Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich

What Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich does

D-MAVT is the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich, one of Switzerland's two federal institutes of technology. Founded as part of ETH Zurich in 1855, the department conducts research and education across mechanical engineering, process engineering, micro and nanosystems, nuclear engineering, and robotics systems and control. In 2024, D-MAVT enrolled 720 new Bachelor students—a 24% increase year-over-year—representing approximately 20% of all new ETH students, and produced over 400 Master's graduates annually. The department operates with approximately 45 professors conducting research in fluid dynamics, materials science, robotics, sustainable energy, and advanced manufacturing.

The department's research portfolio is technically broad, encompassing controllable microrobots for spinal cord repair, AI-driven chemical process discovery for plastic recycling, electrochemical energy systems, hydrogen combustion technologies, and rotating detonation rocket engines. Faculty have produced notable proprietary technologies including magnetically steered microrobotic catheters, stimuli-responsive nanomaterials for in-body robotics, and sustainable membrane separation processes. The Center for Robotics, opened in 2025 in the renovated Machine Laboratory Hall, anchors the department's robotics research under Director Marco Hutter.

D-MAVT operates as a public academic department with revenue consolidated under ETH Zurich's institutional finances. Funding flows from the Swiss federal government, ERC and SNSF research grants, industry-sponsored research contracts, and tuition. The department's primary outputs include research publications, skilled engineering graduates, and a substantial spin-off ecosystem totaling 119 companies—approximately 20% of all ETH Zurich spin-offs. Notable recent spin-off activity includes Anybotics ($60M raised in 2024), Gravis Robotics ($23M in 2025), Chiral ($12M seed in 2026), and Amazon's 2026 acquisition of RIVR. Five D-MAVT spin-offs appeared among Switzerland's 12 largest investment rounds in 2025.

Name

Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich

Legal name

ETH Zurich

Website

https://mavt.ethz.ch

Company type

Public

Founded year

1855

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

D-MAVT is the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich, conducting research and education in mechanical engineering, robotics, process engineering, and energy systems while commercializing innovations through 119 spin-off companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: D-MAVT receives government funding through ETH Zurich from the Swiss Confederation and canton of Zurich. Major competitive funding includes ERC grants from the European Research Council, Swiss National Science Foundation grants, and other national research programs.
2. Industry Research Collaborations and Contracts: Sponsored research projects, industry contracts, and consulting engagements with corporate partners. Spin-off companies also generate revenue and contribute to the department's innovation ecosystem.
3. Technology Licensing and Spin-off Revenue: Spin-off companies commercialize department research. Examples include Anybotics, Nanoflex Robotics, Gravis Robotics, RoBoa, Chiral, Swiss Mile, and Mimic Robotics.
4. Student Tuition: Tuition fees from Swiss and international students enrolled in Bachelor's, Master's, doctoral, and continuing education programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

D-MAVT delivers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education in mechanical engineering, process engineering, micro and nanosystems, nuclear engineering, and robotics, systems and control. The department conducts research across robotics, microrobotics, sustainable energy, fluid dynamics, materials science, and nanoscale manufacturing, and commercializes technologies through spin-off companies and licensing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs in Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Micro and Nanosystems, Nuclear Engineering, and Robotics, Systems and Control

Quantifiable outcome

• 119 spin-off companies created, representing 20% of all ETH spin-offs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint study with PSI on when new nuclear power plants are worth it in Switzerland, combining ETH research expertise with PSI's applied research capabilities in energy systems.
• University of Zurich (UZH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborative research with UZH on microrobots that repair spinal cord injuries, combining ETH's robotics expertise with UZH's medical research capabilities.
• Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026D-MAVT collaborates with D-HEST on multiple medical technology focus projects including DesignBone (3D-printed bone implants), TONUS (blood pressure monitoring), and CeraSeal (cesarean wound healing).
• ARIS Space InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026ARIS (Swiss Student Space Initiative) collaborates with D-MAVT on multiple space-related projects including PEGASUS (rotating detonation rocket engine), POLARIS (underwater ice monitoring robot), and other Focus Projects.
• National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) 'Separations'coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026D-MAVT is involved in the NCCR Separations project, based at EPFL, which aims to advance separation sciences research. Multiple D-MAVT researchers contribute to this national research initiative.
• Charité BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026D-MAVT's TONUS project (cuffless blood pressure measurement) involves collaboration with Charité Berlin alongside Universitätsspital Zürich.
• Balgrist University HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CeraSeal project (novel cesarean wound healing technology) involves collaboration with Balgrist University Hospital and Universität Zürich.
• NASA/JPLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Richard Kornfeld, appointed Professor of Practice at D-MAVT, spent over 25 years at NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His expertise in robotic space systems strengthens the department's space research capabilities and connections.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024OsmoPure Technologies, co-founded by D-MAVT professor Anthony Straub, has a major contract with NASA to develop water purification systems for crewed missions to the Moon under the Artemis program. This represents a significant strategic partnership applying D-MAVT membrane technology to space applications.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TU Delft Mechanical Engineering: Leading European mechanical engineering department with comparable research portfolio in robotics, energy systems, and precision engineering. Strong industry partnerships and spin-off pipeline, particularly in the Netherlands and broader EU.
• Georgia Tech Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering: Top-ranked US mechanical engineering school with strong robotics and manufacturing research. Comparable focus on practical engineering applications and industry partnerships, with similar enrollment scale.
• MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering: One of the world's leading mechanical engineering departments at a top research university. Comparable in scale, research breadth (robotics, energy, materials, fluids), and spin-off output. MIT's MechE department produces similar numbers of high-impact spin-offs and competes with D-MAVT for global faculty and graduate talent.
• University of Michigan Department of Mechanical Engineering: One of the largest US mechanical engineering departments with comparable research breadth across robotics, energy, automotive, and manufacturing. Similar scale of graduate output and significant industry-funded research.
• Stanford Mechanical Engineering: Top-tier mechanical engineering department with comparable research portfolio spanning robotics, energy, design, and bioengineering. Both departments share similar industry partnership patterns, spin-off creation, and Silicon Valley/Bay Area ecosystem linkages.
• EPFL School of Engineering: Swiss federal peer institution with overlapping research in mechanical engineering, robotics, energy, and materials. EPFL hosts NCCR Separations, a joint initiative involving D-MAVT faculty. Direct competition for Swiss federal funding, faculty hires, and top students.
• Imperial College London Department of Mechanical Engineering: Top European mechanical engineering department with comparable research breadth in robotics, energy, fluid dynamics, and materials. Stefan Leutenegger's prior appointment at Imperial before joining D-MAVT underscores the institutional cross-pollination between these peer departments.
• University of Cambridge Department of Engineering: Premier UK engineering department with overlapping research areas in energy, materials, and applied mechanics. Comparable scale and reputation, with similar spin-off ecosystems and faculty migration patterns (e.g., Yu Zhang recently moving from D-MAVT to Cambridge).
• Caltech Division of Engineering and Applied Science: Elite engineering division at a research-intensive institution with comparable emphasis on frontier research, small department size, and high faculty-to-student ratio. Notable for aerospace and robotics research, similar to D-MAVT's strengths, with strong NASA/JPL ties.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials: Germany's leading applied research organization with similar applied mechanical and process engineering focus, though structured as a multi-institute network rather than a single academic department. Comparable in industry-funded research volume and spin-off creation in advanced materials and manufacturing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/dmavtethzurich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mavt-ethz
• Instagraminstagram.com/eth_dmavt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich