Dec 23, 2020 | Book available now
In 2020, Empa celebrates its 140th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Empa publishes its book "Beyond Materials – A brief history of Empa" in which the research institute looks back and reveals how it has evolved from a...
Dec 22, 2020 | Long-term test on concrete beam
Since 1970 a worldwide unique test has been running in the Empa testing hall in Dübendorf, in which the long-term behaviour of bonded steel reinforcements on a concrete beam is being investigated. Investigations such as...
Dec 17, 2020 | Environmental health
Short-term disturbances caused by aircraft noise at night can lead to cardiovascular death within hours. This is shown in analyses by a team of researchers from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and Empa....
Dec 16, 2020 | Skyrmions – the basis for a completely new computer architecture?
Skyrmions are small magnetic objects that could revolutionize the data storage industry and also enable new computer architectures. However, before they can be utilized in such applications, there are still a number of...
Dec 14, 2020 | Connected ecosystem for energy research
On the road to a sustainable energy system, technologies for the flexible conversion and efficient storage of energy are becoming increasingly important. To investigate these pressing issues in a realistic way, ETH...
Dec 10, 2020 | "ERC Consolidator Grant" for Dorina Opris
The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded one of the prestigious ERC Consolidator Grants to Empa researcher Dorina Opris. Thanks to the grant, which is worth around 2 million Euros, she will be able to expand her...
Dec 9, 2020 | Life cycle assessments of corona masks
Anyone who wants to protect themselves and others from a COVID-19 infection wears a mask these days. But what about the environmental impact of this mass product, which is used millions of times over? Which factors are...
Dec 9, 2020 | STEP2 – A new NEST unit in the planning
At NEST, the research and innovation platform of Empa and Eawag, a new unit is currently being planned: STEP2. In this project, various partners from research and industry are working together to drive innovation in the...
Dec 4, 2020 | Research on greener aviation
Aircraft also make noise on approach, which is often underestimated. A research project involving Empa has shown that it is quite possible to reduce noise during approach, to avoid particularly loud approaches and at the...
Dec 3, 2020 | Outstanding innovations
If innovative projects and achievements in technology transfer stand out, they should be honored accordingly. Among the innovations, which will bridge the gap between science and industry in 2020 and beyond, are three...
Nov 24, 2020 | Sustainable fuels
In future, commercial vehicles will not only have to emit less CO2 but also meet stricter exhaust emission limits. Many experts expect that this could herald the end for fossil diesel. One possible alternative is...
Nov 18, 2020 | Empa scientists among this year's «Highly Cited Researchers»
Every year, those scientists whose publications have been cited most frequently and who are thus considered particularly influential in their field are selected. As was the case last year, Empa researchers Bernd Nowack...
Nov 17, 2020 | Food technology
After the summer harvest, fruits are sold as dried products suitable for the current season. However, if fruit or vegetables are dried with heat, nutrients can be destroyed and flavors can be reduced. This is why...
Nov 11, 2020 | PAI: Physical Artificial Intelligence
In order for robots to be able to achieve more than simple automated machines in the future, they must not only have their own "brain". Empa researchers postulate that artificial intelligence must be expanded to include...
Nov 10, 2020 | «Falling Walls 2020»
The ten winners in the «Emerging Talents» category of the «Falling Walls 2020» have been announced. This year they include two Empa researchers: Marie-Claude Bay from the Materials for Energy Conversion lab and Tanmay...
Nov 3, 2020 | Forest dwelling drones
A team of researchers from Empa and Imperial College London developed drones that can attach sensors to trees to monitor environmental and ecological changes in forests.
Oct 29, 2020 | New study on the impact of digitalization
A team of researchers from the University of Zurich and Empa has analyzed the consequences of the 5G mobile phone standard for the climate. One thing is clear: 5G technology can curb greenhouse gas emissions, as new...
Oct 28, 2020 | Progress on the "HiLo" construction site
On the construction site of the NEST unit "HiLo" an important milestone has been achieved: The doubly curved roof shell is finished. Together with partners from industry, ETH researchers have developed completely new...
Oct 22, 2020 | Wearable solar concentrators
Researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich succeeded in developing a material that works like a luminescent solar concentrator and can even be applied to textiles. This opens up numerous possibilities for producing energy...
Oct 20, 2020 | Another "Distinguished Senior Researcher" at Empa
The atmospheric scientist Dominik Brunner became the 5th Empa scientist to be appointed "Distinguished Senior Researcher". With this distinction, Empa's Board of Directors honors researchers with a particularly high...