Empa’s Open Lab Day Offers Public a Hands-On Experience with Pioneering Scientific Research

Empa’s Open Lab Day Offers Public a Hands-On Experience with Pioneering Scientific Research

(IN BRIEF) Empa’s Open Lab Day on September 14, 2024, at their Dübendorf research campus will offer the public a unique opportunity to explore cutting-edge materials science through interactive exhibits, demonstrations, and tours. The event will cover themes like energy transition, climate change, health, and resource sustainability, with additional insights into water research from Eawag. Visitors can also enjoy lectures, workshops, and culinary offerings while engaging directly with researchers.

(PRESS RELEASE) DÜBENDORF, 13-Aug-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — On Saturday, September 14, 2024, Empa will open the doors to its new research campus in Dübendorf for an Open Lab Day, inviting the public to explore cutting-edge scientific innovations and engage directly with researchers. This event offers a unique opportunity to experience the forefront of materials science, with interactive exhibits, demonstrations, and tours of the newly established campus.

Visitors will have the chance to explore five themed zones, each dedicated to addressing critical global challenges. The “Energy Transition” area will showcase how everyday items like berry juice can be transformed into solar cells and how summer heat can be stored for winter use. The “Climate Change” section will demonstrate the greenhouse effect, CO₂ capture technologies, and the environmental benefits of drones.

In the “Healthy Life, Healthy Environment” zone, attendees can learn about 3D-printed joints, artificial skin, and the impact of environmental factors like railroad noise and microplastics on health. The “Dwindling Resources” area will focus on the sustainable use and recycling of raw materials, including innovative methods for recycling asphalt, concrete, and batteries. The “Fascinating Materials” exhibit will offer a glimpse into the future of materials science, featuring robots, liquid air, artificial earthquakes, and other cutting-edge technologies.

The aquatic research institute Eawag, co-located with Empa on the Dübendorf campus, will also be participating in the event, highlighting the significance of water as a resource and habitat through a series of engaging displays and activities.

In addition to these exhibits, visitors can tour Empa’s and Eawag’s large research platforms, such as the experimental building NEST, the mobility demonstrator move, and the Energy Hub. These platforms illustrate how future living, working, and energy supply systems will be shaped by innovative research.

The Open Lab Day will also feature lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities for all ages, including opportunities for children and school groups to engage in exciting experiments. For those interested in pursuing a career in science, the event will provide insights into the apprenticeship programs available at Empa.

Alongside the scientific exhibits, visitors can enjoy a variety of culinary delights from food trucks and cafes on site, and even take a break to chat with Empa researchers over coffee in the Friends of Empa lounge.

More information about the Open Lab Day can be found on the event’s official website.

About Empa

As a research institute of the ETH Domain, Empa develops innovative materials and technologies for a sustainable future that is worth living. Founded more than 140 years ago in the basement of the Polytechnic in Zurich, today’s ETH Zurich, as a materials testing institute, today it is entirely dedicated to materials science and technology development with the aim of developing marketable innovations for and with Swiss industry. In addition to the campus in Dübendorf, Empa also conducts research at its sites in St. Gallen and Thun. Further information and images on Empa’s history and research as well as on the new co-operate research campus can be found in our media kit (in German).

Media Contacts:

Claudia Gonzalez
Head Empa-Akademie
Phone +41 58 765 42 96
claudia.gonzalez@empa.ch

Anna Ettlin
Communications
Phone +41 58 765 47 33
redaktion@empa.ch

SOURCE: EMPA