Sustainability

A new European research project, TIMBERHAUS, aiming at promoting timber construction in Europe, was launched in Copenhagen in early November. The goal is to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions in the construction sector by developing innovative timber construction technologies and design solutions. The pan-European consortium consists of 19 partners from ten countries, including Empa.

EPFL’s new Kuma supercomputer, which ranks 23rd in the Green500 ranking, illustrates EPFL’s efforts to support cutting-edge research with a low environmental impact. With Kuma, EPFL is helping anchor Switzerland’s position at the forefront of sustainable computing.

Flying robots capable of inspecting and repairing building envelopes, interacting with natural ecosystems, and monitoring climate change and biodiversity are being developed and tested at the DroneHub at Empa's NEST. This cutting-edge facility, inaugurated today in partnership with Imperial College London, UK, is dedicated to pioneering autonomous robots that work harmoniously within both natural and man-made environments.

Researchers around the world are working to find and optimise new ways of producing climate-neutral aviation fuel. At PSI, together with industry, they’re exploring a promising approach.

A secure supply of electricity from renewable energies can only succeed if we also modernise the grid infrastructure. At the Energy Science Centre (ESC), ETH researchers are looking for smart ways to make the electricity grid fit for the energy transition without expensive expansion.