Federal Council confirms Tanja Zimmermann as director of Empa
Berne, 28.01.2026 — On 28 January, the Federal Council appointed Professor Tanja Zimmermann to a further four-year term as director of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). This term will run from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2030.
During her first term, Dr Zimmermann has driven Empa’s strategic and structural development and stepped up cooperation with the other institutions of the ETH Domain, namely ETH Zurich, EPFL, the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag). Under her leadership, Empa has further consolidated its role as a driver of innovation in Switzerland and a bridge between science, business and society in its key research areas, including energy and negative emission technologies, infrastructure and the built environment, and health technologies.
Various inter-institutional research initiatives have been launched, including projects to boost the Swiss semiconductor industry, develop sustainable alternatives to materials containing persistent ‘problem chemicals’ (such as PFAS), produce scalable climate technologies and concepts, and identify effective solutions to antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, Dr Zimmermann has introduced successful cost-saving measures while also increasing support for early-career researchers and Empa spin-offs. In the last quarter of 2025, for instance, viboo, BTRY and Ionic Wind collectively secured nearly CHF 10 million in investment capital across several funding rounds.
Dr Zimmermann received her doctorate from the University of Hamburg in 2007. From 2001 to 2012, she worked closely with industry partners to establish the research area of cellulose nanocomposites at Empa. She then served as head of the Applied Wood Materials research department from 2011 to 2017. From autumn 2017, she was a member of the Directorate and head of the Functional Materials department, managing around 200 employees. Dr Zimmermann is also a member of various national and international committees, including chair of the board of the business incubator glatec, president of the TECHNOPARK Zurich Foundation Board, senior advisor on the Stockholm University Center for Circular and Sustainable Systems Advisory Council and member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Space and Aviation Switzerland and Liechtenstein.