Strategy

ETH Zurich is strengthening its partnership with the UN with the aim of addressing global problems. Many ETH researchers are working closely with the UN. image: UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder (left) and ETH President Joël Mesot. (Image: ETH Zurich)

President’s foreword

By playing the video you accept the privacy policy of YouTube.Learn more OK

Investing in the future

Sustainable energy supply and climate protection, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and health and nutrition are national and global challenges. ETH Zurich helps to overcome them with its high-calibre research, education and training and its status as a driver of innovation in Switzerland. As a central training institution for the natural sciences and engineering professions, the university plays an important role in combating the skills shortage. In partnership with industry, it develops technical innovations that are key to maintaining Switzerland’s high degree of competitiveness. ETH safeguards prosperity and strengthens Switzerland’s resilience in a volatile and uncertain world. Reliable funding of the education system is an investment in the future because every franc invested directly or indirectly in ETH Zurich generates five to six francs for Switzerland.

Analyses conducted by ETH Zurich show that for every franc invested in the university, between five and six francs are generated for Switzerland and the Swiss economy. This value is created in the form of graduates, spin-offs, salaries paid, supplier payments and investments in Swiss companies (venture capital). The Link goes to the Value Creation Model. — This Finance Output infographic is just one of the many facts and figures presented in ETH Zurich’s Value Creation Model.

Symbolic image showing the networking with universities. Link to news article about the networking of ETH Zurich. — In January 2024, ETH joined the League of European Research Universities (LERU). This move boosts networking with Europe’s top universities. LERU is committed to promoting basic research and raises awareness among political decision-makers. (image: ETH Zurich / generated with AI)

Cooperation in research and education

ETH Zurich is laying down the groundwork to enable it to anticipate future technological developments and social challenges at an early stage and to develop solutions for them. To this end, it is stepping up national and international cooperation in research and education.

Enlarged view: A man is standing in front of the supercomputer. — “Alps” supercomputer at the Swiss National Computing Centre (SNSC) operated by ETH Zurich (image: Keystone / Gaetan Bally)

ETH and EPFL launch the Swiss AI Initiative

The ETH and EPFL Swiss AI Initiative aims to position Switzerland as a leading hub for transparent and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI). The new “Alps” supercomputer based at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano provides the supporting infrastructure. Going live in spring 2024, it will be one of the world’s most powerful computers for AI applications and will give Swiss science and industry a significant competitive advantage. Due to the rapid development of AI, supercomputers such as “Alps” are in short supply, and most of the those that are available are owned by a handful of multinationals.

Read the news article

Enlarged view: Model of the campus in Heilbronn — What the campus in Heilbronn will look like. (image: pesch partner / Topotek 1)

Generous donation:
ETH plans a new centre in Germany

Digital transformation is not only revitalising the economy; it is also key to solving global challenges. To help shape this change responsibly, ETH is planning a new teaching and research centre in Heilbronn, Germany. There and in Zurich, 20 professorships are to be created over the next 30 years. This has been made possible by a generous donation from the Dieter Schwarz Foundation. This partnership with the Dieter Schwarz Foundation allows ETH Zurich to further develop its research and teaching, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, to an extent that would not be possible with regular ETH funding and structures.

Read the news article

How ETH Zurich creates value

Illustration of a tablet on which the points of the digital value creation model can be seen. The Link goes to the Value Creation Model. — ETH Zurich’s Value Creation Model (image, montage: ETH Zurich / Adobe Stock)

The interactive ETH Zurich Value Creation Model helps to explain what the university stands for and the contribution it makes to society.

ETH Zurich’s Value Creation Model

Sustainability

“Being a pioneer of sustainability and decarbonisation means exposing unpalatable truths and demonstrating measurable progress.”

Claudia Zingerli, Head ETH Sustainability

Enlarged view: Graph showing the proportion of emissions. The pie chart consists of direct emissions from cooling, heating and vehicle fleet; indirect emissions from externally sourced energy; indirect emissions from business travel: plane, train, and car; remaining indirect emissions from ICT hardware, scientific apparatus, machines and tools. — ETH Zurich monitors its progress in achieving its goal of becoming a climate-neutral university. It publishes figures, in tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂-eq), for greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. It continuously develops and refines its methods for calculating emissions. For this reason, the data presented here may not be directly comparable with previous reports. (image: ETH Zurich / null-oder-eins)

ETH Zurich formulated its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the ETH Domain in 2023. The university’s own roadmap to a sustainable and climate-neutral university was further detailed in a consultation process lasting several months with ETH members from all university groups. A multi-year programme involving numerous measures is intended to further reduce emissions. Decarbonisation across all scopes and major progress in dealing with indirect emissions (Scope 3) are key issues for ETH Zurich.

Diversity

“While we see diversity as an overarching issue, we don’t just talk about inclusion: we live it. I am therefore excited about our diversity strategy.”

Julia Dannath, Vice President for Personnel Development and Leadership

Enlarged view: Illustration of speech bubbles for each language spoken, where the size of the speech bubble represents the frequency of the language spoken. — Students and employees at ETH Zurich speak a total of 40 different languages. The five most common are German, Italian, French, Chinese and English. The figures presented have been rounded up. (image: ETH Zurich / null-oder-eins)

Addressing diversity has become a central task of university development. ETH Zurich is working on a diversity strategy that underlines its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The aim is to create and foster an open university culture that embraces all members of the university community. ETH Zurich’s diversity strategy is aligned with the ETH Board’s Diversity Strategy 2025-2028, which is due to be published in 2024.

Back to landing page

_{The Annual Report is produced in German and translated into English. Only the German version is binding.
© ETH Zurich, April 2024}