ETH and HSG launch Manufacturing Alliance

(CONNECT) ETH and HSG have launched the Manufacturing Alliance. This new alliance offers companies access to a group of initially six highly qualified doctoral students known as the Circle of Scholars. According to a press release from the two universities, they will conduct research together with the alliance partners on topics such as operational excellence, global production networks, sustainable management and artificial intelligence in production.

According to the information provided, the alliance currently includes 13 industry partners: Roche, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Takeda, SHL Medical, Nestlé, Lindt & Sprüngli, Givaudan, Schneider Electric, Schindler, Endress+Hauser Flowtec, VAT Group and SFS Group. They will finance the project from January 2025 for a period of three years with a total of CHF 2.1 million. Other companies of different sizes and from different sectors are reportedly invited to join the alliance.

"With the Manufacturing Alliance, we are creating a platform that not only transfers scientific findings into practice, but also actively involves industry partners in research," Prof. Dr. Thomas Friedli from the HSG Institute of Technology Management is quoted as saying. The aim is to establish a network that strengthens Switzerland as an industrial location in the long term and develops innovative solutions for products with the "Made in Switzerland" quality mark. According to Prof. Dr. Torbjörn Netland from ETH Zurich, the special thing about the alliance is "that doctoral students work on real problems from day one - this helps industry and promotes young talent". ce/mm