Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)

The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa German acronym for Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt) is an interdisciplinary Swiss research institute for applied materials sciences and technology. Established in 1880, the institute concentrated on classical materials testing until the late 1980s, when it developed into a modern research and development institute.

Empa aims to develop solutions for current problems facing industries and societies. Research is concentrated in five Research Focus Areas: Nanostructured Materials, Sustainable Built Environment, Health and Performance, Natural Resources and Pollutants, and Energy. Empa embraces a multidisciplinary approach – scientists and engineers from a wide range of disciplines work side by side on most projects. The institute also supports the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich and Lausanne, supports teaching in universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS), and organizes scientific conferences and advanced training courses through the Empa-Akademie.