TechTransfer

EPFL Innovation Park is turning 30 this year and poised to expand with a new site, called Ecotope, where startups, researchers and outside companies will be able to pool their resources in order to explore groundbreaking ideas. The Canton of Vaud is its main partner.

Did you miss an important moment? ETH Zurich researchers have developed a system that can record and later replay events in a room in 3D.

EPFL spin-off ArcoScreen has developed a platform that turns the discovery of new drugs for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and cancer from a marathon into a sprint. The firm’s microfluidic readout system assesses the response of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to new substances, delivering significant time and financial gains for pharmaceutical companies.

Marco Stampanoni, Zhentian Wang and their team have been nominated for this year’s European Inventor Award. The two scientists have been conducting research at PSI and ETH Zurich for more than ten years, in the pursuit of improved diagnostic methods for the early detection of breast cancer. The nomination for this prestigious award is in recognition of their pioneering work. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony on the 21 June 2022.

Working closely with users and therapists, EPFL spin-off Emovo Care has developed a light and easy-to-attach hand exoskeleton for people unable to grasp objects following a stroke or accident. The device has been successfully tested in several hospitals and rehabilitation centers.

In developing countries, storing agricultural produce is often difficult: Heat and drought cause fruits and vegetables to spoil quickly. A "cooling blanket" from Empa's Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles in St. Gallen could provide a solution.

Researchers at EPFL have made strides in computer-aided animal tracking by expanding their software, DeepLabCut, to offer high-performance tracking of multiple animals in videos.

Digital construction using Building Information Modeling – BIM for short – is a trend for the future: more efficient, less expensive and more transparent, from design to operation of the building. The new Empa and Eawag research campus is now being built with the help of a digital twin, which will also simplify facility management of the new buildings.

Digitalisation offers a wealth of new opportunities – and criminals and hostile states are only too happy to exploit them. Protecting against such attacks requires a broad range of measures.

Scientists at EPFL have developed a highly efficient water purification filter that uses only solar power. The prototype can supply clean drinking water even at remote places to small populations and can be easily scaled-up.

ETH alumna Paulina Grnarova wants to use artificial intelligence to revolutionise the way the legal industry works. Her recent appearance on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list has catapulted her into the spotlight.

ETH spin-off Climeworks is specialised in technology that filters CO₂ directly from the air. The company secured CHF 600 million in investment in its latest equity round, allowing it to invest in new large-​scale air capture facilities.

EPFL has joined six other Swiss research institutions in CircuBAT, an initiative selected for the first Innosuisse Flagship program, in order to develop a circular business model for lithium-ion batteries.

EPFL engineers have developed a silicone raspberry that can help teach harvesting robots to grasp fruit without exerting too much pressure.

ETH Pioneer Fellow Martin Hofmann has developed a method to produce high-quality plant-based meat alternatives. His research on the flow properties of soft materials enables him to imitate the marbling of real steaks.