About
The Singapore-ETH Centre was established in 2010 by ETH Zurich - The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF), as part of the NRF’s external pageCREATE campus. As ETH Zurich's only research centre outside of Switzerland, the centre has strengthened the research capacity of ETH Zurich to develop sustainable solutions to global challenges in Switzerland, Singapore and the surrounding regions.
Set in Asia, in a rapidly urbanising region, the Singapore-ETH Centre aims to provide practical solutions to some of the most pressing challenges on urban sustainability, resilience and health through its programmes: Future Cities Lab Global (FCL Global), Future Resilient Systems (FRS), and Future Health Technologies (FHT).
The centre serves as an intellectual hub for research, bringing together principal investigators and researchers from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. To promote the exchange of ideas and expertise, our researchers actively collaborate with universities and research institutes and engage with industry and government agencies to translate knowledge to practical solutions to real-world problems.
We work with partner universities and government agencies to tackle challenges such as the urban heat island effects through the Cooling Singapore project, conservation of nature through the Natural Capital Singapore project, and mapping sub-surface utilities in Singapore through the Digital Underground project.
The Singapore-ETH Centre Story
Singapore-ETH Centre set up in CREATE Tower by the National Research Foundation, Singapore President Tony Tan visits Singapore-ETH Centre, hosted by Prof Gerhard Schmit, Nov 2012.
Singapore-ETH Centre inauguration graced by then ETH President Prof Ralph Eichler, Permanent Secretary for National Research and Development Ms Yong Ying-I, Swiss Federal Councillor Alain Berset, Environment Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Mar 2012.
Future Resilient Systems, second programme of Singapore-ETH Centre, launched in Nov 2014. FCL exhibits the fruits of our first five-year phase at ETH Zurich, Sep 2014
Senior Minister of State Lee Yi-Shyan and Swiss Ambassador Thomas Kupfer visits FCL's Urban Lab exhibition, Jan 2015.
FCL signs MoU with URA and LTA to develop MATSim Singapore, Jan 2015
Swiss Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard visits Singapore-ETH Centre, Jul 2015
FCL's pilot project 3for2@UWCSEA in partnership with Siemens and UWCSEA launched, Jan 2016 Former ETH Zurich president Prof Ralph Eichler and Mr Helmut Macht, CTO of Siemens Building Technologies at FCL's 3for2@UWCSEA launch, Jan 2016 President of ETH Zurich, Prof Lino Guzella visits Singapore-ETH Centre, Mar 2016.
Finance Minister and Chair of Committee for Future Economy, Heng Swee Kiat visits Singapore-ETH Centre, Apr 2016.
SEC conducts the A dvanced Urban Design Course at the URA.
FCL Programme Director Prof Stephen Cairns at groundbreaking ceremony of Tropical Town pilot project in Batam, Indonesia, May 2016. FCL partners the city of Semarang in Indonesia for Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities programme, May 2016
FRS Programme Director Prof Hans Heinimann participates in World Cities Summit, Jul 2016
FCL's MuSES team offers the Urban Energy Systems Executive Course in Jul 2018. The Natural Capital Singapore intra-CREATE project with NUS, NTU and NParks started in 2018.
The second phase of the Digital Underground project with the Singapore Land Authority commenced in 2019. The research collaboration agreement was signed by SLA CEO Tan Boon Khai and ETH Zurich VP for Research Prof. Detlef Guenther. SEC launched the ETH Singapore Month themed Future of Urban Society for students from ETH Zurich, Cambridge, MIT, NTU, NUS, SUTD and TU Munich in 2019.
Image: Silk And Salt Images SEC Future Health Technologies programme, led by Prof. Nicole Wenderoth started in March 2020 Future Health Technologies principal investigators at the launch event.
Image: Silk And Salt Images The second phased of the Future Resilient Systems started in 2020, led by director Prof.Christoph Hoelscher and co-director Jonas Joerin.
Image: Silk And Salt Images Future Resilient Systems principal investigators at the launch event.
ETH president Prof. Joel Mesot and VP for Research Prof. Detlef Gunther viist the Singapore-ETH Centre in 2019, seen here with the SEC management.
SEC celebrates 10 years of its founding in 2020.
Image: Silk And Salt Images
