Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Making landscape services tangible
Landscapes provide the physical foundation for life and simultaneously give us space for living, working, recreation, culture, and commerce. The added quality of landscapes for humans can only be fostered when landscape benefits are identified and made explicit. At present, this occurs far too rarely in spatially relevant projects. The participatory approach of ‘landscape services’ can be used to identify the functions of landscapes that contribute direct economic, social, and/or ecological benefits to individuals and wider society. In this way, landscape services provide an important basis for dialogue in the design of landscapes. The present factsheet supports implementation of the Swiss Landscape Concept adopted in 2020, in addition to other political-societal initiatives.
Keller R, Clivaz M, Backhaus N, Reynard E, Lehmann P, Schüpbach U (2022)
Making Landscape Services Tangible. Swiss Academies Factsheets 17 (1)
Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
STEM 2026: Where Switzerland stands today
Twelve years on from the first STEM Youth Barometer, the new 2026 edition reveals that interest in STEM has remained largely stable, stereotypes persist, and women underestimate their own abilities. At the same time, the findings are more nuanced than expected and point to clear areas for improvement.
Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Beyond the transaction: commodity trade and sustainable development
This factsheet maps the sustainability links of commodity trade, identifies knowledge gaps, and outlines options for commodity hubs, including Switzerland, to reduce economic, environmental and social sustainability risks.
Swiss Young Academy SYA
Impact of AI on Early Career Researchers: Challenges, Opportunities and Responsibilities
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming science and is therefore profoundly reshaping the work of Early Career Researchers. Against this backdrop, the publication Impact of AI on Early Career Researchers: Challenges, Opportunities, and Responsibilities, developed by members of the Swiss Young Academy, namely Emmanuel Senft, Sabrina H. Kessler, Pamela Delgado, Devi Bühler, and Alexandre Bovet, offers a timely interdisciplinary reflection on these changes. The booklet examines both the opportunities and risks of AI across five key areas – research, teaching, science communication, policymaking, and sustainability – while also addressing critical issues such as research integrity, data privacy, misinformation, governance, and environmental impact. It further highlights the responsibilities of Early Career Researchers and higher education institutions in promoting AI literacy, transparency, ethical standards, and responsible use of AI in science.