Valais is increasingly positioning itself as the energy hub of Switzerland. It is the country’s largest producer of renewable energy and home to the Energypolis campus. As of January 2019, the canton also hosts a new interdisciplinary institute for applied research and development dedicated to energy and the environment.
An interdisciplinary approach
The new center of the HES-SO Valais-Wallis combines the know-how of the School of Engineering (HEI) and the School of Management (HEG). The institute will focus on broad environmental and energy issues, with the goal to “provide a single gateway to come up with answers adapted to the needs of society”, explains Professor Pierre Roduit, who heads the institute.
Drawing on the expertise of its 60 employees, including 19 professors, the institute intends to work on various energy-related topics including renewable energy, smart grids, mobility and the environment through three complementary approaches: technological, economic and IT. Synergies will be developed with the Energypolis campus, as well as with the Centre de recherches énergétiques et municipales (CREM) based in Martigny.
