immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: ForschungundEntwicklung

  • ETH tests building materials with artificial sun

    ETH tests building materials with artificial sun

    ETH Zurich now has a laboratory in which researchers can test building systems, components and materials under various climatic conditions. The centrepiece of the Zero Carbon Building Systems Lab is an artificial sun, ETH explains in a press release. It consists of a swivelling arm with hundreds of powerful light-emitting diodes and can simulate the path of the sun at different locations around the world.

    In addition, the outer walls, ceilings and floors of the laboratory’s three research cells can be replaced with prototypes to be tested. Among other things, a semi-transparent façade made of printed polymer is currently being trialled, which is designed to shield or transmit sunlight depending on the angle of incidence. It was developed by a group of researchers led by Arno Schlüter. The ETH Professor of Architecture and Building Systems also initiated the Zero Carbon Building Systems Lab.

    “If you want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, materials, building technology and the behaviour of the occupants all play a role,” Schlüter is quoted as saying in the press release. “In the Zero Carbon Building Systems Lab, we can research the interplay of these factors.” The new lab will also be open to external researchers and industry partners.

  • Pavilion on ETH campus receives an Arc Award

    Pavilion on ETH campus receives an Arc Award

    In a practical teaching project, students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH) have used materials from the demolished Huber Pavilions to construct a building in the spirit of the circular economy. According to a press release, the Re-Use Pavilion on the ETH Hönggerberg campus has been honoured with the Arc Award in the Next Generation category. The Swiss Building Documentation honours the best buildings in Switzerland every year with the Arc Award, which was first presented in 2012.

    In summer 2022, three temporary wooden buildings – the “Huber Pavilions” – had to make way for a new building on the ETH Hönggerberg campus. According to a press release from ETH, the CircÛbi teaching project took advantage of this opportunity. Under the joint leadership of two ETH professors, civil engineer Catherine De Wolf and architect Momoyo Kaijima, students collected the structural elements or components of the dismantled teaching buildings in order to reuse the materials according to the principle of the circular economy. Around 30 students worked on the project for an entire semester. They inventoried the components with lasered QR codes and thus created a digitalised interface. This made it possible to create a new building from reused wooden components.

    The jury particularly recognised the fact that this study project was developed in collaboration with various disciplines. “Circular construction requires collaborative work: Bridging different disciplines and utilising digital technologies are urgently needed to spread the principles of the circular economy in the construction sector,” civil engineer Catherine De Wolf is quoted as saying.

  • FHNW launches three new degree programmes on sustainability

    FHNW launches three new degree programmes on sustainability

    From this autumn, the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland will be offering three new courses in the Bachelor’s degree programme in Energy and Environmental Technology. According to a press release, the aim is to equip students with the skills they need to develop solutions to current sustainability challenges. The programme is available as a full-time, part-time, part-time or practice-integrated Bachelor’s degree course. Practical relevance is taught in projects with companies from industry and business.

    The three new degree programmes offered at the Brugg-Windisch campus and in Muttenz BL are: Sustainable Buildings and Cities, Circular Economy and Resource Management and Renewable Energies and Energy Systems.

    According to the Sustainable Buildings and Cities degree programme, buildings are responsible for around 40 percent of Switzerland’s energy consumption and bind enormous quantities of raw materials that are not yet sufficiently recovered and recycled in a closed-loop process. At the same time, the hot summers show how important intelligently planned and optimised cities are to counteract high temperatures.

    Intelligent cycles that are as closed as possible and the ecologically and socially sustainable use of resources are the focus of the Circular Economy and Resource Management degree programme. A sustainable economy must be based on circular thinking.

    The Renewable Energies and Energy Systems degree programme focuses on the future of energy. Students are given the tools they need to design innovative technical solutions such as photovoltaics, wind and water, as well as the entire energy system from control and regulation to transmission, storage and conversion, such as power-to-gas.

  • Empa launches research initiative on CO2 recycling

    Empa launches research initiative on CO2 recycling

    For Empa, a net zero in CO2 emissions is only an interim goal. Its researchers are looking for a holistic solution approach in which CO2 is not only captured and stored in the soil. “The goal is to develop an entirely new global economic model and the associated industrial sector that converts CO2 as the raw material of the future into value-added materials to replace conventional building materials and petrochemicals,” Empa writes in a corresponding press release.

    To this end, Empa has launched the research initiative Mining the Atmosphere. Instead of focusing on mining raw materials in underground mines, atmospheric mines are to be increasingly exploited in the future. The aim is to “remove an estimated 400 billion tonnes of carbon (i.e. around 1500 billion tonnes of CO2) from the atmosphere”, explains Empa. The research institute estimates that “countless players from research and industry will have to work together” to tackle this “task of the century”.

    The research initiative Mining the Atmosophere will kick off with two events in October and November. In the edition of wissen2go on 25 October, interested parties can learn about negative emission technologies. Empa is accepting registrations for the event online.

    On 7 November, Empa invites “stakeholders, practitioners and researchers from the construction, buildings and infrastructure, energy, environment and sustainability sectors” to the RFA Built Environment Mining the Atmosphere seminar. Here, the research institute will present relevant work of its own. Registrations are possible online until 30 October.

  • ZHAW weiht Laborgebäude für Lebensmittelforschung ein

    ZHAW weiht Laborgebäude für Lebensmittelforschung ein

    Die ZHAW zieht ihre Lebensmittelforschung an einem Ort zusammen. Dafür hat die Hochschule mit Hauptsitz in Winterthur ein neues Laborgebäude auf dem Campus Reidbach in Wädenswil eingerichtet, informieren Bau- und Bildungsdirektion des Kantons Zürich in einer gemeinsamen Mitteilung. Das von der Tuwag Immobilien AG errichtete Gebäude wurde am 23. August von Baudirektor Martin Neukom, Bildungsdirektorin Silvia Steiner sowie ZHAW-Rektor Jean-Marc Piveteau und Heiner Treichler, CEO der Tuwag Immobilien AG, eingeweiht.

    In das neue Gebäude wird vor allem das Institut für Lebensmittel- und Getränkeinnovationen der ZHAW einziehen. Seine Mitarbeitenden und Studierenden können künftig unter einem Dach die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette von Lebensmitteln erforschen. Dabei soll in Wädenswil „nicht nur geforscht und gelehrt, sondern auch produziert, analysiert, degustiert und verpackt“ werden, heisst es in der Mitteilung.

    Namensgeberin des Laborgebäudes ist die 1842 geborene und 1906 gestorbene Wädenswiler Geschäftsfrau im Biergewerbe Elisabeth Weber-Hauser. Der Kanton Zürich hat die Räumlichkeiten von der Tuwag Immobilien AG für 20 Jahre gemietet. In Mieterausbau und Ausstattung hat der Kanton zudem rund 48 Millionen Franken investiert.

  • Empa entwickelt recycelbaren Kunststoff für die Industrie

    Empa entwickelt recycelbaren Kunststoff für die Industrie

    Forschende der Eidgenössischen Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt (Empa) haben eine neue Art von Kunststoff entwickelt. Ihr Epoxidharz lässt sich sowohl reparieren als auch wiederverwerten. Das ist einer Medienmitteilung zufolge ein Novum. Bisher war die Wiederverwertung bei Epoxidharzen nicht möglich. Bei dieser Art von Kunststoffen sind die Polymerketten engmaschig miteinander vernetzt, was das Schmelzen verunmöglicht. „Haben sie einmal ausgedient, werden sie verbrannt oder in Deponien entsorgt”, erklärt Wenyu Wu Klingler vom Empa-Labor Advanced Fibers in St.Gallen.

    Epoxidharze haben allerdings ausgezeichnete mechanische und thermische Eigenschaften, wie die Empa in ihrer Mitteilung schreibt. Entsprechend werden sie vielseitig in der Industrie eingesetzt – etwa bei der Herstellung von Bauteilen für Flugzeuge, Autos, Züge, Schiffe und Windkraftanlagen.

    Mit dem besonderen Epoxidharz der Empa soll also unter anderem der Einsatz von faserverstärkten Kunststoffen in der Industrie nachhaltiger werden. „Die Herstellung von Kohlenstofffasern benötigt sehr viel Energie und setzt enorm viel CO2 frei”, erklärt Sabyasachi Gaan vom Empa-Labor Advanced Fibers. Wenn sie nach ihrer Nutzung in den Stoffkreislauf zurückgebracht werden können, könne der ökologische Fussabdruck verbessert und auch der Preis gesenkt werden, so Gaan.

    Faserverstärkte Kunststoffe, wie sie im Bau von Flugzeugen, Zügen, Booten, Autos und Velos eingesetzt werden, sind laut der Empa aber nicht die einzige Anwendung für den neuen Kunststoff. Er könnte beispielsweise zur Beschichtung von Holzböden eingesetzt werden –  als eine transparente, widerstandsfähige Schicht, die gute flammhemmende Eigenschaften aufweist.

  • Empa develops heat-resistant drone for fire brigade

    Empa develops heat-resistant drone for fire brigade

    The FireDrone from Empa and the Aerial Robotics Laboratory of Imperial College in London has passed its baptism of fire: Initial tests with the flying robot, which is intended to support fire brigades in their operations, were positive, according to a media release from Empa. In Empa’s flight arena in Dübendorf, they showed that the flight characteristics and controllability of the special drone, which is around 50 centimetres tall, were “excellent” despite its special equipment. The autonomous aircraft was equipped with a new type of insulation jacket, an additional built-in cooling system and aluminium cladding.

    The design, which the researchers have just published in the scientific journal “Advanced Intelligent Systems”, was convincing in this dry run. However, in order for the drone to provide the emergency services with initial information about the source of the danger, it must also be able to withstand high heat. “The extreme heat generated by a fire is too great for conventional drones to fly closer,” David Häusermann from Empa’s Sustainability Robotics laboratory is quoted as saying.

    The Empa laboratory Building Energy Materials and Components was able to synthesise the insulating material with which this was also possible. It is an ultra-light aerogel made of polyimide and silica. It was also reinforced with glass fibres. The electronics, thermal imaging camera and CO2 sensors of the FireDrone prototype survived several test flights undamaged during tests with a gas fire on the training grounds of the Andelfingen training centre. Now they are also to be tested under heavy soot development.

    “If a drone makes the first reconnaissance of the situation, we don’t have to send the firefighters into the danger zone immediately,” Stefan Keller, training coordinator for the fire brigade of the building insurance of the canton of Zurich, is quoted as saying. “For us, this progress is enormously interesting.”

  • Universities of Applied Sciences Graubünden and Rotterdam design cities of the future

    Universities of Applied Sciences Graubünden and Rotterdam design cities of the future

    The University of Applied Sciences Graubünden (UAS) and the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences have signed a cooperation agreement. According to a media release, the cooperation was sealed during the Sketchcity study week with students from both institutions. The launch of the new cooperation brought together 200 students from the fields of urban planning and multimedia production from Chur, Bern and Rotterdam.

    The cooperation arose from the Sketchcity project, which has been carried out by the UAS Graubünden in the Netherlands since 2016. The cooperation is intended to generate innovative ideas for the urban design of the future through interdisciplinary teaching and learning as well as research, according to a statement from the UAS. “We are connected by the Rhine, which is emblematic of this cooperation,” Professor Bruno Studer, head of the Department of Applied Future Technologies at the UAS Graubünden, is quoted as saying.

    Based on existing contacts and positive experiences with the Sketchcity project, the two universities of applied sciences have decided to intensify their cooperation, according to the statement. The basis is the Swiss method Sketch&Draw, which is used as a visual development and innovation tool. The idea behind it is to enable co-creation, co-teaching and research also with visual means.

    “We all need a visual tool to sketch the future. Sketching has always been the development tool in academic research,” Tanja Hess is quoted as saying, the initiator of the Sketch&Draw method. She is a professor of visualisation in the Multimedia Production bachelor’s degree programme at the UAS Graubünden and the Bern University of Applied Sciences.

  • FHNW inaugurates Trimble Technology Lab

    FHNW inaugurates Trimble Technology Lab

    The University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland(FHNW) has opened the world’s 25th Trimble Technology Lab at the Muttenz campus. According to a media release, the focus is on planning and geomatics. The technology centre thus offers a complete solution consisting of hardware and software components for teaching, research and training at a central location.

    The research area of architecture, construction and geomatics benefits from a “unique infrastructure”, FHNW professor and project manager Stephan Nebiker is quoted as saying. It brings advantages for geomatics and civil engineering, virtual design and construction (VDC), sustainable construction, planning and architecture.

    The equipment includes augmented reality solutions, GPS systems, innovative robotic total stations and the latest generation of 3D laser scanners, as well as software applications for data management, digital planning and collaboration. Students can use the platform for exchange among themselves, it says.

    Like the Trimble Technology Lab at the FHNW campus inSursee LU, which opened in March 2022 with a focus on construction, the new technology centre was financially supported by the technology company Trimble.

  • Sensors inform about the use of chairs in public places

    Sensors inform about the use of chairs in public places

    As part of the Smart City Zurich pilot project, the Public Works Department and the City of Zurich ‘s electricity company have tested newly developed sensors from the Center for Project-Based Learning(PBL) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich(ETH). The study concludes that the sensors provide “more efficient, reliable, continuous and anonymous” data on the use of chairs in public spaces in the city, according to a media release.

    According to the report, the Civil Engineering Office and the Electricity Works of the City of Zurich(ewz) deployed eight sensors each on Münsterhof and Vulkanplatz in August and September last year. The aim was to find out how passers-by use the chairs on a square at different times of day and in certain weather conditions.

    The sensors collect data on temperature, humidity and noise. The occupancy and location of a chair can also be measured. In the test phase, for example, the sensors showed that the chairs on the unplanted Münsterhof were placed in the shade when the sun was shining. On the Vulkanplatz, which is planted with trees, on the other hand, they remained evenly distributed regardless of the weather conditions. In the mornings and evenings, the seating options on both squares were used to a similar extent. The chairs on Münsterhof were most heavily used in the afternoon, those on Vulkanplatz at midday.

    For the city of Zurich, the sensors can thus contribute to a more demand-oriented planning of public space. This planning is reportedly gaining in importance in view of climate change. The city is now looking into further possible applications.

  • OST power line and catalyst win innovation award

    OST power line and catalyst win innovation award

    The 19th Innovation Awards of the Foundation for the Promotion and Support of Technology-Oriented Entrepreneurship Rapperswil(Futur) go to two student projects of the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland. Since the autumn semester 2008, the foundation has been offering an innovation prize among the students of the OST – University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland in Rapperswil. The prize is awarded and supports particularly innovative concepts that can later be marketed.

    The main prize of 10,000 Swiss francs goes to the air-insulated power line called Hivoduct. It was developed by students led by Prof. Dr. Michael Schueller at the Institute of Energy Technology. “With it, we were able to develop a low-loss, invisibly laid and easily installed solution for the urgently needed expansion of power grids and for energy-intensive industries,” Schueller is quoted as saying in a media release from the University of Applied Sciences. According to the information, the Hivoduct cable is already in use in a pilot project in Zurich’s Seefeld and in a high-current facility in Germany. The SBB wants to use it in a transformer station.

    The catalyst SelfCat, which regenerates itself, was awarded the recognition prize of 6000 Swiss francs. It was developed by the Advanced Materials and Processes group led by Prof. Dr. Andre Heel. According to project leader Heel, all that is needed to restore the catalytic converter to its original state is to aerate it briefly at high temperature. It can be adapted to numerous processes and therefore plays an important role in exhaust gas purification and in the production of sustainable synthetic energy sources.

  • Drone swarm prints building materials in flight

    Drone swarm prints building materials in flight

    An international research team from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) has developed a swarm of cooperative drones that are used in construction. The example is the cooperation between bees and wasps. As Empa reports , the flying robots print out 3D materials in the air under human control and place them in the designated places. The performance of these BuilDrones is recorded and monitored by a second fleet, the ScanDrones. They also specify the upcoming production steps.

    Empa also demonstrates in a video that this is the first time that such a detailed 3D print has been carried out by a free-flying robot. The specialist journal “Nature” published the study by Professor Mirko Kovac’s team from the Materials and Technology Center of Robotics online on September 21 and made it the cover story of its latest issue of September 22 .

    The so-called aerial additive manufacturing is designed in such a way that the drones can adapt their activity to the different geometries of the structure during the construction process. They act autonomously during their deployment. A human controller observes the process and makes adjustments as necessary based on the information provided by the drones.

    “We have demonstrated that the drones can work autonomously to construct and repair buildings, at least in the laboratory,” Kovac is quoted as saying. This could make it easier to work in hard-to-reach areas such as high-rise buildings. According to Empa, the experts now want to work together with construction companies to validate the solutions developed in practice and to develop new repair and production options.

  • ZHAW offers four new courses

    ZHAW offers four new courses

    At the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ( ZHAW ), 4,500 new students are starting their academic training in the winter semester. In the previous year there were 4,700. As of September 19, a total of 14,100 people will be studying at the three ZHAW locations in Winterthur, Wädenswil and Zurich. That's 600 fewer than at the beginning of last year.

    The ZHAW Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management recorded the largest increase with an increase of 13 percent. According to a press release , the two new bachelor’s courses in biomedical laboratory diagnostics and applied digital life sciences as well as the master of science in real estate and facility management are primarily responsible for this.

    The two ZHAW departments of Health and Life Sciences and Facility Management work together on the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics course. According to the ZHAW, the course meets the growing social and technical requirements for diagnostics and health care.

    The Applied Digital Life Sciences course forms the interface between data science and life sciences. The Applied Law course is also new. It provides a general basic legal education. Real Estate & Facility Management is the first master's degree in Switzerland to combine real estate and facility management with sustainability and digitization.

  • Empa is researching climate-friendly concrete

    Empa is researching climate-friendly concrete

    The Swiss National Science Foundation ( SNSF ) is funding a five-year project by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) to research CO2 binding in cement. As part of the SNSF Advanced Grant, the scientists working with project manager Barbara Lothenbach will receive 2.2 million francs for their research project, according to a press release .

    The grant replaces funds from the European Research Council of the European Commission , to which Swiss researchers currently have no access.

    With the help of the funding, the Empa experts will carry out basic research in the field of CO2 binding in cement together with partners from the Finnish University of Oulu.

    The background to the project called Low Carbon Magnesium-Based Binders is that the cement industry releases large amounts of carbon dioxide. At the same time, concrete is considered a beacon of hope for binding CO2 and thus as a potential reducer of climate-damaging greenhouse gases if it is based on magnesium and not on lime as is usually the case.

    Starting in 2023, the researchers will find out how stable magnesium concrete is in the long term, how it can best be produced on construction sites and how temperature, pH value and other factors affect the molecular level.

  • ETH Professor Kaijima receives Wolf Prize

    ETH Professor Kaijima receives Wolf Prize

    Professor of Architectural Behaviorology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ), Momoyo Kaijima, and her partner Yoshiharu Tsukamoto have been awarded this year’s Wolf Prize for Architecture. Tsukamoto is a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Both run the Atelier Bow-​Wow together. According to the ETH media release , the jury chose the works of both professors as prizewinners because of their great sensitivity to local contexts and the social effects of architecture.

    The Wolf Prize has been awarded to scientists and artists by the Israel-based Wolf Foundation since 1978. Merits for the benefit of mankind and friendly relations between peoples are honored. According to the ETH announcement, former award winners in the architecture category include Frank O. Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Peter Eisenman and David Chipperfield. Momoyo Kaijima is only the third woman to receive the Wolf Prize for Architecture.

    After various guest professorships. at Harvard University, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and Columbia University, among others, Momoyo Kaijima came to ETH Zurich in 2017, where she established the Chair of Architectural Behaviorology.

  • New development to reduce railway noise

    New development to reduce railway noise

    Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ), the University of Economics and Engineering of the Canton of Vaud and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ) have jointly developed new rail pads. These components are mostly made of elastic plastic and are stuck between rails and concrete sleepers, as Empa explains in a press release . They are used to protect rails.

    However, existing rail pads have limitations. Especially if the protection of the rails is greatly increased, this leads to more noise pollution at the same time. The researchers now want to solve this challenge. After several tests in the laboratory, a part with more than 50 percent polyisobutylene (PIB) content, embedded in a shell made of a harder ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) plastic, proved to be the most effective option. At the same time, it can reduce railway noise and protect the rails.

    In a next step, the new rail pads are to be tested on a railway line in Nottwil in March. “These rail pads are easy to make. We will need almost 400 units for the 100-metre stretch,” explains Bart van Damme from Empa’s Acoustics and Noise Reduction department. That is why a company is already on board that will take over the manufacture of the components that have already been patented.

  • Empa shows the advantages of high-performance insulating materials

    Empa shows the advantages of high-performance insulating materials

    Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research ( Empa ) have investigated when an investment in costly high-performance insulating materials such as aerogels can be worthwhile for builders. According to a media release , the 25 most expensive cities in Europe, North America and Asia were initially compared. The research team found out that the lucrative area gain through the more expensive aerogels at a square meter price of more than 8000 francs exceeds the additional costs of the thinner insulation variant.

    The reason given is that high-performance insulation achieves the same insulating effect as conventional mineral wool, but only requires half to a quarter of the material used. Against the background of rising real estate prices and dense construction in cities, high-performance insulating materials such as aerogels could promote economical construction. Because the thinner the outer shell of a building, the more space is available inside.

    The economic advantages calculated using an equation could have been shown in the 15 most expensive cities – including the four Swiss cities of Zurich, Geneva, Lugano and Basel with the highest prices per square meter in Europe. Amortization was determined in the 14 most expensive cities in North America and in the ten most expensive cities in Asia. The knowledge could also support future planners when deciding on the appropriate insulation material.

  • Halter establishes a research center in Lupfig

    Halter establishes a research center in Lupfig

    As of February 1, Halter AG took over the Futura Towers in Lupfig from Wisca Immo SA . According to a press release from the Schliere-based real estate developer and new owner, the two buildings with almost 25,000 square meters of commercial, production and storage space are to become a multifunctional center for teaching, research, manufacturing, leisure facilities and gastronomy. This should be repositioned under the brand name Futurama. The property, completed in 1992, has eleven upper floors and three lower floors with 287 parking spaces and 30 additional outdoor parking spaces.

    Futurama stands for a modern working world of short distances for teaching and research institutes, industrial production as well as office and service companies, says Halter Managing Director Andreas Campi, who is responsible for developments. “We will attach particular importance to the quality of stay and create additional leisure facilities and gastronomy offers,” Campi continues.

    The location is directly connected to public transport, a five-minute walk from the Lupfig train station. There is also a good connection to the A1/3 motorway with two motorway junctions, according to the statement. Futurama is in the immediate vicinity of green.ch’s Zurich-West campus data center.

    The takeover of the Futura Towers by Halter “ignites the great hope that life will finally come into being in the properties, which have mostly been unused for almost 30 years,” said Richard Plüss, the mayor of the Lupfig municipality.

  • Swiss Prime Site and Superlab are building laboratory space in Schlieren

    Swiss Prime Site and Superlab are building laboratory space in Schlieren

    Swiss Prime Site Immobilien has entered into a partnership with Superlab Suisse . Superlab is a provider of laboratory and research space. According to the press release , Superlab Suisse provides operational and fully equipped research and laboratory space as well as operational services. It already has such a location in Lausanne. Both partners plan to develop locations in Basel and Schlieren with a total area of more than 10,000 square meters. According to Superlab Suisse, the laboratory in Schlieren will have an area of 5,400 square meters.

    The city on the Limmat is home to facilities of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), the University of Zurich (UZH) and research centers of numerous national and international pharmaceutical companies. The demand for laboratory space is correspondingly high, it is said. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien is planning a modern new building project on the JED site in Schlieren. In cooperation with Superlab Suisse, research and laboratory areas for start-ups, spin-offs or established companies are to be created on two floors.

    “Due to the direct proximity to the Wagi area in Schlieren and the technology park in Basel, companies from the life sciences sector can benefit from significant synergy effects of these ecosystems,” says Zhang Xi, CEO of Superlab. In Basel, a state-of-the-art building with laboratory and research areas is to be built by Superlab Suisse at the Stücki Park in the next 18 months.

    For Martin Kaleja, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, the modern standard of construction, the flexibility of the space and the guarantee of support and services are key success factors. Kaleja is quoted as saying that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien and Superlab Suisse together had the necessary know-how to ensure the space required for laboratory and research areas.

  • CondenZero wins Swiss Innovation Challenge

    CondenZero wins Swiss Innovation Challenge

    The Swiss Innovation Challenge has been decided, the three winners come from Zurich: on Thursday the main prize of CHF 20,000 was awarded to condenZero . The spin-off of the University of Zurich ( UZH ) received this award virtually when the award ceremony was broadcast from the Haus der Wirtschaft in Pratteln. According to a press release , a message from Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin was leaked.

    The physicists at condenZero develop and produce scientific sample holders that work at low temperatures of around minus 270 degrees. The innovative cooling principle was originally developed at the Swiss free-electron laser at the Paul Scherrer Institute . In the start-up phase, the team will concentrate on introducing the new technology to the cryo-electron microscopy market. The condenZero technology can hold cryogenic temperatures for up to 24 hours. With the current cryo-microscopy solutions, this is only possible for 15 minutes. CondenZero is also in the final round of the start-up CERN BIC incubator .

    Second place and the special life sciences prize of CHF 5,000 went to MyLeg . This is a “unique” device that recovers sensory information about the touch and movement of a prosthetic leg. It does this through non-invasive electrical stimulation. The device does not have to be used surgically and can be added to any existing prosthesis.

    Third place and the special construction prize were awarded to Oxara . The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich converts construction waste into sustainable and affordable building materials with self-developed and patented mineral additives, thus promoting the circular economy. The company’s goal is to significantly reduce “the immense footprint” of conventional building materials.

  • Lucerne University of Applied Sciences tests augmented reality for urban planning

    Lucerne University of Applied Sciences tests augmented reality for urban planning

    Together with the City of Lucerne, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is testing the potential of augmented reality (AR) in urban planning. To this end, the university has developed an AR visualization of possible redesign measures in Bahnhofstrasse and Theaterplatz. For example, the projected second row of trees, the new Velostation and the mobile seating including planting could be experienced visually, according to a press release from the university.

    The research groups Visual Narrative from the Department of Design & Art and Immersive Realities Research Lab from the Department of Computer Science as well as the Civil Engineering Department of the City of Lucerne were involved in the joint project. It has now been presented to the media. Presentations for the general public will follow on three days in September.

    The AR visualization can be used on common tablets. The real environment appears on the display with virtual objects projected over it. Planned structural interventions can be viewed three-dimensionally and spatially. “Users can experience on site how Bahnhofstrasse could be designed and used in the future without any real structural or other interventions being necessary,” project manager Tobias Matter is quoted in the press release.

    This would give all decision-makers from different areas the opportunity to take an uncomplicated and active part in the planning. In contrast, plans, models and specialist vocabulary are not immediately understandable for everyone. “The immersive visualization technology of augmented reality can thus be an effective tool to inform the public more transparently about construction and renovation projects, to encourage their participation in the planning and ultimately to create more acceptance for such projects among all those involved,” said Matter .

  • Institute publishes guidelines for spatial development

    Institute publishes guidelines for spatial development

    The Institute for Spatial Development (IRAP) of the OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule has published a free step-by-step guide for questions about redensification in small communities. It is intended to support communities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants to prepare their own settlement strategy, according to a media release .

    A total of 95 percent of the municipalities in Switzerland have fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. The correspondingly small administrations often do not employ any specialist staff for spatial planning. According to a press release, this means that nobody cares about high-quality settlement densification. Since the revision of the Spatial Planning Act 2014, however, localities have only been allowed to develop within their existing area in order to prevent urban sprawl.

    The free guide of the IRAP is intended to give you a start. The paper comprises seven chapters on 40 pages and is intended to answer questions such as "how much growth can our community expect?", "Where in our building zones makes the most sense of densification?" And "how do we launch these projects?".

    "With this methodology, qualified spatial planners should be able to work out an interior development strategy for the entire municipality within a maximum of 200 to 300 hours for communities with up to 10,000 inhabitants, and thus for less than CHF 50,000" -Professor Andreas Schneider quoted in the press release.

    The complete method manual is available online for download free of charge.

  • University of Basel gets new research building

    University of Basel gets new research building

    The University of Basel is planning to build a new building for the Department of Biomedicine on the site of today's Biozentrum on the Life Science Campus Schällemätteli, the university informs in a message . The department's 70 research groups, which are currently spread across five locations, are to be brought together in the new research building.

    Researchers from basic medical research and from university hospitals are active at the Department of Biomedicine. In the new research building, they will be provided with “the most modern infrastructure and the best framework conditions for high-performance research”, according to the announcement. In this way, the university wants to promote scientific and interdisciplinary exchange and strengthen its own competitiveness.

    The planned building will have around 35,000 square meters of space on two basement and nine upper floors, writes the university. It will be directly adjacent to the pharmaceutical center and offer space for around 700 employees and 200 students. The close proximity to the new buildings for the Biozentrum of the University of Basel and the Department of Biosystems of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich also enables researchers on the Schällemätteli life science campus to “share complex and costly key technologies”.

    The University of Basel will raise the funds for the new building on the financial market, the communication further explains. Construction is scheduled to start in 2023, and the building should be ready for occupancy in 2029. The building application was submitted to the building and transport department of the canton of Basel-Stadt on August 4th. The total contractor responsible for the new building will soon be determined via a public tender.

  • Empa-Forschende entwickeln Energiesparriegel für Fenster

    Empa-Forschende entwickeln Energiesparriegel für Fenster

    Forschende der Eidgenössischen Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt (Empa) haben eine neuartige Wärmedämmung für Fenster entwickelt. Laut Medienmitteilung ist der Dämmsteg eine Art Sandwich, mit einer umweltfreundlichen Füllung. Im Inneren befindet sich aus wiederverwerteten PET-Flaschen geformter Schaumstoff mit mikroskopisch kleinen Luftbläschen. Dieser sogenannte gefüllte Energiesparriegel für Fenster hat einen sehr hohen Wärmedämmwert.

    Entwickelt wurde der Riegel von einem Empa-Team um Michel Barbezat und Giovanni Terrasi von der Abteilung Mechanical Systems Engineering zusammen mit Experten des Metallbauunternehmens Hochuli in Wigoltingen TG. Frank Hochuli hat für das Vorhaben eigens die Tochterfirma hochuli advanced gegründet. Hochuli bietet den Dämmsteg unter dem Markenzeichen Alpet an. Verglichen mit heutigen hochwertigen Ausführungen liesse sich die Wärmdämmung, etwa in einem neuen Bürogebäude, durchaus um bis zu einem Fünftel verbessern, wird Frank Hochuli zitiert.

    Das neue Produkt ist von den Empa-Forschenden auf Verschleissfestigkeit bei Dauerbeanspruchung wie auf die Eigenschaften der Wärmedämmung geprüft worden. Eine weitere Prüfung des neuartigen Dämmstegs ist beim Prüfinstitut ift im bayerischen Rosenheim vorgenommen worden. Das ift gilt laut der Medienmitteilung in der Branche seit Jahrzehnten als Referenz. Die Fachleute dort setzten laut der Empa-Mitteilung die Prototypen auch Brandversuchen, Bruchtests und anderen Belastungen aus, wie auf nicht sichtbare Mikrorisse nach 1000-stündiger Lagerung in Öl oder leichter Säure oder nach starkem Zug in Querrichtung.

    Nach Angaben von Frank Hochuli liegen offizielle Zertifizierungen zum Brandverhalten und zur statischen Belastbarkeit vor. Das Attest zur Wärmedämmung steht noch aus.

  • Switzerland needs 87 million tons of material a year

    Switzerland needs 87 million tons of material a year

    Researchers at the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute ( Empa ) investigated the question: How much does Switzerland consume? The basis was the mass and energy flows for the year 2018. According to the press release , this means that domestic material consumption is 87 million tonnes net per year. That is the mass of material needed to keep the Swiss economy running. This includes, for example, buildings, streets, cars and electricity.

    As an example of outflowing masses, the announcement mentions that 12 million tons end up in the final disposal. The export in the research year 2018 amounted to 18 million tons. A large part of the incoming material remains in the system and allows the "warehouse" to grow by 52 million tons per year (as of 2018). The total weight of the “material warehouse” in Switzerland is around 3.2 billion tons.

    The study is the fourth part of the MatCH project. The abbreviation stands for "Material and energy resources and associated environmental impacts in Switzerland". The project was launched in 2013 on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and extended over several stages. The first part recorded all material and energy flows in the construction sector; the second covered mobility. And part three was devoted to the production and consumption of the other goods that are imported, obtained domestically and exported.

    The work now presented is part four, which brings a synthesis of the findings from the three previous ones. The team also analyzed how the behavior of the population affects greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to per capita consumption data, the researchers also analyzed personal behavior. The message states that if all residents behaved like the fifth of the population with the most exemplary lifestyle, Switzerland's total greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 16 percent. If, on the other hand, everyone behaved like the fifth with the least ecological lifestyle, emissions would rise by 17 percent.

  • Empa steel adhesives last 50 years

    Empa steel adhesives last 50 years

    In the large test laboratory of the Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) in Dübendorf, a test has been running for 50 years to examine the long-term behavior of bonded steel reinforcement on a concrete beam. In this long-term test, which is unique worldwide, according to the media release , several reinforced concrete girders were reinforced with steel lamellas glued to the underside. One of the girders, which has been subjected to 87 percent of its predetermined breaking value for 50 years, has so far held out without any problems.

    “After 50 years below 87 percent of the average breaking load, the epoxy resin bond shows no weaknesses. This means that bonded steel lamellar reinforcements have passed the long-term test, ”says engineer Christoph Czaderski, who has overseen the test over the past few years.

    According to the announcement, the carrier is one of originally six identical specimens, all of which were subjected to different tests. The five other reinforced beams fell victim to fairly successful static fracture and dynamic fatigue tests that exceeded their load limits. The aim of the tests was to find out how well epoxy resin works as an adhesive for attaching a steel lamella to a concrete beam. According to Czaderski, the long-term test shows "practically no shifts" in the adhesive joint after 50 years.

    What was new territory at the beginning of the test is now state of the art. The process is important because it allows older buildings to be reliably reinforced instead of being torn down and replaced by new buildings.

    Empa's “Engineering Structures” department has been developing and researching new, simple and inexpensive reinforcement methods with modern materials such as epoxy resins, carbon fiber-reinforced plastics and shape memory alloys for many years.

  • The federal government speaks 460 million francs for research institutions

    The federal government speaks 460 million francs for research institutions

    Economy Minister Guy Parmelin has set the funding contributions for research institutions of national importance for the period from 2021 to 2024, informed the Department of Economics, Education and Research ( EAER ) in a statement . 31 research institutions located in different departments are to receive a total of 460 million francs. The institutions funded under the Federal Law on the Promotion of Research and Innovation (FIFG) supplement research at universities and in the ETH domain with their work.

    The funds from the FIFG are available to research infrastructures, research institutions and technology competence centers. In the funding period from 2021 to 2024, 14 research infrastructures are to be supported with a total of 140 million francs. A further CHF 70 million will be distributed to a total of ten research institutions active in highly specialized areas. Seven technology competence centers are to receive a total of 190 million francs.

    The other funds are intended for the financing of special measures, explains the EAER in the communication. In particular, the national funding initiative for personalized medicine is mentioned here. She should receive around 40 million francs.

  • Empa presents three innovation awards

    Empa presents three innovation awards

    The Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt ( Empa ) has honored three of its groundbreaking projects and achievements with the Empa Innovation Award. The prize, endowed with CHF 5,000, has been awarded every two years since 2006. In doing so, Empa honors the efforts of its researchers to build further bridges between science and business with applied, market-oriented research.

    According to a press release by Empa, the first prize goes to the novel tissue adhesive technology Nanoglue. It was developed by researchers at the Particles-Biology Interactions Laboratory at Empa in St.Gallen in collaboration with the Nanoparticle Systems Engineering Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich . Their radically new approach uses the wound-healing properties of inorganic nanoparticles. The inexpensive materials could be manufactured on a large scale. The “unique technology” is now being brought to market maturity by the Zurich start-up anavo medical , which has yet to be founded.

    The transparent face mask from the Hello Mask project by Empa and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne ( EPFL ) also received an award. It consists of a fine membrane with a pore size of around 100 nanometers. This membrane allows air to pass through, but holds back viruses and bacteria. “The fully see-through mask was developed primarily with the aim of improving the relationship between caregivers and patients,” says researcher Joshua Avossa. The Geneva start-up HMCare has been working on the market launch of the Hello Mask from Empa and EPFL since 2020. It should be available in mid-2021.

    The software platform Urban Sympheny for planning sustainable energy systems is the third winner. The Empa spin-off of the same name, based in Dübendorf, helps planners to identify optimal solutions for their location and their customers. The goal is energy and cost efficiency. The innovative platform was developed in Empa’s Urban Energy Systems department. Last year Venture Kick awarded Urban Sympheny 50,000 francs.

  • ZHAW researchers and Zühlke are making solar systems cheaper

    ZHAW researchers and Zühlke are making solar systems cheaper

    When building your own photovoltaic system, planning and bureaucracy costs are often more expensive than purchasing the electricity-generating modules. The researcher Franz Baumgartner from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences has dealt with this problem. According to a press release , he is using modern technology to reduce planning costs. Baumgartner, head of the energy and environmental technology course at the ZHAW School of Engineering, is quoted as saying: "With small photovoltaic systems on single-family houses, only a fifth of the costs are now attributable to the modules themselves." The planning of the system and the administration are now similarly expensive necessary documentation.

    Baumgartner and the ZHAW Institute for Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering, in collaboration with the Schlierem-based innovation specialist Zühlke , started at precisely this point. According to the press release, Baumgartner got to know the use of HoloLens glasses in the medical sector and wants to use their advantages in photovoltaics.

    “Up to 15 working hours per system are required for the administrative work,” says Baumgartner. Building applications, fire protection plans and approvals help to drive up costs. It is easier to save money with more efficient processes than with cheaper modules. According to Baumgartner, part of the solution could be the HoloLens. During measurements on flat roofs, for example, the HoloLens glasses show the assembly points of planned systems with an accuracy of two centimeters and then create a virtual image of the system.

    Baumgartner: "In addition to its potential for documenting the entire process, it has a great advantage: it can measure, plan, offer and demonstrate the system to end customers from a single source." Baumgartner: "Because of the high wages, the system will first pay off in Switzerland."

    ZHAW researcher Baumgartner wants to expand its application to all types of flat roofs and covered parking spaces. "We are in the process of formulating a project application for the Federal Office of Energy and have already received positive signals from Bern."

  • Sustainable fuel is created from greenhouse gases

    Sustainable fuel is created from greenhouse gases

    Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich ( ETH ) are working on more sustainable fuels and plastics. To do this, they have developed a new type of catalyst. According to a press release , this catalyst could replace fossil hydrocarbons with more climate-friendly alternatives. A corresponding study has now been published in the journal "Nature Communications".

    This new catalyst developed by the research team led by ETH professor Christoph Müller and study author Alexey Fedorov enables the conversion of CO2 and methane into synthesis gas many times more efficiently than previous catalyst materials. Synthesis gas is an important raw material for the chemical industry. Liquid fuels can be produced from this, as can basic chemicals for the production of plastics.

    What is new about this catalyst is that it consists of extremely thin metal oxide carbides. Unlike conventional catalysts made from metal carbides, they do not oxidize when they come into contact with CO2. This means that the ETH catalyst retains its reactivity, says Christoph Müller, Professor of Energy Science and Energy Technology in the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering .

    Since the CO2 can be extracted from the atmosphere and only the methane comes from fossil deposits that are millions of years old, such synthetic fuels and chemicals have a smaller carbon footprint than fossil fuels.

    The new reaction accelerator could possibly also replace expensive noble metal catalysts. Although there is still a long way to go before industrial application, the team hopes, according to Fedorov, “that our new catalyst material will be an attractive option for the production of synthesis gas”.