Organisational structure
Steering Committee
The Centre is headed by a Steering Committee comprising members from EPFL (chair), ETHZ, PSI, Empa and industry.
Management team
A full team based at EPFL in Lausanne is in charge of the day-to-day running of the Centre (finances, contracts, events, coordination of the Education & Research Units and analytical platform, etc)..
The Education & Research Units and their thematic research areas
At the core of the Centre’s activities are ERUs – Education and Research Units – and an Analytical Platform. The ERUs have created advanced programmes of research and education, including technology transfer, in targeted domains of scientific and technological priority identified together with Swiss industry:
- MatLife - Materials for the Life Sciences
- MERU - Metallurgy
- SPERU - Surface, Coatings and Particles Engineering
Closely linked to these ERUs is an Analytical Platform developing and promoting activities in Nano- and Microscale Materials Characterisation (NMMC).
Until the end of 2009 an ERU on materials for micro- and nanosystems (MMNS) was also part of the Centre.
Each ERU/platform is established in a scientific/technological domain offering substantial potential for innovation and which is capable of generating significant industrial interest and active participation. They are composed of academic laboratories and industrial partners competent in the elected domain, along with industrial associations. The laboratories belong to institutions which are either partners of the Centre or associated with it.
The ERUs/platform are led by Directors who are leading scientists, with the autonomy to create programmes best adapted to their domain. The ERUs/platform elaborate and carry out common and advanced programmes of education, research and technology transfer; they establish the vision and the strategic planning for the development and for the organisation of their domain. Each ERU & platform is a common space, where complementary competences are organised to allow the necessary circulation of ideas, people knowledge and know-how. The innovation process is supported by the collaborative efforts of all partners in close contact.
Thematic areas
CCMX, through its Education & Research Units (ERUs), currently focuses on nine thematic research areas.