The programme's biggest success? – One project stands out very clearly: the Functional Genomics Center (FGCZ), founded in 2001. "An unqualified success," says Albert Waldvogel, delegate of the ETH Executive Board for the Strategic Success Positions (SEP) programme. The FGCZ is a successfully operational research centre in functional genomics. This branch of science aims at understanding which functions the genes have in the and how they are regulated. How did the centre come about? "The scientists and researchers from the life sciences at ETH and the University of Zurich absolutely wanted such a centre." A plan and a crew for the FGCZ existed even before the possibility of funding it. When monies from the ETH Board's Innovation and Co-operation Projects fund (IKP) became available, the plans only had to be taken out of the drawer. "Optimal timing,“ as Waldvogel puts it. "But, the conditions are rarely as ideal to found an institute as they were in this case."

Penetrating the structures

Waldvogel also mentions another consideration, one that characterises the SEP programme: "unusual expediency". In May 2001, when he was still ETH Vice-President Research, he invited his opposite number from the University of Zurich to a brainstorming session and to clarify the requirements. Already four months later the almost 1,000 square meter institute was opened on the University's Irchel Campus. Bridge-builders, coaches and venture capitalists: these are the functions (in order of priority) that the SEP-responsables took on, on behalf of the researchers, according to the chief co-ordinator of SEP, Hans Peter Lüthi.

SEP's nerve centre (from left): Hans Peter Lüthi (Co-ordinator), Susanne Keller (Assistant) and Albert Waldvogel, SEP delegate of the ETH Executive Board. large

Building bridges across the existing vertical structures was probably the most challenging part of the task. If the interests of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, as well as some of the University of St. Gallen l were to be amalgamated, and if faculties, departments and institutes – all with their own individual "lives" – were to be brought to pull in the same direction, then flexibility and moderation, coupled with the ability to withstand stress and a willingness to compromise from the side of the researchers, were necessary requirements, says Lüthi. However, in a situation where funding to the tune of 20 million CHF was ready, willingness to take unusual paths grew. This was one of the aims of SEP: to provide incentives for unusual paths to further the matter. "But it must be said that a system like ETH can't cope with many such enterprises simultaneously – existing structures have to continue to be the organisational backbone," as Waldvogel points out.

Quickly became reality thanks to SEP funding: the Functional Genomics Center of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich on the University's Irchel campus. large

Convincing others

The baby is bornand the FGCZ stands on firm legs today. The current focus of another creation, "CoLab“ (1) – the Computational Laboratory, opened in May 2002 – is on bioscience and materials science as well as imaging processes in medical engineering. According to the SEP delegate the lab has the potential to be as successful as the FGCZ. Both areas, however, are still in the setting-up phase of the process. "ETH has a lot of know-how and really big names in the relatively new area of computational sciences, the art of mathematical modelling," says Waldvogel. What remained to be done was to make the conviction of the scientists grow that an interdisciplinary platform like CoLab really does create added value. "This is not easy in a rapidly evolving area of research and where strong personalities are at work."

SEP's efforts in the "Entrepreneurial and Financial Sciences" were strongly characterised by a "rapid reaction ability". This is why, following a motion of Fritz Fahrni, one-time CEO of Sulzer and Professor of Technology Management at ETH Zurich and the University of St. Gallen today, a course of studies was set up for senior managers in "Entrepreneurial Leadership“ (2), organised by the two universities in question. The same expedience came into play for a new degree, "Master of Advanced Studies in Finance“, offered by the new "Center of Competence Finance in Zurich“ (CCFZ) (3), a joint course programme run by the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich.

Wanted: standard bearers

What's more, the private sector has already expressed enthusiasm for the flexibility infused into university management by the SEP, says Albert Waldvogel. Over the past few turbulent years the private sector especially has had to become accustomed to restructuring processes in which the mutual seeping through of ideas in very different areas is an everyday occurrence. This "cross-unit flow" is still uncommon at universities. Here, according to Waldvogel, a certain amount of risk is involved for future SEP-like initiatives. "What is required is a good feeling for coming scientific developments, an eye for co-operation potential, as well as enthusiastic standar bearers at the important posts."

Hotbed for new ideas

ETH absolutely had to keep its option to foster research following the SEP format, stresses Hans Peter Lüthi, chief co-ordinator for SEP. "Not seldom this is where the new, the exciting is conceived. This is what characterises the agendas of top universities." And following the example of the "Arc Lémanique" we have a model in Switzerland of how "old" university structures can successfully be made pervious. A comparable integration, on a smaller level, had recently taken place at ETH Zurich itself, adds Waldvogel, with the amalgamation of chemistry and pharmaceutical science to form D-CHAB.

From depth to width

It must be said though that such processes do not always follow the strict logic of l research. Pressure from the economy and society has increased over the past ten years to take the market into consideration when deciding on research projects. The traditional image of a chair of science as a strong unit, delving deeply into areas of core competence had to be supplemented. "Increasingly, invention must lead to innovation.“ Today's globally transparent and mobile know-how and an abundance of venture capital provided the necessary pressure. Leaps in technology very often opened up new possibilities to scientists for stimulating and fruitful co-operations. "We must not arrive too late," says Hans Peter Lüthi. The role and the art of research management was to smooth the way for just such possibilities of co-operation.