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Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
Panorama Gesellschaft Schweiz 2024
The new series, "A Panorama of Swiss Society", is published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the Universities of Neuchâtel and Fribourg and the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences is the joint initiative of official statistics and social science research in the universities. It is the continuation of the previous Swiss Social Report. The aim of the new series is to make important findings on key socio-political topics and fundamental trends in Swiss society accessible for public interest.
The current issue is dedicated to the ageing of society. Demographic change and an ageing society are megatrends. Ageing refers both to individual development that continues well into old age and to the dynamics of institutions and structures as well as societal developments, attitudes and challenges. Conventional perceptions of old age no longer apply. This can be seen, for example, in novel ageing concepts in science and politics. The aim of this Panorama is to explore selected topics relating to ageing in greater depth. The publication thus paints a contrasting, multi-layered picture of various aspects and dimensions of ageing in Switzerland.
Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW
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Swiss precision in space
Switzerland does not launch any large rockets of its own, but it is involved in research missions throughout the solar system. Universities develop scientific instruments, companies supply high-precision technology, and a growing number of start-ups are seeking to develop new business opportunities from this.Swiss Young Academy SYA
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Bridging research and practice
He brings together people from within and beyond academia – with the aim of helping us respond more effectively to climate change. Benjamin Hofmann is a researcher at ETH Zurich’s TdLab. As a member of the Swiss Young Academy, teaching is particularly important to him.
Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW
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More Swiss research in space: Florian Kehl on the development of space missions at ETH Zurich
Four telescopes that must maintain a stable focus on extremely faint galaxies for an exceptionally long time, and detectors that remain at a constant temperature of around –130 degrees Celsius throughout: the ARRAKIHS space telescope has been built to the very limits of what is technically possible. In June 2026, the European Space Agency (ESA) gave the go-ahead for the mission – with a Swiss contribution for which Florian Kehl was responsible until the end of 2025. To ensure that such contributions do not remain isolated cases, in addition to high-quality research, we need structures, streamlined processes and people who can get entire missions off the ground. This is precisely what Kehl is working on today as Director of Space Research Initiatives at ETH Zurich | Space. In an interview with SATW, he explains what makes ARRAKIHS so technically challenging, just how competitive Switzerland really is when it comes to securing leadership roles in European missions, and why, in his view, the search for extraterrestrial life might be on the verge of yielding an answer.