Tanja Zimmermann - Biography#

Tanja Zimmermann is the Director of Empa and Professor of Materials Science at ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne. She earned her doctorate in 2007 from the University of Hamburg with a materials science-related thesis that laid the foundation for technical applications of nanocellulose. At Empa and in Switzerland, she established the research area on nanocellulose composites and developed innovative materials in close collaboration with industry. Tanja Zimmermann led the Empa research laboratory “Applied Wood Materials” and, since the fall of 2017, has been a member of the Directorate and Head of the “Functional Materials” department comprising six research units. She also initiated the Robotics Center at Empa - in partnership with Imperial College London - and, as Co-head of the research focus area “Sustainable Construction”, worked on topics such as circular economy and resource efficiency. Data-based materials research is another significant research area for her.

Tanja Zimmermann is a member of various national and international committees, scientific advisory boards and research commissions. Since June 2022, she has been Director of Empa, overseeing approximately 1100 employees across three locations. In this role, she has launched inter- and transdisciplinary booster initiatives in areas such as sustainable built environment, energy, resources, emissions, and health to develop solutions for major societal challenges.