2024 milestones at Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich

February: Hardware meetups

Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich is set to launch a series of Hardware Meetups starting in February. These gatherings are designed to foster a collaborative environment where professionals from various sectors, including electronics, robotics, and computing, can converge. The aim is to facilitate knowledge exchange, network building, and the showcase of new technologies.

Stay tuned for date announcements and registration information.

March: New website launch

We are excited to announce that our newly designed website will be launched in just a few weeks. Our goal is to provide you with a more personalized experience. The updated structure, appearance, and functionality will better reflect the significant upcoming developments we have on our radar for the coming months.

April-May: Groundbreaking ceremony - hyperloop demotube

Yes, a 120 m long Hyperloop DemoTube will be installed on our campus for testing runs of hyperloop pods under vacuum conditions. Stay tuned for exciting details!

May-June: UZH Space Hub inaugurates Hangar 4

In spring 2024, the Space Hub of the University of Zurich, led by Prof. Dr. Dr. Oliver Ullrich, will inaugurate its new home at Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich, in Hangar 4, following extensive refurbishments. A multi-user-facility, the former plane hangar will provide rentable office, meeting, biolaboratory and workshop spaces as well as direct access to the airfield runway.

This hub is a pivotal center for interdisciplinary space research and innovation, uniting 35 prominent research groups. These groups specialize in diverse areas, including earth observation, space life sciences, astrophysics, supercomputing, autonomous flying, and the navigation of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The UZH Space Hub stands for the New Space and is the place-to-be for established, globally active space companies, SMEs and start-ups from the space and aviation sectors.

July: European Hyperloop Week (EHW)

Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich will co-host the European Hyperloop Week from 15 to 17 July 2024, with two additional venues being the Europaallee in the city centre of Zurich and the ETH Zurich.

The event will unite 26 student teams from around the world, fostering competition and collaboration in hyperloop technology. Open to the public, it will feature team innovations with live demonstrations on our airfield runway.

Swissloop, a prominent ETH competition team and our community member, is playing a central role in the organizing committee.

We at Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich are committed to hosting significant technological events and promoting sustainable transportation innovations. This competition will serve as a learning platform and aligns with our focus area for sustainable and efficient transportation solutions.

Autumn: ETH Hangar expansion

ETH Hangar will expand to Plane Hangars 2 and 3 following their refurbishment. This project is more than a physical expansion; it represents a strategic effort to enhance the synergies between academia and industry. The new facilities will offer advanced research and testing environments, including areas for large-scale experiments and collaborative workspaces. Hangar 3 will be dedicated to applied educational initiatives, such as workshops and project-based learning, while Hangar 2 will focus on fostering research collaborations with industry.

Summary

Throughout 2024, these milestones will not only advance the physical infrastructure of Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich but also strengthen its position as a hub of innovation, research, and collaboration. Each event and project are carefully designed to contribute to the park's overarching mission of driving technological progress and fostering a culture of innovation in its focus areas of Robotics & Mobility, Space & Aviation as well as Advanced Manufacturing. We will provide you with further updates as these exciting developments unfold throughout the year.