Swiss Nanoscience Institute

What Swiss Nanoscience Institute does

The Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI) is an academic research and education center operating as an integral part of the University of Basel (Universität Basel), a public Swiss university. Founded in 2006 out of the National Center of Competence in Research "Nanoscale Science," SNI coordinates a multi-institutional network spanning the University of Basel, FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz), the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique), and the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) of ETH Zurich, serving students, doctoral researchers, and regional industry collaborators in Northwestern Switzerland. Its core activities span interdisciplinary nanoscience research and a full educational pipeline from Bachelor through PhD in physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and medical nanosciences, supplemented by public outreach via the SNI INSight electronic magazine, Nanoblog, and the annual Schnupper Summer School for prospective students.

SNI's underlying technology consists of specialized nanoscience research infrastructure, principally the Nano Imaging Lab (nanoscale visualization and characterization) and the Nano Fabrication Lab (integrated nanofabrication units producing devices and components), supported by a mechanical workshop service (Werkstätten). Applied research is channeled through the Nano-Argovia Program, which pairs SNI faculty with regional industrial partners, and through ANAXAM, a technology-transfer platform facilitating the path from research to startups and industrial applications. The research output is published academic work and trained graduates; the institute does not sell commercial products and is not structured as a revenue-generating business.

SNI's business model is institutional and grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue comes from University of Basel allocations, public research grants, and applied-research collaboration funding via the Nano-Argovia program; pricing is non-commercial and is not publicly disclosed. Operating geographies are limited to Northwestern Switzerland (Nordwestschweiz, CHE), with no claim of a global commercial footprint. Headcount is reported at 11-50 direct employees, with the broader research and teaching capacity delivered through the partner-network institutions. The customer base comprises prospective and enrolled nanoscience students, PhD researchers, and a portfolio of regional industry partners (e.g., BÜHLMANN Laboratories for a Master-thesis collaboration); distribution is direct through University of Basel academic programs and through the Nano-Argovia partner-engagement process.

Name

Swiss Nanoscience Institute

Legal name

Swiss Nanoscience Institute

Website

https://nanoscience.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Swiss Nanoscience Institute is an academic research and education center at the University of Basel that runs interdisciplinary nanoscience programs from Bachelor to PhD, operates Nano Imaging and Nano Fabrication labs, and conducts applied research and technology transfer with regional industry in Northwestern Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nanoscience Research and Education

NAICS

Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Nanoscience research
• Nanoscience education
• Nanofabrication services
• Nano imaging services
• Applied nanotechnology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Academic Research Funding: Government and university funding for nanoscience research programs, PhD training, and educational activities
2. Nano-Argovia Applied Research: Industry collaboration program funding applied research with regional companies in Northwestern Switzerland

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI) is an academic research and education center at the University of Basel that conducts interdisciplinary nanoscience research across physics, chemistry, biology, and medical nanoscience. It delivers bachelor's, master's, and PhD-level educational programs in nanoscience, operates shared research infrastructure including the Nano Imaging Lab, Nano Fabrication Lab, and mechanical workshops, and runs the Nano-Argovia applied research program that partners with regional industry in Northwestern Switzerland for technology transfer.

Product overview

The Swiss Nanoscience Institute is an academic research and education center at the University of Basel offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and research services. Its educational offerings span bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels in nanosciences. Research services include the Nano Imaging Lab (nanoscale imaging), Nano Fabrication Lab (nanofabrication), and mechanical workshops. The institute also operates the Nano-Argovia-Programm for applied industry research cooperation, technology transfer via ANAXAM, and public outreach through SNI INSight magazine and experiments. The institution functions as a network connecting multiple academic institutions (University of Basel, FHNW, PSI, CSEM, D-BSSE) rather than a commercial product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nano Imaging Lab

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BÜHLMANN LaboratoriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership where SNI master students conduct thesis research at BÜHLMANN Laboratories, investigating small synthetic proteins for diagnostic applications. This represents a typical industry-academia collaboration under the Nano-Argovia program.
• ANAXAMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANAXAM is a technology transfer initiative supported by SNI, likely providing advanced analytics services for materials analysis. Featured on the SNI tech transfer page as a key resource for information on the path to startups.
• FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner institution contributing researchers to the SNI network. FHNW researchers participate in SNI projects and voluntary membership, contributing to interdisciplinary nanoscience research.
• PSI (Paul Scherrer Institut)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor research institution in the SNI network, providing access to advanced research facilities and contributing expert researchers to collaborative nanoscience projects.
• CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss technology innovation center participating in the SNI network, contributing expertise in microtechnology and helping bridge academic research with industrial applications.
• D-BSSE (Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETH Zurich department contributing to the SNI network, providing expertise in biosystems science and enabling interdisciplinary research at the intersection of nanoscience and biology.
• Regional Industry Companies (Northwestern Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious companies in Northwestern Switzerland collaborate with SNI through the Nano-Argovia program, which promotes applied research in partnership with regional industry for technology development and innovation transfer.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CEA-Leti: France's leading micro- and nanoelectronics applied research institute; operates large-scale nanofabrication pilot lines and industry-collaboration programs structurally similar to SNI's, but on a much larger European footprint.
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Germany's largest applied research organization, with multiple institutes covering nanotechnology, microsystems, and materials research; matches SNI's applied-research and tech-transfer mandate across a much broader industrial base.
• ETH Zurich: Swiss federal university with strong nanoscience and microtechnology research programs and the parent institution of SNI's D-BSSE network partner; directly comparable in education and research mission.
• Imec: World's largest independent semiconductor and nanotechnology research center, headquartered in Belgium, with globally scaled nanofabrication and industry partnership programs directly comparable in mission to SNI, but at much broader scope and scale.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Nordic applied research center covering micro- and nanotechnologies with strong industry partnership and startup-creation functions analogous to SNI's Nano-Argovia and ANAXAM platforms.

Direct peers

• FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz): Northwestern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences that is a core SNI network partner; runs applied research and nanotechnology-adjacent degree programs within the same regional education ecosystem.
• Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology): Switzerland's federal lab for materials science and technology, with overlapping expertise in nanomaterials, nanofabrication, and applied research, serving a similar institutional role in the Swiss research ecosystem to SNI.
• Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI): Major Swiss national research institute operating large-scale research facilities with strong condensed-matter and nanoscience programs; PSI is in fact a core member of SNI's network, illustrating deep institutional comparability.
• CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique): Swiss applied research center bridging micro- and nanotechnology from lab to industry; comparable to SNI's Nano-Argovia applied-research mandate, and is itself a core SNI network member.

Emerging players

• Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research: German research institute focused on condensed-matter and nanoscale materials science; comparable in research scope to SNI's pure-research activities, though lacking SNI's applied-industry emphasis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/nanoscience.ch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbR9khNxj-XbhcSu7_cCOVw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-nanoscience-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/nano_study_sni

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Swiss Nanoscience Institute