"ETH Swiss GeoLab will put us among the world's leaders in Earth observation"

Mr Mesot, just 18 months ago you announced a major donation from the Dieter Schwarz Foundation. Now there's been an extremely generous donation from the J?rg G. Bucherer-Foundation. Will this solve ETH's money worries?
Jo?l Mesot: Let me begin by thanking the J?rg G. Bucherer-Foundation on behalf of our entire university, also for its vision. The donation from the Bucherer-Foundation means we can set up an Earth observation centre that will be a global pioneer ¨C and the whole of Switzerland will benefit from this. But to answer your question, even generous donations that are geared towards the long term cannot replace basic funding from the federal government. They do, however, allow us to grow in promising areas.

What makes Earth observation a promising field?
We live in a world that faces enormous challenges in terms of climate change and geopolitical crises, but also agriculture. Researchers use satellite images to forecast storms, measure snow depth, estimate agricultural yields and monitor climate change. But the potential of Earth observation is far from being exhausted. The huge amounts of data that satellites, drones and sensors collect every day are still not used in a targeted way.

How are you aiming to exploit this potential?
The systematic use of modern data technologies is central to this. Without AI and high-end computing, however, it is nowadays almost impossible to transfer the knowledge gained in studies and research projects to a more expansive field. The Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano comes into play for storing and processing the data. As such, Swiss GeoLab can benefit from the new ¡°Alps¡± supercomputer, which we inaugurated last autumn.

What specific tasks will Swiss GeoLab take on?
ETH Swiss GeoLab intends to use data from space, from the air and on the ground as well as AI-supported analysis methods to better understand our planet and overcome specific challenges. The spectrum of possible research topics is broad: It extends from the early detection of natural disasters, such as the landslides that recently hit the Swiss municipalities of Blatten and Brienz, to predicting agricultural yields to help farmers with their planning.

How does ETH expect to grow in the field of Earth observation?
There are already numerous researchers at ETH who are working on Earth observation and evaluating data from satellites and drones, for example. Through our partnership with the J?rg G. Bucherer-Foundation, we can take research and knowledge transfer in this important field to a whole new level. ETH Swiss GeoLab will put us among the best in the world in the field of Earth observation.

How do you plan to achieve this?
With an excellent team. Joining us as Director of the centre is Thomas Zurbuchen, who is an experienced and internationally well-networked leader. As NASA Research Director and at ETH Zurich, he has shown that he can successfully manage large projects, setting up the Master's degree course in Space Systems. He will be supported in this project by ETH Professor Verena Griess, who will become Deputy Director. Verena uses satellite data in her own research to obtain information about the condition of trees and forests, among other areas. Behind these two stand a core team of professors from various disciplines. This core team will hold discussions within ETH Zurich with researchers who want to get involved with the GeoLab.

Can companies also get involved in the centre?
Cooperation with industry partners and start-ups is an absolute necessity. At ETH Swiss GeoLab, we not only want to conduct research, but also develop new Earth observation technologies as well as products and services based on these. So we can work on relevant issues right from the start and to be able to scale technologies, we depend on our cooperation with both start-ups and established industry partners.

The heart of Swiss GeoLab will be based in Lucerne. Why Lucerne?
J?rg G. Bucherer had strong ties to Lucerne, and the Foundation wants to promote the region in its own work. We want to respect that. The fact that Swiss GeoLab will establish a physical presence in Central Switzerland is also thanks to the support of the Canton of Lucerne, which is contributing 2.8 million Swiss francs to the infrastructure costs. And what's very important for us is that, with its proximity to the Alps, its universities and successful companies in the aircraft, machinery and electronics industries, Lucerne is an ideal location for a competence centre for Earth observation.

One final question, can you tell us how this generous donation came about?
J?rg G. Bucherer was the sole owner of the Bucherer Group, the largest watch retailer in the world. He sold the group to Rolex in the summer of 2023 and established the Foundation with the proceeds.  When he died childless in November 2023, he bequeathed his entire fortune to the Foundation. The ETH Zurich Foundation became aware of the organisation and approached it with the idea of jointly establishing a world-leading competence centre for Earth observation. The Bucherer-Foundation was immediately fascinated with the idea, and the Canton of Lucerne also welcomed us with open arms. Their response helped the project grow very quickly. The Foundation's President, Dr Urs M¨¹hlebach, played a key part in making it happen. I would like to thank him wholeheartedly for his trust and fantastic support.