ETH Domain strengthens existing cooperation with the DDPS and armasuisse

ETH Domain and DDPS/armasuisse strengthen existing cooperation

In the light of the current geopolitical situation, the Federal Council’s new armaments policy strategy provides for greater investment in security-related research, development and innovation. On this basis, the existing cooperation between the ETH Domain and the DDPS, and in particular with the Federal Office for Defence Procurement (armasuisse), will be broadened and intensified. The ETH Board supports the expansion of the cooperation; it also discussed and approved the relevant framework conditions. This means that the institutions of the ETH Domain will be able to make their current contributions to Switzerland’s defence capability even more effective in the future and expand them further.

At the same time, the proportion of research and innovation activities that serve purely military purposes or are sensitive for reasons of confidentiality should continue to be limited, and should take place at infrastructures and sites provided for this purpose: in other words, not directly in the Federal Institutes of Technology or the research institutes of the ETH Domain.

Funding for the increased research and innovation activities should be made available through additional resources and therefore remain outside the Confederation’s global budget for the ETH Domain. The ETH Domain contributes in the form of the work carried out within it. Furthermore, the ETH Domain retains the right to include or exclude specific technologies and their areas of application. Employees of the ETH Domain are free to decide whether they wish to participate in activities related to defence technologies. In this respect, the institutions of the ETH Domain must take account of the more stringent requirements pertaining to the security of this type of research.

ETH Board against “No to a Switzerland with 10 million”

The success of the ETH Domain is based, among other factors, on Switzerland’s openness and international outlook. The ETH Domain is accordingly dependent on stable, reliable relations with its international partners. As a major hub for research and development, it is particularly reliant on the free movement of persons in order to be able to attract the best researchers and employees, as well as on participating in the EU’s research, education and innovation programmes. Implementing the popular initiative “No to a Switzerland with 10 million” would, however, lead to the termination of the free movement of persons with the EU and would result in Switzerland being excluded from the EU programmes. This was the conclusion reached in a legal opinion commissioned by swissuniversities. The popular initiative thus jeopardises a key framework condition for Switzerland as a centre for research, education and innovation. Like the Federal Council, the ETH Board therefore rejects the popular initiative “No to a Switzerland with 10 million”. The comprehensive position statement of the ETH Board may be found here.

Three new members of PSI’s Directorate

Chantal Büchi, Head of HR at PSI, has been appointed to the Directorate. She brings more than two decades of experience in senior HR positions, together with extensive specialist knowledge. In her previous roles, including as Head of HR and member of the Executive Board at Zühlke Engineering AG, she helped steer companies successfully through periods of dynamic expansion and growth. She is a graduate business economist who has completed numerous professional development courses, including the Executive Master’s in Human Resource Management. She is committed to ensuring that HR strategy issues are shaped at the highest management level to support the sustainable development and competitiveness of PSI.

Professor Marc Janoschek, Head of the Center for Neutron and Muon Sciences, has also been appointed to the Directorate. His scientific focus is on novel, functional properties of quantum materials, which he investigates using large-scale infrastructures. On completing his graduate studies, he worked at the University of California and at Los Alamos National Laboratory. From 2018 to 2025 he was Head of the Laboratory for Neutron and Muon Instrumentation, and since 2025 he has been Head of the Center for Neutron and Muon Sciences. He has also been Associate Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Zurich since 2020.

Dr Martin Schindler, who took over as Head of the Center for Corporate Services at the start of this year, has also been appointed as a member of the Directorate. Martin Schindler can look back on 25 years working in industry, with a focus on strategy, finance, technology and infrastructure, and has extensive experience of heading large line organisations and transformations. For the past 12 years he has been working in the energy sector. He has a degree in Business IT and a doctorate from the University of St. Gallen in the field of project and knowledge management, as well as having completed professional development courses in financial analytics and corporate governance.

Two new members of WSL’s Directorate

Professor Arthur Gessler will be responsible for the key focus area “Forest” in the Directorate of WSL following the retirement of Dr Thomas Wohlgemuth, and has been appointed as a member of the Directorate. Arthur Gessler, an adjunct professor, is one of the most influential scientists in the area of forest ecosystems research. With over 350 academic publications to his name, he has established himself as an expert on forest ecology and climate change research. He obtained his doctorate in 1998 and his habilitation in 2004, specialising in Tree Physiology, at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He has been Head of the Long-Term Forest Ecosystem Research (LWF) programme since 2014, and currently leads the newly founded Forest and Soil Ecology research unit at WSL, as well as the SwissForestLab research network.

Dr Nadine Salzmann is to be Head of the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) following the retirement of Professor Jürg Schweizer, and has been appointed as a member of the Directorate. She is one of three research area heads in Davos, where she runs the Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre (CERC). Nadine Salzmann’s research has a focus on high-mountain cryospheric and atmospheric processes in rapidly changing climatic conditions. She obtained her doctorate from the University of Zurich in 2006 and joined SLF in Davos in 2021 after working in several different research posts.

The ETH Board thanks the departing members of the Directorates of PSI and WSL for their many years of service and wishes the new members much success and enjoyment in their new roles.