Research frontiers

Stories about scientific innovation out of Switzerland, such as space research, materials science and AI applications.

What’s the smartest way for countries to compete for world-class research talent?

As the US slashes science funding and pressures universities, many researchers are considering a move. Should Switzerland try to entice them?

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Aug 4, 2025

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Swiss AI

Silent power guzzlers: Switzerland’s booming data centres

This content was published on Jul 25, 2025 Data centres are popping up across Switzerland, driven in part by demand for AI. They come at a cost: by 2030, the centres could consume 15% of the country’s electricity.

The Swiss Fablab project is modelled on other labs , such as Micronova in Finland.

Chip-making factory aims to boost Swiss semiconductors

This content was published on Jul 23, 2025 Switzerland is laying plans to build a national chip production and research centre.

Swiss researchers are active in designing next generation semiconductors

Swiss chip industry fuelled by research, not cash windfalls

This content was published on Jul 15, 2025 Many countries are pouring billions into their semiconductor industries, but Swiss funds focus on research.

AI giants accused of hiding environmental footprint

This content was published on Jul 8, 2025 The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) comes with environmental costs that are still largely hidden.

The fake news study on Reddit failed to inform particpants in advance

How a fake news study tested ethical research boundaries

This content was published on Jun 10, 2025 A controversial fake news study on Reddit has highlighted the ethical responsibilities of conducting studies on society.

Switzerland has road tested some 30 driverless vehicle projects

Swiss roads could see driverless vehicles within three years

This content was published on May 27, 2025 A recent Swiss law change has raised the possibility of automated vehicles operating in real-life conditions in around three years.

UBS deploys AI analyst clones

This content was published on May 20, 2025 Zurich-based bank using OpenAI and Synthesia models to create lifelike avatars of its experts.

Switzerland risks exclusion from Europe’s ‘CERN for AI’

This content was published on Apr 2, 2025 Switzerland’s inclusion in the European project for a ‘CERN for AI’ could be limited by its status as a non-EU member country.

AI and humans are coming into closer contact.

Can Switzerland steer a safe course to AI innovation?

This content was published on Feb 14, 2025 Switzerland announces AI strategy as global sentiment shifts from guardrails to a scramble for competitive advantage.

How Switzerland and Europe use AI tech for migration control

This content was published on Feb 4, 2025 Drones, surveillance towers and mobile phone data extraction: the full extent of these developments has been revealed in an international investigation.

China-US rivalry over artificial intelligence: what role for Switzerland?

This content was published on Feb 2, 2025 AI expert Bhaskar Chakravorti analyses the growing rivalry between the US and China on AI and Switzerland’s possible role.

Space research

Opinion

Why Switzerland’s proposed space law matters

This content was published on Apr 10, 2025 Switzerland’s proposed law on space operations will impact on how we collectively manage our activities beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

An artist's image of the Copernicus Carbon Dioxide Monitoring mission, or CO2M for short.

How satellites and AI can help check the pulse of our warming planet

This content was published on Jan 27, 2025 Swiss and international experts are banking on a growing constellation of satellites and artificial intelligence models to give more accurate insights into greenhouse gas emissions.

Swiss students drive rocket research forward

This content was published on Sep 27, 2024 Swiss students are propelling the future of space travel with innovative reusable rocket technology, putting Switzerland on the map in the global space race.

Swarm of Swiss robots could take part in future space missions

This content was published on May 7, 2024 Researchers in Zurich propose using a swarm of small robots instead of a heavy rover for future space missions.

A man standing in front of an image of a smartphone

How semiconductors are made

This content was published on Aug 4, 2025 Making semiconductor chips for computers, machinery, transport and other devices is a costly and a lengthy process. How exactly is it done?

Switzerland offers no lifeboat to US scientists

This content was published on Aug 4, 2025 Switzerland has declined to launch initiatives to entice US scientists, while Europe has opened its doors. What’s next for Swiss research?

Silent power guzzlers: Switzerland’s booming data centres

Chip-making factory aims to boost Swiss semiconductors

This content was published on Jul 23, 2025 Switzerland is laying plans to build a national chip production and research centre.

Swiss chip industry fuelled by research, not cash windfalls

This content was published on Jul 15, 2025 Many countries are pouring billions into their semiconductor industries, but Swiss funds focus on research.

AI giants accused of hiding environmental footprint

This content was published on Jul 8, 2025 The boom in artificial intelligence (AI) comes with environmental costs that are still largely hidden.

Swiss Reddit study on fake news stirs ethics debate

This content was published on Jun 11, 2025 A controversial fake news study on the social media platform Reddit, has highlighted the ethical challenges of conducting research on society.

How a fake news study tested ethical research boundaries

This content was published on Jun 10, 2025 A controversial fake news study on Reddit has highlighted the ethical responsibilities of conducting studies on society.

Swiss roads could see driverless vehicles within three years

This content was published on May 27, 2025 A recent Swiss law change has raised the possibility of automated vehicles operating in real-life conditions in around three years.

UBS deploys AI analyst clones

This content was published on May 20, 2025 Zurich-based bank using OpenAI and Synthesia models to create lifelike avatars of its experts.

The Swiss mega-project to transport freight underground

This content was published on May 15, 2025 Cargo sous terrain – an initiative to build an underground tunnel system for transporting goods around Switzerland – rethinks strategy.

The Basel researcher whose work triggered a longevity revolution

This content was published on May 7, 2025 Basel-based scientist Michael Hall’s discovery of the gene Target of Rapamycin has fuelled one of the fastest growing trends – longevity.

The start-up Sun-Ways has installed solar panels between the rails of a railway line near Buttes, canton Neuchâtel. in western Switzerland.

Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants

This content was published on Apr 29, 2025 A Swiss start-up’s system to quickly install and remove solar panels between train tracks is now being tested.

Artificial intelligence explained

This content was published on Apr 22, 2025 This video explains what Natural Language Processing, Artificial General Intelligence and other terms linked to Artificial Intelligence mean.

Opinion

Why Switzerland’s proposed space law matters

This content was published on Apr 10, 2025 Switzerland’s proposed law on space operations will impact on how we collectively manage our activities beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Gene therapies’ moment of reckoning

This content was published on Apr 4, 2025 Gene therapy companies have faced numerous setbacks over the last few years. What will it take for gene therapies to fulfill their promise?

Switzerland risks exclusion from Europe’s ‘CERN for AI’

This content was published on Apr 2, 2025 Switzerland’s inclusion in the European project for a ‘CERN for AI’ could be limited by its status as a non-EU member country.

Lost stem cells: the scandal of a Swiss cord blood bank

This content was published on Mar 21, 2025 Imagine placing all your hopes on your baby’s stem cells to save their life or yours, only to fear seeing that hope vanish along with your child’s cells.

What happened to the critically endangered apron fish.

Switzerland and France team up to save the apron fish

This content was published on Mar 17, 2025 An endangered fish has inspired French and Swiss efforts to restore habitat for wildlife along the River Doubs.

Explainer: Why US health funding cuts are rattling Swiss science

This content was published on Mar 6, 2025 The Trump administration has upended funding by the National Institutes of Health. What does it mean for biomedical research in Switzerland?

A pipe from lake Constance, clogged up with quagga mussels.

Can the spread of invasive quagga mussels be stopped in Switzerland?

This content was published on Feb 19, 2025 International research efforts are underway to tackle the spread of invasive mussels, which are filling deep lakes in Switzerland, changing ecosystems and damaging water supply infrastructure.

Can Switzerland steer a safe course to AI innovation?

This content was published on Feb 14, 2025 Switzerland announces AI strategy as global sentiment shifts from guardrails to a scramble for competitive advantage.

Pipe clogged with quagga mussels from Lake Constance

Can the spread of invasive quagga mussels be stopped in Switzerland?

This content was published on Feb 11, 2025 New technology and international cooperation are being deployed to fight the invasion.

How Switzerland and Europe use AI tech for migration control

This content was published on Feb 4, 2025 Drones, surveillance towers and mobile phone data extraction: the full extent of these developments has been revealed in an international investigation.

China-US rivalry over artificial intelligence: what role for Switzerland?

This content was published on Feb 2, 2025 AI expert Bhaskar Chakravorti analyses the growing rivalry between the US and China on AI and Switzerland’s possible role.

China's DeepSeek R1 model has set new standards on efficiency

Switzerland caught in middle of US-China race for AI dominance

This content was published on Jan 30, 2025 The US is threatening to choke the supply of AI chips to Switzerland just as Chinese DeepSeek model boosts innovation.

A surfer in Biarritz, France, December 2015. The AMOC is the current that is largely responsible for the warm climate in Europe.

How a Swiss-US study challenges what we know about the Gulf Stream system

This content was published on Jan 30, 2025 The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the system of currents vital to regulating the European climate, has not shown any sign of decline in the last 60 years, a new study shows.

Artificial intelligence in Switzerland: what’s new for 2025

This content was published on Jan 27, 2025 New regulations, a “Swiss ChatGPT”, and autonomous vehicles: 2025 marks a pivotal year for the development of AI in Switzerland.

How satellites and AI can help check the pulse of our warming planet

UNHCR refugee camp tents and refugee children

How blockchain technology is making humanitarian cash transfers faster and safer

This content was published on Jan 24, 2025 A blockchain pilot project in Ukraine shows that cash aid payments can arrive faster and more efficiently thanks to modern technology.

AI could be used to either generate original art or steal artists' work.

Switzerland in no rush to tame artificial intelligence

This content was published on Jan 15, 2025 Switzerland’s methodical approach to regulating AI has hit a delay, increasing the gap to other countries.

What’s the environmental cost of Switzerland’s new supercomputer?

This content was published on Jan 14, 2025 The computers driving the latest advances in AI guzzle huge amounts of energy – can Switzerland find a way to power its version sustainably?

Do you worry about the environmental impact of AI?

Current artificial intelligence tools need huge amounts of energy and natural resources to function. Does this affect the way you use them?

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Jan 14, 2025

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Post Auto tested the first automated bus in Switzerland

Explainer: Switzerland gears up for driverless transport era

This content was published on Jan 10, 2025 What impact will autonomous transport have in Switzerland, and can we expect to see a flood of driverless cars any time soon?

Lab-grown cocoa is coming soon – from Switzerland

This content was published on Dec 24, 2024 Chocolate made in the lab is exciting for the food industry but it raises ethical, cultural and environmental questions.

AI regulations must strike a balance between innovation and safety

This content was published on Dec 19, 2024 What risks do citizens face in countries where artificial intelligence (AI) is not regulated, like Switzerland?

Climate adaptation

Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world

Cooks at work in the kitchen, pictured during a look behind the scenes at Hotel Seedamm Plaza in Pfaeffikon, canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, on March 31, 2014. (KEYSTONE/Christian Beutler)

Foreign Affairs

In Switzerland four out of ten people have a migrant background – who are they?

Demographics

Suicides in Switzerland quadruple among older people

Criminals are targeting Swiss car dealerships

French gangs target luxury cars in Switzerland

The additional costs that Switzerland will incur when purchasing the US F-35 fighter jet continue to be a concern.

Swiss Politics

Renewed controversy in Switzerland over US fighter jets – explained

Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?

The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?

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Apr 25, 2025

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Swiss Abroad: How do you celebrate Swiss National Day where you live?

Do you have any special traditions for Switzerland’s birthday? Let us know where you live and how you usually celebrate.

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Jul 15, 2025

4 Comments

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What do recent events tell us about the risks and rewards of sticking to nuclear treaties?

Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Israel, Iran. What’s the point of nuclear deals if it pays off to flout them?

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Aug 2, 2025

2 Comments

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Research frontiers

More

What’s the smartest way for countries to compete for world-class research talent?

More

Silent power guzzlers: Switzerland’s booming data centres

More

Chip-making factory aims to boost Swiss semiconductors

More

Swiss chip industry fuelled by research, not cash windfalls

More

AI giants accused of hiding environmental footprint

More

How a fake news study tested ethical research boundaries

More

Swiss roads could see driverless vehicles within three years

More

UBS deploys AI analyst clones

More

Switzerland risks exclusion from Europe’s ‘CERN for AI’

More

Can Switzerland steer a safe course to AI innovation?

More

How Switzerland and Europe use AI tech for migration control

More

China-US rivalry over artificial intelligence: what role for Switzerland?

More

Why Switzerland’s proposed space law matters

More

How satellites and AI can help check the pulse of our warming planet

More

Swiss students drive rocket research forward

More

Swarm of Swiss robots could take part in future space missions

More

How semiconductors are made

More

Switzerland offers no lifeboat to US scientists

More

Silent power guzzlers: Switzerland’s booming data centres

More

Chip-making factory aims to boost Swiss semiconductors

More

Swiss chip industry fuelled by research, not cash windfalls

More

AI giants accused of hiding environmental footprint

More

Swiss Reddit study on fake news stirs ethics debate

More

How a fake news study tested ethical research boundaries

More

Swiss roads could see driverless vehicles within three years

More

UBS deploys AI analyst clones

More

The Swiss mega-project to transport freight underground

More

The Basel researcher whose work triggered a longevity revolution

More

Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants

More

Artificial intelligence explained

More

Why Switzerland’s proposed space law matters

More

Gene therapies’ moment of reckoning

More

Switzerland risks exclusion from Europe’s ‘CERN for AI’

More

Lost stem cells: the scandal of a Swiss cord blood bank

More

Switzerland and France team up to save the apron fish

More

Explainer: Why US health funding cuts are rattling Swiss science

More

Can the spread of invasive quagga mussels be stopped in Switzerland?

More

Can Switzerland steer a safe course to AI innovation?

More

Can the spread of invasive quagga mussels be stopped in Switzerland?

More