Léonard Evéquoz appointed new head of EPFL Valais Wallis
Léonard Evéquoz, futur directeur d'EPFL Valais Wallis. © EPFL
Léonard Evéquoz has been selected as the new head of EPFL’s Valais Wallis campus starting in the spring. He brings first-hand knowledge of the canton’s and region’s economic and political landscape.
Evéquoz will succeed Vincent Hiroz as the operational director of EPFL’s Valais Wallis campus in Sion. Hiroz will stay in the region, however, as he will become the first CEO of Energypolis SA, where his tasks will include developing the technology park that will soon open its doors in Sion.
Evéquoz, 40, grew up in Conthey and currently lives in Martigny-Combe. He initially trained in geomatics and obtained a vocational high-school diploma in this field. He then joined the Swiss air force, completing officer training as well as basic pilot training. Evéquoz enrolled at EPFL in 2008, first in the preparatory program and then in the bachelor’s program in environmental science and engineering. He completed an exchange at the University of Waterloo in Canada as part of his bachelor’s degree. His master’s thesis took him to the University of Michigan, where he studied advanced epidemiological modelling, marking a slight detour on his career path. Back in Switzerland, Evéquoz took a position with the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, where he served on a Swiss military intelligence cell in Kosovo. “The scientific rigor that I learned at EPFL has really helped me with decision-making throughout my career,” he says.
Evéquoz spent four years as a project manager for the central Valais metropolitan area to support its expansion, before taking on his current position as deputy director of the French-speaking Valais regional development agency (Antenne Région Valais Romand) in 2019. This agency assists the cantonal and municipal governments on issues related to urban development, digitalization and the economy. In parallel, Evéquoz obtained a Certificate of Advanced Studies in finance and accounting from HEC Lausanne and a Certificate of Open Studies in data science and machine learning from the EPFL Extension School. “Thanks to the skills I acquired in these continuing education programs, I was able to help towns in French-speaking Valais operate more effectively by implementing data-analysis and decision-support software,” he says. He adds that he’s particularly motivated by solving complex problems, whether related to people or technology.
Evéquoz’s appointment to lead EPFL’s Valais Wallis campus is a natural next step after spending a decade working on the canton’s regional development. “My current position already brings me into close contact with several of the organizations EPFL works with here, such as cantonal and municipal governments and HES-SO Valais-Wallis,” he says.
Taking the reins of a rapidly growing campus
Evéquoz’s skills in managing large, strategic projects and ability to unite stakeholders around them will be key strengths as he leads the Valais Wallis campus. This campus has grown steadily since it was officially established through an agreement with the Valais Cantonal Government in 2012 and the first research labs opened in 2015.
In 2017, this agreement was amended in order to lay the groundwork for the new Alpole research center on Alpine and polar environments, which was inaugurated two years ago. The EPFL Valais Wallis campus currently has 15 research chairs and over 250 employees, 70% of whom are based in Valais.
In June 2024, EPFL and the Valais Cantonal Government signed a third amendment to the agreement, officially kicking off the third phase of EPFL’s expansion into the canton. This phase will entail creating a new teaching, research and innovation hub devoted to the energy transition, with the goal of contributing to technological advancement in Switzerland and abroad. EPFL will set up six additional research chairs at the EPFL Valais Wallis campus, including two funded by the Canton of Valais. Evéquoz looks forward to steering the campus through these new developments, working in association with key players in the cantonal and regional ecosystem.