Empa conducts materials research and develops new technologies with which to drive innovation. This is very much in keeping with its identity as ‘the place where innovation starts’. During its 140-year history as a research institute, Empa has changed and evolved time and again in order to continue to contribute to the challenges of a changing society. After all, as Heraclitus said, ‘The only constant in life is change. During the first few years of Empa’s existence, the young institute’s success wasbased on high-quality inspection, measuring and testing procedures. However, it soon became clear that its profound understanding of materials and their manufacturing enabled it to identify important connections between systems and applications that were of technical – i.e. economic and societal – value. In our increasingly fast-changing times, creative discovery and research, swift implementation of practical applications and open interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration between different teams and disciplines are essential if Switzerland is to remain successful as a small national economy in a globalised world.

What has remained the same despite Empa’s fundamental transformation is its role as an interface between science and business, one that aims to anticipate and tackle future challenges for the benefit of Swiss industry and the good of society. After all, the boundaries between different disciplines are a rich source of surprising new discoveries. With this in mind, this book is merely a snapshot of our fastchanging world.