News 2019

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Aug 30, 2019 | Empa, KSSG and HSG at the Swiss Digital Day 2019
How can the latest findings from materials science be used in medical practice to develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic concepts? Empa researchers, physicians from the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen (KSSG) and...
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Aug 28, 2019 | International award for NEST unit
The NEST unit "Urban Mining & Recycling" is among the winners of the international competition "beyond bauhaus – prototyping the future". The concept of an apartment suitable for a circular economy was among the 20...
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Aug 27, 2019 | Better understanding human bones
Can analytical methods from materials science help us better understand human bones? A research team at Empa in Thun is pursuing precisely this approach.
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Aug 19, 2019 | Powertrain technology
Internal combustion engines require valves to aspirate and discharge gases. Engine designers require a high degree of flexibility to improve efficiency, reduce pollutants and optimize the use of renewable fuels. Up to...
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Aug 15, 2019 | Prevent excessive scarring
Poorly healing wounds and severe scarring are more than just a cosmetic problem; they can significantly impair a person's mobility and health. Empa researchers have now developed a foam that is supposed to prevent...
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Aug 12, 2019 | Old electric car batteries
The number of registrations of electric cars is rising sharply. But where to put old batteries? The association of Swiss car importers, "auto-schweiz", is striving for a recycling solution for the entire industry. Empa...
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Aug 8, 2019 | Sensor technology
Over the next three years, researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, University of Cambridge, École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la ville de Paris (ESPCI-Paris) and Empa will be working...
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Aug 6, 2019 | Zurich Heart project
The human heart still poses great challenges to modern medicine. More than ten million people in Europe suffer from heart failure, and quite a few of them need a donor organ. Artificial heart pumps are used to bridge the...
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Jul 29, 2019 | «Additive Manufacturing»
The managing directors of one of the world's largest laser technology manufacturers visited Empa in Thun in July 2019. Flame Chen, General Manager of the Han's Laser Smart Equipment Group from Shenzen, was informed about...
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Jul 24, 2019 | Research cooperation with Korea
Empa and the Korean Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) are committed to working together for a sustainable and networked society. The joint research activities will focus on smart buildings and...
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Jul 23, 2019 | Advantage for cousumer and supplier
Solar systems on the roofs of residential buildings often produce energy precisely when the residents can’t actually use it. Stationary batteries enable this energy to be utilized in the evening, at night or on a rainy...
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Jul 22, 2019 | Swiss students dominate this year's Hyperloop Pod Competition in LA
At yesterday’s Hyperloop Pod Competition in Los Angeles, the Swissloop pod achieved a top speed of 252 km/h. The team, comprising students from Empa, ETH Zurich and other Swiss universities, finished in second place....
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Jul 17, 2019 | University of Constance appoints Lorenz Hilty as University Councillor
Empa researcher Lorenz Hilty is a new member of the University Council of the University of Constance. He was elected by the University Senate and appointed by the Ministry of Science of the German state of...
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Jul 16, 2019 | Fighting unwanted biofilms
Biofilms are enormously resistant accumulations of germs, which can cause serious problems, especially in hospitals. Like a single large creature, they can spread within wounds or colonize implants or biomedical...
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Jul 12, 2019 | Empa study on plastic pollution in Switzerland
Plastic should not be found in the environment. In order to estimate for the first time the exact extent of plastic pollution in Switzerland, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has mandated Empa researchers to...
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Jul 8, 2019 | How do we sustainably restructure our energy system?
A new Empa study shows how much work still lies ahead of us if Switzerland is to do without fossil fuels in the future. There are two possible solutions: storing large amounts of energy in summer and limiting our demand...
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Jul 5, 2019 | "Energy and Decarbonization" conference at Empa
Switzerland is about to undergo a comprehensive transformation of its energy system if it plans to drastically curb its CO2 emissions. The one-day conference on "Energy and Decarbonization" on 3 July at the Empa Academy...
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Jul 4, 2019 | CIGS solar cells with improved efficiency
Never before has such an efficient flexible CIGS solar cell been built. Empa researchers achieve an efficiency of 20.8% – breaking their own record.
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Jul 4, 2019 | Role of "Power-to-X" for the Swiss energy strategy
In a joint research project involving five Swiss Competence Centers for Energy Research (SCCERs), scientists from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Empa, ETH Zurich, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), the...
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Jul 2, 2019 | Digital twin for personalized therapies
Virtual doppelgangers could one day revolutionize medicine: Empa researchers are developing a digital twin, which should facilitate the development of personalized therapies. The goal is for these avatars to demonstrate...