Empa is the interdisciplinary research institute in the ETH Domain for materials science and technology. It finds solutions for industry and society in the fields of
nanostructured materials and surfaces, environmental technologies, energy and sustainable technologies, as well as bio and medical technologies.

Working with industry partners and via spin-offs, it transforms its research results into marketable innovations, helping to make the Swiss economy more innovative and more competitive. Moreover, it creates a scientific basis for the sustainable development of society.

Empa provides public-sector bodies with data resources for their policy-making decisions, and it carries out studies on behalf of federal government agencies. There are currently about 1,000 staff including 37 professors, as well as some 200 doctoral students and 40 trainees working at Empa. In addition, there are also about 200 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and trainees here. Added to this, numerous projects with researchers from industry are always under way, as well as some 300 projects financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Innosuisse and the EU framework programmes.