ETH+ / Open ETH

The aim of this initiative is to research the effects of the digital transformation on society. A good way to tackle this is through an interdisciplinary approach embracing research, teaching and knowledge transfer, one that would bring computer science, humanities and social sciences closer together. One focus is on safety and security, e.g. secure collective decision-making in the digital realm (e-democracy).

New professorships will be created for this, addressing the areas of security & society and data science. In addition, a contact point will be established for affected and interested parties in politics, administration, the military and business.

Participating departments: GESS, INFK, MTEC
Number of new professorships: 2
Contact: Stefan Bechtold, D-GESS

Many countries suffering acute poverty are nonetheless experiencing extremely dynamic development. Technological innovations adapted to the needs of local people hold great potential to achieve a lasting reduction in poverty. Sustainable solutions require a combination of natural, engineering and social sciences as well as an exchange of science and engineering knowledge and teachers, e.g. with African universities.

Participating departments: BAUG, GESS, HEST, MAVT, MTEC, USYS
Number of new professorships: 1
Contact: Isabel Günther, D-GESS

Website of the initiative

This initiative sets out to turn ETH Zurich into the leading centre worldwide for pedagogical research. The initiative involves a total of 23 professorships from 9 departments. Research into learning, and a strengthening of our understanding of it, should feed into the further development of the higher education system. In addition, findings should quickly find their way into practice. Among the focal points for this initiative are: learning & technology, sociology of education, anthropology of science.

Participating departments: BIOL, CHAB, GESS, HEST, INFK, ITET, MATH, MAVT
Number of new professorships: 1
Contact: Manu Kapur, D-GESS

ETH Zurich should become a global leader in materials synthesis, with efforts to this end focusing on research, training and infrastructure. Innovative materials are key to fundamental knowledge in physics, chemistry and materials science, as well as to applications in IT, sensor technology, biology and medicine. The initiative envisages first-class infrastructure for high-temperature crystal growth and for synthesising complex materials with new properties – an area of great interest to Swiss industry.

Participating departments: CHAB, INFK, MATL, MAVT
Contact: Maksym Kovalenko, D-CHAB

This initiative aims to achieve a technological revolution in cardiovascular therapy. It sets out to connect ETH researchers more closely to the clinic. ETH Zurich already successfully established Zurich Heart in the field of cardiology, and this will be the next step.

Specific aims:

• Strengthen clinical research in the field of cardiology
• Develop innovative circulatory support systems
• Employ automation and data science to improve diagnosis and therapy
• Implement this in the Bachelor of Medicine course

Participating departments: CHAB, HEST, INFK, MAVT
Number of new professorships: 1
Contact: Edoardo Mazza, D-MAVT

This initiative is designed to fill the gap between robotics and materials science, and to develop smart materials. Robotics presents huge challenges when it comes to materials, especially in cases of human-robot interactions such as rehabilitation, exoskeletons and wearables. Suitable materials for these use cases have yet to be developed. This field represents a major opportunity for ETH Zurich, which already has proven expertise in both robotics and materials science. A new professorship is to connect the two fields to deliver promising findings and solutions.

Participating departments: MATL, MAVT
Number of new professorships: 1
Contact: Ralph Spolenak, D-MATL

The aim of this initiative is to establish ETH Zurich as a leading global hub for robotics. Its plan calls for setting up a research, education and training platform for the full breadth of ETH Zurich’s existing robotics expertise. A total of eight departments are involved. This initiative generates not only investment in research and infrastructure but also new educational opportunities.

Participating departments: ARCH, BAUG, HEST, INFK, ITET, MATL, MAVT, USYS
Number of new professorships: 1
Contact: Marco Hutter, D-MAVT

This initiative aims to realign fundamental research in data science and how the topic is studied. New technological opportunities and applications are fundamentally changing what is required of data science. The logical response to this of this is an adaptation of basic research and thus also of degree programmes. A centre should be set up to pool expertise at ETH Zurich; this would serve to strengthen data science, which is currently divided among several departments.

Participating departments: INFK, ITET, MATH
Contact: Peter Bühlmann, D-MATH

In the future, the significance of living materials will only grow. But for now, many questions remain unanswered – for instance how material properties and intracellular characteristics affect the functionality or the plasticity of cells. Chemists, physicists, materials scientists and biologists are keen to work more closely together at ETH Zurich to build up a network of experts and develop new biological materials. A new professorship will be established to this end.

Participating departments: BIOL, CHAB, MATL
Contact: Paola Picotti, D-BIOL

Anyone looking to build in a more sustainable manner in the future will need new digital design tools and calculation methods. This interdisciplinary initiative aims to deliver major advances in design processes for architecture and construction with the help of machine learning, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. A new laboratory for immersive reality and data visualisation will be set up, enabling researchers to interact directly with virtual environments and even experience the acoustics of buildings before they are built. In the future, this unique lab could play a part in the planning of major new buildings. A new professorship will be established for augmented computational design, further strengthening this field.

Participating departments: ARCH, BAUG, CHAB, INFK, MATL, MAVT
Further partner: NCCR Digital Fabrication
Contact: Robert Flatt, D-BAUG

Website of the Initiative

Intensive research into many aspects of the quantum sciences is already under way at ETH. The planned centre will pool the quantum research activities across the engineering and natural sciences at ETH as well as the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI to strengthen this field at the national level. By establishing the next generation of quantum technologies, the hope is to seize this opportunity for Switzerland. The new ETH centre will also generate international visibility above and beyond the recognition that individual researchers earn when they receive awards. There are also plans to establish a joint professorship with PSI for experimental quantum technology as well as a professorship for quantum information at the Department of Computer Science.

Participating departments: INFK, ITET, MATL, MAVT, PHYS
Further partner: PSI
Contact: Andreas Wallraff, D-PHYS