EPFL boosts presence in Neuchâtel
3D model of the Microcity building
With the development of Microcity, EPFL is establishing its presence in the canton of Neuchâtel. The first stone of the building, which will house the Institute of Microtechnology, was laid on Tuesday, October 11.
In 2007, the Institute of Microtechnology (IMT) in Neuchâtel became part of EPFL. For the first time, the school now had a campus outside of Lausanne. The goal was to foster innovation in a region of Switzerland renowned for its watchmaking and mechanical industries. A new step forward was taken on Tuesday, October 11, with the laying of the first stone of Microcity. Financed by the canton of Neuchâtel to the tune of 80 million Swiss francs, the building will house all the activities of the Institute. Eventually, the number of professorial chairs will be doubled, and the number of employees will rise from 300 to more than 600.
IMT is well known for its activitites in the area of watchmaking. The company Patek Philippe recently announced the creation of a new chair, and the scientists are cooperating with several important companies in this sector. Industrial automation, traditionally strongly anchored within the industrial fabric of the canton, is also one of the specialties of the Institute.
The strategy of IMT is to address both environmental and industrial aspects. In the discipline of green design, the design of ultra-low-consumption motors and electronics is a priority. In that vein, Europe has already assigned to the institute the task of designing and developing atomic clocks, for the Galileo satellites, which require minimal energy consumption. IMT is also well-known for its development of thin-film solar cells.
“The consolidation of the existing center of microtechnology around Microcity will also reinforce the interactions between the various institutions, and create a genuine knowledge network between EPFL, Neode, the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), the Haute Ecole ARC and the University of Neuchâtel” states the canton of Neuchâtel in its official communiqué. The foundation stone of the building was laid in the presence of, among others, the State Counsellor Philippe Gnaegi and the President of EPFL, Patrick Aebischer.