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School of Life Sciences
and Facility Management

Coffee Excellence Center

Applied research and continuing education along the coffee value chain: from crop to cup

About us

The Coffee Excellence Center is a leading academic institution dedicated to the science and technology of coffee. Founded in 2008 by Prof. Dr. Chahan Yeretzian, our center’s mission is to explore and expand the frontiers in the science and technology of coffee along all disciplines.

We believe that high-quality coffee can only be obtained with a profound and holistic understanding of the coffee value chain. Therefore, we are dedicated to research and education on coffee along the whole value chain, from crop to cup.

Coffee is an area of great importance that not only excites us as a fascinating field of research, but also connects people around the world at all stages of the value chain. Our strongest driving force continues to be our love of coffee and the people along this entire chain.

Coffee Science and Education Summit CSES

The Coffee Science and Education Summit 2025 will take place on 6-7 February at the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Wädenswil, Switzerland. Attendees can explore the latest research and participate in hands-on workshops and tastings. Limited seats available - save your spot!

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Education

Our goal is to disseminate our coffee knowledge through education. We offer courses that help individuals develop an understanding of the industry, its competitive landscape, and potential synergies. By doing so, we aim to empower our students with the skills they need to succeed in their careers.

The Coffee Excellence Center provides graduate certificate programmes, including the fully online Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Coffee Excellence and the continuing education short course Post-harvest Processing in Coffee. In addition to this, we design customised courses tailored specifically for coffee industry and coffee-related businesses and entrepreneurs.

Research Fields

Our expertise includes green coffee and origin, coffee transformation and storage, extraction and sensory, and we cover transversal topics such as flavour and sustainability.

Origin and Green Coffee

Research on cultivation practices and post-harvest processing methods of green coffee species and how it translates to coffee quality. Research focusses on physical and chemical analyses of both green and roasted coffee.

Head of Green Coffee: Dr. Sebastian Opitz

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Transformation of Coffee

Includes research on roasting, grinding, degassing, packaging, freshness and aging.

Head of Coffee Transformation: Dr. Samo Smrke

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Extraction and Sensory Evaluation

Research on extraction of coffee, analysis of coffee aroma, sensory analysis of coffee (Q Grader for Arabica), water treatment and characterization.

Head of Extraction and Sensory: Dr. Marco Wellinger

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Research- and Industry Partners

We translate scientific findings from research into profitable applications for our partners in the coffee industry.

We strive to become the preferred research and innovation partner for coffee companies and entrepreneurs worldwide. With our expertise in chemistry and cutting-edge research facilities, we can help you unlock new opportunities in the coffee market.

We would like to thank all our cooperation and research partners in Switzerland and abroad for the exciting collaboration. Our research partners for the CAS in Coffee Excellence are:

CEC Podcast Episodes

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Listen to our collection of podcast episodes featuring Coffee Excellence Center scientists speaking on a variety of coffee related topics.

Articles, reports and other contributions

Currently on Linkedin