TechTransfer

From the factory hall and not the field: ETH spin-off YASAI should soon be harvesting 20 tonnes of herbs a year from an indoor facility. Their “vertical farming” method offers ecological benefits in particular, as more can be produced with fewer resources.

EPFL spin-off Rheon Medical has developed the world’s first adjustable glaucoma drainage system, which has already been used successfully in over 250 patients in Europe. The company, based at EPFL Innovation Park, closed a CHF 5.6 million Series C funding round in December 2020 and just received the U.S. FDA’s Breakthrough Device Designation for its technology.

EPFL Summer series: How science works. Every year, EPFL scientists churn out over 4,000 journal articles on new discoveries and nearly 140 inventions. Even though discoveries and inventions are closely related, it would be a mistake to put them in the same basket: the intellectual property is handled in two very different ways.

Enabled by Design is a joint EPFL-ECAL program that forges ties between researchers and designers to make it easier to bring new technology to market.

EPFL scientists have developed a new method for chemical analysis of fine particles that they plan to extend on a large scale – including in developing countries – through an Innosuisse innovation grant award and a new startup.

The EU funded project DAFNE has developed a methodology for avoiding conflicts of use in transboundary rivers. The model-based procedure allows for participatory planning and cooperative management of water resources. The aim is now for the DAFNE methodology to be implemented in other regions of the world.

Up to now passenger cars are classified by experts in each country into categories such as micro, small, middle, upper middle, large and luxury class. But this old fashioned method has limitations in terms of compatibility. Moreover, some crossover vehicles are difficult to categorize. Empa scientists found a method to do this sorting fairly and in an efficient way by browsing databases with machine learning methods.

EPFL summer series: How science works. For scientists, the path from bright idea to finished product is a long one. Prototypes must go through an extensive testing and approval process before they are ready for the market. Let’s have a look.

Insulation webs are essential in aluminum window profiles and facades for good thermal insulation. Empa researchers and their partners have been working for some time on a novel "sandwich" product with an environmentally friendly filling: recycled material from PET bottles. Now the market launch is approaching – with good prospects of success.

As part of his Master’s degree in civil engineering, an EPFL student developed a connector for use in building sustainable structures. His initial project has expanded into an online program for designing bamboo furniture that’s stylish, modular and customizable. And now his connector is being looked at for use by astronauts in outer space.

European Patent Office honours Robert Grass and Wendelin Stark, professors of chemical engineering for their research in DNA encapsulation. Their invention enables the storage of digital data for thousands of years and product tracing throughout supply chains.

Using chemical synthesis, Bright Peak Therapeutics can produce proteins that have never before existed. This holds great potential for cancer immunotherapy. The Basel-based spin-off has its beginnings at ETH Zurich.

ETH Zurich researchers have developed a gene switch that can be operated with the green LED light emitted by commercial smartwatches. This revolutionary approach could be used to treat diabetes in the future.

Tech4Dev, an EPFL program to develop technology that addresses the specific needs and living conditions of communities in the developing world, has announced four new winning projects for its research grants.

ETH spin-off Restor aims to increase the success rate of ecosystem restoration and conservation projects by connecting people with better data and ecological transparency. To do this, it combines practical knowledge on the ground with data from ecosystem researchers and satellite imagery.