The PFAS dilemma: Why replacing and phasing out these substances is becoming a project for generations to come

News contribution

• ‘We’re not making the most of this opportunity right now’: Claudia Röösli on Switzerland’s decision not to participate in Copernicus

  Role: Author | News | 03-08-26

  The Federal Council has decided that Switzerland will not participate in the European Earth observation programme Copernicus during the 2028–2034 programme period either – despite repeated calls from Parliament and a recent study which concludes that the benefits of joining clearly outweigh the costs. Switzerland will therefore continue to use the freely available satellite data, but will remain excluded from participation in Copernicus services, tenders and committees. In an interview with the SATW, Dr Claudia Röösli, Head of the Earth Observation Applications and Services Group at the University of Zurich’s Remote Sensing Laboratories, analyses the decision. Her conclusion: Switzerland is foregoing a say in the matter, economic potential and the development of expertise in a field of the future.

   

• The PFAS dilemma: Why replacing and phasing out these substances is becoming a project for generations to come

  Role: Author | News | 19-08-26

  Headlines about PFAS are becoming increasingly frequent: this group of substances, which went unnoticed for a long time, is everywhere – even in food and in the bodies of humans and animals – and it is not simply going to disappear. Whilst environmental and consumer protection campaigners are pushing for a swift end to exposure, industry is searching for alternatives for key technologies. However, the path to a PFAS-free future is a generational project that will challenge business, research and society for decades to come. In an interview with SATW, Manfred Heuberger (Empa), Martin Scheringer (ETH Zurich) and Dominique Werner (Scienceindustries) explain what the biggest challenges are when dealing with PFAS.

   

• From waste to raw material: How Switzerland is reinventing recycling

  Role: Expert | News | 05-08-26

  Gold from old computers, fertiliser from wastewater, batteries with a second life: the SATW’s Technology Outlook highlights where Switzerland stands today in terms of recycling and which innovations from universities and industry are paving the way towards a genuine circular economy.

   

• Building a sustainable future together: the courage to experiment

  Role: Author | News | 14-07-26

  The courage to experiment pays off – both on stage and in business: at the Zurich SME Innovation Day on 7 July 2026, Claudia Schärer turned a data blunder into a lesson on taking a critical look at one’s own results. In three workshops on digital product passports, industrial 3D printing and the circular economy, the approximately 230 participants also received practical inspiration for their innovation projects.

   

• Medicine at a turning point

  Role: Author | News | 04-05-26

  Modern medicine is at a turning point thanks to the groundbreaking biological findings that are driving it forward. However, it has so far remained focused on average patients and concentrated on a few large, centralised institutions. The decisive change lies in overcoming the "medicine of snapshots" in favour of decentralised, personalised support that works continuously and regardless of location. Three technological pillars support this change: networked infrastructure, human augmentation and high-precision, biologically customised therapies.