News

A new book reveals how and where Swiss banks stored their gold during the Second World War and explores what and who contributed to their international success. In this interview, author and architect Ludo Groen explains why he found himself researching banks – and how grand hotels, an airline and James Bond all play their part. 

ETH professor Paola Picotti is to be awarded the 2026 Otto Naegeli Prize for Medical Research. She has developed a technology capable of analysing thousands of protein structures simultaneously – a vital tool in the fight against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. 

How is Switzerland remaining innovative in uncertain times? The ETH Zurich annual report 2025 highlights ETH Zurich’s contribution: training urgently needed skilled professionals, translating research into practice and supporting knowledge transfer to industry through new ventures and investment.

The AI company Anthropic has presented a much-discussed AI model that independently identifies – and, in some cases, also exploits – security gaps in software. ETH Professor of Cyber Security Florian Tramèr explains what the “Claude Mythos Preview” model can do, where the risks lie, and what this model means for cyber security.

AI is now ubiquitous in our daily lives. Whether it’s digital or analogue, people who don’t put in the cognitive work won’t benefit in the end, writes education researcher Martina Rau.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have realised particularly stable quantum logical operations with qubits made of neutral atoms. Since these operations, called quantum gates, are based on geometric phases they are extremely robust against experimental noise and can be used in quantum computers in the future.

At ETH Zurich, Grace Kagho is building a digital twin of her hometown Lagos. As a researcher and an entrepreneur, she is working to make her data-driven approach to sustainable urban planning available to cities worldwide. 

ETH Professor Emeritus Ruedi Aebersold, together with John Yates from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, USA, and Matthias Mann from the Max Planck Institute in Martinsried, Germany, has been honoured with the prestigious Canada Gairdner International Award. The three scientists founded and shaped modern proteomics research. 

The new location of ETH Swiss GeoLab in the Canton of Lucerne has been decided: the centre of competence for Earth observation will be established at D4 Business Village in the municipality of Root. This location stands out for its attractive business environment, good public transport connections to Zurich and immediate availability of scalable space.

Planetary scientists at ETH Zurich have shown that the material that makes up the Earth originates exclusively from the inner solar system. This also sheds new light on the history of our planet’s formation.

In 16 disciplines, the university ranks among the 10 best in the world. In addition to Earth Sciences, it also achieves an outstanding ranking in Architecture, Civil and Structural Engineering, and Environmental Sciences. These are the latest results of the QS World University Rankings according to subject.