Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich
- Company typePublic
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich
- Legal name
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zürich)
- Website
- https://usys.ethz.ch
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education and Environmental Research
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), 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), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)
Keywords
Where Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Government Core Funding: As a department of ETH Zürich (a Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), D-USYS receives core institutional funding from the Swiss Confederation government. This funding covers faculty salaries, infrastructure, and basic operations.
- Research Grants and Project Funding: D-USYS researchers secure competitive research funding from Swiss agencies (e.g., Swiss National Science Foundation/SNSF, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment/BAFU) and international bodies (EU Horizon programs, ERC, Global Carbon Project). Funding supports specific research projects, personnel, equipment, and international collaborations.
- Tuition and Student Fees: Tuition fees from students enrolled in the department's Master programs (Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Sciences) contribute to departmental revenue, though this represents a small fraction of total funding.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels10 records
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich product offering
Product offeringCore offering
D-USYS is an academic department at ETH Zürich that conducts interdisciplinary research and offers graduate-level education across environmental systems science and agricultural sciences. The department spans six institutes, a transdisciplinary laboratory (TdLab), and multiple research platforms and stations, covering climate, hydrology, biogeochemistry, ecosystem ecology, biodiversity, and agricultural sustainability. Its outputs include scientific research, Master's and doctoral degree programs, evidence-based policy advisory, and public science communication.
Product overview
D-USYS is an academic research department at ETH Zürich offering educational programs in Agricultural Sciences and Environmental Natural Sciences at the Master's level, along with interdisciplinary research across six institutes. The department's activities focus on research and teaching rather than commercial product offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Transdisziplinäres Labor (TdLab): Transdisciplinary laboratory within D-USYS that develops and applies transdisciplinary research methods for environmental and sustainability challenges.
- WaldLab Forest Experimental Site
- Grüne Bibliothek (Green Library)
Products and services
- Master of Science in Environmental Natural Sciences Master's degree program at ETH Zürich providing interdisciplinary training in environmental sciences, including the 'Umweltproblemlösen' (Environmental Problem-Solving) course taken by approximately 150 students annually; designed for students pursuing careers in environmental science, policy, or academia.
- Master of Science in Agricultural Sciences Master's degree program covering agricultural sustainability, food systems, and agronomy, offered as one of two primary Master's programs in the department.
- Doctoral Research Programs Doctoral training and research positions within D-USYS institutes and labs, supporting original research across climate, hydrology, biogeochemistry, agricultural science, and environmental policy.
- Research and Policy Advisory Services Commissioned environmental and climate research, including hydrological flood modeling for BAFU, climate risk assessment, carbon budget analysis, and evidence-based policy guidance for government and international bodies.
- WaldLab Forest Experimental Site Research station for studying forest water cycles, stable water isotopes in soils and trees, and transpiration patterns; supports field-based research including continuous water isotope measurements since 2020.
Quantifiable outcome
- Hourly flood modeling shows the 100-year flood will become 5–15% more intense and occur every 45–80 years instead of every 100 years in Alpine regions.
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature9 records
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- University of Bern (for NCCR CLIM+)flagshipNCCR CLIM+ (National Centre for Climate Research on 'Climate Extremes and Society') is co-led by D-USYS researchers and the University of Bern. The center combines physical climate models with socio-economic impact assessments to develop robust climate adaptation strategies for Switzerland.
- Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS)coreSwitzerland became a full member of ICOS, a European research infrastructure for greenhouse gas observations, after 10 years as an observer. D-USYS researchers (including Nicolas Gruber) contribute carbon cycle data and analysis to the ICOS network, which provides standardized observations of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases across Europe.
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape ResearchcoreWSL is a closely integrated partner with D-USYS. Researchers at WSL (including SLF in Davos) collaborate with D-USYS faculty on flood hydrology (Manuela Brunner, Paul Astagneau), biodiversity (Giacomo Delgado ecoacoustics), wildfire research, and climate adaptation. D-USYS and WSL share the WaldLab research station and co-publish extensively.
- Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologycoreEawag is a major research partner of D-USYS, hosting joint research groups and professors. D-USYS professors Barbora Trubenová (Pathogen Evolution), Lily Twining (Food Web Ecophysiology), and others hold joint appointments at Eawag and D-USYS. Eawag also co-hosts the NCCR CLIM+ climate extremes initiative.
- EU Horizon Projects — SPARCCLE and PROVIDEcoreD-USYS research on tropical cyclone risk for global ecosystems (Kropf et al.) was supported by EU Horizon 2020 projects SPARCCLE and PROVIDE, which fund climate impact and adaptation research across European institutions.
- Global Carbon ProjectcoreThe Global Carbon Project is a global research initiative under Future Earth and the World Climate Research Programme. D-USYS researchers Nicolas Gruber and Luke Gregor are contributors to the annual Global Carbon Budget report, providing estimates of ocean carbon sinks and supporting the carbon budget analysis.
- Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU)coreBAFU commissions D-USYS researchers for applied environmental research, including commissioning the SLF hydrologist Paul Astagneau to develop improved hourly-resolution flood projections for Alpine regions.
- Future EarthminorThe Global Carbon Project is jointly sponsored by Future Earth. D-USYS participation in GCP activities is facilitated through this international research organization.
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich)coreD-USYS is a department of ETH Zürich and collaborates across the institution with other departments including D-BAUG (Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering), D-EAPS (Earth and Planetary Sciences), D-HEST (Health Sciences), and D-CHAB (Chemistry). Cross-departmental initiatives include the Waldlabor Zürich and NCCR CLIM+.
- SLF WSL-Institut für Schnee- und Lawinenforschung DavoscoreThe WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) in Davos operates under WSL and is closely integrated with D-USYS research. SLF researchers including Paul Astagneau, Manuela Brunner, and Delia Landolt collaborate with D-USYS on hydrology, flood modeling, and climate adaptation research.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR): US federally funded research and development centre for atmospheric and Earth system science. Directly comparable in atmospheric/climate modelling, community modelling infrastructure, and university-linked research mission.
- Met Office Hadley Centre: UK national climate modelling centre producing headline IPCC climate projections. Directly comparable in climate and hydrological modelling expertise and in supplying policy-relevant projections to governments.
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): International research institute based in Austria conducting systems analysis on environment, energy, and sustainability. Comparable in transdisciplinary scope, public-sector funding model, and applied environmental research mission.
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK): German research institute specialising in climate impact modelling, attribution science, and sustainability research. Comparable in scale, topic mix (climate extremes, land-use, biodiversity), and funding model (public + competitive grants).
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (D-EAPS), ETH Zürich: Sister ETH department covering earth and planetary sciences with overlapping climate, atmospheric, and geoscience research. Comparable as an academic unit at the same institution with similar scale, funding sources, and student profile.
- Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology: Swiss federal aquatic science institute that hosts joint research groups with D-USYS (e.g., Pathogen Evolution, Food Web Ecophysiology) and co-hosts the NCCR CLIM+ programme. Directly comparable as a peer federal research entity in environmental science.
- Max Planck Institute for Meteorology: Leading European climate and atmospheric modelling institute with comparable scope in climate modelling, ocean-atmosphere dynamics, and carbon cycle research. D-USYS faculty (e.g., Reto Knutti, Nicolas Gruber) collaborate regularly with MPI-M scientists on IPCC and CMIP work.
- Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research: UK multi-university climate research centre covering climate science, impacts, and policy. Comparable in combining natural and social climate research with strong policy advisory output, similar in transdisciplinary orientation to D-USYS.
- Stockholm Resilience Centre: Stockholm University research centre on sustainability and resilience science. Comparable in combining ecosystem science, sustainability research, and transdisciplinary methods aimed at policy and societal transformation.
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research: Closely integrated Swiss federal research partner covering forest, snow, landscape, and hydrology. Operates the SLF in Davos and shares the WaldLab research station with D-USYS; it is the most direct peer given joint faculty, co-publications, and overlapping climate/hydrology portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich social profiles
Digital presenceDepartment of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich
What does Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich do?
D-USYS is an academic department at ETH Zürich that conducts interdisciplinary research and offers graduate-level education across environmental systems science and agricultural sciences. The department spans six institutes, a transdisciplinary laboratory (TdLab), and multiple research platforms and stations, covering climate, hydrology, biogeochemistry, ecosystem ecology, biodiversity, and agricultural sustainability. Its outputs include scientific research, Master's and doctoral degree programs, evidence-based policy advisory, and public science communication.
Is Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich a public or private company?
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich founded?
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich based?
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Core Funding is the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Project Funding and tuition and Student Fees.
Who are Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Met Office Hadley Centre, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (D-EAPS), ETH Zürich, Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Stockholm Resilience Centre and WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research.
Does Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich have an API?
No public API is recorded for Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich.
What industry is Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich in?
Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich's product category is Higher Education and Environmental Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAAAK, Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.