“Energy challenges can only be tackled by working together”
The Energy Science Center at ETH Zurich is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Executive Director Christian Schaffner sits down with us to take a look back at the Center’s beginnings, the key moments, and the current challenges. He also explains why the upcoming Energy Week is more than just a professional event.?
Do you still remember your first days at the ESC?
Christian Schaffner: Oh yes, very clearly. When I moved to ETH from the Federal Administration 13 years ago, the Energy Science Center was effectively inactive. In my office there were two or three folders, and that was it. But it was precisely this initial set-up that appealed to me – creating a new structure to tackle energy issues across disciplinary boundaries.
The ESC was founded back in 2005. What was the motivation behind it?
A few professors at ETH recognised early on that energy is a pivotal and long-term issue – and that it’s not only technical, but also societal, economic and political. They wanted to create a centre to institutionalize this interdisciplinary approach. Notable among the group were ETH emeritus professors G?ran Andersson and Konstantinos Boulouchos, who co-founded the Energy Science Center.
What were the crucial stages in the development of the ESC?
An important step was definitely the co-founding of the Master’s degree programme in Energy Science and Technology, almost 20 years ago. The fact that teaching was also an integral part of the ESC was a key element from the outset. Discussions about the future of Swiss energy supply followed later, after Fukushima in 2011. And the energy crisis following Russia’s attack on Ukraine pushed the topic back into the spotlight.
Incidents such as these lend energy topics renewed urgency. This is how the ESC has grown – in terms of people, organisation and the topics we deal with. Today, we have some 18 people working here – in research, education, coordination and science communication. Particularly worthy of note is the management of interdisciplinary projects.
Christian Schaffner studied electrical engineering at ETH Zurich and completed a doctorate in electrical energy systems. Prior to his role at the ESC he worked at the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, where he headed up the Networks Section. His position there included overseeing the development of a network expansion strategy and a roadmap for smart grids. He was also involved in the bilateral negotiations on an energy agreement between Switzerland and the European Union between 2010 and 2013.
How does the ESC contribute to networking within ETH?
Our role is to highlight synergies. We bring researchers from different disciplines together when new questions are raised by actors from society, policymaking or industry. Our work also involves developing joint projects and coordinating funding applications. We can only achieve the goal of a sustainable, secure and affordable energy supply if we work together, which is why launching and implementing cross-cutting research projects is so important.
You’ve also set up a continuing education programme.
Yes, the Applied Technology in Energy programme plays an important part in networking with industry. It is aimed at people from business who are keen to acquire a technical grounding in energy topics – even if they don’t have an engineering background. The programme is part of a Master of Advanced Studies in Applied Technology (MAS ETH AT).
Picture gallery with impressions from 20 years of ESC
What subjects is the ESC particularly focusing on?
Everything revolves around the question of how we achieve an energy supply that is secure, affordable and climate friendly. In other words, electrification of heating and transport, expansion of renewable energies, and an energy system that evens out fluctuations and takes the pressure off networks and grids.
In the PATHFNDR research project, which is funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, the ESC is working with other research institutions to explore these questions. Interdisciplinary teams model future energy and electricity systems and run pilot projects with industrial partners to test solutions.
Which development at the ESC are you personally most pleased about?
I’m particularly delighted that we’ve been able to expand interdisciplinary cooperation – which was already very successful within ETH – to industry. A good example of this is the case studies in the Energy Science and Technology Master’s programme. At the beginning we asked businesses whether they had any issues that students could work on. We didn’t know at first whether there would be much interest.
But the response was overwhelming and industrial partners are queueing up. For students this is a valuable opportunity to work on real-life questions and make contacts. And for businesses it’s fascinating to get new perspectives and initiate potential research projects.
What’s the role of the upcoming Energy Week for the ESC?
The Energy Week is our platform to provide a glimpse into energy research at ETH Zurich – for the public, professionals and students. Energy is sometimes seen as a very abstract and technical subject, so it’s important to us to bring the topic to life and make it accessible. This year we’ll also be celebrating the ESC’s 20th anniversary at the Energy Week.
There will be a visually engaging exhibition in the main hall at ETH showing how a complex electricity system works. For me personally the Energy Week is also a team experience. Seeing what we’ve been able to achieve together is a highlight every time.
And where do you see the ESC in ten years’ time?
I hope that we can continue to bolster our role as an independent platform and facilitator – both within the ETH and with policymakers and players from society and industry. The important thing is that we offer true added value. And not only in Switzerland, but also increasingly in international networks.
Energy Week 2025: The future of energy – a shared responsibility
How should we design the energy supply of tomorrow? The Energy Week @ ETH 2025 is dedicated to the pressing issues around the energy transition and shows that making it a reality is not only a technological challenge, but a task for the whole of society.
10–14 November 2025
ETH Zurich, main building
Programme and registration for the Energy Week 2025
The exhibition ‘Time of Energy’ invites visitors to discover the future of energy in Switzerland. It is open all week in the main hall (no need to book). Ten digital clocks show how electricity flows, how heat is stored, how homes are powered, how vehicles are charged, and how production and consumption are reconciled.
The Energy Science Center (ESC) at ETH Zurich is an interdisciplinary centre of excellence that promotes energy research and teaching at the university. The ESC aims to facilitate the deployment of a sustainable energy system that is environmentally friendly, reliable, low risk, economically viable and socially compatible.
The ESC brings together over 50 professors from 9 departments, thereby bolstering collaboration between ETH and players from industry, policymaking and society on energy-related issues.