"On the pulse of the planet - daily facts and figures on the climate" is how the Swiss Radio and Television SRF website advertises its "Climate Monitor". Some of the data published online, namely the CO2 concentrations...

All-perovskite tandem solar cells could soon pick up where silicon solar cells reach their limits. These highly efficient, lightweight and flexible cells have already proven themselves in the laboratory – now, Empa...

The word “perovskite” describes a naturally occurring mineral, but also a whole range of highly specialized synthetic compounds that have promising applications in electronics and photovoltaics. But what do they actually...

At the final of the Not-a-Boring Competition 2024 in Bastrop, Texas, the team from Swissloop Tunneling came out on top thanks to a successful drilling process with a self-developed micro-tunneling machine. The team of...

Technical solutions are essential to counteract climate change effectively and as quickly as possible. With its large-scale research initiative Mining the Atmosphere, Empa is proposing nothing less than a paradigm shift:...

Rain jackets, swimming trunks or upholstery fabrics: Textiles with water-repellent properties require chemical impregnation. Although fluorine-containing PFAS chemicals are effective, they are also harmful to human...

Zero heat waste: This is the goal of a dozen European companies and research institutions, including Empa, in the Horizon Europe project HEATWISE. The focus is on buildings with extensive IT loads. All waste heat from...

We hope to lead you on a gripping journey through the world of research and innovation; you may be surprised at how broad the term "applied research" is defined at Empa.

Ultra-light, thermally insulating and biodegradable: Cellulose-based aerogels are versatile. Empa researchers have succeeded in 3D printing the natural material into complex shapes that could one day serve as precision...

Automated building systems offer a great potential for reducing the energy consumption of properties. Studies on such systems show that optimized solutions can reduce the energy requirements of buildings by around 30...

From the desert to Swiss industry: As part of the new Mining the Atmosphere initiative, Empa researchers are pursuing the goal of harvesting renewable energy in the Earth's sun belt, converting it several times and...

In October 2023, Nathalie Casas took over the lead of Empa's Energy, Mobility and Environment research department. Familiar with science and technology since childhood, she believes that humanity can save the climate...

Skin injuries caused by prolonged pressure often occur in people who are unable to change their position independently – such as sick newborns in hospitals or elderly people. Thanks to successful partnerships with...

AMAG Classic and Empa have jointly conducted a detailed and scientifically sound investigation into the compatibility of synthetic gasoline in classic cars. Engine components were tested for over a year and driving tests...

Is it possible to convert CO2 back to fuels or other useful chemicals? Absolutely – but not in a very targeted way just yet. Empa researcher Alessandro Senocrate is looking at defects in materials that will help us...

Tanja Zimmermann and Martin Ackermann want to provide answers to the current climate crisis with new initiatives and ambitious goals. In this interview, Eawag Director Ackermann and Empa Director Zimmermann explain why...

Artificial intelligence – AI – is not just all over the media, but is also making its way into our work environments, from industrial manufacturing to research. But how can we best exploit potential synergies of man and...

Empa researchers have extracted nanocellulose from a waste product of beer brewing and processed it into an aerogel. The high-quality biodegradable material could be used in food packaging.

The largest EU research initiative ever launched has come to a successful end: The Graphene Flagship was officially concluded at the end of last year. Empa researchers were also involved, such as molecular biologist...

Biomolecules such as amino acids and sugars occur in two mirror-image forms – in all living organisms, however, only one is ever found. Why this is the case is still unclear. Researchers at Empa and Forschungszentrum...