Press information
EAER Press releases
Federal Council clarifies its sanctions ordinances
On 25 September, the Federal Council took the decision to harmonise and clarify financial provisions in four sanctions ordinances implementing UN sanctions relating to the financing of terrorism and proliferation. Furthermore, international organisations will henceforth benefit from an exemption from the reporting and authorisation requirements for certain transactions under the Iran Ordinance.
FIT for the Future: Shared roof for the research institutes
The four research institutes of the ETH Domain are to collaborate even more closely under a shared roof. They will strengthen the way they coordinate and collaborate on overarching strategic research programmes and will gradually merge their support services. Their own well-established areas of focus and their names will be retained. The ETH Board decided to go ahead with this further development and strengthening of the ETH Domain at its meeting on 23/24 September. In addition, the ETH Board appointed a new member of the Direction of EPFL and the Eawag Directorate.
17 new professors appointed at ETH Zurich and EPFL
At its meeting of 23/24 September 2026 and upon application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Joël Mesot, and the President of EPFL, Professor Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, the ETH Board appointed a total of six women and eleven men as professors and awarded the title of Professor of Practice to one individual. It also took note of the resignation of three professors and thanked them for their services. In the last 12 months, the ETH Board has made a total of 18 new appointments for women and 27 for men; the proportion of women among these new appointments thus amounts to 40%.
Ukraine: Switzerland helps safeguard grain harvest
Switzerland is providing CHF 3 million in support of a project run by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to safeguard the Ukrainian grain harvest and prepare for the next planting season. Providing additional storage capacity should prevent crop losses and safeguard the livelihoods of farms in regions affected by the war. The project was a topic of discussion for Jacques Gerber, the Federal Council’s Delegate for Ukraine, during his visit to Kyiv from 20 to 23 September.
Building bridges: President Parmelin calls for dialogue and open trade at UN General Assembly
At the opening of the United Nations (UN) General Debate in New York on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, Swiss president Guy Parmelin reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to dialogue and open trade in the face of unprecedented challenges.
Discours du Président de la Confédération suisse Guy Parmelin
High Level Week des Nations Unies. Discours de Guy Parmelin, Chef du Département fédéral de l’économie, de la formation et de la recherche (DEFR) New York, le mardi 22 septembre 2026
The Swiss Marcel Benoist and Latsis Science Prizes have been awarded to a biochemist and a mathematician
Biochemist Martin Jinek has been awarded the prestigious Marcel Benoist Swiss Science Prize for his groundbreaking insights into cellular processes that paved the way for the breakthrough in genome editing. The Latsis Swiss Science Prize goes to mathematician Susanna Zimmermann for her pioneering research on the symmetries of geometric spaces, which enabled her to resolve a question in algebraic geometry that had remained open since the 19th century.
A gentle cradle : Protecting satellites from vibrations
A rocket launch is not for the faint of heart – and certainly not for sensitive electronics either. Nevertheless, satellites must survive the vibrations during launch unscathed. In collaboration with the Swiss space company Beyond Gravity, Empa researchers have developed a solution to mitigate these dangerous vibrations.
Ukraine: Switzerland adopts further EU sanctions against Belarus
On 18 September, the Federal Council decided to impose further sanctions on Belarus, aligning itself with the measures the European Union (EU) adopted against Belarus on 23 April. The changes will come into effect on 19 September.
Launch of the Max Planck-Korea-PSI Center for Quantum Emergent Spintronics (KOMQUEST)
An international research partnership uniting leading institutions from Germany, Korea and Switzerland to advance the frontiers of quantum spintronics
State Secretary Martina Hirayama to travel to China on science mission and attend WorldSkills Competition
From 21 to 28 September, Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, will lead a science mission to China. The programme includes ministerial-level meetings and visits to science and technology institutions in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai. At the end of the mission, she will attend the awards ceremony of the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai.
Economic forecast: 2026 growth stronger than previously expected
The Federal Government Expert Group on Business Cycles is raising its forecast for economic growth in Switzerland. For 2026, it now expects growth of 1.7% (June forecast: 0.9%), while the forecast for 2027 remains unchanged at 1.6% [1]. Swiss GDP has recently grown strongly. However, the Iran conflict, high energy prices and continuing uncertainty over trade policy pose significant risks to the economic outlook.
Personalized medicine: An earlier asthma diagnosis could bring relief
Although asthma is the most common chronic condition in childhood, current tests can only diagnose it from the age of five. However, an early asthma diagnosis would be important to prevent long-term complications. Researchers from Empa and the University Children’s Hospital Zurich have now launched a joint research project – with the aim of developing a novel diagnostic protocol so that babies and young children can also receive a reliable diagnosis as early as possible. The project is being carried out thanks to generous funding from various foundations.
Novel Particle Beam Could Challenge Einstein’s Theory of Gravity
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich have produced an intense, cold beam of exotic atoms. They aim to use this to test a fundamental principle of Einstein’s theory of gravity – the universality of free fall.
OECD analysis of Switzerland’s economic policy: Switzerland is well positioned – reforms needed to ensure competitiveness
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published its report on Switzerland’s economic policy on 15 September. The OECD commends Switzerland’s economic policy approach. In light of a wide range of challenges, the report also identifies the need for action to safeguard Switzerland’s competitiveness and innovative capacity over the long term. This includes further reforming the healthcare and pension systems, reducing the administrative burden on businesses, utilising labour potential more effectively and increasing competition.
Upper secondary education completed at the age of 25 or over: Income of CHF 5200 five years later
Of the approximately 90 000 first upper secondary qualifications awarded each year, 12% are completed by adults aged 25 or over, who number nearly 11 000. Five years before receiving their qualification, only 60% had earned an income from employment, and this group is over-represented among households with a low net equivalised income from employment (27%). Five years after obtaining their qualification, their situation had improved markedly: their income was close to that of the general population of the same age (CHF 5 200 per month), their employment rate stood at 80%, and they were, overall, under-represented among households with a low equivalent net income (17%). These are the main findings of a new publication from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
State Secretary Martina Hirayama represents Switzerland at the International Space Summit in Paris
The International Space Summit, convened at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron, was held in Paris on 9 and 10 September. High-level representatives from government, science, business, the military and civil society discussed shared visions and approaches to key issues raised by the growth in space activities. Switzerland was represented by State Secretary Martina Hirayama.
Consumer sentiment higher than a year ago
In August 2026 the consumer sentiment index stood at –33 points. This is 7 points higher than in August 2025. The following sub-indices are higher than in August 2025: economic outlook and past financial situation. The following sub-indices are lower than a year ago: financial outlook and moment to make major purchases.
Microplastics in Switzerland: This is how much microplastic enters soils and water bodies from the air
For the first time, Empa researchers, in collaboration with researchers from Eawag and Agroscope, have systematically investigated how much microplastic enters the environment in Switzerland via the atmosphere. The result: More than 200 tons of plastic particles contaminate soil and water bodies each year. Of this amount, about 40 percent end up on agricultural land and in lakes and rivers.
First nationwide measurements in Switzerland show low levels of microplastics entering the environment from wastewater treatment plants
Every year, Swiss wastewater treatment plants release around 5 tonnes of microplastics into the environment. That is relatively little: It is estimated that around twice as many microplastic enters Swiss water bodies via the atmosphere. These figures come from the largest nationwide investigation to date on ultrafine plastic particles in the air, water and soil, a joint project by Eawag, Empa and Agroscope. These figures were made possible thanks to a new approach to sampling that yields significantly more reliable results than previous processes..