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School of Engineering

Research

"With our research and development, we aim to create benefits for the economy and society. We promote innovative solutions by providing our project partners with expertise and high-quality infrastructure."

Dr. Adriano Nasciuti, Research & Development

Research and development with an interdisciplinary approach

The current needs of industry and society determine the research priorities of the ZHAW School of Engineering. Innovative, research-based solutions are developed in cooperation with business partners and institutions, with 14 specialised institutes and centres collaborating in an interdisciplinary manner. Practice-oriented research is carried out for the most part in the fields of energy, mobility, information and health. With projects in alternative energy conversion, medical technology and transport studies, we are making an important contribution in fields of research relevant to the future Students also benefit from cooperation with business partners: they collaborate on current projects and gain from the close dovetailing of research and teaching. Practically relevant and application-oriented dissertations are an important component of the training scheme at the ZHAW School of Engineering.

Research field energy

In the field of energy research, the ZHAW School of Engineering delves into all of the topics related to sustainable energy systems. This includes projects on energy efficiency, networks, load management, energy recovery, storage and renewable energies. In addition, operational and economic aspects, such as life-cycle management and the efficient running of energy power plants, as well as social and behaviour-related aspects, also play an important role. With its numerous projects, the School of Engineering contributes to new energy-efficient and intelligent systems, procedures, processes and plants, and this know-how is then passed on to students and project partners.

"For me, ZHAW School of Engineering means: constructive cooperation, competent contacts, flexibility and brilliant ideas!"

Jürgen Braun, Head of Technology & Engineering at ABB Robotics Switzerland

Project examples energy

Research field mobility

The mobility of people and goods is a central research area at the ZHAW School of Engineering. Modelling and controlling traffic flows, transport and regional development, supply chain management and the interaction between humans and machines are given a special focus. Further topics include megatrends in transportation such as innovative vehicle and mobility concepts, modern navigation and automation for driverless vehicles, efficiency concepts for the sustainability of mobility systems, maintenance and optimisation of transportation infrastructure, and pricing and product design in the mobility sector. Future requirements for technology, and mobility and transport systems are also taken into consideration.

"We have built up the know-how for the Sinet application very successfully over several years of cooperation with the ZHAW School of Engineering. The result also impresses our rail customers."

Thomas Stanger, project manager at Siemens Mobility AG

Project examples mobility

Research field information

Modern society is shaped and influenced by information. An important field of activity at the ZHAW School of Engineering is the technical aspect of how to deal with this information. The competences range from the recording of data and information, its transmission, networking and digitalisation, to its processing, analysis, interpretation and presentation. Security-critical issues are also dealt with. In addition, the School of Engineering is involved in the development of information systems, their interaction and the internet of things. Other research activities take place in the fields of Data Science, Information Retrieval and Big Data, in the shape of ICT-based services and data-protected, mathematical analyses, and the modelling of developments in the business and financial sectors.

"We have a lot of ideas on how to improve our system. Thanks to the motivation and support of the ZHAW, we can implement them."

Naomi MacKenzie, co-founder of KITRO SA

Project example information

Research field health

In the field of medical research, the ZHAW School of Engineering places its focus on medical robotics, biomechanics, medical physics and biophysics – whether it is simplifying operations in complex settings, developing patient-supportive systems or medical imaging and instrumentation. It is also involved in technological developments for health maintenance and prevention, the further development of diagnostic procedures, general physical aspects and radiation therapy.

"The collaboration with the ZHAW as a partner was very effective in examining new concepts for manufacturing tools and bringing together research activities and technology applications."

Massimo Di Pardo, Senior Researcher at Centro Ricerche Fiat

Project examples health

An overview of Research & Development