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| Zürich Innovation Park | |
|---|---|
| Name | Zürich Innovation Park |
| Location | Dübendorf, Canton of Zürich, Switzerland |
| Established | 2021 |
| Type | Research and innovation campus |
Zürich Innovation Park is a research and innovation campus near Zurich Airport, located in Dübendorf in the Canton of Zürich. The park hosts a cluster of public and private institutions, connecting facilities associated with the ETH Zurich, the Empa, the Paul Scherrer Institute, and the University of Zurich along with startups, multinational firms and federal agencies. It serves as a regional node linking science hubs such as Technopark Zurich, EPFL Innovation Park, CERN, ETH Zurich Science City and international partners including Fraunhofer Society, Max Planck Society, Tata Consultancy Services, and Siemens.
The park is designed as an innovation ecosystem bringing together organizations like ETH Zurich, Empa, Paul Scherrer Institute, University of Zurich, Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo), Swiss Space Office, and companies such as ABB, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Novartis, Roche, Nestlé, Bosch, Schindler Group. It sits adjacent to transport hubs including Zurich Airport, the Zürich S-Bahn, and the A1 motorway, and is positioned near research infrastructures linked to Paul Karrer Institute and heritage sites like Flughof Dübendorf and the Dübendorf Air Force Base.
The site evolved from military and aviation uses at Dübendorf Air Force Base and the Swiss Air Force training grounds into a civilian research campus following initiatives by the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Zürich, City of Zurich, and federal agencies including the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation and the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics. Planning drew on precedents from Science Parks (England), Research Triangle Park, Technion, Silicon Valley, Cambridge Science Park, Skolkovo Innovation Center, and European schemes such as Helsinki Innovation District initiatives. Key milestones include memoranda of understanding with ETH Zurich, agreements with Empa and Paul Scherrer Institute, and construction phases overseen by firms like Hochbauamt Zürich and contractors linked to SBB infrastructure projects.
Facilities comprise laboratory buildings, co-working spaces, prototyping workshops, cleanrooms, test tracks, and exhibition venues. Anchors include laboratory clusters affiliated with ETH Zurich Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich Department of Mechanical Engineering, Empa Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, and translational centers tied to University of Zurich Faculty of Science and the Zurich University of Teacher Education. Fabrication and testing infrastructure references include machine shops inspired by Fab Lab, cleanrooms comparable to CERN Microelectronics, and mobility testbeds similar to those at TU Delft Smart Mobility Lab and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The campus provides shared resources managed alongside partners like Swiss Innovation Park Network, Kantonsspital Zürich, Hirslanden Klinik, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), and Armasuisse facilities.
Research themes span advanced materials, robotics, photonics, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, aerospace, photogrammetry, remote sensing, battery technology, and biotechnology. Projects draw on expertise from ETH Zurich Quantum Center, Paul Scherrer Institute SwissFEL, IBM Research – Zurich, Microsoft Research Cambridge, Google DeepMind, NEST (Next Evolution in Sustainable Technology), and collaborations with European Space Agency initiatives and ESA Business Incubation Centres. The park supports translational research linked to industrial players such as ABB Robotics, Schindler Elevator, Roche Diagnostics, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, and standards bodies like ISO and CEN through consortia and testbeds.
The park fosters partnerships with universities including ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, and international institutions like KIT, EPFL, TU Munich, Imperial College London, TU Delft, École Polytechnique, Technical University of Munich and University of Cambridge. Industry collaborations involve ABB, Siemens, Bosch, Schindler, Roche, Novartis, Nestlé, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, and Samsung. Funding and programmatic links extend to innovation agencies such as Innosuisse, Horizon Europe, Swiss Innovation Agency, European Innovation Council, and venture partners including Redalpine, Lakestar, Index Ventures, and corporate venture arms like Novartis Venture Fund and Nestlé Health Science Venture Fund.
Governance combines stakeholders from Swiss Confederation, Canton of Zürich, City of Zurich, ETH Board, Empa Executive Board, and private investors. Funding streams include public allocations managed via State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, grants from Swiss National Science Foundation, project funding under Horizon Europe, commercialization income, philanthropic support linked to foundations such as the Fritz Thyssen Foundation and Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, and venture capital from firms like Redalpine and Index Ventures. Operational oversight involves administrative units modeled on ETH Zurich administration, Empa management, and municipal planning authorities including Kanton Zürich Bau- und Umweltdirektion.
The park aims to boost regional competitiveness, job creation, and technology transfer in the Canton of Zürich and the Swiss innovation landscape alongside hubs such as Zurich-West, Kloten, Wallisellen, and Glattpark. Economic benefits are expected for sectors tied to life sciences, information technology, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and clean energy with anticipated synergies with firms like ABB, Roche, Novartis, Nestlé, Google, IBM, and Microsoft. The park sits within broader strategies promoted by Innosuisse, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and regional development agencies such as Greater Zurich Area to attract international talent, foreign direct investment, and startup formation supported by incubators and accelerators including ETH Pioneer Fellowship and Kickstart Accelerator.
Category:Science parks in Switzerland