ETH Zurich, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

What ETH Zurich, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering does

ETH Zurich's Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET) is a public academic department within the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, founded in its current form in 2001 with research and teaching roots tracing back to 1856. The department delivers Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral programmes in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, alongside seven interdisciplinary Master's programmes spanning Quantum Engineering, Neural Systems and Computation, Robotics Systems and Control, Space Systems, Energy Science and Technology, Biomedical Engineering, and Data Science. D-ITET serves approximately 1,100 students across these programmes, supported by approximately 40 professors, over 400 PhD researchers, and around 500 scientific and administrative staff, distributed across roughly 20 institutes and chairs covering integrated circuits, computer networks, wireless communications, signal processing, control theory, power electronics, biomedical engineering, and neural information processing.

The department operates four internal service units — the IT Services Group (ISG), Microelectronics Design Centre, Mechanical Workshop, and Center for Project-Based Learning — that provide chip and PCB design, IT security, prototype manufacturing, and hands-on project courses to its laboratories and students. Research activity is supported by joint institutes including the Institute of Neuroinformatics with the University of Zurich and adjunct professor relationships with Empa, and has produced spin-offs including Polariton Technologies (acquired by Marvell Technology in 2026), fields @ work, and Sleepiz.

D-ITET is funded through a combination of Swiss federal higher education allocations, competitive grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation and the European Research Council, industry-sponsored research collaborations, and modest tuition fees. Marketing and recruitment of students is conducted through open houses, university fairs, school visits, the departmental website, RSS feeds, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, while academic outputs are disseminated through conferences and peer-reviewed publications. Department leadership is headed by Prof. Gabriela Hug as Head of Department, with Prof. Christoph Studer as Deputy Head and Prof. Christian Franck as Director of Studies.

Name

ETH Zurich, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering

Legal name

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

Website

https://ee.ethz.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ETH Zurich's Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET) is a public Swiss academic department delivering Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral programmes in electrical engineering and information technology to approximately 1,100 students, supported by around 40 professors and 20 research institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Engineering Research Department)

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Computer Training (611420), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Information Technology & Software (EDAAAPAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

IT Architecture & Solutions Design (Enterprise/Cloud Architecture, Integration) (EDABAFAK), Infrastructure, Networking & Systems Administration Training (BPAEANAJ), Systems Administration & IT Operations (Windows/Linux, Monitoring, ITSM) (EDABAFAH)

Keywords

• Electrical engineering education
• Information technology research
• Biomedical engineering programs
• Quantum engineering studies
• Robotics and control research

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: As a department of ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), D-ITET receives government funding from Swiss federal authorities for education and research activities
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), European Research Council (ERC), industry collaborations, and government research contracts
3. Student Tuition Fees: Modest tuition fees from students enrolled in Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

D-ITET delivers higher education degree programmes (Bachelor's, Master's, and doctoral) in electrical engineering and information technology, together with interdisciplinary Master's programmes in fields such as biomedical engineering, energy science and technology, quantum engineering, robotics and control, neural systems and computation, data science, and space systems. The department conducts fundamental and applied research across approximately 20 institutes and chairs spanning integrated circuits, computer networks, wireless communications, signal processing, control theory, power electronics, biomedical engineering, and neural information processing. Internal service units (IT Services Group, Microelectronics Design Centre, Mechanical Workshop, and Center for Project-Based Learning) support research laboratories and student education.

Product overview

The Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET) at ETH Zurich offers a comprehensive academic portfolio consisting of Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, along with interdisciplinary Master's programmes. The department operates approximately 20 research institutes and chairs covering areas from integrated circuits to computer networks, wireless communications, signal processing, control theory, power electronics, biomedical engineering, and neural information processing. Key departmental services include the IT Services Group (ISG), Microelectronics Design Centre, Mechanical Workshop, Center for Project-Based Learning, and facility services. D-ITET faculty consists of more than 40 professors supervising over 400 PhD students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Programme in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Foundational Bachelor's degree programme in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology preparing high school graduates for advanced studies or engineering careers.
• Master in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (MSc EEIT) The main Master's programme of the department: a full-time, 4-semester, English-taught study programme in which students complete courses, semester projects, and a Master's thesis totalling 120 ECTS credits.
• MSc Biomedical Engineering Interdisciplinary Master's programme solving human health problems through advances in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, in collaboration with other ETH departments.
• MSc Energy Science and Technology Interdisciplinary Master's programme addressing sustainable energy system challenges including environmentally friendly, reliable, low-risk, and economically viable solutions.
• MSc Quantum Engineering Master's programme exploiting quantum theory features to generate technical solutions surpassing classical technology capabilities in communication, computing, and measurement.
• MSc Robotics, Systems and Control Multidisciplinary Master's programme enabling graduates to develop innovative intelligent products and systems for energy, healthcare, and mobility challenges.
• MSc Neural Systems and Computation Joint Master's programme with the University of Zurich exploring brain computation and translating neural system insights into usable technologies for medical sciences and artificial intelligence.
• MSc Data Science Master's programme providing foundations in computer science, statistics, machine learning, and signal processing for extracting information from large datasets.
• MSc Space Systems Specialised Master's programme preparing students for the growing space industry with technological and market dynamics focus.
• Doctoral Studies Programme Doctoral programmes leading to the forefront of research, supervised by D-ITET faculty members and producing original research contributions for the PhD degree.
• IT Services Group (ISG) D-ITET Departmental service offering system administration, information and IT security, software development, web design, and hosting of internet services for D-ITET laboratories and staff.
• Microelectronics Design Centre Departmental service providing microelectronic circuit design (VLSI chips and ASICs) and printed circuit board (PCB) design for D-ITET research laboratories.
• Mechanical Workshop D-ITET Workshop equipped with computer-automated machines manufacturing parts, experimental setups, and prototypes for D-ITET research laboratories.
• Center for Project-Based Learning D-ITET

Quantifiable outcome

• First website of the Department online in 1996
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Polariton Technologies Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026D-ITET spin-off company in the field of plasmonics. Acquired by Marvell Technology to bring deep silicon photonics expertise to the US company. Represents technology transfer from academic research to commercial application.
• Marvell TechnologyminorOthersUS semiconductor company that acquired Polariton Technologies Ltd., a D-ITET spin-off specializing in plasmonics and silicon photonics.
• fields @ workminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-off from IEF (Institute of Electromagnetic Fields) representing technology commercialization from academic research.
• SleepizminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpin-off company from IEF (Institute of Electromagnetic Fields) commercializing research in electromagnetic fields and sensing technology.
• University of ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for interdisciplinary programs including MSc Neural Systems and Computation, combining expertise from ETH Zurich and University of Zurich.
• Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdjunct professors from Empa contribute to D-ITET research in quantum electronics, energy conversion, solar cells, and atomistic simulations. Active collaborative research in materials science and energy technologies.
• Institute of Neuroinformatics (INI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint institute between University of Zurich and ETH Zurich focusing on neural information processing and brain-inspired computing research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS): MIT EECS is the closest global peer to D-ITET, combining world-class electrical engineering and computer science research with undergraduate and graduate education. Both departments emphasize interdisciplinary research, industry collaboration, and produce high-impact spin-offs; comparable scale and prestige make MIT EECS a natural benchmark.
• TU Delft Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science: TU Delft EEMCS is a Northern European peer of comparable scale and research breadth, with strengths in microelectronics, signal processing, and sustainable energy systems - areas that directly overlap with D-ITET's research focus.
• UC Berkeley Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences: Berkeley EECS is a direct US peer with similar breadth across EE and CS research, strong industry engagement, and a deep spin-off tradition. The two departments compete for top international graduate students and industry-sponsored research funding.
• Stanford University Department of Electrical Engineering: Stanford EE is a top-tier US peer with comparable research depth in circuits, signals, photonics, and biomedical engineering. Both departments operate within larger elite technical universities, sustain strong industry ties (especially in Silicon Valley), and produce high-profile spin-offs and alumni networks.
• EPFL School of Engineering (STI): EPFL's School of Engineering is the natural Swiss peer to D-ITET, sharing the same national funding ecosystem, similar research areas (energy, microelectronics, biomedical), and competing for the same talent pool and industry partnerships. Both are top-ranked European EE/IT departments.
• Imperial College London Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering: Imperial College EEE is a top-tier UK peer with overlapping research areas (communications, signal processing, power, biomedical) and a similar research-intensive profile. Both compete for European research grants, ERC funding, and industry-sponsored projects.
• California Institute of Technology Division of Engineering and Applied Science: Caltech EAS is a peer top-tier research-intensive engineering department with similar small-scale, high-prestige profile and breadth across EE, applied physics, and information science. Both compete for the most selective global graduate cohorts.
• Technical University of Munich Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: TUM's EI department is a leading Continental European peer with comparable research breadth across communications, power systems, and microelectronics. Both compete for the same European research talent pool and ERC grants.
• University of Cambridge Department of Engineering: Cambridge Engineering is a leading European peer with comparable research strength in electrical, electronic, and information engineering, plus strong industry and government collaboration. Both operate within globally top-ranked universities and serve as European EE research anchors.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich Department of Computer Science (D-INFK): D-INFK is a sister department within ETH Zurich, jointly offering the MSc Data Science program with D-ITET. As the same parent institution's computer science counterpart, it is the most operationally adjacent peer, sharing faculty, students, and infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pblcenter_itet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ElektrotechnikETH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eth-zurich-department-of-information-technology-and-electrical-engineering
• Instagraminstagram.com/eth_ditet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ETH Zurich, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering