Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Physics in Switzerland – driving economy, triggering innovation, empowering citizens
The impact of physics on society and economy is paramount. In the last centuries, physics has shaped the way how we understand the world we live in and has underpinned the largest industrial revolutions. Today, physics, which encompasses a vast range of scientific topics, is omnipresent in all technically oriented industrial sectors. The successful Swiss economy is the fruit of long-term support for physics in education and research. In a society so strongly shaped by science and technology, literacy in physics is essential. For these reasons, the Swiss Physical Society (SPS) has evaluated the influence of physics on the Swiss economy and on the society as a whole in the SPS Focus ‘Impact of Physics on Swiss Society’1. The main results and conclusions are summarised in this factsheet.
Kohli A (2022) Physics in Switzerland – driving economy, triggering innovation, empowering citizens. Swiss Academies Factsheets 17 (5)
Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
Lighthouse Programmes in Sustainability Research and Innovation
Wuelser G, Edwards P (2025)
Lighthouse Programmes in Sustainability Research and Innovation
Swiss Academies Reports 20 (4)Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences a+
Ethical guidelines for animal experiments
The Swiss Animal Welfare Act permits the use of animals for certain scientific purposes; at the same time, however, it requires that the dignity of animals be respected and their welfare protected. For researchers, reconciling these various societal interests can be challenging. The ethical guidelines for animal experiments (2025) are designed to clarify the margin of discretion left by the legislation and to encourage researchers to reflect on the handling of animals in their experiments. The decisive factors for updating the previous version from 2005 were new scientific knowledge and research methods on the one hand, as well as changes in the legal framework on the other.
Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Roles of Scientists in Sustainability Transformations: A Guide for Reflection and Workshop Facilitation
Scientists, scientific experts, and knowledge brokers often find themselves in situations where they need to play new roles in society or are criticised for positioning themselves at the interface between science and other societal fields of action. The present guide aims to stimulate reflections on, and discussions of, various different roles that scientists perform.