ETH Board opens consultation within the ETH Domain on the organisational development project “FIT for the Future”

Internal consultation on “FIT for the Future” with two versions

The ETH Board is seeking to achieve closer cooperation and enhanced coordination in the ETH Domain with the aim of exploiting synergies in a more targeted way and avoiding administrative obstacles. In future, the ETH Domain is expected to be supported by three strong strategic pillars: ETH Zurich, EPFL, and the four research institutes under one roof.

At the beginning of 2024, the ETH Board and the institutions of the ETH Domain jointly agreed on objectives for a future-proof organisation and structure in the ETH Domain. On this basis, they developed two model versions for the implementation of these objectives. The two versions differ mainly in the degree to which the four research institutes are integrated.
In the proposal with the working title “Swiss National Labs”, the research institutes retain their legal personalities. By contrast, in the version with the working title “Swiss National Lab”, the four research institutes are merged into a single legal entity. In both versions, the research institutes acquire a new collective image under one roof, retaining their names, logos/brands and locations.

The ETH Board discussed the two versions at its meeting of 4/5 March 2026 and decided to put both forward for internal consultation within the ETH Domain. This will begin after the ETH Board meeting and continue until the start of June. The ETH Board will evaluate the feedback and take it into account before making a decision on the next steps, probably in the second half of the year. Follow this link to find out more: https://ethrat.ch/en/eth-domain/fit-for-the-future-the-organisational-development-of-the-eth-domain/

Allocation of resources to the institutions of the ETH Domain for 2027

At its meeting, the ETH Board allocated the federal funding for the year 2027. It determined the distribution of resources for centrally planned strategic initiatives and research infrastructures throughout the ETH Domain. The ETH Board has awarded the bulk of the federal funding for 2027 to the two Federal Institutes of Technology, ETH Zurich and EPFL, and the four research institutes, PSI, WSL, Empa and Eawag, partly for their core missions and partly for the implementation of their development plans.

Consolidated reporting 2025 of the ETH Board on the ETH Domain

The ETH Board approved the consolidated reporting for 2025 on the ETH Domain. The annual report and the financial report of the ETH Board will now be sent to the Federal Council for approval and then published on the ETH Board’s website. In the consolidated reporting and the annual report, the ETH Board reports on the extent to which the Federal Council's Strategic Objectives for the ETH Domain for the period have been met. The financial report is prepared in accordance with international accounting standards. It provides detailed and transparent information about the 2025 financial year.

Change in the Direction of EPFL

Ambrogio Fasoli has been Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of EPFL since 2025. He will step down from these positions on 31 March 2026. The ETH Board thanks Ambrogio Fasoli for his dedicated work as head of the Academic Vice Presidency of EPFL, and for his commitment to the ETH Domain as a whole. In the Direction of EPFL, he has contributed to numerous developments within the academic community and helped enhance the international reputation of EPFL. At the conclusion of this important stage, he will dedicate himself once again to teaching and research in his specialist area: nuclear fusion, which is currently undergoing rapid expansion. The academic vice presidency of EPFL will be carried out on an interim basis by the EPFL Direction until a new appointment to the post has been made.