Swiss Stories

Alver: Protein Soup

Algae to feed the planet

Science & Education
Mine Uran stepped down as Head of Protein R&D at Nestlé to set up a start-up. Her vision is to produce food for the future by growing micro-algae in the dark.
asteroid

Outer space: the Swiss women looking to the stars

Science & Education
Women took an interest in space long before the space agencies undertook to diversify their teams of astronauts. Three Swiss women with their feet firmly on the ground and their faces turned to the stars share what attracted them to the space sector.

by Geneviève Comby

Iris Bohnet

Iris Bohnet, the Swiss woman who conquered Harvard

Science & Education
Iris Bohnet, a 52-year-old native of Lucerne, is the first Swiss woman to teach at Harvard University and at the same time a world-renowned economist specialised in the issue of gender. Portrait of a woman fighting for equality.

by Lea Huszno

Powered wheelchair race ©EPF Zurich/Alessandro Della Bella

Cybathlon: the first ever Olympics for bionic athletes

Science & Education
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) is organising the world's first ever 'cybathlon' in Kloten in October. The scientific competition features 74 disabled athletes from 25 different nationalities, equipped with bionic prostheses, powered exoskeletons and brain-computer interfaces.
Red Divico grapes

Swiss wine without pesticides

Science & Education
Switzerland's centre of excellence for agricultural research Agroscope has been creating new grape varieties for 50 years. Their goals are ambitious – particularly the targets for disease resistance. Several generations of resistant varieties have emerged, helping to gradually reduce the impact of diseases and the use of pesticides. Fungal diseases – a major concern for winegrowers Swiss winegrowers face considerable difficulties with fungal diseases, two of which are particularly entrenched in Switzerland: downy and powdery mildew. It is very hard to cultivate grapes without pesticides today – both in conventional and organic vineyards. To help avoid this, Agroscope's viticulture research team focuses its efforts on creating resistant grapevines.
Metavers

Zurich becomes a global hub for the metaverse

Science & Education
Switzerland is playing a key role in building the next dimension of the internet: the metaverse. Thanks to the influence of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Disney Research and Magic Leap have all opened offices or research laboratories in Switzerland's economic capital.
ACE expedition

When Switzerland enhances polar research

Science & Education
The Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) typifies the Swiss grass-roots approach to research. It is the result of an initiative by passionate and dedicated individuals who work with Swiss research institutions. The Swiss government is delighted to be able to support such initiatives.