Academia
The ETH and the University of Zurich founded Life Science Zurich in 2001 as a joint communication platform for addressing the general public. Since then the platform has grown: it now consists of four units and the LSZ Business Network. In and around Zurich a number of academic institutions are supportive of Life Science Zurich.
The units of Life Science Zurich are
- LSZ Communication & Events stimulates dialogue between academia, the broad public and the industry.
- LSZ Graduate School aims to offer one of the best doctoral schools worldwide in the life sciences field and to prepare young researchers to develop into tomorrow’s leaders in research, industry and society
- LSZ Learning Center supports a strong and modern life science curriculum in primary and secondary education
- LSZ Young Scientist Network connects life scientists to career opportunities beyond academia
As well as the ETH and the UZH, the University Hospital Zurich, a number of other university hospitals, and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) are important academic institutions supportive of Life Science Zurich.
Scientific (competence) centers are networks coordinated according to strategic objectives of University and/or ETH institutes or parts of them. In many cases, they are joint cross-disciplinary centers of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich.
Scientific (competence) centers combine regional scientific know-how with business activities. They set milestones for the future and foster alliances between basic and applied research, so spurring innovation in business and society.
Academic networks and initiatives have been established to generate synergies, facilitate the exchange of ideas and know-how, and stimulate the interactions between basic science and clinical applications.
Collaborating with universities, public bodies, industry, and non-governmental organizations, applied research institutions serve as a bridge between the scientific world and the “real world” by delivering solutions with the help of science and technology. They thus create an important link between science and business.