Swiss Wood Solutions was founded in 2016 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich and Empa.
Our team fuses the vast knowledge of scientists with diverse academic backgrounds. All of our team members have worked at ETH and/or Empa prior to their engagement at Swiss Wood Solutions. ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) is a globally leading science university and constantly ranks among the top universities worldwide. Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) is an interdisciplinary Swiss research institute for applied materials science with various campuses across Switzerland. We are in the advantageous position to benefit from infrastructural, technical and know-how support from these two Swiss institutions. Regardless, Swiss Wood Solutions acts as an independent company and holds its own intellectual property rights.
Our team
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Dr. Oliver Kläusler
CEO
has studied wood science and technology at the University of Hamburg and wrote his thesis at ETH Zurich. Subsequently, he worked as an R&D engineer and project manager in the wood industry in Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the United States. He is the main inventor and developer of the production technologies for two Beaufort products for Audi cars. Oliver Kläusler then received his PhD in the field of high-performance bonded wooden joints for wood constructions from ETH Zurich. Following his promotion, he ran a research group at Empa Dübendorf and ETH Zurich. Oliver Kläusler is Co-founder of Swiss Wood Solutions and its first CEO.
klaeusler@swisswoodsolutions.ch
Tel. +41 79 819 72 77 -
Dr. Munish Chanana
Deputy CEO and Head of R&D
studied chemistry at the University of Münster, Germany, and later received his PhD from the Max Planck Institute in Potsdam, Germany. He acquired profound research experience in hierarchical biological materials, chemical synthesis and physical chemistry of interfaces. Prior to his engagement at Swiss Wood Solutions, Munish Chanana led the group of Hierarchical Nano-Bio Materials at the Institute for Building Materials at ETH Zurich. Munish Chanana is Co-founder of Swiss Wood Solutions and, as Head of R&D, develops new physicochemical modification approaches of wood.
Tel. +41 76 688 70 02 (CH)
Tel. +49 176 63 00 44 09 (D) -
Dr. Walter Sonderegger
Quality management
studied forest science at ETH Zurich and earned his doctorate there. Subsequently, he worked at the Institute for Building Materials at ETH as a forest engineer for several decades. Walter Sonderegger has acquired profound knowledge in wood mechanics, wood physics and hydrothermal compression methods. Furthermore, he has released numerous research articles in scientific journals and reference books on wood.
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Gaspard Clerc
Product Manager and R&D Engineer
spent multiple years at the violin making school in Brienz, Switzerland, where he certainly acquired practical experience, but wanted to have a greater theoretical understanding of wood. He received his Master's degree as a wood engineer at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland. In the meantime, he co-founded SWS to combine his interest in lutherie and research. Currently, in addition to his work at SWS, he is completing his doctorate at the Technical University of Munich.
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Dr. Etienne Cabane
R&D Manager
is a polymer chemist and chemical engineer. After completing a MSc in Materials Science at the University of New Hampshire (USA) and a PhD in Physical Chemistry at the University of Basel in Switzerland, Etienne Cabane discovered wood at the Institute for Building Materials at ETH Zürich, where he led the research activities on the design of functional wood-based materials. As a senior research scientist at SWS, Etienne Cabane keeps an eye on the latest innovations in wood materials and explores novel research directions.
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Pascal Wyss
R&D Engineer
studies Chemistry and Business Studies at the University of Zurich. As part of his Master's thesis, he works on the development of wooden veneers and investigates their marketability.
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Nico Schubiger
Master Student Chemistry and Business
studies Chemistry and Business Studies at the University of Zurich. As part of his Master's thesis, he performs a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the wooden products of SWS.