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.

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.

Link to the interview

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 HTW Chur: Photonics

Geoff Richards is proud of the new offering at the HTW 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 HTW Chur 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.

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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...