Paul Scherrer Institut
Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) is Switzerland's largest national research institute, operating five co-located particle accelerator facilities (SwissFEL, SLS, SINQ, SμS, CHRISP) to serve approximately 3,000 international academic and industrial researchers per year, while running the country's only clinical proton therapy center for cancer patients from across Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersAarau, Switzerland
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Paul Scherrer Institut does
Paul Scherrer Institut PSI is Switzerland's largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences, operating as a federally funded national laboratory within the ETH Domain. The institute runs five co-located particle accelerator-based large research facilities — SwissFEL (X-ray free-electron laser), SLS (synchrotron), SINQ (neutron source), SμS (muon source), and CHRISP (particle physics) — supplemented by the COMET proton accelerator that powers the Center for Proton Therapy, Switzerland's only clinical proton therapy facility. Approximately 2,300 staff conduct research across four strategic areas: Future Technologies, Energy and Climate, Health Innovation, and Fundamentals of Nature, structured through eight research centers and 64 labs, groups, and projects.
PSI serves three primary customer sets: (1) an international academic and industrial research community of roughly 3,000 external scientists per year who access beamlines through a formal User Office proposal process and the Digital User Office (DUO); (2) cancer patients referred from across Europe for proton therapy, including pediatric cases treated since 1999 and infants since 2004; and (3) industry partners who license PSI technologies, commission proprietary research, or co-locate as spin-offs at the adjacent Park Innovaare innovation campus. Revenue is generated primarily through Swiss federal appropriations and competitive grants (Swiss and EU), with secondary streams from proton therapy services, facility access fees, and technology licensing/royalties.
The technology stack combines unique capital-intensive infrastructure (multi-decade accelerator and detector IP) with proprietary methodologies including the spot-scanning proton therapy technique that has become a global standard. Active upgrade programs (SLS 2.0, IMPACT) and emerging product lines (QTC@PSI quantum computing, VISTACT AI-based virtual tissue staining, Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences producing terbium isotopes) demonstrate ongoing capability expansion. Research output is published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals and feeds a technology transfer pipeline that includes spin-offs such as leadXPro and ecosystem nodes such as the Swiss Photonics Integration Center.
Paul Scherrer Institut firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Paul Scherrer Institut
- Legal name
- Paul Scherrer Institut PSI
- Website
- https://psi.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) is Switzerland's largest national research institute, operating five co-located particle accelerator facilities (SwissFEL, SLS, SINQ, SμS, CHRISP) to serve approximately 3,000 international academic and industrial researchers per year, while running the country's only clinical proton therapy center for cancer patients from across Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Paul Scherrer Institut industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Research Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512), Medical Laboratories (621511), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), X-Ray Apparatus & Tubes & Related Irradiation Apparatus (3844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Nuclear Medicine Clinical Services & Therapy Centers (HLAIAGAI), Advanced Imaging & Specialty Radiology Centers (PET/CT, Nuclear Medicine, Interventional Radiology) (HLAFAKAB), Radiation Therapy Isotopes & Sources (Brachytherapy seeds, sealed sources for oncology) (EUAKAIAD), Radioisotope Production (Reactor/Cyclotron/Gamma) (HLAIAGAD)
Keywords
Where Paul Scherrer Institut is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aarau
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Paul Scherrer Institut business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Funding: PSI receives core funding from Swiss government sources, forming the primary revenue base for operations and research activities.
- Research Grants and Project Funding: Competitive research grants from Swiss and European funding agencies including EU support programmes and ETH Domain initiatives.
- Proton Therapy Services: Revenue from providing proton therapy cancer treatments, with patients from across Europe treated at the Center for Proton Therapy.
- Facility Access Fees: Fees charged to external researchers and companies for access to large research facilities including synchrotron, neutron, and muon sources.
- Technology Licensing and Spin-offs: Revenue from licensing technologies to industry and supporting spin-off companies through the technology transfer office.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Served Restaurant Business Lunch |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Paul Scherrer Institut product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Paul Scherrer Institut PSI operates five large particle accelerator-based research facilities (SwissFEL, SLS, SINQ, SμS, CHRISP) that are made available to roughly 3,000 external researchers per year through a formal proposal and beam time application process. It also operates the Center for Proton Therapy (CPT), the only facility in Switzerland delivering spot-scanning proton therapy for specific cancer types, and conducts applied research in energy, climate, health, and quantum technologies that is commercialized via technology licensing and spin-off support.
Product overview
Paul Scherrer Institut PSI is Switzerland's largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences, operating as a multi-facility research center rather than a single product company. The institute provides access to five major large research facilities (SwissFEL, SLS, SINQ, SμS, and CHRISP) for researchers worldwide, and offers commercial proton therapy services through its Center for Proton Therapy (CPT) for cancer treatment. PSI's product portfolio centers around these large-scale research facilities available to external users via proposal processes, supplemented by specialized research centers including the Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, various upgrade projects (IMPACT, SLS 2.0, ESI Platform, QTC@PSI), and novel techniques like VISTACT for virtual tissue staining. The institute focuses on four main research areas: Future Technologies, Energy and Climate, Health Innovation, and Fundamentals of Nature.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SwissFEL: Swiss X-ray Free Electron Laser - a large research facility operated by PSI
- SLS
- SINQ
- SμS
- Center for Proton Therapy (CPT)
- Park Innovaare
Products and services
- Center for Proton Therapy (CPT) The only facility in Switzerland providing proton therapy for specific cancer treatments, using the spot-scanning (Pencil Beam Scanning) technique developed at PSI to deliver precise tumor targeting while preserving healthy tissue. Treats pediatric and adult patients from across Europe following tumor board review.
- SwissFEL – Swiss X-ray Free Electron Laser X-ray free-electron laser facility providing ultra-short X-ray pulses for research in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science, enabling atomic-scale investigation of ultrafast processes. Accessible to external researchers via the User Office proposal process.
- SLS – Swiss Light Source Synchrotron light source producing intense X-ray beams for research in materials science, biology, chemistry, and physics, currently undergoing the SLS 2.0 upgrade for improved performance. Accessible to external researchers via the User Office proposal process.
- SINQ – Swiss Spallation Neutron Source Spallation neutron source providing neutron beams for research in condensed matter physics, materials science, and biology. Accessible to external researchers via the User Office proposal process.
- SμS – Swiss Muon Source Muon source producing muons for research in particle physics, condensed matter physics, and materials science using muon spin spectroscopy. Accessible to external researchers via the User Office proposal process.
- CHRISP – Swiss Research Infrastructure for Particle Physics Swiss research infrastructure for particle physics providing facilities and expertise for particle physics experiments and research, operated as part of the Laboratory for Particle Physics at PSI.
- Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences Research center developing radiopharmaceuticals for targeted tumor therapy, including work on terbium radionuclides (149, 152, 155, 161Tb) for nuclear medicine applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy.
- VISTACT (3D Virtual Tissue Staining) 3D virtual tissue staining method that combines high-resolution phase-contrast micro-CT imaging with machine learning to generate histological stains from CT scans without physical sectioning. Currently in proof-of-concept stage.
Quantifiable outcome
- PSI has treated children with proton therapy since 1999 and babies/infants since 2004
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Paul Scherrer Institut
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Paul Scherrer Institut technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
Paul Scherrer Institut partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI), Czech RepublicmajorCollaboration on determining the three-dimensional structure of human cone opsins. PSI researchers worked with ELI Czech Republic to conduct this groundbreaking vision research published in Science.
- University of Tokyo, JapanmajorInternational collaboration with University of Tokyo on the cone opsin structure determination study, contributing to understanding of human color vision.
- Copenhagen Atomics (Denmark)majorPSI in Villigen, Switzerland hosts a European-premiere experiment testing Copenhagen Atomics' novel molten salt reactor. This marks the first such reactor to achieve critical operation on the continent.
- leadXPro (PSI Spin-off)corePSI spin-off company leadXPro is involved in photopharmacology research, working on light-switchable drug development including the photoazolol-1 compound.
- CSIC Barcelona, SpainmajorCollaboration with CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) in Barcelona on the photopharmacology study of light-switchable drugs published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
- NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbHmajorPSI and NUKEM signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a close research and development collaboration focused on advanced nuclear fuel and reactor technologies.
- Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardmajorCollaboration on AI-driven framework to analyze multimodal cellular data, enhancing understanding of complex cell states for disease research.
- ETH Zurich (for AI cell biology)corePartnership with ETH Zurich on AI framework for analyzing cellular data, working with Broad Institute researchers.
- ETH ZurichcoreCollaboration with ETH Zurich on quantum computing research, demonstrating fault-tolerant lattice surgery on superconducting qubits using surface codes.
- RWTH Aachen UniversitymajorCollaboration on quantum computing research demonstrating fault-tolerant lattice surgery on superconducting processors.
- Forschungszentrum JülichmajorGerman research partner in the quantum computing collaboration demonstrating lattice surgery with surface codes on superconducting qubits.
- Swiss Photonic Integration Center (Swiss PIC)coreSwiss PIC was founded in 2023 by industry and research stakeholders including PSI, OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, Swissphotonics, Ligentec, and Polariton Technologies. The center opened a manufacturing center at Park Innovaare for photonic integration.
- ETH Domain InstitutionscorePSI is part of the ETH Domain (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology), collaborating closely with ETH Zurich, EPFL, and other institutions on joint initiatives and research projects.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Paul Scherrer Institut competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron): Germany's national particle accelerator and photon science center. Operates PETRA III synchrotron and FLASH free-electron laser with comparable large-facility research access, beam-time user programs, and technology transfer to industry — directly comparable to PSI's SwissFEL/SLS model.
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF): France-based, multi-country-funded synchrotron operating the EBS (Extremely Brilliant Source) upgrade. Directly comparable mission, user community, and beam-time access model; ESRF-EBS is PSI/SLS 2.0's principal international competitor for top-tier photon science.
- Diamond Light Source: UK's national synchrotron facility, jointly government-funded and operating a large external user program. Directly comparable as a publicly funded multi-technique photon science center.
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB): Operates the BESSY II synchrotron and is building BESSY III, with photon science user programs and accelerator R&D. Closely comparable as a national photon and accelerator research center serving external scientific users.
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory: Stanford-operated US national lab operating the LCLS X-ray free-electron laser and SSRL synchrotron. Directly comparable as an accelerator-based user facility with deep industry and academic engagement.
- SPring-8 / JASRI: Japan's flagship synchrotron and SACLA X-ray free-electron laser facility, operated by the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute. Comparable large-facility research mission and external user model.
Broad incumbents
- CERN: European particle physics laboratory operating the LHC complex. Comparable as a multi-national large-scale accelerator facility with CHRISP-aligned particle physics research and shared user/beam-time model.
- ETH Zurich (research operations): Sister institution within the ETH Domain. Operates broader academic research programs but collaborates closely with PSI on quantum (lattice surgery), AI (cellular data), and radiopharmaceuticals — comparable as a top-tier Swiss research establishment.
Emerging players
- ITM Isotope Technologies Munich: Private radiopharmaceutical company specializing in targeted radionuclide therapy and medical isotopes. Comparable to PSI's Center for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences, particularly the terbium-161 and other theranostic isotope work — ITM is the principal commercial counterpart to PSI's isotope production pipeline.
- Mass General Brigham / MGH Burr Proton Therapy Center: Major US academic proton therapy center using PSI-licensed spot-scanning technology. Comparable clinical operation to PSI's CPT, with similar pediatric and adult oncology indications and referral-based patient intake.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Paul Scherrer Institut social profiles
Digital presencePaul Scherrer Institut financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Paul Scherrer Institut leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Paul Scherrer Institut funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Paul Scherrer Institut M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Paul Scherrer Institut
What does Paul Scherrer Institut do?
Paul Scherrer Institut PSI operates five large particle accelerator-based research facilities (SwissFEL, SLS, SINQ, SμS, CHRISP) that are made available to roughly 3,000 external researchers per year through a formal proposal and beam time application process. It also operates the Center for Proton Therapy (CPT), the only facility in Switzerland delivering spot-scanning proton therapy for specific cancer types, and conducts applied research in energy, climate, health, and quantum technologies that is commercialized via technology licensing and spin-off support.
Is Paul Scherrer Institut a public or private company?
Paul Scherrer Institut is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Paul Scherrer Institut founded?
Paul Scherrer Institut was founded in 1988. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Paul Scherrer Institut based?
Paul Scherrer Institut is headquartered in Aarau, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Paul Scherrer Institut make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Project Funding, proton Therapy Services, facility Access Fees and technology Licensing and Spin-offs.
Who are Paul Scherrer Institut's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Diamond Light Source, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and SPring-8 / JASRI. Broad incumbents are CERN and ETH Zurich (research operations). Emerging players are ITM Isotope Technologies Munich and Mass General Brigham / MGH Burr Proton Therapy Center.
Does Paul Scherrer Institut have an API?
No public API is recorded for Paul Scherrer Institut.
What industry is Paul Scherrer Institut in?
Paul Scherrer Institut's product category is Scientific Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAGAI, Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based), with a secondary code of HLAIAGAI, Nuclear Medicine Clinical Services & Therapy Centers. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.