Oekotoxzentrum / Centre Ecotox

What Oekotoxzentrum / Centre Ecotox does

Oekotoxzentrum (Centre Ecotox), officially the Schweizerisches Zentrum für Angewandte Ökotoxikologie Eawag-EPFL, is a Swiss non-profit applied research center founded in 2008 as a joint initiative between Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) and EPFL. It operates from two locations — Dübendorf (headquarters in the FLUX building at Eawag since 2021) and Lausanne (satellite at EPFL ENAC IIE-GE) — and functions as Switzerland's competence center for applied ecotoxicology. Its core technology comprises standardized bioassay (biotests) systems for aquatic, sediment, and terrestrial organisms, supported by a proprietary Environmental Quality Criteria (UQK) database of over 2,000 entries covering nearly 600 substances.

The center's product portfolio centers on three expert service lines: (1) standardized ecotoxicological test systems (aquatic, sediment, terrestrial), (2) environmental quality criteria proposals and sediment quality criteria, and (3) continuing education plus student research opportunities. Revenue is generated through commissioned research contracts and consulting (primarily for federal authorities such as BAFU and armasuisse, cantonal agencies, and international bodies), fee-based professional training courses, and publicly available publications and information sheets. It does not sell software or licensed products, and pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, leveraging its regulatory role (quality criteria adopted into the Swiss Water Protection Ordinance), active participation in EU, OECD, and ISO standardization committees (ISO/TC 190, NORMAN, SedNet, SETAC), and recurring Dialogtag events and webinars. Customer concentration sits primarily in the Swiss public sector (BAFU, armasuisse, cantonal authorities), with secondary engagement from industry (chemical, tire manufacturers) for compliance testing and training, and from academic and intergovernmental bodies for collaborative research. The center is led by Director Benoît Ferrari and Vice Director Etienne Vermeirssen, with group leaders covering aquatic ecotoxicology, sediment and soil ecotoxicology, and risk assessment.

Name

Oekotoxzentrum / Centre Ecotox

Legal name

Schweizerisches Zentrum für Angewandte Ökotoxikologie Eawag-EPFL (Oekotoxzentrum)

Website

https://oekotoxzentrum.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oekotoxzentrum is a Swiss non-profit joint competence center of Eawag and EPFL that delivers applied ecotoxicology research, standardized bioassay services, and environmental quality criteria to federal and cantonal authorities, industry, and academic partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecotoxicology Research and Testing Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Public Health Laboratories (Water/Air/Soil) (HLAJAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chemicals (EDABALAE), Biologicals Regulatory, Testing & Quality Assurance Services (AFABAEAO)

Keywords

• Applied ecotoxicology research
• Environmental quality criteria
• Ecotoxicological bioassays
• Water quality assessment
• Contaminated site assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubendorf

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Research and Consulting: Research contracts and consulting services for government agencies (BAFU, armasuisse), cantonal authorities, and international organizations on ecotoxicological assessments, risk evaluations, and environmental monitoring
2. Training and Continuing Education: Fee-based training courses for industry professionals, government officials, and academic researchers on ecotoxicology topics, including online and in-person formats
3. Publications and Infoblätter: Information sheets and reports on ecotoxicological topics available for download, providing educational content and regulatory guidance

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Oekotoxzentrum is Switzerland's competence center for applied ecotoxicology. It develops and applies standardized bioassays (aquatic, sediment, and terrestrial test systems), derives environmental quality criteria (UQK) for chemical substances, performs risk assessments for chemical mixtures and micropollutants, and delivers fee-based training and continuing education for environmental professionals.

Product overview

The Oekotoxzentrum (Centre Ecotox) is Switzerland's competence center for applied ecotoxicology, functioning as a research institution and expert service provider rather than a software product company. Its portfolio consists of laboratory testing services, quality criteria development, and education programs. The core offerings include standardized test systems for aquatic, sediment, and terrestrial environments (Aquatische, Sediment-, and Terrestrische Testsysteme), environmental quality criteria proposals for water and sediments, and continuing education programs. These services support environmental risk assessment, water quality monitoring, and regulatory compliance for authorities and industry clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquatic Test Systems (Aquatische Testsysteme)
• Sediment Test Systems (Sediment-Testsysteme)
• Terrestrial Test Systems (Terrestrische Testsysteme)
• Environmental Quality Criteria Proposals (Qualitätskriterienvorschläge Oekotoxzentrum)
• Sediment Quality Criteria (Sediment-Qualitätskriterien)
• Continuing Education Program (Weiterbildungsangebot)
• Student Research Projects (Studentenarbeiten)

Quantifiable outcome

• Effect-based limit values for 19 pesticides and 3 pharmaceuticals now legally binding in Switzerland
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Eawag (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEawag is one of two host institutions of the Oekotoxzentrum. The center is located at Eawag facilities in Dübendorf. Eawag provides institutional support and research infrastructure, and the center contributes to Eawag's environmental research mission.
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPFL is the second host institution of the Oekotoxzentrum. The center maintains a satellite location at EPFL ENAC IIE-GE in Lausanne. The partnership enables research collaboration and academic integration.
• Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of the 'One Health' continuing education course covering concepts, case studies, challenges and implementation. The course can be attended online and in person.
• Konkuk University (Seoul, Korea)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Youn-Joo An from Konkuk University visited the center in Lausanne to discuss collaboration areas in ISO/TC 190 working groups on soil quality ecotoxicological investigation. Future cooperation identified in ISO work and beyond.
• ISO (International Organization for Standardization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in ISO/TC 190 (Soil Quality) working groups, contributing to international standardization of ecotoxicological methods for soil ecosystem assessment.
• OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContribution to OECD guideline development for ecotoxicological testing, including sediment toxicity testing with Gammarus sp. and chironomid test guidelines.
• NORMAN NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member contributing to the European partnership for chemicals risk assessment, supporting the updating of the NORMAN prioritisation scheme.
• SedNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented in the steering committee of this European sediment research network, contributing to sediment management and quality assessment strategies.
• SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in SETAC Europe and SETAC GLB (German Language Branch). Inge Werner served as President of SETAC GLB. The center organized the 20th annual meeting in Zurich in 2015.
• CIPEL (Commission internationale pour la protection des eaux du Léman)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenoît Ferrari serves on the scientific council of this International Commission for the Protection of Lake Geneva. Joint research on suspended matter quality in Lake Geneva.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR): Dutch applied research institute providing environmental risk assessment, soil and water quality research, and regulatory support. Directly comparable applied environmental science portfolio.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME): German Fraunhofer division covering ecotoxicology, environmental analytics, and chemical safety assessment. Comparable in applied ecotox testing for regulators and industry, with similar standards-body engagement.
• IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute: Swedish non-profit applied environmental research institute offering environmental testing, risk assessment, and policy support. Comparable in size, mission, and government-funded applied science model.
• NIVA (Norwegian Institute for Water Research): Applied research institute conducting water and ecotoxicology research for Norwegian authorities and international clients. Closest analog: government-linked applied water/ecotox center offering testing, advisory, and standards work.
• INERIS (Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques): French applied institute providing ecotoxicology testing, chemical risk assessment, and regulatory support to government and industry. Directly comparable in mission, scope, and government-affiliated operating model.

Broad incumbents

• RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment): Dutch national institute conducting environmental and public health research including chemical risk assessment. Larger scope but overlapping applied science and regulatory advisory function.
• Eurofins Environment Testing: Global commercial laboratory network offering ecotoxicology and environmental testing services at scale. Competes for routine testing work and could commoditize the center's fee-for-service offerings.
• UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research: Large German government-funded environmental research center covering ecotoxicology among many other environmental disciplines. Overlapping capabilities but much broader research portfolio than the Oekotoxzentrum.

Emerging players

• Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science: Danish university department conducting applied ecotoxicology and environmental risk research. Comparable academic applied-research profile with growing international influence in the same field.

Regional players

• NILU (Norwegian Institute for Air Research): Norwegian sister institute to NIVA focused on air quality and atmospheric pollutants. Thematically adjacent (environmental monitoring, standards work, government-backed research), but in a different media (air vs. water/soil).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oekotoxzentrum-centre-ecotox-swiss-centre-for-applied-ecotoxicology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Oekotoxzentrum / Centre Ecotox