An eventful year
The ETH Zurich Foundation details pleasing results in its new annual report, showcasing important programmes and initiatives that were funded thanks to generous donations.
Donations from numerous private individuals, organisations, foundations and companies once again allowed the ETH Zurich Foundation to financially support a number of strategic initiatives, funding programmes and projects last year. In total, CHF 54.9 million was collected for science in 2017. The donors and funding partners thereby played a key role in enabling unique research and teaching projects at ETH Zurich.
“Donations give new impetus to research and teaching at ETH Zurich. They give us the freedom necessary to also fund unconventional projects, and they ensure that scientific discoveries benefit society as a whole,” says Lino Guzzella, President of ETH Zurich.
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Pioneering initiatives
ETH Zurich’s newest initiative aims to give patients with neuromuscular lesions and people with disabilities greater independence in everyday life. The interdisciplinary project enhances the medical and technical expertise currently available in and around Zurich with social and economic aspects. Partners and donors are still being sought to finance the initiative; it cannot be implemented without additional support.
Together with SBB, ETH Zurich was able to launch an initiative in 2017 focused on research and teaching in the area of mobility – an important topic, as our transport networks are reaching the limits of their capacity. At the same time, technological upheavals, additional providers and legal conditions are changing the market and business models. With the support of additional funding partners, ETH Zurich would like to further develop its expertise in this field over the coming years and strengthen it as a research and business area.
Since 2010, the Pioneer Fellowship programme has supported young researchers on their path to independence. Thanks to the support of donors, eight young ETH Zurich researchers took the plunge and became entrepreneurs in 2017.
Generous support
Pius Baschera, President of the ETH Zurich Foundation’s Board of Trustees, is very grateful to the donors and funding partners for their generous contributions: “Thanks to their support and personal commitment, we have been able to fund pioneering projects that might otherwise never have been implemented.”
But there is more to this than just finance: “The personal contact and continued exchange between the donors and recipients is an invaluable and enriching experience for everyone involved,” says Baschera.
In 2017, the ETH Zurich Foundation was also the recipient of generous legacies, inheritances and memorial donations. Behind these lie the personal stories of people whose connection to ETH Zurich was a recurring feature of their lives. Many of them want to give something back to society, such as by providing grants to enable young talents to study at ETH Zurich.
Expansion into Germany
In the coming year, several new things are in store for the ETH Zurich Foundation. One particular challenge is the planned expansion into the German market. The ETH Zurich Foundation is also specifically focusing on data science, mobility and medicine in 2018.
ETH Zurich Foundation
The ETH Zurich Foundation is an independent, private and non-profit foundation with the mission of promoting teaching and research at ETH Zurich. Through its activities, the ETH Zurich Foundation supports ETH Zurich in maintaining and developing its internationally leading position. Its goal is to effectively enhance federal contributions with private financial resources.
All of the initiatives and programmes funded in 2017 can be found in the ETH Zurich Foundation’s new external page annual report. Information on current projects can be found at external page www.ethz-foundation.ch/en.