An EPFL president with start-up experience

The president of the National Research Council of the Swiss National Science Foundation and a professor in communication systems at EPFL, Martin Vetterli, 58 years old, is a brilliant researcher, an accomplished teacher and a recognized expert in the Swiss education and research sector. He was appointed by the Federal Council following a selection process conducted by the ETH Board. Professor Vetterli received the unanimous support of the ETH Board.

Professor Vetterli’s work on the theory of wavelets, which are used in signal processing, is considered to be of major importance by his peers, and his areas of expertise, including image and video compression and self-organized communication systems, are central to the development of new information technologies. As the founding director of the National Centre of Competence in Research on Mobile Information and Communication Systems, Professor Vetterli is a staunch advocate of transdisciplinary research.

Co-founder of Dartfish
He is the author of some 50 patents, some of which were the basis for start-ups coming out of his lab, such as Dartfish and Illusonic, while others were sold (e.g. Qualcomm) as successful examples of technology transfer. He actively encourages young researchers to market the results of their work. In the case of Dartfish - a video special effects company - Vetterli co-founded the company in 1998 and served also as its chief scientist for ten years.

The current EPFL President, Patrick Aebischer, who has been in office since 1 March 2000, will continue to exercise this function until the end of 2016. During his incumbency, EPFL has developed into a globally leading university for natural sciences and technology, whose reputation and impact extend far beyond the region and the national borders.

(SK)