Studied Chemistry, ETH Zurich, University of Fribourg and Imperial College London; Doctorate in Technical Sciences, ETH Zurich; 1997, Postgraduate degree in Business Economics, ETH Zurich.
Formerly with ETH Zurich’s Department of Materials; 2001, Head, Polymer Chemistry Group. Co-Founder and, until 2008, Chief Executive Officer, a start-up in new coating technologies. 2003, Lecturer in Industrial Chemistry, Zurich University of Applied Sciences Winterthur ZHW (now ZHAW); developed and headed the field of polymer materials and obtained professorship.
2007-10, developed the ZHAW’s Institute of Materials and Process Engineering. 2011-18, Director, ZHAW School of Engineering, Member of the Executive Board and from 2014, Head, International Affairs, ZHAW.
2012-18, President of the Board, Federal Institute of Metrology METAS; 2011-18, Vice-President of the Board, Innovation Promotion Agency Innosuisse (until 2017 the Commission for Technology and Innovation); 2016-18, Member of the Board, Swiss National Science Foundation.
Former Member of the Board or Executive Committees: Swiss Study Foundation; Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW; Zurich Chamber of Commerce; Kuratorium, Freiburger Materialforschungszentrum, Albert-Ludwigs University, Freiburg (Germany). Expert, National Research Fund Luxembourg (FNR) and the European Commission.
Since 1 January 2019, Head of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research.
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