We Are ETH ETH Zurich

Join us on an inspiring journey with Etienne Jeoffroy, CEO of ETH spin-off FENX, as he shares insights into sustainable materials innovation and its potential impact on reducing carbon footprints.
Etienne Jeoffroy, co-founder and CEO of FENX, talks to Susan Kish about his journey in sustainable materials innovation. He recalls how his grandmother, a farmer, instilled in him a deep appreciation for materials and the importance of longevity. Looking back on his diverse academic and professional career, Etienne explains the genesis of FENX's pioneering mineral foam insulation technology and emphasises its potential to significantly reduce building emissions and emphasises the paramount importance of collaboration between stakeholders. You can also find out more about Etienne's diverse interests, such as his unwavering love of basketball,
This is his story.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and Background
(03:05) Journey from France to Switzerland
(06:15) Development of FENX's Mineral Foam
(09:32) Challenges of Scaling Up in the Construction Industry
(10:26) Collaboration and Stakeholder Involvement in Construction Innovation
(12:47) The Influence of ETH Zurich
(13:43) Curiosity, Learning, and Running a Startup
Links mentionned:
Books:
'The Mamba Mentality' von 'Kobe Bryant'Show Dog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_Dog
Podcast
Nota Bene

According to ETH Alumni Daniel Naeff, it is important to strike a balance between leveraging the positive aspects of AI and understanding the potential challenges.
In this episode, Susan Kish interviews Daniel Naeff, an entrepreneur and one of the leads at the ETH AI Center. They discuss angel investing, the inspiration behind starting companies, and Switzerland's potential in AI. They also touch on an exciting new development at the ETH Alumni Association, where Daniel is a Member of the Board: the ETH Knowledge Network, an AI-powered platform where members can connect and interact with each other.
This is his story.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and Switzerland's Potential in AI
(01:13) The Role of Angel Investors in Startups
(08:28) The ETH Alumni Network: Connecting and Sharing Knowledge
(11:46) Navigating the Opportunities and Risks of AI
(14:02) Insights from Newsletters and Podcasts

Here’s how to put the ‘fabric’ into fabricate, as ETH Zurich alumna and TU Delft Assistant Professor of Digital Fabrication Mariana Popescu explains.
 
Could a knitting machine revolutionise construction? 
For her PhD, ETH Zurich alumna Mariana Popescu worked with the Block Research Group to show that it’s possible to use lightweight knitted textiles as a mold for concrete. Mariana discusses knitting machines, complex geometry, and why her PhD project needed two suitcases to get to Mexico.
This is her story.
 
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to the Knit Candela project
(01:18) Using fabric formwork for casting concrete
(04:08) Construction of the Knit Candela structure
(04:32) Computation and modeling in the project
(05:26) The Swiss influence on the project
(06:21) Applicability of the project beyond Switzerland
(07:21) Scaling up the project and future developments
(08:18) Improving the design for reusability and waste reduction
(08:48) The multidisciplinary skills required for the project
(09:12) Choosing ETH Zurich for further studies
(10:40) The process of selecting the thesis topic
(11:39) The role of collaboration and openness in the project
(12:33) Mariana's knitting and programming skills
(13:01) Understanding parametric design and computational design
(14:24) Setting up a group focused on fabrication
(15:20) The potential impact of the projects on architecture and construction
(16:18) Mariana's curiosity in fabrication and materials
(18:08) Closing remarks and podcast outro

ETH Alumna Sandra Herrmann is an oceanographer, a geologist, a paleontologist, a pilot… and member of NASA's Analog Astronauts.
Sandra Herrmann studied geology and palaeontology at TU Bergakademie Freiberg and completed her doctorate in natural sciences at ETH Zurich. She subsequently emigrated to the USA and spent 12 years working for the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) in various posts. Since October 2023, she has been conducting research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego.
 Sandra explains what an analog astronaut is and shares her experience of spending 45 days in a space capsule as part of NASA's research on human behavior in stressful situations. She discusses the qualifications and application process to become an analog astronaut, and highlights the importance of cohesion, sleep, and hobbies on such missions. All of this makes her a strong candidate for future space missions…
This is her story.
Links:
“Catucation” Catboss & Furrfriends, Cat talk Radio
Globe article: https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2023/12/globe-modern-adventurer.html
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and analog astronaut
(01:15) NASA's analog astronaut program
(02:39) Experiences in the space capsule
(03:36) Becoming an analog astronaut
(05:05) Experience as an oceanographer
(08:17) Cohesion, sleep, and hobbies
(11:29) Applying the three Key observations
(15:12) Academic background and PhD
(20:50) Commercial pilot's license
(22:46) Childhood aspirations and curiosity
(24:51) Favorite places in Zurich

Anne Scherer, co-founder of Delta Labs AG and author of the book You and AI, explains why trust and comfort are crucial in human-machine interaction.
The development of AI has sparked a lot of interest and enthusiasm, and Anne Scherer thinks its rate of development is expected to continue to surprise us. Anne is co-founder of Delta Labs AG and author of the book You and AI, in which she tries to make people more aware of what's going on in this field by reducing fear of that technology. Before founding Delta Labs, she was an Assistant Professor of Quantitative Marketing at the University of Zurich, a researcher at ETH Zurich, and completed her PhD at the Technical University of Munich. 
Anne shares her experience at ETH Zurich and how it influenced her entrepreneurial spirit, and discusses the intersection of AI and creativity. She explains why increasing AI literacy in society is important to have more informed discussions about AI.
This is her story.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and Personal Background
(02:00) The Connection Between Travel and Technology Exploration
(03:21) Taking Different Perspectives and Exploring New Things
(04:15) The Impact of AI and the Rate of Development
(05:41) The Hype Cycle and the Potential of AI
(07:02) Generative AI and its Ease of Use
(08:21) The Book 'You and AI'
(10:42) Trust and Comfort with AI
(12:31) The Design of Technology and Human Interaction
(14:44) ETH Experience and Research
(17:36) Becoming AI Literate
(18:33) Recommendations for Learning about AI
(19:59) AI and Creativity
(20:28) Conclusion

Olivier de Weck is a leading systems engineering expert, which he describes as “the art and science of building, implementing, and operating complex systems.” Born in Switzerland, he holds degrees in industrial engineering from ETH Zurich (1993) and aerospace systems engineering from MIT (2001), where is now Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems.
In this episode of the We Are ETH Podcast, he compares ETH Zurich and MIT, highlighting their similarities and global impact. He explains the concept of “ilities” (as in reliability, flexibility, etc.) in systems engineering and its importance in designing and maintaining complex systems. He shares his fascination with space, and explains the potential for Mars settlement.
This is his story.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and ETH-MIT comparison
(01:10) Founding of ETH and MIT
(02:07) Definition of systems engineering
(03:00) Origins and growth of systems engineering
(03:57) Interdisciplinary research and systems science
(05:39) Importance of illities in systems
(06:35) Interest in space and Mars settlement
(11:50) Excitement in the field of space exploration
(13:41) Exploration of lagrange points
(15:06) Mars as a potential settlement
(17:15) Long-term vision for Mars settlement
(18:10) Educational background and journey to MIT
(21:28) ETH's space program and future opportunities
(22:45) Childhood dreams and current curiosity
(26:03) Reading preferences and interest in science fiction
(27:03) Favorite places in Zurich
(28:23) Closing remarks