Politics

ETH Zurich and the Dieter Schwarz Foundation have signed a far-reaching letter of intent to establish a new teaching and research centre for responsible digital transformation with a global reach. Thanks to the foundation’s donations, around 20 new professorships are to be created over the next 30 years in Zurich and on the foundation’s teaching campus in Heilbronn.

ETH Zurich and EPFL are launching the “Swiss AI Initiative”, whose purpose is to position Switzerland as a leading global hub for the development and implementation of transparent and reliable artificial intelligence (AI). The new Alps supercomputer based at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) provides the supporting world-class infrastructure.

ETH Zurich and the United Nations have confirmed their desire to work together more closely by signing a memorandum of understanding. The partnership is intended to support the development of technology-based social innovations for addressing global challenges.

ETH Professor Sonia Seneviratne has been elected as Vice-Chair of the Working Group I of the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In order to take on this new responsibility, she is stepping down as Associate Vice President for Sustainability at ETH Zurich. In this interview she talks about her old and new positions.

When it comes to feeding a growing population at a time of conflict and climate change, Mother Earth has a lot on her plate. To build a sustainable future we’ll need to return to a farm-to-table model, and that’s opening up vast and exciting avenues of research for scientists in an array of fields. In this special report, we explore some of the developments taking place in research labs and out on the farm.

The ETH Domain depends on adequate, stable funding from the Confederation if it is to fulfil its role in driving innovation for Switzerland and educating urgently needed specialists. The financial resources allocated to the ETH Domain in the ERI Dispatch are not sufficient to achieve this, as the ETH Board makes clear in its position statement on the ERI Dispatch 2025–2028.

Energy transition, climate change, biodiversity and resource scarcity – today's challenges are complex, and the clock is ticking. So joining forces and working together ever more closely is the name of the game these days. This is exactly what the four research institutes of the ETH Domain – Empa, Eawag, WSL and PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute) – are doing. With cooperation platforms and joint projects, the four institutes are positioning themselves even more clearly than before as THE bridge between research and innovative solutions for today's challenges.

Polarisation seems to have increased in recent years, whether between right and left, urban and rural, or the supporters and opponents of vaccination. We talked to two experts about the cracks in society – and the glue that binds us together.

Malte Toetzke calls for more ambitious standards in the voluntary carbon offset market. While this would lead to fewer projects getting funded, the benefit for the climate would be greater overall. 

Science often runs ahead of legislation – and this is now also true for research on embryo-like cell aggregates from human stem cells. Bioethicist Alessandro Blasimme of ETH Zurich explains why this controversial topic calls for legal clarity.

New vehicles are responsible for around ten percent of plastic demand in the EU, and the automotive sector is the number one consumer of raw materials like aluminum, magnesium, platinum group metals, and rare earth elements. A new set of provisions, proposed by the European Commission last week to revise the EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, intends to enhance the circularity of the automotive sector. Empa researchers played a crucial role in defining the content of this new proposal.

Researchers from Switzerland and China have studied the global trade in highly hazardous chemicals subject to a global treaty – the Rotterdam Convention. The results are sobering: Nearly half of the total trade volume of these chemicals crosses national borders illegally, calling for strong international and national action.

Ethicist Peter G. Kirchschlaeger highlights how artificial intelligence can be regulated worldwide – and is pleased to have the support of leading international figures.

Can the 120 countries that signed the Glasgow Climate Pact keep to the pledges they made for 2100? Researchers at EPFL have developed detailed models for calculating long-term CO₂ emissions-reduction trajectories and analyzing their impact on global warming. Their findings offer a glimmer of hope. 

ETH Zurich and EPFL want to work with partners from politics, science and industry to push innovative storage and transport solutions for renewable energy carriers. The overall goal is to create a climate-neutral and flexible energy system for Switzerland. Around 20 partners and industrial companies have already voiced their interest in a collaboration.