Nov 11, 2025 | Flexibility for the power system
In future, flexibly operated heat pumps and electric cars could reduce both electricity imports and electricity prices. That is according to a new study by a Swiss research consortium with the participation of Empa.
Nov 10, 2025 | Circular economy
The research project CircuBAT aims to close the loop between the production, use and recycling of automotive lithium-ion batteries. Seven Swiss research institutions, including Empa, and 24 companies joined forces to...
Nov 6, 2025 | Successful funding round for Empa-ETH spin-off
Swiss battery start-up BTRY AG has raised $ 5.7 million in an oversubscribed seed round. The funds will accelerate the industrialization of its ultra-thin solid-state batteries – a new category of energy storage...
Nov 3, 2025 | Earth observation from space
Space offers a new perspective on greenhouse gases and air pollutants: In future, European satellites will for the first time provide detailed emission maps, all the way down to the contributions of individual power...
Oct 28, 2025 | Empa's research in space
From environmental monitoring to future moon bases: Innovative materials, processes, and models are essential for space travel. Lorenz Herrmann, member of Empa's Directorate and Head of the Advanced Materials and...
Oct 27, 2025 | Empa technology in space
Engineers from Empa's Joining Technology and Corrosion laboratory have been working in partnership with the University of Bern for over 20 years, manufacturing components for scientific instruments used in various space...
Oct 23, 2025 | Study on air pollution in Europe published in Nature
A study conducted across 43 European sites by an international scientific team coordinated by Université Grenoble Alpes, and with participation of researchers from Empa and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), shows that...
Oct 23, 2025 | Leadership program feM-LEAD
What does leadership mean today? feM-LEAD, the joint leadership program of PSI, Empa, Eawag and WSL, gives women the tools and space to explore that question – and to advance their careers in the process. In September,...
Oct 21, 2025 | Empa Entrepreneur Fellowships awarded
Ultrathin terahertz optical components, large-area strain sensors and surface microstructuring with high throughput rates: For these innovations, three Empa researchers – Elena Mavrona, Mohammad Jafarpour and Nicolas...
Oct 14, 2025 | Cornea from the 3D printer
Damage to the cornea affects millions of people worldwide. Empa researchers are working on a transparent, biocompatible implant from the 3D printer. This allows defects to be repaired seamlessly and permanently. The...
Oct 7, 2025 | A computer mouse made of wood
Modern printed circuit boards are made from petroleum-based materials and are difficult to recycle. Empa researchers have developed a biodegradable version – an important step toward sustainable electronics. Their...
Oct 2, 2025 | A vision for a carbon-binding society
At the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, visitors of the Swiss Pavilion are invited to step into a future where carbon dioxide (CO₂) is no longer a harmful waste gas – but a valuable resource. Through animated videos and...
Oct 1, 2025 | EU-funded project SOCIAREM with Empa participation
The EU-funded project SOCIAREM will foster innovative solutions for large-scale adoption of photovoltaic (PV) systems and renewable energy communities across Europe. It combines research, technology, and community...
Sep 29, 2025 | Empa consortium awarded funding from SWEET program
To achieve the net-zero target, we must use all available options, from removing CO2 from the atmosphere or industrial waste gases, to using it for chemical products and long-term carbon storage, to circular...
Sep 25, 2025 | Shield or gateway?
Hydrogen damages steels. High-strength steels, particularly those used to construct bridges, high-rise buildings and oil and gas infrastructure, are susceptible to embrittlement caused by atomic hydrogen coming from the...
Sep 22, 2025 | New Empa competence center in Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is becoming a region for sustainability robotics applications: Thanks to a new partnership between Empa and the canton of Schaffhausen, drones and intelligent machines will be tested and further developed...
Sep 18, 2025 | Fighting antibiotic resistance
Light on – bacteria dead. Disinfecting surfaces could be as simple as that. To turn this idea into a weapon against antibiotic-resistant germs, Empa researchers are developing a coating whose germicidal effect can be...
Sep 16, 2025 | Empa innovation in bridge construction
The multi-award-winning Oder Bridge near Küstrin is supported by a network arch with prestressed carbon cables. These ultra-lightweight yet extremely durable tension members made of carbon fiber reinforced polymers...
Sep 10, 2025 | Omya new NEST partner of Empa
Omya and NEST, the research and innovation platform of Empa and Eawag, have entered into a new partnership in August 2025. Together with additional partners, they will begin planning and constructing the new NEST unit...
Sep 9, 2025 | The path to sustainable mobility
Electric cars are indispensable for climate-friendly mobility. They are most effective when e-vehicles are shared and charged intelligently. Real-time information on electricity prices and CO₂ emissions is crucial for...
Sep 4, 2025 | Increasing efficiency in wood construction
In construction, wood is often hailed as a sustainable alternative to concrete. However, there is a gap in the structural analysis of timber frame buildings: Walls with window openings are not taken into account for...
Sep 2, 2025 | Boost for international battery research
Researchers at Empa, together with international partners, have published the largest open battery dataset to date in a new data format. The data from Empa's Aurora robot platform sets new standards for quality,...
Aug 27, 2025 | Materials science meets medicine
What happens to titanium implants once they are inside the human body? Why are they sometimes rejected or even break? Empa researcher Martina Cihova is exploring these questions at the interface between implants and...
Aug 26, 2025 | Ameet Aiyangar appointed by the University of Bern
The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bern has appointed Empa's researcher Ameet Aiyangar as titular professor with effect from August 1, 2025.
Aug 22, 2025 | Molecular “string lights” with a quantum twist
Empa researchers have succeeded for the first time in binding organic porphyrin molecules with functional metal centers to a graphene nanoribbon with atomic precision. The resulting hybrid system is magnetically and...
Aug 21, 2025 | Sweat provides information about longevity and resilience
People want to stay healthy and active for as long as possible. But how young and resilient is our body actually? Researchers at ETH Zurich, Empa, Caltech and the University Hospital Basel now want to make our biological...
Aug 19, 2025 | Health research based on innovative materials
René Rossi, Co-Head of Empa's Materials meet Life department and the Research Focus Area Health, explains in an interview what is special about research in the health sector at Empa, what this has to do with materials...
Aug 14, 2025 | High-accuracy atomistic modeling of amorphous materials
Amorphous aluminum oxide is often used in the form of protective thin films and membranes. However, what happens at the atomic level in the material is poorly understood. Thanks to innovative experiments and machine...
Aug 11, 2025 | Breakthrough in Pregnancy Safety Testing
The 2024 Young 3Rs Investigator Award has been awarded to Empa researcher Manon Murdeu for her outstanding work in advancing human-relevant alternatives to animal testing. Her innovative research in reproductive...
Aug 7, 2025 | New head of Empa's laboratory for High-Performance Ceramics: Jakob Schwiedrzik
Engineer, mechanics expert, bone researcher, materials scientist: Jakob Schwiedrzik has a multifaceted research profile. For several months now, he has been at the helm of Empa's Laboratory for High-Performance Ceramics....
Aug 4, 2025 | Empa Summer Camp 2025
This summer, 24 curious children had the opportunity to take part in the traditional Empa summer camp. In interesting and fascinating workshops, they immersed themselves in the world of engineers and materials...
Jul 30, 2025 | Revolutionizing energy technology
Supercapacitors, or supercaps in short, are fast, powerful energy storage devices. They complement the relatively slow (dis-)charging batteries in numerous applications ranging from electric cars to industrial machines...
Jul 24, 2025 | Ultra-thin yet strong against noise
Empa researchers have developed innovative sound absorbers made of mineral foams. Not only are they significantly thinner than conventional materials, they can also be designed specifically for different frequencies....
Jul 17, 2025 | Outstanding Achievement Award
At the SATW members' meeting, Lars Sommerhäuser was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award for his many years of outstanding commitment. As a driving force in the field of advanced manufacturing and as a bridge...
Jul 14, 2025 | Solving the energy trilemma
We need to make our energy system more sustainable – but what is the best way to achieve this? In order to plan the energy supply of the future, policymakers need sound facts and figures. Science already provides...
Jul 10, 2025 | New study on chemicals in plastics published in Nature
To curb global plastic pollution and to make plastics safer and more sustainable, countries are currently negotiating a global treaty. A new study published in Nature provides a comprehensive and systematic overview of...
Jul 9, 2025 | Sustainable energy planning
The city of Dübendorf and Empa are joining forces to send a strong signal for climate protection: The Colouring Dübendorf research project is working with the local population to investigate what a sustainable and...
Jul 8, 2025 | X-ray analytics in motion
Shoulder instabilities are difficult to diagnose as they usually only occur when the shoulder joint is in motion. A time-resolved 3D analysis now makes it possible for the first time to precisely capture these dynamics....
Jul 2, 2025 | Rare flying squirrel species inspires robotics
African scaly-tailed squirrels use their scaled tails to safely move across the smooth bark of trees in their native rainforest habitats. Researchers from Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and...
Jun 30, 2025 | Award-winning concrete to save the climate
Empa is one of the winners of the Building Award 2025. A team from Empa's Concrete and Asphalt lab was recognized for its CO₂-storing concrete – a promising approach to significantly curbing emissions in the construction...