Remy Buser's journey from studying at ETH to founding Bloom Biorenewables and how he emphasises the need to defossilise materials and find sustainable alternatives.

Remy Buseris on a mission to replace fossil carbon with renewable carbon in the chemical industry! The CEO and co-founder of Bloom Biorenewables explains how the use of petrochemicals has shaped our world and the need to defossilise materials. He discusses the complexity of the transition and the role of political commitment and scientific understanding in driving this change. Remy emphasises the need for a global perspective and collaboration to tackle climate challenges. The conversation also touches on Remy's personal experiences, including his time at ETH and his passion for understanding the materials that shape our world.

This is his story.

Podcasts mentioned in the episode:

· Podcasts of The Economist

· Podcast with Jean-Marc Jancovici

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction and the Need to Defossilize Materials

(03:05) Remy Busse's Background and the Story of Truffles

(05:23) From Swiss Blot to Bloom BioRenewables

(09:00) Moving Away from Fossil-Based Carbon

(11:45) The Role of Petrochemicals in the Chemical Industry

(15:34) Replacing the Petrochemical Sector with Biomass

(20:19) Working with Politicians on Environmental Bills

(21:42) The Importance of Politics in Addressing Climate Change

(23:35) Childhood Aspirations and Curiosity about Materials

(28:52) Favorite Places in Zurich

Wim Thiery, a climate scientist and associate professor at the University of Brussels, revealed during his recent visit at ETH Zurich, that children born in 2020 will face significantly more extreme weather events than previous generations.

Wim Thiery, climate scientist and Associate Professor at the University of Brussels, talks about the urgent need for robust mitigation and adaptation strategies to address the increasing frequency and intensity of these climate phenomena.

He also highlights the critical role of climate scientists in informing litigation against governments and corporations failing to take sufficient climate action.

Thiery shares with us his background and experiences that have shaped his career and gives an inspiring insight into the life of a scientist who wants to make a difference.

This is his story.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Climate Injustice

(00:16) Meet Wim Thierry: Climate Scientist

(01:10) Seminar Insights: Unprecedented Lives

(01:30) Intergenerational Climate Inequities

(02:30) Heatwaves and Future Climate Scenarios

(03:30) Global Climate Extremes and Regional Disparities

(09:33) The Urgency of Climate Action and Adaptation

(10:26) Three Pillars of Climate Action

(12:54) My Climate Future: Personalized Climate Impact

(13:42) The Role of AI in Climate Research

(15:40) Preparing Future Generations for Climate Challenges

(17:08) Climate Litigation and the Role of Scientists

(19:12) Wim Thierry's Academic Journey

(22:18) Closing Thoughts and Personal Reflections

(25:32) Final Words and Podcast Outro

Oriana Kraft, entrepreneur and founder of the FemTechnology Summit explains the need for gender-specific care in medicine and the potential of FemTech to revolutionise healthcare.

In this episode, Oriana Kraft, founder of Fem Technology, delves into the gender data health gap and the burgeoning field of FemTech. Fem Technology specialises in solutions that improve women's healthcare in the areas of reproductive health, autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular health. The conversation highlights the need for gender-specific care in medicine and FemTech's potential to revolutionise healthcare. Oriana shares insights from organising the first FemTechnology Summit at ETH and the collaboration with Roche. The episode concludes with a discussion about the synergy between science and art and Oriana's favorite spots in Zurich.

This is her story.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction and Queen Victoria's Endometriosis

(04:29) The FEM Tech Guide and Proactive Women's Health Solutions

(13:51) Collaboration with Roche and the Role of Big Pharma in Femtech

(22:30) From Medicine to Entrepreneurship and the Intersection of Science and Art

Meet Christophe Chautems, CTO of Nanoflex Robotics, bridging Mars rover expertise to medical robotics, revolutionising stroke treatment with magnetic technology.

Christophe Chautems, CTO of Nanoflex Robotics, talks about the breakthrough medical robotics technology that uses magnets to navigate catheters in the treatment of strokes. With 15 years of experience in robotics, including at NASA, Christophe emphasises the importance of combining research with practical applications, underlining Nanoflex's commitment to advancing healthcare. Nanoflex's magnetic system is not only promising for strokes, but could revolutionise various medical procedures through the integration of AI.

This is his story.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Medical Robotics

(08:24) Navigating the Vasculature

(13:31) Time-Sensitive Stroke Treatment

(24:21) The Importance of Integration and Learning

Join us on an inspiring journey with Etienne Jeoffroy, CEO of ETH spin-off FENX, as he shares insights into sustainable materials innovation and its potential impact on reducing carbon footprints.

Etienne Jeoffroy, co-founder and CEO of FENX, talks to Susan Kish about his journey in sustainable materials innovation. He recalls how his grandmother, a farmer, instilled in him a deep appreciation for materials and the importance of longevity. Looking back on his diverse academic and professional career, Etienne explains the genesis of FENX's pioneering mineral foam insulation technology and emphasises its potential to significantly reduce building emissions and emphasises the paramount importance of collaboration between stakeholders. You can also find out more about Etienne's diverse interests, such as his unwavering love of basketball,

This is his story.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction and Background

(03:05) Journey from France to Switzerland

(06:15) Development of FENX's Mineral Foam

(09:32) Challenges of Scaling Up in the Construction Industry

(10:26) Collaboration and Stakeholder Involvement in Construction Innovation

(12:47) The Influence of ETH Zurich

(13:43) Curiosity, Learning, and Running a Startup

Links mentionned:

Books:

1. 'The Mamba Mentality' von 'Kobe Bryant'
2. Show Dog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_Dog

Podcast

1. Nota Bene

According to ETH Alumni Daniel Naeff, it is important to strike a balance between leveraging the positive aspects of AI and understanding the potential challenges.

In this episode, Susan Kish interviews Daniel Naeff, an entrepreneur and one of the leads at the ETH AI Center. They discuss angel investing, the inspiration behind starting companies, and Switzerland's potential in AI. They also touch on an exciting new development at the ETH Alumni Association, where Daniel is a Member of the Board: the ETH Knowledge Network, an AI-powered platform where members can connect and interact with each other.

This is his story.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction and Switzerland's Potential in AI

(01:13) The Role of Angel Investors in Startups

(08:28) The ETH Alumni Network: Connecting and Sharing Knowledge

(11:46) Navigating the Opportunities and Risks of AI

(14:02) Insights from Newsletters and Podcasts

Here’s how to put the ‘fabric’ into fabricate, as ETH Zurich alumna and TU Delft Assistant Professor of Digital Fabrication Mariana Popescu explains.

Could a knitting machine revolutionise construction?

For her PhD, ETH Zurich alumna Mariana Popescu worked with the Block Research Group to show that it’s possible to use lightweight knitted textiles as a mold for concrete. Mariana discusses knitting machines, complex geometry, and why her PhD project needed two suitcases to get to Mexico.

This is her story.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to the Knit Candela project

(01:18) Using fabric formwork for casting concrete

(04:08) Construction of the Knit Candela structure

(04:32) Computation and modeling in the project

(05:26) The Swiss influence on the project

(06:21) Applicability of the project beyond Switzerland

(07:21) Scaling up the project and future developments

(08:18) Improving the design for reusability and waste reduction

(08:48) The multidisciplinary skills required for the project

(09:12) Choosing ETH Zurich for further studies

(10:40) The process of selecting the thesis topic

(11:39) The role of collaboration and openness in the project

(12:33) Mariana's knitting and programming skills

(13:01) Understanding parametric design and computational design

(14:24) Setting up a group focused on fabrication

(15:20) The potential impact of the projects on architecture and construction

(16:18) Mariana's curiosity in fabrication and materials

(18:08) Closing remarks and podcast outro

ETH Alumna Sandra Herrmann is an oceanographer, a geologist, a paleontologist, a pilot… and member of NASA's Analog Astronauts.

Sandra Herrmann studied geology and palaeontology at TU Bergakademie Freiberg and completed her doctorate in natural sciences at ETH Zurich. She subsequently emigrated to the USA and spent 12 years working for the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) in various posts. Since October 2023, she has been conducting research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego.

Sandra explains what an analog astronaut is and shares her experience of spending 45 days in a space capsule as part of NASA's research on human behavior in stressful situations. She discusses the qualifications and application process to become an analog astronaut, and highlights the importance of cohesion, sleep, and hobbies on such missions. All of this makes her a strong candidate for future space missions…

This is her story.

Links:

“Catucation” Catboss & Furrfriends, Cat talk Radio

Globe article: https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2023/12/globe-modern-adventurer.html

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction and analog astronaut

(01:15) NASA's analog astronaut program

(02:39) Experiences in the space capsule

(03:36) Becoming an analog astronaut

(05:05) Experience as an oceanographer

(08:17) Cohesion, sleep, and hobbies

(11:29) Applying the three Key observations

(15:12) Academic background and PhD

(20:50) Commercial pilot's license

(22:46) Childhood aspirations and curiosity

(24:51) Favorite places in Zurich