ENAC news about innovation

“Planting trees is also a way of restoring entire ecosystems”

Published:18.09.25 — Auréline Grange, who holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering from EPFL, works at the crossroads of technological innovation and purpose-driven entrepreneurship. She is a co-founder of both On a Mission, a nonprofit organization set up in 2019 to fund reforestation projects run by local communities, and Open Forest Protocol, a 2020 startup that has developed open-source, transparent blockchain technology for tracking reforestation projects.

Medusoil involved in valorizing construction waste project

Published:14.05.24 — The startup has been awarded a collaborative project by the Service of Economic Promotion and Innovation of Vaud canton 

Medusoil secures 5.2 million CHF and continues to expand

Published:09.02.24 — The ENAC startup, a pioneer in innovative biocement-related technologies, has successfully completed a funding round to expand its activities across Switzerland and Europe. 

The ENAC spin-off AeroSpec awarded 150'000 CHF from Venture Kick

Published:30.01.24 — The company won the third stage of the program dedicated to support start-ups from Swiss universities.

Enerdrape raised 1.3 million from Swiss investors

Published:11.01.24 — The ENAC start-up Enerdrape marked a significant milestone in the company's journey as pioneers in introducing the world's first prefabricated geothermal panel technology.

“Google Earth on steroids” gives a boost to urban development

Published:13.12.22 — Uzufly’s technology uses aerial imaging to generate 3D models of cities and regions with advanced precision, enabling urban planners to incorporate full-scale designs of all types of architectural and urban structures.

AI enables more effective humanitarian action

Published:12.12.22 — Researchers from ENAC and ETH Zurich, working together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Bin Khalifa Unversity (Qatar), have developed a program that can generate population density estimates with unparalleled precision, and only needs a rough estimate at the regional level to learn.

Tapping into the energy stored beneath our cities

Published:22.11.22 — In this article appearing in Switzerland’s French-speaking press, Margaux Peltier, the CEO of Enerdrape and a research assistant at EPFL’s Laboratory of Soil Mechanics, explains how recent technology developed at EPFL can help bring geothermal energy into existing buildings.

EPFL places in the top ten at the 2022 iGEM competition

Published:18.11.22 — With their biodegradable aerogel that can provide an alternative to conventional insulation materials, the EPFL team took home the gold along with four category nominations at this year’s iGEM synthetic biology competition, held in late October.

“Collective intelligence is the key to successful innovation”

Published:21.10.22 — FUSTIC – or Future Sustainable Territories, Infrastructure and Cities – is an association created jointly by EPFL and ENAC in 2021. It held its first annual general meeting the day of ENAC’s 20th anniversary celebration. We used this opportunity to sit down with FUSTIC cofounder Frédéric Dreyer to discuss the association and its plans for the future.

Using images and artificial intelligence to inspect bridges

Published:10.02.22 — EPFL startup SwissInspect has developed a novel bridge-inspection system that combines structural engineering with drone technology, artificial intelligence and computer vision. SwissInspect is the result of research at Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Laboratory (EESD) in collaboration with Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC) on the image-based inspection and monitoring of structural elements.The company plans to test its system, which offers major advantages over visual inspection methods, on around 50 bridges in Switzerland.

Making installed train windows permeable to mobile-phone signals

Published:07.02.22 — EPFL spin-off nu glass has successfully tested a portable system that makes the window panes on railcars permeable to mobile communications. This can bring significant environmental and cost benefits to railway companies and mobile-phone operators, since they’ll no longer have to install signal boosters to provide wireless connectivity for passengers.

Using heat from underground parking lots to warm apartments

Published:07.10.21 — EPFL spin-off Enerdrape has developed technology that can recover heat from underground parking lots and use it to warm the apartments above. Its geothermal wall panels are currently undergoing pilot tests at a building in Lausanne’s Sébeillon district.

Towards a more affordable analysis of air pollution

Published:28.07.21 — EPFL scientists have developed a new method for chemical analysis of fine particles that they plan to extend on a large scale – including in developing countries – through an Innosuisse innovation grant award and a new startup.

EPFL researchers put technology to work for the global South

Published:04.06.21 — Tech4Dev, an EPFL program to develop technology that addresses the specific needs and living conditions of communities in the developing world, has announced four new winning projects for its research grants.

New hydropower dam design tested at EPFL

Published:30.04.21 — A team of EPFL engineers has completed proof-of-concept tests for the new Massongex-Bex-Rhône hydropower dam. The tests, involving both a physical scale model and computer simulations, enabled the engineers to fine-tune their design.

Energy transition: EPFL spin-off Vizcab raises 1.75 million francs

Published:10.06.20 — The French startup will use the injection of capital to ramp up marketing of a building life cycle assessment (LCA) method developed at EPFL Fribourg.

An EPFL lab designs new wooden pews for the Lausanne Cathedral

Published:28.05.20 — The Canton of Vaud has selected a technology developed by EPFL's IBOIS Laboratory for the construction of new pews for Lausanne’s Cathedral of Notre Dame. The pews, built with locally-sourced wood, have an innovative design that does not require either glue or screws.

Stabilizing a cliff using biomineral binders

Published:20.11.19 — EPFL spin-off Medusoil has successfully tested its ground-stabilization process on cliffs subject to surface erosion. The company’s biomineral-based solution can be used to stabilize sandy and gravelly subsoils to safeguard surrounding infrastructure. It is a long-lasting and easy-to-use alternative to industrial fluids – the production and use of which can be harmful to the environment. The startup is now ready to scale up production.

EPFL hosts a new SBB innovation unit

Published:19.11.19 — Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) opened a new innovation unit today at EPFL’s Innovation Park, further deepening its ties with the School.

Les expertes de l'innovation

Published:22.08.23 — Innosuisse, l’Agence suisse pour l’encouragement de l’innovation, s’appuie sur des spécialistes pour avaliser les demandes de soutien. Les quatre experts émanant de l’EPFL sont… des expertes.

ENAC Innovation Seed Grants – appel à projets 2023

Published:28.11.22 — The 3rd call for Innovation Seed Grant proposals is now open! You can apply for funding to explore an innovative idea, to refine a proof-of-concept, or validate your project idea.

SwissInspect a reçu un soutien FIT Tech Seed de CHF 100'000.-

Published:28.10.22 — SwissInspect, spin-off du laboratoire EESD, a reçu un soutien de CHF 100’000 de la Fondation pour l’Innovation technologique (FIT) afin de développer des jumeaux numériques structurels d'infrastructures et de bâtiments.

Cinq projets sélectionnés pour un ENAC Innovation Seed Grant

Published:11.05.22 — Les premières échéances de l'appel à projets Innovation Seed Grant de l'ENAC 2022 ont généré 5 nouveaux projets à travers les instituts de l'ENAC. Chaque projet est doté d'un soutien au démarrage de 20kCHF pour explorer une idée qui contribuera au développement d'une solution durable innovante. Félicitations aux cinq bénéficiaires !

Des idées collaboratives pour mettre la technologie au service du Sud

Published:04.06.21 — Quatre nouveaux projets ont été sélectionnés dans le cadre de Tech4dev, un programme de l’EPFL visant à soutenir des solutions technologiques spécifiquement adaptées aux conditions de vie et nécessités des populations de pays en développement.