Davos, the highest-altitude city in the Alps, has achieved an excellent reputation as a science city. Among experts, Davos' strong
brand is - among other factors - based on the innovative aura of the established research institutes in the Landwasser Valley. The Davos-based education and research institutes stand for a
top-level performance and generate research assignments from all over the world.
The research and education institutes represent an essential cornerstone for the regional economy, they stand for much more than just an important reputation factor. Davos trusts in the future generations and educates them on-site. On the one hand, this strengthens the traditional institutes such as the Vocational School Davos, the Swiss Alpine Secondary School, the Swiss Sports High School or the Graduate School Graubünden. On the other hand, it should prevent the "brain drain" by creating location advantages which attract highly-qualified staff and their families to Davos.
A modern education structure with a long tradition builds a solid base for the Science City Davos. Also for researchers and
scientists with an academic background, the existence of a well-established education network with secondary and high schools might be a relevant criterion for a relocation to Davos. The
education institutes add value to the location and therefore play an important role in the Science City Davos. Read more...
The research location Davos consists of six institutes with more than 400 multifaceted workplaces for highly qualified employees. According to a recent study, only the four biggest institutes generate a total net product of about 40 million Swiss Francs a year.
The Davos-based research institutes focus on current global health and environment risks and enjoy an excellent international reputation.
Davos and the Canton of Grisons are home to a variety of organizations which offer access to an efficient national and international network opening doors to influencial business partners. Due to this network, new ideas are generated, picked up by companies and developed into marketable products. The product development therefore bases on top-level and contemporary technologies. Read more...
Davos knows more, 28. January - 22. April 2021
Davos has one of the highest densities of natural scientists in Switzerland. Everyone should benefit from this!
Please find more information here and join the sessions.
Kinderuni Davos 2021 (2. - 7. August 2021)
At kinderuni, children become researchers, programmers and discoverers. The children choose one of the three projects and explore the universe, program robots or take creative photos.
They present the results of the week at the closing event on Friday, to which the parents and siblings are invited. In addition, of course, there is enough time for games, lots of fun and sports.
More information can be found here: www.kinderuni-davos.ch
New research centre to explore climate change and natural hazards in the Alpine region
The Canton of Grisons and the Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) are establishing a new research centre employing up to 40 people in Davos. From January 2021, the centre will examine social and economic issues connected with climate change, extreme events and natural hazards in mountainous regions. ETH Zurich will also be involved, through two professorships.
Further information can be found here.
Solar Orbiter: Sun mission blasts off
"Solar Orbiter" is a space probe which was launched into space in Florida with a rocket. The goal is to better understand the eruptions of the sun.
Also on board is an X-ray telescope, which was co-developed by the Physical Meteorological Observatory Davos (PMOD). The PMOD was involved in the construction of two instruments, the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) and the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment
(SPICE).
The EUI is intended to provide image sequences of the atmospheric solar layers and thus establish an indispensable link between the solar surface and the outer corona. SPICE also operates in the
extreme ultraviolet range and is intended to characterize plasma properties of the solar corona.
Further information can be found here.
New members Physical Meteorological Observatory and the Hochgebirgsklinik Davos
We welcome the Davos Physical Meteorological Observatory and the Hochgebirgsklinik Davos as new members of Sciencecity Davos.
General Meeting 2019
The general meeting 2019 of the Science City Davos took place on 26 June 2019 in the Davos Congress Centre. The annual accounts and the annual report 2018 were unanimously approved. After the meeting, the AO Foundation offered an Aperitif to all participants. Many thanks for that!
Research in Davos
Interview with Professor Geoff Richards, Director of AO Research Institute, about the unique advantages of doing research in a multinational village in the Swiss mountains.
New book about Davos: the alpine climate has a curing effect indeed
The recently published book «Davos - zwischen Bergzauber und Zauberberg» was initiated by the Science City Davos. With a variety of unknown facts, figures and
sources and interviews with local personalities, Franco Item presents a colorful overview of our history.
Further information
and order form (in German only)
New bachelor studies at Fachhochschule Graubünden in Chur: Photonics
Geoff Richards is proud of the new offering at the Fachhochschule Graubünden in Chur:
"Photonics technology is the foundation of most modern daily life aids from smartphones to laptops, is the basis of many medical instruments from X-Rays and MRI to modern thermometers and naturally is very important in all research from light and electron microscopes to laser based cell sorting machines. Photonics is everywhere, but until now missing as an individual course in education in Switzerland. It is great news for local industry, including hospitals and our research institutes in Davos that the Fachhochschule Graubünden will lead in Switzerland with the first bachelors in photonics, providing the right educated personnel for jobs in these areas."
Prof. R. Geoff Richards FBSE Director AO Research Institute Davos
Vice President Science City Davos
Further information
In 1904, a merchant and scientist named Carl Dorno accompanied his daughter who was suffering from tuberculosis to Davos. One question bothered many scientists at this time: How is it possible that patients are cured from tuberculosis in Davos? Also Dorno wanted to know more details, thus he decided to build a meteorological station on the roof of his house, trying to explain the connection between the Davos climate and its medical benefit. As a consequence, Carl Dorno established the Physical-meteorological Observatory Davos (PMOD), financed from his private assets. With his "study on light and air in high mountain regions" published in 1911, Dorno explained the Radiation Climatology. Thus, Carl Dorno became the founder of the research location Davos, although he never succeeded in entirely clarifying the healing effects of the climate in Davos.
The association Science City Davos ("Wissensstadt Davos") aims at strengthening and expanding the research and education location
Davos. Moreover, research and education shall be embedded as a relevant economic pillar in the Canton of Grisons. The members consist of local and regional research institutes, clinics, education
organizations and further corporations or individuals with an interest in the science location Davos. Read more...