Technology transfer

A long-term engagement with industry is one of our key strategic goals.

MARVEL gathers 33 research laboratories from 11 Swiss institutions and opens the door to accelerated materials design and discovery. The IBM Research laboratories at Rüschlikon have been a partner to MARVEL from the very beginning. An Industrial Advisory Board helps us gain insight into industrial challenges for which atomistic modeling could play a role. We are now looking to develop broad industrial partnerships focused on the development of materials with specific properties over medium- to long-term perspectives.

MARVEL's research areas can be classified into five industrial application sectors: metallurgy, energy, pharmaceuticals, chemistry/catalysis, new electronics.

Modeling can provide answers to questions linked to:

  • the evolution of mechanical properties of crystals with temperature 
  • the selection of new compositions of alloys to reach targeted mechanical properties
  • the prediction of optical or electrical properties of a novel materials,
  • the identification of the best spatial configuration of a chemical compound.

Such questions can be solved with theoretical models, allowing you to evaluate a family of materials before investing in full-scale experimental tests.

MARVEL is the central entry point giving you access to:

  • leading laboratories in new materials design and discovery,
  • informatic infrastructure for high speed calculations that allow us to address complex technical issues,
  • experimental facilities at Empa and PSI, among others, to validate the results of modeling
  • public funding for collaborative research : Innosuisse projects at Swiss level, European fundings, direct mandates or student internships.