 University of Cambridge 49 ETH Zurich 48 EPFL 36 Hebrew University of Jerusalem 29 University College London 28 Imperial College London 27 Weizman Institute of Science 27 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

* The allocation of the ERC grants to the institutions is based on the situation at the time the applications were submitted and does not take into account any transfers of researchers between institutions. Data as per October 2013.

130 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report | Benchmarking

→ Benchmarking: ETH Zurich and EPFL enjoy great success in obtaining ERC grants EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL GRANTS ETH Zurich and EPFL are among the eight most successful institu­ tions when it comes to obtaining ERC Starting Grants and ERC The European Research Council (ERC) has been supporting fundamen­ Advanced Grants (see box on the right). Six rounds of grants have tal research since 2007 and runs five different funding programmes. been awarded since these funding programmes were introduced The two main funding schemes are the ERC Starting Grants and the in 2007. In the ranking of the most successful institutions in ERC Advanced Grants. The ERC Starting Grants provide young, innova­ acquiring this funding, ETH Zurich lies in third place with a total tive researchers with up to 2m EUR in funding for a period of five of 80 grants, followed by EPFL in fourth place with 76, with the years, while the ERC Advanced Grants are awarded to outstanding University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford topping the established researchers and are regarded as a special distinction. list. EPFL is also fourth in the specific rankings for both the Start­ They offer up to 3.5m EUR to support projects over a five-year period. ing Grants and the Advanced Grants. ETH Zurich is eighth in the Both of these funding programmes are designed to support top list of successful recipients of ERC Starting Grants, but holds third researchers of any nationality who are carrying out research at insti­ place for the Advanced Grants. ETH Zurich also obtained other tutions in one of the EU’s 28 member states or associated countries. ERC grants, which are not included in the illustrations shown The ERC grants are awarded in three fields: life sciences, physical and above, through joint professorships with cantonal universities engineering sciences, and social sciences and humanities. This fund­ (5) and with a research institute (1). ing is granted purely on the basis of the academic excellence of the A look at the countries in which the institutions receiving ERC researchers and the submitted projects. grants are based reveals that, in the period from 2007 to 2013, a total of 881 ERC grants were awarded to the United Kingdom, while 547 went to Germany, 506 to France, 324 to the Netherlands and 289 to Switzerland. In terms of the number of ERC grants awarded → Benchmarking: The SLS at PSI is the world’s most in relation to the size of the population, Switzerland takes the efficient protein crystallography research facility lead, followed by Israel, which – like Switzerland – is an associated The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) offers the national and international country of the European Union. research communities access to its large-scale research facilities, which it continuously develops in order to build on its exceptional standing in comparison to rival institutions at global level. The most heavily used beamlines in the Swiss Light Source (SLS) include the three protein crystallography beamlines, which make it pos­

Fig. 29: Analysis of the examined protein structures recorded in the “BioSync” database*

Synchrotron structures per beam line/year 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Europe BESSY (DE) DIAMOND (GB) EMBL/DESY (DE) ESRF (FR) MAX II (SE) Swiss Light Source (SLS) SRS (GB) North America ALS (US) APS (US) CHESS (US) NSLS (US) SSRL (US) Asia PAL/PLS (KR) PHOTON FACTROY (JP) SPRING-8 (JP) Total number of synchrotron structures 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000

1995–2012 2005–2012 Total number of synchrotron structures (1995–2012) * Analysis of the protein structures examined using synchrotron radiation, which is recorded in the “BioSync” database (total number (dot symbol) in comparison to the structures recorded per beamline and per year (bar) for two selected time periods).

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sible to examine the structure and function of proteins as the basic → Benchmarking: Tree-ring research at WSL ranked second in the world building blocks of life. In the long run, the findings from these The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research structural analyses – a research area which is also relevant with (WSL) runs a laboratory for tree-ring research. Analyses of tree rings regard to the future operation of PSI’s new SwissFEL facility – could can be used to produce climate reconstructions, for example, and help to create a better understanding of the vital processes which to examine the effect of stress factors on trees. They can also be take place in cells and thus further the development of new used to address other fundamental questions involved in model­ approaches to treating a wide range of different diseases. This ling the future development of forests exposed to climate change. knowledge provides an essential basis for what is known as The comparison is based on publication data from the Web of structure-based drug design, which, in the long term, will sup­ Science® on the five partner institutions which published the most plement the primarily empirically based development currently articles on tree-ring research in the world during the period from being carried out in the pharmaceutical industry. 2005 to 2012. The data is standardised based on the affiliated authors The protein structures recorded in the BioSync database (http:// shown in the Web of Science. Since tree-ring research both operates biosync.sbkb.org/) were used for assessing the efficiency and excel­ as an area of research in itself and contributes findings and meth­ lence of the PSI beamlines. This data makes it possible to carry out ods to other research fields, it is very difficult to define the scope of a quantitative comparison with all peer institutions across Europe, the observation system. Statements regarding the publications which America and Asia which use synchrotron radiation to gather infor­ have been released therefore remain vague. For analyses of this mation on structural biology (data has been recorded from over 130 kind, both the indicators taken into consideration and the partners beamlines worldwide since 1995). For the purposes of benchmark­ involved should therefore be comparable. However, this only applies ing, the accumulated entries were analysed for two different time to a limited extent in the case of the six most frequently published periods: the 1995-2012 period was evaluated to create an overall partners in tree-ring research. Three of the partners – the University picture of all the collected data, while the 2005-2012 period was of Arizona with 68 authors, New York’s Columbia University with 33, analysed for comparison purposes, as 2005 was when the second and WSL with 69 authors published during the observation period of the three beamlines now in use at PSI first went into operation, – are independent institutions. However, they are being compared thus making the facilities more widely available for use by the with university associations such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, research community. For the purpose of standardisation, the ana­ which boasts a good 140 authors at 10 institutions, the Russian lysis not only examined the total number of structures recorded, Academy of Sciences with some 56 authors at three sites and, finally, but also considered the data in relation to the number of beamlines the University of Quebec with 55 authors in 11 locations. operated by each institution. Only synchrotrons with at least 500 In the period from 2005 to 2012, the tree-ring research unit at entries for protein structures in the database overall were selected WSL produced an average of 1.32 first-author publications per for inclusion in the comparison. author (see fig. 30). This puts WSL behind the small but highly Figure 29 demonstrates the outstanding position of the SLS in productive team at Columbia University, with 1.61 publications per comparison to international peer institutions. As expected, based on author, and ahead of the Chinese Academy of Sciences with a the total number of protein structures, the largest synchrotron facil­ publication average of 1.24. ities (the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Labora­ WSL has an outstanding infrastructure for tree-ring research tory, with more than 20 beamlines, and the European Synchrotron and a team of highly motivated and dedicated researchers. Its Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble with 14 beamlines) had the most expertise makes it a sought-after partner for joint research projects database entries. Taking into account the number of beamlines all over the world and, through visiting professors and “adjunct available, however, the SLS clearly leads the way in a worldwide scientists”; it incorporates its experience into the teaching pro­ comparison and has been able to build on this status even further vided at the Chinese and Russian Academies of Science as well as since 2005. This attests to the high level of efficiency and availability at Columbia University and various other universities in Switzer­ with which PSI’s protein crystallography beamlines are run, as well land and in Europe. WSL is expected to be able to maintain its as the fact that the testing stations meet the most stringent quality standing as one of the most frequently published institutions in requirements and are supervised by outstanding experts. tree-ring research in the coming years, too.

Fig. 30: Tree-ring research: first-author publications per author between 2005 and 2012

Columbia University (US) 1.61 WSL 1.32 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN) 1.24 University of Arizona (US) 1.19 Russian Academy of Sciences (RU) 1.09 University of Quebec (CA) 1.07 First-author publications per author 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

132 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Academic achievement report | Benchmarking

→ Benchmarking: Empa leads the way in textile research → Benchmarking: Eawag enjoys a high success rate In 2013, the Dutch independent consultancy firm Noéton produced in international project commissions a ranking based on a comparison of European (and some non- Eawag’s activities are split between three fields, with two weighted European) textile research institutes. The academic excellence of more or less equally: water for health and well-being and water as these institutes was assessed based on the number of publications a means of enabling ecosystems to function. Its third field of activ­ they produced and their average impact factor. Only publications ity focuses on providing a scientific basis for strategies to deal with from direct textile research were included in the analysis. conflicts over the use of water resources. This involves interdiscipli­ Empa was ranked in first place among the application-oriented nary work, wherever possible, in the context of long-term interac­ research institutes included in the comparison (see fig. 31) – with tion with stakeholders. Eawag has enjoyed a great international a note stating that it not only publishes the most articles per success in all three areas of activity. When it comes to making year, but that these publications are also of a particularly high comparisons, the size of the institution is always taken into account. standard: “Empa clearly stands out both in quantity and quality With fewer than 500 employees, Eawag is relatively small. In addi­ of research and can rival universities.” It is therefore able to tion to periodic evaluations and bibliometric studies, indirect indi­ compete with significantly larger universities and achieved an cators are also used to measure success in an international context, excellent second place in the overall ranking (see fig. 32), behind as demonstrated below. RWTH Aachen. Empa is recognised as having produced outstand­ Institutions have to compete with others to obtain third-party ing performances and its groundbreaking developments are funding, and success in a major call for tenders is a reflection of appreciated and respected not only within Switzerland, but at an institution’s competitiveness. This is particularly true with European level, too. regard to acquiring funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Founda­ tion, from which Eawag has received millions of francs in financial support for projects in South Africa and Uganda. Along with Eawag, Fig. 31: Ranking of application-oriented research institutes 20 well-known universities were invited to take part in the tender­ Empa 2.035 ing process for the “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge” (RTTC) in Uganda. IFTH (FR) 1.498 Eight of these made it through to the second round and four were VTT (FI) 1.354 awarded a prize by the foundation in August 2012: California Insti­ IVF (SE) 1.292 tute of Technology (USA), Loughborough University (UK), the Uni­ AITEX (ES) 1.14 versity of Toronto (Canada) and Eawag. Further funding in the form Average Impact Factor 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 of an “Acceleration Grant” was approved in November 2013. This project, which aims to develop the next generation of toilets, Source: Noéton TexRankTM, ranks 1–5 relates to a core area of Eawag’s activities – as does the VUNA project in South Africa, which involves recovering nutrients from urine. Both of these projects were made possible by the fact that, over many years, Eawag has built up the requisite expertise by Fig. 32: Overall ranking taking a multidisciplinary approach and working with an effective

Rank Institution network of stakeholders. This has enabled it to beat off competi­ 1 RWTH Aachen (Germany) tion from much larger institutions to win project commissions. 2 Empa 3 University of Manchester (UK) 4 Dresden University of Technology (Germany) 5 University of Borås (Sweden) 6 ENSAIT (France) 7 Ghent University (Belgium) 8 University of Twente (Netherlands) 9 University of Belgrade (Serbia) 10 University of Minho (Portugal)

Source: Noéton TexRankTM, Sum of Impact, Average Impact, Best Impact

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 133 CLOSE-UP Financial key figures

The 2013–2016 performance period starts as planned The financial statements for 2013 are largely in line with the budget. Internal resources allocated by parliament for the period 2013–2016 have provided the basis for realising the most important objectives, such as providing attractive, top-quality education and consolidating the ETH Domain’s leading position in research. Both of these serve to strengthen the reputation of the two Federal Institutes of Technology and the research institutes. The bottom line is that the ETH Domain has a solid financial base, is keeping its costs under control and has made a promising start to the 2013–2016 performance period.

The consolidated income statement shows the various revenue resources from national organisations for the funding of research and expense items recorded during the financial year. In the ETH (Swiss National Science Foundation, Commission for Technology and Domain, a distinction is made between operating income and Innovation), funding for research projects from Federal offices operating expenditure and between financial income and finan­ (government-funded research) and resources from the EU Framework cial expenditure. Programme for Research and Innovation. These funds also come The annual report and the special accounts present the finan­ indirectly from the Federal Government or its organisations. The cial results in different ways. The annual report shows the figures Federal Government’s entire contribution to financing the ETH from the perspective of financing (credit, taking into account the Domain thus adds up to 2,723m CHF or 86.9 % of funds. budgetary framework), while the special accounts of the Federal Third-party funding includes financing from private sources government present them from an income statement perspective (cooperation with industry, donations and bequests) as well as (revenue and expenditure). The two different perspectives are funds arising from cooperations with cantons and municipalities. illustrated in fig. 33. The information below is described in the Compared to the previous year, third-party funding fell by 9.7 % context of financing. to 262m CHF. Revenues from the cooperation with the private sector remained below expectations and were lower than both Source of funds income from donations and bequests and revenues from other The ETH Domain’s total revenue came to 3,131m CHF, which was up third-party funding. The proportion of second-party resources and by 59m CHF or 1.9 % on the previous year. It is comprised of the third-party funding comes to 22.8 %. financial contribution from the Federal Government (2,074m CHF), Service and other revenues include income from user fees (tui­ investment credit (198m CHF), second-party resources and third- tion fees per semester and examination fees), the provision of party funding (713m CHF), service and other revenue (134m CHF) services, sales, reimbursements and revenue from real estate. They and financial income (13m CHF). developed largely according to plan and increased in comparison Internal resources (federal financial contribution and investment to the previous year, primarily due to transfers, rising to 143m CHF credit for buildings) were boosted by the increase in the budgetary (4.3 % of total funds). framework and the promise of additional funds (increase in recap­ italisation, “Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland” action plan), Allocation of funds rising by 4.4 % to 2,271m CHF. This corresponds to 72.5 % of income. Overall expenditure came to 3,080m CHF, which was 162m CHF or Second-party resources fell by 4.2 % compared to the previous year, 5.6 % more than in the previous year. By far the biggest expense reducing to 451m CHF. Funding from this source makes up 14.4 % of item, at 64.3 %, is personnel expenditure. This includes wages the overall funds. The decline in second-party resources is primar­ and salaries, employer contributions to social security schemes ily due to additional funds being raised in 2012 to offset the effects (old age and survivors’ insurance, unemployment insurance, of the strong Swiss franc. The total amount of funds from CTI project invalidity insurance, income compensation, maternity insurance, funding in 2013 was roughly the same as in previous years, at about employee benefits insurance, accident and health insurance) and 37m CHF. Second-party resources include competitively acquired other personnel expenditure. It was up by 67m CHF on the previous

134 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Financial key figures

Fig. 33: Reconciliation between the accounts presented from the income statement and credit perspectives for 2012/2013 in m CHF

Allocation of resources 2012 Income Reconciliation Credit** Comment statement* Internal resources 2,341.7 - 301.0 134.7 2,175.4 Financial contribution from the Federal Government 2,040.7 2,040.7 Investment credit for ETH Domain building - 134.7 134.7 cash flow Accommodation contribution 301.0 - 301.0 - no cash flow Second-party resources 471.2 471.2 Third-party funding 289.7 289.7 Change in second-party resources/third-party funding - 99.4 99.4 - no cash flow Service/other revenue 124.1 124.1 Financial result (net) 12.0 12.0 Revenue 3,139.4 - 201.7 134.7 3,072.4

Allocation of funds 2012 Income Reconciliation Credit Comment statement (cash flow) Personnel expenditure 1,913.6 1,913.6 Accommodation in government-owned property 301.0 - 301.0 - no cash flow Materials expenditure 591.3 591.3 Amortisation and depreciation 157.3 - 157.3 - no cash flow Change in performance commitments 23.8 - 23.8 - Transfer expenditure 51.1 51.1 Investment - 361.3 361.3 cash flow Expenditure 3,038.2 - 482.1 361.3 2,917.4

Result 101.2 280.5 - 226.7 155.0

Allocation of resources 2013 Income Reconciliation Credit** Comment statement* Internal resources 2,378.8 - 304.9 197.5 2,271.4 Financial contribution from the Federal Government 2,073.9 2,073.9 Investment credit for ETH Domain building - 197.5 197.5 cash flow Accommodation contribution 304.9 - 304.9 - no cash flow Second-party resources 451.4 451.4 Third-party funding 261.6 261.6 Change in second-party resources/third-party funding - 37.0 37.0 - no cash flow Service/other revenue 133.9 133.9 Financial result (net) 13.1 13.1 Revenue 3,201.7 - 267.9 197.5 3,131.3

Allocation of funds 2013 Income Reconciliation Credit Comment statement (cash flow) Personnel expenditure 1,980.9 1,980.9 Accommodation in government-owned property 304.9 - 304.9 - no cash flow Materials expenditure 609.1 609.1 Amortisation and depreciation 180.5 - 180.5 - no cash flow Change in performance commitments 0.8 - 0.8 - Transfer expenditure 55.9 55.9 Investment 236.2 197.5 433.7 cash flow Expenditure 3,132.1 - 486.2 197.5 3,079.6

Result 69.6 218.3 - 51.7

* special accounts of the Federal Government ** credit, taking into account the budgetary framework

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 135 CLOSE-UP Financial key figures

year to 1,981m CHF due to the 0.6 % pay rise awarded and the expansion of the workforce. One significant expense item is materials expenditure, which amounted to 609m CHF or 18m CHF NOTE ON THE FINANCIAL KEY FIGURES more than in the previous year. This increase is due to higher expenditure on materials and information technology. The section on financial key figures comprises a longitudinal and cross-comparison of the figures and changes for the ETH Domain Result (Federal Institutes of Technology, the four research institutes and the The difference between sources of funds and use of funds amounts ETH Board). For more detailed commentary on the 2013 annual finan­ to 51.7m CHF, 153.3m CHF lower than in the previous year. Figure cial statements of the ETH Domain, please refer to the special accounts 34 illustrates the differences in the revenue items compared to of the Federal Government (“Sonderrechnung des Bundes”). the previous year.

Fig. 34: Deviations from the previous year in m CHF

Result C2013 52 67 Investments 72 Transfer expenditure 5 Materials expenditure 18 Personnel expenditure 67 Third-party funding 28 Second-party resources 20 Financial result 1 Service/other revenue 10 Internal resources 96 Result C2012 155 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 Revenue More revenue, less expenditure Less revenue, more expenditure

The main reasons for the deviations between 2012 and 2013 are as Personnel expenditure: follows: The additional personnel expenditure is primarily due to an increase in the number of employees and the salary measures adopted by Internal resources: the ETH Board. The increase in internal resources can be attributed to decisions taken by Parliament with regard to the ERI Dispatch for 2013–2016. Materials expenditure: 2013 also saw a slightly higher credit reallocation than in 2012 The increase in materials expenditure can be attributed to a rise in (18m CHF). The financial contribution therefore rose to 2,073.9m CHF. the costs of premises (+5m CHF, mainly due to rent for EPFL’s Cam­ pus Biotech in Geneva), maintenance (+3m CHF), IT and telecom­ Service and other revenue: munications (+3m CHF), and transport, insurance and fees (+4m CHF). The increase in service revenue (+6m CHF or + 6.4 %) is primarily due to transfers in relation to scientific services and reimbursements. Transfer expenditure: Research contributions to external institutions and the costs of Second-party resources: participating in projects of national importance increased slightly. Second-party resources were down slightly on the previous year in all categories. The sharpest decline was in resources from the Com­ Investment: mission for Technology and Innovation (-17m CHF, -31 %). Investments in information technology rose significantly due to the High-Performance Computing and Networking (HPCN) strategy. Third-party funding: Revenues from the cooperation with the private sector (-16m CHF, -11 %) and from donations and bequests (-1m CHF, -23 %) remained below expectations and could not be offset by higher incomes from other third-party funding (+5m CHF, +8 %).

136 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Financial key figures

Fig. 35: Internal resources

In m CHF 2004 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 ∆2012/2013 (figures rounded) absolute % ETH Domain 1,788.2 1,853.6 1,949.4 2,049.9 2,129.9 2,207.2 2,175.4 2,271.4 96.0 4.4 Financial contribution 1,603.0 1,679.8 1,778.4 1,905.3 1,984.5 2,025.9 2,040.7 2,073.9 33.2 1.6 Investment credit for buildings* 185.2 173.8 170.9 144.6 145.4 181.3 134.7 197.5 62.9 46.7 ETH Zurich [2] 942.7 965.5 1,001.4 1,039.3 1,094.2 1,088.9 1,101.0 1,146.8 45.8 4.2 Financial contribution 813.7 872.0 915.0 959.4 994.2 984.9 1,020.8 1,050.3 29.5 2.9 Investment credit for buildings 129.1 93.5 86.4 80.0 100.0 104.0 80.2 96.4 16.2 20.2 E P F L [ 2 ] 430.1 454.5 492.0 518.8 522.7 555.0 537.9 580.9 43.0 8.0 Financial contribution 399.6 411.9 437.7 478.4 501.1 514.0 506.4 541.9 35.5 7.0 Investment credit for buildings 30.6 42.6 54.3 40.4 21.5 41.0 31.5 39.0 7.5 23.8 PSI [1] [2] 222.0 230.1 241.6 249.8 253.3 305.9 264.8 303.2 38.4 14.5 Financial contribution 210.4 217.5 223.2 239.9 241.7 275.8 248.9 254.6 5.7 2.3 Investment credit for buildings 11.6 12.6 18.4 9.9 11.6 30.1 15.9 48.6 32.7 205.6 WSL 47.5 46.8 50.5 54.0 51.7 54.0 54.9 55.6 0.7 1.2 Financial contribution 43.5 46.4 50.1 51.9 50.1 53.5 54.0 50.9 - 3.0 - 5.6 Investment credit for buildings 4.0 0.3 0.4 2.1 1.7 0.5 1.0 4.7 3.7 386.6 Empa 83.7 91.9 87.8 92.1 96.9 99.4 97.9 97.3 - 0.6 - 0.6 Financial contribution 80.6 81.0 77.8 88.4 89.4 96.5 94.0 92.9 - 1.1 - 1.2 Investment credit for buildings 3.1 10.9 10.0 3.7 7.5 2.9 3.8 4.3 0.5 13.2 Eawag 46.6 49.3 52.3 51.5 52.7 53.3 52.7 55.5 2.8 5.4 Financial contribution 39.8 35.4 50.8 43.0 49.5 50.6 50.4 51.0 0.6 1.1 Investment credit for buildings 6.8 13.9 1.5 8.5 3.1 2.7 2.3 4.5 2.2 98.6 ETH Board 15.4 15.5 23.9 44.3 58.4 50.6 66.2 32.2 - 34.0 - 51.3 Financial contribution 15.4 15.5 23.9 44.3 58.4 50.6 66.2 32.2 - 34.0 - 51.3 Investment credit for buildings ------

*Credit transfer 2004 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Budget 161.1 148.9 162.2 133.7 - Transfer of remaining credit from previous year 16.5 20.0 0.9 - Remaining credit - 16.5 - 20.0 - 0.9 - -

[1] incl. SwissFEL: 38.4m CHF (2013) [2] incl. contributions for competence centers

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 137 CLOSE-UP Financial key figures

Fig. 36: Project-oriented second-party resources, third-party funding, service revenue and financial result

In m CHF 2004 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 ∆2012/2013 (figures rounded) absolute % ETH Domain consolidated 419.9 530.6 549.2 608.5 645.6 796.2 798.6 822.9 24.3 3.0 ETH Domain consolidation - 0.2 - 6.7 - 7.9 - 6.7 - 9.4 - 14.7 - 14.3 - 13.9 0.5 - 3.2 Changes in second-party resources and third-party funding - 34.0 - 21.4 - 149.3 - 95.0 - 108.6 - 52.3 - 99.4 - 37.0 62.4 - 62.8 ETH Domain 454.2 558.7 706.4 710.2 763.6 863.2 912.3 873.8 - 38.5 - 4.2 Second-party resources 241.6 279.0 323.8 372.5 408.5 445.2 477.3 453.6 - 23.7 - 5.0 Third-party funding 104.3 146.9 230.5 188.3 210.3 212.6 292.7 263.8 - 28.9 - 9.9 Service revenues 97.4 116.3 144.4 136.4 137.5 195.4 129.4 143.3 13.9 10.8 Financial result 10.8 16.5 7.8 13.1 7.3 10.0 12.9 13.1 0.1 1.1 ETH Zurich 198.6 268.6 311.0 319.6 356.4 362.0 428.1 417.3 - 10.8 - 2.5 Second-party resources 100.4 131.9 131.1 167.7 190.2 195.0 211.2 211.1 - 0.1 - 0.1 Third-party funding 46.7 70.3 112.2 80.4 93.9 83.7 141.2 124.3 - 17.0 - 12.0 Service revenues 46.0 57.7 67.0 64.0 66.6 76.7 68.6 73.9 5.3 7.7 Financial result 5.4 8.7 0.8 7.6 5.8 6.6 7.1 8.1 1.0 14.5 EPFL 140.6 162.9 241.7 221.7 245.5 263.5 270.0 258.8 - 11.2 - 4.1 Second-party resources 91.1 88.3 131.6 127.3 136.7 159.7 162.3 148.1 - 14.2 - 8.7 Third-party funding 17.8 40.2 63.6 56.3 72.7 72.0 75.5 75.9 0.4 0.5 Service revenues 28.6 30.6 42.2 34.3 34.6 29.2 29.8 31.7 1.9 6.3 Financial result 3.1 3.8 4.3 3.9 1.4 2.6 2.5 3.2 0.7 29.4 PSI 49.6 55.6 74.9 80.9 73.1 137.0 109.6 89.8 - 19.8 - 18.1 Second-party resources 14.7 22.2 18.0 23.7 28.4 33.2 38.7 28.1 - 10.6 - 27.4 Third-party funding 26.7 19.9 36.2 35.6 23.9 36.1 55.6 42.6 - 13.0 - 23.4 Service revenues 6.5 11.9 19.1 20.7 20.2 67.3 12.1 17.7 5.6 46.4 Financial result 1.7 1.6 1.6 0.8 0.6 0.4 3.3 1.5 - 1.8 - 55.5 WSL 18.6 16.8 20.9 22.7 23.1 25.1 24.5 27.1 2.6 10.6 Second-party resources 14.0 10.7 13.9 16.7 16.8 18.1 17.6 20.9 3.3 19.0 Third-party funding 3.2 4.1 5.2 4.5 5.1 4.7 4.6 3.3 - 1.3 - 27.9 Service revenues 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.3 2.3 2.8 0.4 19.2 Financial result 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.0 - 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 288.3 Empa 36.7 40.9 43.3 51.4 49.4 56.7 62.0 63.5 1.6 2.6 Second-party resources 14.6 17.8 20.4 27.3 26.0 26.8 35.5 34.8 - 0.7 - 2.0 Third-party funding 7.4 8.9 8.6 8.7 10.7 11.8 10.6 12.0 1.4 13.3 Service revenues 14.2 13.3 13.9 14.8 12.9 18.1 15.8 16.6 0.8 4.8 Financial result 0.5 0.9 0.3 0.5 - 0.2 - 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 409.7 Eawag 10.0 13.2 14.6 13.9 16.1 18.7 18.1 16.5 - 1.6 - 8.7 Second-party resources 6.8 8.1 8.8 9.9 10.5 12.4 12.0 10.6 - 1.4 - 11.6 Third-party funding 2.5 3.5 4.8 2.8 3.9 4.2 5.3 5.1 - 0.2 - 3.6 Service revenues 0.6 1.0 0.6 0.9 1.6 1.8 0.7 0.7 0.0 0.0 Financial result - 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.0 33.6 ETH Board 0.0 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.7 - Service revenues ------Financial result ------0.7 0.7 - Service revenues 0.0 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 - 0.0 Financial result - 0.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 - 0.0

138 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Financial key figures

Fig. 37: Project-oriented second-party resources

In m CHF 2004 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 ∆2012/2013 (figures rounded) absolute % ETH Domain consolidated 241.6 278.2 323.5 371.2 406.1 440.0 471.2 451.4 - 19.8 - 4.2 ETH Domain consolidation - 0.8 - 0.2 - 1.3 - 2.4 - 5.2 - 6.1 - 2.2 3.9 - 63.4 ETH Domain 241.6 279.0 323.8 372.5 408.5 445.2 477.3 453.6 - 23.7 - 5.3 Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) 100.0 111.3 141.6 153.7 192.5 212.1 216.3 209.0 - 7.4 - 3.4 Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) 28.3 32.5 26.1 40.7 33.1 21.3 53.9 36.8 - 17.0 - 31.6 Government-funded research 64.4 69.6 58.4 63.8 72.6 83.5 80.7 72.7 - 8.0 - 9.9 European Research Framework Programmes 49.0 65.6 97.7 114.2 110.4 128.3 126.5 135.2 8.7 6.9 ETH Zurich 100.4 131.9 131.1 167.7 190.2 195.0 211.2 211.1 - 0.1 - 0.1 Swiss National Science Foundation 48.8 60.5 66.5 84.0 102.9 101.4 105.2 109.6 4.4 4.2 Commission for Technology and Innovation 9.5 16.4 9.1 16.7 12.4 7.9 20.6 12.2 - 8.5 - 41.0 Government-funded research 28.2 32.6 22.4 23.6 26.7 26.9 28.5 22.7 - 5.8 - 20.4 European Research Framework Programmes 13.9 22.4 33.1 43.4 48.2 58.9 56.8 66.6 9.7 17.1 EPFL 91.1 88.3 131.6 127.3 136.7 159.7 162.3 148.1 - 14.2 - 8.9 Swiss National Science Foundation 45.2 41.6 64.5 52.8 66.0 81.9 84.7 75.5 - 9.1 - 10.8 Commission for Technology and Innovation 14.1 12.3 11.1 14.1 12.4 8.4 15.2 15.0 - 0.3 - 1.6 Government-funded research 10.2 4.5 8.1 7.9 10.3 18.1 11.0 8.1 - 2.9 - 26.6 European Research Framework Programmes 21.6 29.9 48.0 52.5 48.0 51.3 51.4 49.5 - 1.9 - 3.7 PSI 14.7 22.2 18.0 23.7 28.4 33.2 38.7 28.1 - 10.6 - 31.9 Swiss National Science Foundation 2.1 3.1 3.6 5.0 9.3 11.3 11.8 8.6 - 3.2 - 26.8 Commission for Technology and Innovation 0.1 0.3 0.1 1.3 1.0 0.8 2.3 0.3 - 2.0 - 88.6 Government-funded research 4.2 11.5 7.0 9.3 12.8 14.1 14.4 13.3 - 1.1 - 7.9 European Research Framework Programmes 8.2 7.3 7.2 8.1 5.3 7.0 10.2 6.0 - 4.3 - 41.8 WSL 14.0 10.7 13.9 16.7 16.8 18.1 17.6 20.9 3.3 18.5 Swiss National Science Foundation 1.5 1.4 1.2 2.4 2.9 2.8 2.1 3.7 1.6 74.9 Commission for Technology and Innovation 0.2 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 7.5 Government-funded research 12.3 8.1 10.4 11.6 12.8 13.8 14.0 16.2 2.2 15.4 European Research Framework Programmes 0.1 0.9 1.6 2.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 0.8 - 0.4 - 35.6 Empa 14.6 17.8 20.4 27.3 26.0 26.8 35.5 34.8 - 0.7 - 2.6 Swiss National Science Foundation 0.6 1.3 2.2 5.2 6.5 8.2 6.5 7.5 1.1 17.0 Commission for Technology and Innovation 4.5 3.3 5.1 7.8 7.1 3.9 15.3 9.3 - 6.0 - 39.4 Government-funded research 6.4 8.7 6.8 7.8 5.9 7.3 9.0 8.5 - 0.5 - 5.1 European Research Framework Programmes 3.0 4.5 6.3 6.5 6.5 7.3 4.8 9.5 4.7 97.8 Eawag 6.8 8.1 8.8 9.9 10.5 12.4 12.0 10.6 - 1.4 - 11.3 Swiss National Science Foundation 1.8 3.3 3.6 4.3 4.9 6.4 6.1 3.9 - 2.2 - 36.3 Commission for Technology and Innovation - - 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.3 - - 0.3 - 100.0 Government-funded research 3.0 4.2 3.6 3.7 4.2 3.4 3.7 3.9 0.2 5.3 European Research Framework Programmes 2.1 0.6 1.5 1.5 1.2 2.3 2.0 2.9 0.9 45.8

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 139 CLOSE-UP Financial key figures

Fig. 38: Personnel expenditure

In m CHF 2004 2007* 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Δ 2012/2013 (figures rounded) absolute % ETH Domain consolidated 1,550.9 1,550.9 1,571.7 1,722.0 1,768.9 1,849.7 1,913.6 1,980.9 67.3 3.5 Percentage of total expenditure** 63.5 63.5 61.2 62.6 62.0 62.0 63.0 63.2 ETH Domain consolidation - 0.9 - 0.9 - 0.7 - 1.0 - 1.4 - 2.3 - 3.4 - 4.1 - 0.7 20.8 Percentage of total expenditure - 0.0 - 0.0 - 0.0 - 0.0 - 0.0 - 0.1 - 0.1 - 0.1 ETH Zurich 774.0 774.0 764.8 827.4 859.0 891.0 923.3 960.0 36.7 4.0 Percentage of total expenditure 61.3 61.3 58.8 60.5 61.3 60.6 61.0 61.6 EPFL 422.8 422.8 436.1 488.4 508.0 530.1 558.8 579.8 21.1 3.8 Percentage of total expenditure 65.9 65.9 66.6 65.8 65.1 65.3 67.0 66.7 PSI 169.7 169.7 181.4 201.2 192.5 215.6 218.6 228.0 9.4 4.3 Percentage of total expenditure 60.6 60.6 57.3 64.6 59.6 58.2 61.2 61.7 WSL 49.6 49.6 51.0 52.6 54.4 53.3 54.6 54.8 0.2 0.4 Percentage of total expenditure 75.8 75.8 69.4 71.8 70.2 69.5 68.5 66.2 Empa 90.8 90.8 92.7 101.6 100.6 103.1 105.8 106.5 0.7 0.7 Percentage of total expenditure 67.6 67.6 64.5 66.4 65.4 62.6 63.7 65.8 Eawag 37.9 37.9 39.5 39.3 41.9 44.4 44.7 47.1 2.4 5.4 Percentage of total expenditure 68.2 68.2 62.4 58.1 67.9 66.7 68.5 67.0 ETH Board*** 7.0 7.0 6.8 12.5 13.8 14.5 11.4 8.8 - 2.6 - 22.6 Percentage of total expenditure 58.5 58.5 29.5 29.5 21.2 39.6 29.5 22.7

* 2007: introduction of New Accounting Model. ** Total expenditure: personnel, materials, provision of goods and services, external rental expenditure, accommodation expenditure, amortisation and depreciation, changes in performance commitments, transfer expenditure. *** ETH Board: since 2009, including one-off contributions to Publica (pension fund of the ETH Domain)

Fig. 39: Materials expenditure**

In m CHF 2004 2007* 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Δ 2012/2013 (figures rounded) absolute % ETH Domain consolidated 623.1 623.1 714.1 752.9 801.2 852.5 823.5 850.5 27.0 3.3 Percentage of total expenditure*** 25.5 25.5 27.8 27.4 28.1 28.6 27.1 27.1 ETH Domain consolidation - 5.7 - 5.7 - 7.0 - 5.7 - 8.0 - 12.3 - 10.9 - 9.8 1.1 - 10.4 ETH Zurich 329.9 329.9 378.7 380.3 380.0 418.6 417.5 425.1 7.6 1.8 Percentage of total expenditure 26.1 26.1 29.1 27.8 27.1 28.4 27.6 27.3 EPFL 155.6 155.6 156.0 188.4 203.0 213.1 200.8 213.0 12.1 6.0 Percentage of total expenditure 24.3 24.3 23.8 25.4 26.0 26.2 24.1 24.5 PSI 85.7 85.7 97.4 85.1 104.6 129.5 111.0 113.6 2.6 2.3 Percentage of total expenditure 30.6 30.6 30.8 27.3 32.4 34.9 31.1 30.8 WSL 11.9 11.9 18.9 17.1 19.1 19.4 20.9 23.7 2.8 13.5 Percentage of total expenditure 18.1 18.1 25.7 23.3 24.6 25.3 26.2 28.6 Empa 26.4 26.4 33.9 34.3 36.4 44.8 41.4 36.7 - 4.7 - 11.3 Percentage of total expenditure 19.6 19.6 23.6 22.4 23.6 27.2 24.9 22.7 Eawag 14.6 14.6 20.2 23.8 15.1 17.5 16.0 18.6 2.6 16.4 Percentage of total expenditure 26.3 26.3 31.9 35.2 24.5 26.3 24.5 26.5 ETH Board 4.8 4.8 16.0 29.7 51.1 21.9 26.9 29.6 2.8 10.3 Percentage of total expenditure 39.8 39.8 69.6 70.0 78.4 59.9 69.9 76.7

* 2007: introduction of New Accounting Model. ** Materials expenditure: materials, provision of goods and services, external rental expenditure (excluding accommodation expenditure), amortisation and depreciation, changes in internal performance commitments, transfer expenditure. *** Total expenditure: personnel, materials, provision of goods and services, external rental expenditure, accommodation expenditure, amortisation and depreciation, changes in performance commitments, transfer expenditure.

140 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Financial key figures

Fig. 40: Investments

In m CHF 2004 2007* 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 ∆2012/2013 (figures rounded) absolut in % ETH Domain consolidated 318.0 378.5 434.3 356.5 332.8 494.0 360.3 433.7 73.4 20.4 ETH Domain consolidation - - - 0.3 - - - 0.1 - - - Investment in real estate** 185.2 210.1 231.0 151.6 148.4 183.7 141.7 197.7 55.9 39.5 Movables / intangible assets*** 132.9 168.4 203.6 204.9 184.4 310.4 218.6 236.0 17.4 8.0 ETH Zurich 186.3 179.1 183.3 168.6 190.7 272.4 216.8 223.4 6.7 3.1 Investment in real estate 129.1 110.1 110.2 80.0 100.0 104.6 85.2 96.4 11.2 13.2 Movables / intangible assets 57.2 68.9 73.1 88.6 90.7 167.8 131.6 127.0 - 4.6 - 3.5 EPFL 63.7 96.0 155.1 99.4 49.6 85.2 77.7 92.4 14.7 18.9 Investment in real estate 30.6 61.8 90.5 47.4 23.9 42.8 33.6 39.2 5.6 16.6 Movables / intangible assets 33.2 34.3 64.6 52.0 25.7 42.3 44.1 53.2 9.1 20.6 PSI 47.0 65.3 73.2 58.8 68.3 115.3 46.8 88.8 42.0 89.9 Investment in real estate 11.6 12.6 18.4 9.9 11.6 30.1 15.9 48.6 32.7 205.6 Movables / intangible assets 35.4 52.7 54.8 48.9 56.7 85.1 30.9 40.2 9.4 30.4 WSL 4.7 1.7 1.7 3.7 3.6 2.4 2.1 6.2 4.1 194.8 Investment in real estate 4.0 0.8 0.4 2.1 2.3 0.5 1.0 4.7 3.7 386.6 Movables / intangible assets 0.8 0.9 1.3 1.6 1.3 1.9 1.1 1.5 0.4 33.7 Empa 7.9 20.3 17.5 15.3 14.5 13.9 12.3 15.2 2.9 23.7 Investment in real estate 3.1 10.9 10.0 3.7 7.5 2.9 3.8 4.3 0.5 13.2 Movables / intangible assets 4.8 9.4 7.5 11.6 7.0 11.0 8.4 10.8 2.4 28.4 Eawag 8.3 15.8 3.8 10.7 6.0 4.9 4.7 7.7 3.0 63.6 Investment in real estate 6.8 13.9 1.5 8.5 3.1 2.7 2.3 4.5 2.2 98.6 Movables / intangible assets 1.5 1.9 2.4 2.3 2.9 2.2 2.4 3.2 0.7 30.8 ETH Board 0.0 0.3 - 0.0 - - - 0.0 0.0 0.0 Investment in real estate ------0.0 Movables / intangible assets 0.0 0.3 - 0.0 - - - 0.0 0.0 0.0

* 2007: introduction of New Accounting Model. ** Building investment in federally owned real estate and in real estate owned by the two Federal Institutes of Technology or any of the four research institutes (including co-financing). *** Net investment in movable goods, IT, user-specific operating equipment, intangible goods.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 141 CLOSE-UP Personnel key figures

Continuing trends in personnel In 2013, the ETH Domain once again saw a sharper rise in the number of employees than in the two previous years, with the proportion of foreign staff also increasing to almost 52 %. Two thirds of all scientific personnel now come from abroad.

On 31 December 2013, the number of employees in the ETH Domain Of the 479 professorships (466.1 FTEs) at ETH Zurich, 24.2 FTEs amounted to 19,877 employment contracts or 16,570.2 full time were financed with second-party resources and 23 FTEs with equivalents (FTEs) (previous year: 19,398 employment contracts third-party funding in 2013. Of the 320 professorships (305.4 FTEs) or 16,072.1 FTEs, see fig. 41). At 479 new employment contracts, at EPFL, 15.1 FTEs were financed with second-party resources and the increase (2.47 %) was greater than in the preceding years 4.0 with third-party funding. (2012: 364; 2011: 442; 2010: 525). Annual growth has levelled out In 2013, 66.2 % of all professors came from abroad, which is again at a long-term mean of around 2 to 3 % in the past few slightly more than the 65.8 % recorded in 2012 (2011: 66.1 %). The years. Of these additional employment contracts, 221 (2012: 286) proportion of professors from the European Union (EU) rose once or 46.1 % (2012: 78.6 %; 2011: 69.7 %) concerned scientists, 111 again to 52.9 % (2012: 51.8 %) while professors from other coun­ (2012: 176) of whom were additional doctoral students. The pro­ tries made up 13.3 % (see fig. 43). Almost two thirds of the new portion of senior scientists, maîtres d’enseignement et de staff appointed (72.5 %) in all professorial categories are EU recherche and senior scientific personnel with important per­ citizens, while 15.5 % (2012: 37.5 %) are from Switzerland (see fig. manent roles in teaching and research remained unchanged at 44). Of all new appointments, 84.3 % were male professors and, 4.2 % of total staff numbers. With 12,196 (2012: 11,975) employment at 15.7 %, the proportion of female professors was slightly lower contracts – 61.4 % of the total (2012: 61.7 %; 2011: 61.4 %) – sci­ than in the previous year (2012: 16.7 %). At ETH Zurich, ten full entific personnel, including doctoral students, were clearly the professors retired in 2013. At EPFL, four full professors retired in largest function group within the ETH Domain (see fig. 41). 2013 for reasons of age and one more took early retirement. Of the 492.7 additional FTEs created in 2013, the funding for 236 came from the federal financial contribution (internal resources), which corresponds to a proportion of 47.9 % (2012: 36.2 %; 2011: 30.4 %); the remaining 256.7 FTEs – 52.1 % – were financed by second-party resources and third-party funding (2012: 63.8 %; 2011: 69.6 %, see fig. 48). PROFESSORIAL CATEGORIES Professors In 2013, a total of 646 full (F) and associate (A) professors (2012: The various professorial categories differ with regard to status and 621), 97 assistant professors with tenure track (2012: 96) and 56 employment conditions. Full and associate professors, and assistant assistant professors without tenure track (2012: 61) were working professors with and without tenure track teach and do research at at ETH Zurich and EPFL. both Federal Institutes of Technology. Tenure track means that assis­ Compared with 2012, the number of professors (all categories) tant professors can become permanently employed as full or asso­ increased by 21 persons (2.7 %; see fig. 42) to 799. ciate professors if they meet a given performance target. Full and The proportion of women in the three categories grew from 11.7 % associate professors are appointed permanently, while assistant to 12.4 % in 2013. Among F and A professors the proportion was 9.3 % professors sign employment contracts for a maximum of four years. (2012: 8.2 %; 2011: 7.7 %), among assistant professors with tenure track These can be renewed once for up to another four years. it was 28.9 % (2012: 29.2 %; 2011: 30.9 %) and among assistant profes­ sors without tenure track it came to 19.6 % (2012: 19.7 %; 2011: 20.0 %).

142 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Personnel key figures

Proportion of women 46 % of all employees were from abroad in 2009, in 2012 the 50 % The development of the proportion of women at the individual threshold was exceeded for the first time with 50.4 % or 9,785 institutions and across the ETH Domain varies (see fig. 41). Follow­ individuals from abroad. In 2013 foreign nationals made up 51.9 % ing a slight decline across the ETH Domain as a whole in 2012, the of all employees. proportion of women went back up again in 2013 to 33.4 % (2012: Of these foreign employees, 36.9 % or 7,334 individuals are 32.9 %). Over the past few years, the proportion of women has citizens of an EU country and 15 % – 2,974 individuals – come gradually risen to approximately one third of the total workforce. from countries outside the EU. In recent years, the proportion The proportion of women is traditionally lowest at the Paul Scher­ of foreign employees increased continuously (see fig. 47). For rer Institute (PSI) and Empa and traditionally highest at Eawag. In the first time, internationality is strongest among the scientific 2013, the number of women employed in the ETH Domain increased personnel, of whom 67.7 % are foreigners, closely followed by by 262 (2012: 76) to reach a total of 6,636 at the end of the year the professors with 66.2 %. Concerning the representation of (+4.11 %; 2012: +1.2 %). A slight increase in the proportion of women linguistic communities, the proportion of those with German could be seen among professors and scientific personnel. as their native language decreased further to 52.6 % in 2013 Over the past few years, the proportion of women among full (2012: 54.4 %), while the proportion with French as their native professors, associate professors and executives has persistently language remained virtually unchanged at 17.9 % (see fig. 45). increased, but is still rather low. The segment of employees who describe themselves as native English speakers declined slightly to 8.9 %, while a minor Internationalisation: origins of personnel increase was to be observed among Italian speakers (5.5 %) and The origins of employees also reflect the long-standing trend native speakers of other languages (15.1 %). towards increasing internationalisation in the ETH Domain. While

Fig. 41: Headcount and employment level by function group

2013 Men Women ETH Domain EC FTE Ø EL % EC FTE Ø EL % EC FTE Ø EL %

Professors (F/A) 586 565.9 96.6 60 56.8 94.7 646 622.7 96.4 Assistant professors with tenure track 69 68.7 99.6 28 28 100.0 97 96.7 99.7 Assistant professors without tenure track 45 42 93.3 11 10.2 92.7 56 52.2 93.2 Scientific personnel 8,670 7,239.9 83.5 3,526 2,687.4 76.2 12,196 9,927.3 81.4 of whom senior scientific personnel 721 688.1 95.4 108 93.9 86.9 829 782 94.3 Technical personnel 2,707 2,549 94.2 804 608.3 75.7 3,511 3,157.3 89.9 Administrative personnel 875 768.5 87.8 2,061 1,510.5 73.3 2,936 2,279 77.6 Trainees 289 289 100.0 146 146 100.0 435 435 100.0 Total 13,241 11,523 87.0 6,636 5,047.2 76.1 19,877 16,570.2 83.4

Headcount and employment level of men, women and the entire ETH Domain by function group. As of 2010, the senior scientists and maîtres d’enseignement et de recherche, as well as the other senior personnel are counted separately, but nevertheless still included under scientific personnel. A total of 5,947 doctoral students are enrolled at the two Federal Institutes of Technology. Of these, all who are employed in the ETH Domain are included under scientific personnel.

Fig. 42: Change in the number of professors

2012 2013 Change Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women Total % % % Professors (F/A) 570 51 621 586 60 646 2.8 17.6 4.0 Assistant professors with tenure track 68 28 96 69 28 97 1.5 0.0 1.0 Assistant professors without tenure track 49 12 61 45 11 56 - 8.2 - 8.3 - 8.2 Total professors 687 91 778 700 99 799 1.9 8.8 2.7

Change in the number of professors according to the following categories: full and associate professors, assistant professors with tenure track and assistant professors without tenure track. The three last columns show the percentage change since the previous year.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 143 CLOSE-UP Personnel key figures

Fig. 43: Origin of professors

2013 Switzerland EU Other Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Professors (F/A) 219 17 236 299 38 337 68 5 73 Assistant professors with tenure track 10 5 15 41 14 55 18 9 27 Assistant professors without tenure track 18 1 19 21 10 31 6 0 6 Total professors 247 23 270 361 62 423 92 14 106

Number of professors broken down by origin: Switzerland, the EU and other countries.

Fig. 44: Origin of new professors hired

2013 Switzerland EU Other ETH Domain Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Professors (F/A) 4 0 4 23 6 29 3 2 5 30 8 38 Assistant professors with tenure track 3 0 3 5 0 5 1 0 1 9 0 9 Assistant professors without tenure track 1 0 1 3 0 3 0 0 0 4 0 4 Total professors 8 0 8 31 6 37 4 2 6 43 8 51

Number of new professors in 2012 broken down by origin: Switzerland, the EU and other countries.

Fig. 45: Employees’ native languages in 2013

Other 15.1 % (12.8 %) German 52.6 % (54.4 %)

English 8.9 % (9.5 %)

Italian 5.5 % (5.3 %) Native languages of employees in the ETH Domain in 2013. Previous- French 17.9 % (18.0 %) year figures are shown in brackets.

Trainees Appeal as an employer The ETH Domain created more training positions again in 2013. Outstanding scientists, promising young talent and exceptional The number of training positions for young people has now administrative and technical staff are essential for ensuring that increased from 344 in 2003 to 435 at the end of 2013. Of these 435 the institutions of the ETH Domain can fulfil their legal mandate trainees, 146 or 33.5 % were female (2012: 32.6 %). and achieve their strategic objectives. The ETH Domain offers training positions in more than a One particular challenge facing the institutions of the ETH dozen different professions. Chemistry laboratory assistants, Domain is the issue of dual careers. Partners of newly employed merchandisers, physics laboratory assistants, computer scien­ staff in the ETH Domain also have to move to Switzerland and tists and polymechanics are particularly popular vocations, integrate not only into society, but also into the job market. For followed by biology laboratory assistants. The focus of the this reason, the institutions extended their advisory services fur­ training positions offered lies in the field of natural sciences/ ther in 2013: when employing top-level talent from abroad, both technical professions. Federal Institutes of Technology and the four research institutes support the new arrivals’ partners in their professional reorienta­

144 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Personnel key figures

Fig. 46: Change in the proportion of women by institution

60 %

50 %

40 %

30 %

20 % 2010 201 1 10 % 201 2 201 3 0 % ETH Zurich EPFL PSI WSL Empa Eawag ETH Board ETH Domain

Change in the proportion of women by institution over the past four years (in relation to the number of employment contracts).

Fig. 47: Change in the proportion of foreign employees by function group

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20% 2010 201 1 10% 201 2 201 3 0% Professors (all) Scientific Technical Administrative Trainees Total personnel personnel personnel

Change in the proportion of foreign employees in the ETH Domain by function group (in relation to the number of employment contracts).

tion and in issues concerning their children’s school attendance, executive positions. The institutions of the ETH Domain offer and generally help the families to integrate within Switzerland. working conditions which enable both men and women to suc­ In general, it is important to offer the scientists competitive cessfully combine a career and family life at all levels. This and attractive working conditions and to facilitate interesting includes, for example, a programme designed to support employ­ career steps. Staff surveys conducted in 2013 once again showed ees returning to work after taking a career break – perhaps for that development opportunities must be promoted more inten­ parental leave or due to their partner having to relocate for sively at all stages of their academic careers. The supervision of work-related reasons. doctoral students also needs to be intensified. This includes helping them to plan their scientific careers after completing Supporting upcoming young scientists their theses. The career centres at ETH Zurich and EPFL play a Identifying and supporting upcoming young scientists is one vital role here. of the essential elements in achieving a high standard of teach­ ing and research. In the global competition to attract new Promoting equal opportunities and diversity talent and highly qualified scientists, the institutions of the In 2013, the institutions of the ETH Domain continued to pursue ETH Domain are increasingly offering their doctoral students their programme for encouraging staff and, in particular, stepped and postdocs, in particular, opportunities for development and up their support for upcoming young talent in the academic career advancement, or supporting them in preparing for the sector (see p. 110 ff.). One focal point here was and remains the next stages of their careers outside the institution. However, promotion of gender equality, with the aim of sustainably increas­ staff surveys have indicated there is still room for improvement ing the promotion of women at all levels and especially in in this regard.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 145 CLOSE-UP Personnel key figures

Fig. 48: Source of funds by function group

Function group Professors Scientific Technical Administrative Total (all) personnel personnel personnel

Source of funds Internal resources 2013 705.2 5,351.1 2,624.8 2,081.0 10,762.1 Federal financial contribution 2012 687.5 5,292.6 2,686.5 1,859.3 10,525.9 ∆2012/2013 17.7 58.5 - 61.7 221.5 236 ∆2012/2013 in % 2.6 1.1 - 2.3 11.9 2.2 Second-party resources 2013 39.3 3,387.0 260.5 59.2 3,746.0 Research funding (SNSF. CTI. NCCR. 2012 30.5 3,369.5 242.4 53 3,695.4 SUC). government-funded research ∆2012/2013 8.8 17.5 18.1 6.2 50.6 and EU research programmes ∆2012/2013 in % 28.9 0.5 7.5 11.7 1.4 Third-party funding 2013 27 1,190.0 271 139.1 1,627.1 Industry-oriented research. 2012 21 1,003.1 270.3 126.6 1,421.0 donations/bequests ∆2012/2013 6 186.9 0.7 12.5 206.1 ∆2012/2013 in % 28.6 18.6 0.3 9.9 14.5 Total 2013 771.5 9,928.1 3,156.3 2,279.3 16,135.2 2012 739 9,665.1 3,199.2 2,038.8 15,642.1 ∆2012/2013 32.5 262.9 - 42.9 240.2 492.7 ∆2012/2013 in % 4.4 2.7 - 1.3 11.8 3.1

Financing of positions according to source of funds (in FTE) in 2013 and in comparison to 2012. ∆ (delta) shows the absolute change from the previous year (2012).

There is a wide variety of programmes and measures available as temporary employees or their job is financed by project funding for supporting upcoming young talent. These range from setting which is available for a limited period (Article 17b, Section c of the up a welcome centre offering personal advice on topics relating ETH Act). In the case of projects and uncertainty over securing to arriving and living in Switzerland and working at one of the long-term financing, both scientific staff and technical and admin­ ETH Domain institutions, to holding seminars on personal self- istrative personnel are employed on a fixed-term basis. management, which teach participants about the different ways When a fixed-term employment contract expires, the case is they are perceived by themselves and by others. Help is also reviewed within the institutions of the ETH Domain to ascertain provided to encourage people to specifically define their personal whether the conditions are met for extending the fixed-term career plans based on potential analyses, and to lay the founda­ employment, or whether it would be possible to switch the tions for developing their personal life plan. employee in question to a permanent contract. This particularly applies to technical and administrative personnel, who are Fixed-term employment contracts encouraged to move between organisational units and institu­ The employment of staff on a fixed-term basis at any of the tions. As is generally the case at all universities and state-run institutions of the ETH Domain is subject to Article 17b of the ETH research institutions, scientific staff usually leave the institutions Act (SR 414.110). This article has been in force since 1 July 2013. of the ETH Domain once their project-based fixed-term employ­ Previously, this matter was governed by the provisions of Articles ment contracts have expired. To help them retain skills and 19 and 20 of the Personnel Ordinance of the ETH Domain and expertise in teaching and research and to support the manage­ Article 9 of the Ordinance on Professors at the Swiss Federal ment of complex research infrastructures, efforts have been Institutes of Technology. This change of regulation from ordinance made by the institutions in recent years to promote permanent level to act level did not, however, constitute any change in employment contracts. In spite of this, however, permanently content or in practice. employed senior scientists, maîtres d’enseignement et de The majority of scientific staff are employed on a fixed-term recherche (MER) and senior scientific staff remain the exception basis. This includes doctoral students and postdocs who are, by rather than the rule. nature of their roles, involved in fixed-term projects. Scientists are only employed on a permanent basis if they are undertaking long- Professional integration of people with disabilities term activities in teaching and research. The institutions of the ETH Domain, together with invalidity insur­ Staff working in a technical or administrative capacity are gen­ ance offices and other specialist organisations (e.g. the “Infor­ erally employed with permanent contracts unless they are engaged matik für Autisten” (“IT for people with autism”) foundation),

146 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Personnel key figures

play an active role in the integration and reintegration of people with physical or mental disabilities which restrict their ability to MAIN FEATURES OF THE PERSONNEL STRATEGY work. This involves, for example, providing internships – often in cooperation with regional university medical clinics – to help The ETH Board is a responsible employer for the entire ETH Domain, prepare people for professional reintegration. Case management providing progressive and globally competitive employment activities, which provide support for people with health problems, conditions. are being stepped up further. For years, the institutions of the ETH Domain have also been following an approach which involves The personnel policy of the ETH Domain is based on the Federal helping employees who have been partly incapacitated due to Act on the Personnel of the Swiss Confederation (Art. 4 FPA). It chronic illness or an accident by adapting the workplace to suit follows the objectives and requirements specified there and in the their needs whenever possible. ETH Domain’s performance mandate (Objective 10) (see p. 110 ff.). Outstanding scientists, promising young talent and excellent administrative and technical staff: these are all essential if the institutions of the ETH Domain are to fulfil their legal obligations and achieve their strategic objectives. With this in mind, the ETH Board and the institutions of the ETH Domain create an environ­ ment that enables them to attract, support and retain personnel of the required calibre. This is based on a forward-looking, socially responsible, transparent and dependable personnel policy, and competitive employment conditions in a working environment that promotes personal development and excellent performance. An important element of this is a management culture which is defined by responsibility and appreciation and is appropriate for the academic environment. Identifying and supporting upcoming young scientists are essen­ tial prerequisites for maintaining a high standard of teaching and research. In the global competition to attract the best talent and highly qualified researchers, the institutions of the ETH Domain are now offering their doctoral and postdoc students, in particu­ lar, even more opportunities for career development. The creation of additional assistant professorships is not only for a means of increasing the proportion of female professors as quickly as pos­ sible, but also one of the most important tools for supporting upcoming young scientists in general. In order to secure and strengthen their international position, the institutions of the ETH Domain endeavour to attract and retain the best personnel at all levels, regardless of their gender, nation­ ality, cultural background or social origins. They are boosting their appeal to women and increasing the proportion of women at all levels and in all function groups, especially in executive positions and on decision-making committees. They aim to provide work­ ing conditions that enable both men and women to combine professional and family life at all levels. The institutions in the ETH Domain also fulfil their role as socially responsible employers by employing and integrating staff with disabilities wherever possible. They also make an effort to enable people with disabilities to reintegrate into professional life.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 147 CLOSE-UP Personnel key figures

Outlook – 2014 objectives level, and particularly within the research units and study pro­ Something which has become evident in the past few years and grammes, the ETH Domain must strive even harder to create attrac­ will be confirmed in the years to come is that personnel policy tive meeting spaces, and to use targeted measures to help foreign objectives and personnel strategies and processes which have an employees find their feet, integrate well into training and research effect on social norms and traditions can only be realised and environments and enhance their understanding of the peculi­ implemented very gradually. This means that the effectiveness arities of life in Switzerland. and expediency of the measures taken can only be evaluated, and any adjustments made, over the long term. It can therefore be expected that the trends and developments described above will also continue in the years to come. The 2013 staff surveys – like those conducted in the previous year – have shown that, in spite of the efforts made and successes achieved to date, the institutions of the ETH Domain must continue to place great emphasis on overall career support and, in particu­ lar, on the promotion of its own upcoming young talent in teach­ ing and research as well as in administrative and technical areas. Although most doctoral students and postdocs will inevitably move on, the institutions of the ETH Domain need to step up their efforts in drawing attention to the development opportunities and career steps available in the academic world and offer support for talented young researchers in the process. As in previous years, however, this is also helped by the creation of additional permanent upper middle-ranking positions (senior scientists, MERs), both as impor­ tant pillars supporting the continuity of teaching and research and as knowledge bearers for large technical facilities. Increasing the proportion of women in executive positions, and particularly in scientific functions, will also remain a focal point in future. While the level of female representation at full univer­ sities is rising steadily and is now disproportionately high in sub­ ject areas such as humanities and medicine, the proportion of women at universities of applied sciences and technically oriented research institutions is only growing at a slow pace. Substantial efforts need to be made to develop attractive training opportuni­ ties and job and career profiles for women in traditionally male- dominated academic fields, too. This also includes taking measures to ensure compatibility between academic work and family life and dealing with the issue of dual careers. The institutions of the ETH Domain must continue to pay great attention to providing working conditions which enable both men and women to com­ bine a career and family life at all levels and in all functions. In order to make the working conditions in the ETH Domain even more attractive, extra efforts are being made with regard to health management and occupational safety. Moreover, the ETH Board initiates regular audits within the institutions to ensure and, if necessary, enhance health protection and occupational safety for employees at their place of work. The trend towards the internationalisation of the ETH Domain will increase further. Both Federal Institutes of Technology and the four research institutes actively seek exchange and coopera­ tion with the world’s best, regardless of nationality and cultural background. Diversity, cultural variety and the diverse nature of individual employees offer an opportunity to establish an inspir­ ing and creative atmosphere which generates added value for the institutions of the ETH Domain and their staff. At institutional

148 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Real estate key figures

Rising student numbers and large- scale research facilities determine infrastructural development As in previous years, the continuous need for new infrastructure due to increasing numbers of employees, students and doctoral students and the construction of new large-scale research facilities posed a challenge for the real estate management teams at the institutions of the ETH Domain in 2013. With an eye on future growth, they are therefore revising their plans for future spatial development.

The ETH Domain invested around 265m CHF in 2013 in maintaining Any additional measures are assessed in terms of their cost impli­ the value and functionality of its real estate portfolio and devel­ cations and optimised based on scientific requirements. oping it further. The real estate holdings and the good condition In close coordination with the establishment of EPFL “antennae” of these properties are an essential part of what makes the insti­ in various cantons, the use of space on the university’s Lausanne tutions of the ETH Domain competitive at international level. At campus has been optimised and intensified according to require­ the same time, however, the demand for space and the level of ments to help drive forward the development of the campus and technological equipment required in buildings are constantly of EPFL as a whole. In parallel with this, efforts were made to further rising, so the ETH Board ordered the spatial and financial master develop building projects designed to create supplementary facili­ plans (SFMP) to be revised and upgraded in 2013. This should ensure ties, such as the convention centre or accommodation for students, the provision of sufficient infrastructure to improve the quality of and financed using PPP (public-private partnership) models. the ETH Domain’s performance and accommodate growth in its The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) is working with the canton of core business of teaching, research and knowledge and technol­ Aargau to prepare an application and provide a plot of land for a ogy transfer (KTT) also in the years to come. network site as part of the Swiss Innovation Park, in order to benefit from the proximity of PSI’s large-scale research facilities. Strategies for developing the portfolio At the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape ETH Zurich focused on the physical merging of departments, con­ Research (WSL), Empa and Eawag, the real estate portfolio was centrating administration and services, and developing its two developed further by means of research-related building projects Zentrum and Hönggerberg campuses. ETH Zurich’s real estate strat­ as well as through optimisations, measures to improve efficiency egy is based on the key principles of providing space for teaching, and the maintenance of value and functionality. research and KTT on demand and in good time, and maintaining the value of the real estate portfolio in a target-oriented way. This Implementation: ongoing and realised projects in 2013 requires professional and sustainable building management and In 2013, the approaches taken by the institutions to implement their further development. On behalf of the Federal Government as the strategies included both investments in new buildings and in property owner and with the interests of ETH Zurich as the user in extending existing facilities and maintenance and restoration work mind, a great deal of attention is paid to maintaining value and to improve energy efficiency, fire safety and earthquake protection. functionality. It has become increasingly common to work with The most significant new construction at ETH Zurich was the private- and public-sector partners on implementing and using “Oberer Leonhard” building (LEE) on the Zentrum campus, built to infrastructures. The criteria for managing building projects – func­ accommodate the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineer­ tionality, adequate levels of quality and availability, and cost- ing (D-MAVT). The building is due to be finished and ready for effectiveness – are met by holding in-depth consultations with occupation in 2014. In mid-2013, the Life Science Platform (HPL), users regarding specifications and issuing equally detailed calls along with the ETH Phenomics Center (EPIC), went into operation for tender, then managing the building work closely, constantly on the Hönggerberg campus, thus providing a modern infrastructure monitoring progress and continuously implementing optimisations. for further developing the Department of Biology (D-BIOL). The

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 149 CLOSE-UP Real estate key figures

WSL’s new plant protection laboratory in Birmensdorf during the implementation stage. It is particularly worth highlighting that this is the first laboratory building to be constructed using pre-fabricated wooden ele­ ments. It also beats the energy requirements of the Minergie standards for new buildings and aims to meet the Minergie-ECO standards.

completion of the new HIA research building with testing facilities currently involved in developing alternative strategies for sup­ for hydraulics made it possible to move the Laboratory of Hydrau­ plying heating and electricity to the Dübendorf site. lics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) to the Hönggerberg campus on 2013 saw the start of building work on the Aquatikum testing schedule. This freed up a strategically important space on the Zen­ facility at Eawag, while the main focus at WSL in Birmensdorf was trum campus for the new GLC building, which will provide labora­ on the construction of the new plant protection laboratory build­ tory and office facilities for the new Department of Health Sciences ing (see picture above). and Technology (D-HEST). On the Hönggerberg campus, 2013 saw the start of construction work on the HCP office building. This 2014 construction programme, additional office space is essential for resolving the current bot­ credit commitments and credit line tlenecks in the laboratories of the neighbouring HCI building, where The ETH Domain uses the annual construction programmes to the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB) is apply for credit commitments for new projects planned in the based. The development of the external site in Basel’s Rosental years to come. These projects are financed through annual invest­ district was completed with the lease and extension of two floors. ment credits within the budget appropriation of the Federal For the planned relocation of the Department of Biosystems Sciences Government. In October 2013, the President of the ETH Board and Engineering (D-BSSE) to a new building on the Schällemätteli presented the 2014 construction programme to the Finance Com­ site an architectural competition was held in collaboration with the mittees of the National Council and the Council of States. This University of Basel and the Canton of Basel-Stadt. was approved by the Federal parliament in December 2013 with At EPFL, work continued on building the Swiss Tech Convention the Federal Decree I regarding the 2014 budget. Center. Various extra facilities, such as accommodation for students, The largest project in the 2014 construction programme is the shops, a doctor’s surgery and an underground car park, began building of the new GLC laboratory and office facility at ETH Zurich. operations in autumn 2013. The convention centre and the hotel This will, to a large extent, cover the evident need for more labo­ are due to open in spring 2014. The largest renovation and exten­ ratories on the Zentrum campus, especially for research groups within sion project underway at EPFL is the work on the ME building the new Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST). (formerly the mechanical engineering building), which will primar­ In creating this new building, great emphasis is being placed on ily be used for the study of robotics and neuroprosthetics. the issue of sustainability. The share of the investment provided by At PSI, work began on constructing the SwissFEL large-scale the Federal Government – for which a credit commitment applica­ research facility stretching over some 700 metres. The building tion is being made – amounts to 120.45m CHF. The planned invest­ work is progressing according to schedule. Meanwhile, renovation ment of a total of 59.05m CHF in furnishings and operational equip­ work got underway in the existing building to prepare for the new ment relates to the property of ETH Zurich and is not part of the Gantry 3 in the proton therapy facility. The complete refurbishment credit commitment. 20m CHF in third-party funding is available for and extension of the staff restaurant, OASE, was also finished. the procurement of operational equipment. Another major project Planning for the NEST project continued at Empa, which suc­ underway at ETH Zurich is the complete renovation and expansion cessfully obtained third-party funding for this scheme. Empa is of the front section of the HPM physics building on the Hönggerberg

150 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Real estate key figures

campus. The Federal Government is contributing 32.03m CHF to fund operational facilities owned by the institutions. Furthermore, this, and ETH Zurich is planning to make further investments in investors in PPP projects provided around 70m CHF in financing for furnishings and operational equipment amounting to 10.83m CHF supplementary facilities which will further enhance the attractive­ overall. In light of the voltage increase announced by the cantonal ness of the two universities and indirectly support teaching and electricity supplier and the need to ensure an uninterrupted power research. The entire construction volume triggered by the ETH supply, some of the transformer stations on the Hönggerberg cam­ Domain in 2013 came to 335m CHF (see fig. 50). For the imputed pus are being replaced and their capacity is being increased. In rent of the real estate owned by the Federal Government, the ETH future, the Hönggerberg site will receive its energy from two equal Domain received accommodation funding of 304.9m CHF in 2013. supply points. The credit commitment required for this comes to In 2013, ETH Zurich used 7.58m CHF of third-party funding for 21.54m CHF. Another ETH Zurich project with financing in excess of schemes such as constructing the LEE building. Funding from 10m CHF forms part of the implementation of the catering concept investors was also used to help make preparations for starting on the Hönggerberg campus. The HPR building is being completely construction work on the HWW project, which involves providing renovated in preparation for a further 30 to 35 years of use and the student accommodation on the Hönggerberg campus, in spring cafeteria is being run under a new concept in line with the “Science 2014. The new HCP building, which is now under construction, City Catering and Retail Area Strategy”. The Federal Government is is being completely financed by investor funds. providing a 13.30m CHF share of the funding, with the overall costs At EPFL, work on the convention centre and its peripheral (including project planning) amounting to 14.94m CHF. facilities, which are being constructed as a PPP project and The fourth major project in the 2014 construction programme financed with funding from investors, is nearing completion. is NEST, Empa’s modular research and demonstration building, EPFL used around 70m CHF of investor funds in 2013. The liquida­ which is being set up in close cooperation with the construction tion of a maintenance fund meant that, in accordance with a industry. The overall costs for this (including project planning) decision by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and amount to 37.88m CHF, with 8.5m CHF being contributed by the Innovation (SERI), 2.7m CHF could be poured back into the devel­ Federal Government, Empa and Eawag providing 5m CHF each and opment of EPFL’s new Neuchâtel campus. This amount is not the remaining 24.38m CHF being covered by third-party funding. included in the budget appropriation. Credit lines make it possible to carry out construction projects costing up to 10m CHF and to plan projects worth over 10m CHF Space – real estate management in figures in terms of applying for the requisite credit commitments. The The historic cost of the real ETH Domain’s real estate portfolio on total credit line requested for 2014 is 90m CHF. 31 December 2013 amounted to 7.2bn CHF. The book value is around 4.4bn CHF which equals around one third of the entire portfolio Investments and source of funds in 2013 of the Federal Government. The ETH Domain’s Swiss real estate The 2013 investment credit for the entire ETH Domain amounted to portfolio comprises 400 buildings and around 110 constructions on 197.5m CHF, which was significantly higher than the previous year’s 175 plots of land. In line with the strategies of the institutions and 134.6m CHF following a credit reallocation to the financial contri­ the rising number of students, the main useable area reported for bution of 19.8m CHF (9.1 %). This was mainly due to the construc­ the real estate of the ETH Domain at the end of 2013, which covers tion of the SwissFEL large-scale research facility at PSI. 64 % of the 928,600 m2, represents an increase on 2012 (890,700 m2) of 4.3 %. investments applied to new and replacement buildings and 36 % Compared with 2012 (4.5bn CHF), the book value of the portfolio to ensuring the maintenance of value and functionality. On top fell by 0.4 % (see fig. 34). The increase in value from investment of this, third-party funding of around 8.6m CHF was deployed for and value conservation activities is balanced against ordinary construction activities and investments from the financing con­ depreciation and extraordinary value adjustments resulting from tribution amounting to 58.8m CHF were made in user-specific sales, conversions and refurbishments (improvement costs).

Fig. 49: Quantity structure of the ETH Domain portfolio

In m CHF Buildings/facilities Plots Number Original value Book value Proportion in Number Original value / Proportion in % book value %

ETH Zurich 208 3,262 1,499 52 119 698 65 EPFL 83 1,487 961 33 20 247 23 4 research institutes 219 1,023 441 15 36 128 12 Total 510 5,772 2,901 100 175 1,073 100

Quantity and value of all government-owned real estate allocated to the institutions of the ETH Domain.

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 151 CLOSE-UP Real estate key figures

At EPFL, the need to create more space is being met pre­ dominantly by establishing new external sites, or “antennae”. REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT IN THE ETH DOMAIN These are being set up in Neuchâtel (Institute of Microengineer­ ing). Geneva (Campus Biotech), Sion (EPFL Valais Wallis) and An efficient building infrastructure is a central requirement for Fribourg (Smart Living Lab) and are currently in varying phases enabling both Federal Institutes of Technology and the four research of implementation. It is particularly worth mentioning that some institutes to fulfil their duties and achieve their targets in teach­ 14,000 m2 of space was rented in Geneva in 2013. ing and research and to meet the required quality standards. It is Further portfolio adjustments were carried out in 2013. The the job of the ETH Domain’s real estate management to ensure the residential building used as offices on Fliederstrasse in Zurich functionality of the real estate portfolio in the short, medium and was sold. This is being included in the agreed scheme to turn long term and to preserve its cultural value. Needs-oriented plan­ property back into residential space in Zurich. The sale of land ning and the timely realisation of new construction projects, con­ in Stallikon, left over from the sale of the research forest, was versions and renovations are at the heart of its remit. also concluded. The institutions of the ETH Domain reinvest the The ETH Board is responsible for the real estate portfolio of the revenue from the sale in the government-owned buildings used ETH Domain and coordinates strategic real estate management with by them. This means that user requirements can be better served the institutions. The real estate of the ETH Domain is the property and more use can be made of the real estate portfolio while of the Swiss Confederation. The ETH Board assumes the ownership upholding its financial value. role in trust (as one of the Federal Government’s three building and real estate authorities, the other two being the Federal Office Governance for Buildings and Logistics (FOBL) and armasuisse), coordinates the Specialist committees formed by the ETH Board and the institu­ management of the properties and ensures the maintenance of tions have started work on standardising the definition of the their value and functionality. The ETH Board, the Executive Boards spatial and financial master plans (SFMP) and harmonising them of the two Federal Institutes of Technology and the Directorates of as a long-term planning and control instrument. This is part of the four research institutes fulfil the strategic mandate. the implementation of the previous project for calculating the The investment credit for buildings is specifically kept separate long-term follow-on costs in real estate management. It is from the annual payment instalments from the Federal Government intended to improve coordination between academic planning to the ETH Domain. In the state accounts it appears under the and real estate planning, as well as to optimise and standardise Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (FOBL) and thus under the processes and tools used for defining long-term financing the Federal Department of Finance. requirements (see p. 106). The ETH Board is responsible for ensuring the maintenance of Another strategic project is the further development and imple­ value and functionality, which is the result of needs-oriented mentation of the Federal Government’s Energy Strategy 2050 in planning, geared – in the interests of the owner, too – towards the environmental and energy management system of the ETH cost/benefit considerations. The corresponding controlling is based Domain (see chapter environment and energy, p. 18). in investment and maintenance planning, implementation by the The process for preparing the annual construction programme institutions and periodic assessments of the condition and value was redrafted in collaboration with the institutions. Based on of the buildings. The owner is kept informed of this through the the information requirements of the Executive Boards/Directo­ reports of the ETH Board. rates, the ETH Board and the Federal Council/Parliament, the The ETH Domain is committed to the sustainable development projects are being documented and evaluated in a traceable way. of its real estate portfolio and accordingly complies with the man­ The internal implementation regulations for using the New date assigned by the Federal Constitution to the Federal Council as Accounting Model were also completely revised and supplemented well as its sustainability strategy. The sustainable building objectives in cooperation with the institutions. shared by the ETH Domain serve to preserve the environment and climate. Economically speaking, they are geared towards the real estate life cycle. Targeted cooperation within the ETH Domain con­ tributes towards ensuring sustainable management of the real estate and continuously reducing the consumption of resources – with a long-term focus and in an exemplary manner.

152 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain CLOSE-UP Real estate key figures

Fig. 50: Investments

In 1,000 CHF ETH Zurich EPFL PSI WSL Empa Eawag Total Investment credit 96,420 39,000 48,554 4,686 4,330 4,524 197,513 (Federally owned real estate) of which for new or replacement constructions 48,815 27,479 43,025 4,531 37 3,131 127,017 of which for maintenance value and functionality 47,605 11,521 5,529 155 4,293 1,393 70,496 Financing contribution (for user-specific construction) 45,607 471 8,284 1,469 1,792 1,201 58,860 Third-party funding 8,680 0 0 0 0 0 8,680 Construction expenses of the Institutions 150,707 39,471 56,838 6,155 6,122 5,725 265,054 Funding from investors 0 70,000 0 0 0 0 70,000 Construction volume 150,707 109,471 56,838 6,155 6,122 5,725 335,054 Main usable area m² 459,870 273,770 98,730 19,570 59,390 17,240 928,570 Construction expenses per m² main usable area (CHF/m²) 328 144 576* 315 103 332 285

2013 investments in government-owned real estate property, based on the main useable area (in m2). This is the part of the useable area that is directly allocated to the core tasks of teaching and research. Since the research institutes do not provide any teaching, an ETH-Domain-wide area figure, e.g. in relation to the number of students, would not be very meaningful.

* higher through the SwissFEL construction

Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain 153 CLOSE-UP Publication data

PUBLISHER

ETH Board, Häldeliweg 15, CH-8092 Zurich

Project management and editorial office: ETH Board Communication team, Zurich Design and layout: MetaDesign, Zurich Reports: Lüchinger Publishing GmbH, Zurich and institutions of the ETH Domain Photography: Julian Salinas, Basel or as per picture credits Translation and proofreading: Übersetzer Gruppe Zürich UGZ, Zurich Printing: Stämpfli AG, Bern

The Annual Report is published in German, French and English and is available electronically at www.ethboard.ch/en/annualreport2013.

Special thanks are due to the following people for their contributions and cooperation: – all scientists in the ETH Domain’s institutions for writing the reports, – Dr Markus Stauffacher, member of the ETH Board, – the members of the ISP Group of the ETH Domain (Implementation of Strategic Planning), – the members of the ETH Domain ComTeam (communication managers) and their colleagues, – and the departmental heads and employees of the ETH Board as well as the departmental heads of the institutions of the ETH Domain

© ETH Board, April 2014

154 Annual Report 2013 on the ETH Domain

ETH Board Häldeliweg 15 CH-8092 Zurich Phone +41 (0)44 632 23 67 Fax +41 (0)44 632 11 90 www.ethboard.ch

Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology