More research and innovative technologies are needed to curb climate change, but implementing the science also needs new strategies. ETH Zurich President Ralph Eichler argues for a trialogue between science, industry and society. That is why ETH Zurich issued an invitation to a climate discussion with prominent speakers on Thursday 12 November 2009* and launched a climate blog.

Instead making complicated folds in sheet metal to give it strength, two ETH Zurich architects simply inflate the space between sheet metal shapes. Thanks to a new welding robot in a new workshop, they can now produce large structures measuring up to three by six metres.

The Swiss-Japanese partnership supports scientists in both countries when carrying out medical research. ETH researcher Takashi Ishikawa's project demonstrates the benefits of this. Researchers can now apply again with new projects.

ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) has improved its Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranking again this year and is now in 23rd place. This means that it remains the fourth best university in Europe. In the field of physics, ETH takes third place in the European comparison, and even comes second in computer science and chemistry.

You can buy a company at a good price these days. But tread carefully: a new study from ETH Zurich and the University of St. Gallen reveals that acquisitions often cost a lot and are not all that profitable. Twice the return can be achieved if the growth is driven by in-house innovations.