«The battle for sustainability is decided on the plate»

Urs Hilber, Director and Delegate for Sustainable Development at the ZHAW, explains why nutrition is central to sustainability and the role played by employees, infrastructure and the strategy of the ZHAW Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management.

Mr. Hilber, what will we eat in the future?

The crucial question is: Can we feed ten billion people healthily within planetary boundaries in the future? It goes. But we need to change a few things. It is essential to reduce the consumption of animal products and instead focus on a plant-based diet. In addition, too much food is wasted, i.e. it does not even make it to the table or disappears in the trash afterwards.

The new laboratory building on the Wädenswil campus is all about the future of food. What do you expect from it?

The new so-called "Future of Food" campus is to become a beacon for research and education. It is the new home of our Institute for Food and Beverage Innovation, but not only. Here we want to bundle all our competencies in the field of nutrition - for all those who research innovations here and bring them to fruition, who open up a promising future for themselves through a course of study or who take a career step through further education. With this unique infrastructure, we will tackle socially and economically relevant challenges together with the food industry.

As the Delegate for Sustainable Development of the ZHAW, you have a responsibility. How does this rub off on the strategy of the Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management?

While I was entrusted with the task of setting up and managing the strategic program for sustainable development. However, everyone is responsible - from the university management to the lecturers and academic staff to the students. As part of the ZHAW, the Department of Life Sciences and Facility Management makes an important contribution with its strategic themes of environment, nutrition and health. Who, if not we as a university, should ensure that our children's children will still experience a world worth living in? I am proud that we at the ZHAW are addressing precisely these questions.

The location in Wädenswil probably holds the greatest diversity of topics at the ZHAW. How important is infrastructure?

Our employees are our most important asset. However, in order for excellent researchers to want to work here and to be able to produce outstanding work, we need first-class infrastructure such as pilot plants, laboratories and high-performance computing. And we have these at our disposal. I have gotten to know some research institutions around the world and can rightly claim that we have excellent working and study conditions to offer. Unfortunately, you often only become aware of this when you make a direct comparison. In fact, we cover a wide range of topics, which presents us with challenges not only in terms of content, but also financially.

Now we have talked about infrastructure. What specific culture is lived by the employees?

When I was elected by the UAS Board, the focus was on the further development of research. We have achieved this goal. We then turned our attention to teaching, creating new courses that are not only new, but innovative and networked with other departments. This is accomplished with a culture that can be described as hands-on, creative, passionate and reflective. However, the maintenance of this culture requires sufficient financial resources. It requires trust in employees and requires that supervisors provide more than they preside. However, with our lived diversity, we are above all also reaching financial limits. That's painful, and I'm curious how we deal with it culturally.

Wädenswil is a beautiful location. However, the department is growing steadily, and staff and institutes are already scattered across the campus in some cases. How is this growth being managed?

Are you familiar with the two sustainability paradigms? One paradigm is called "sustainable development", the other "sustainability". The first is based on the assumption that economic growth is necessary. The second says that true sustainability is only possible if we reduce. Against this background, the company's own growth also takes on a special significance. Does the Olympic motto "Faster, higher, stronger!" really always make sense? Growth seems positive, and it is pleasant. But what happens when the limits are reached? And yes, as a biologist with a PhD, I definitely believe there are limits. With the new "Future of Food" campus, we are therefore striving for synergies. We are looking for what we have in common, what unites us. And here I am again at Olympia, the motto was supplemented two years ago with the word "together".

With the new "Future of Food" campus, however, the entire food value chain is now united under one roof. What opportunities does this present?

The chain becomes a network! Chains are linear, but what we need are circuits or networks. Having the entire network under one roof makes it possible to quite simply use synergies, to benefit from each other together. The building replicates the processes that are important for food and beverage production across all floors. The whole food cosmos comes together here. You won't find this anywhere else in Switzerland.

Innovations usually emerge at interdisciplinary interfaces. Where do you see thematic convergence and potential for innovation?

Convergence is an exciting concept that absolutely must be pursued and exploited in light of the major challenges ahead. We already noticed the convergence of chemistry and biotechnology a few years ago and therefore combined the two institutes. That was a bold move. Today, I see convergences in all of our topics of environment, nutrition and health. In addition to the new "Future of Food" campus, we already have a "Future of Environment" campus, and in the future I could also imagine a "Future of Health" campus - with topics such as tissue engineering for drug development, medicinal chemistry, biomedical laboratory diagnostics, pharmaceutical biotechnology or digital health.

In addition to cooperation between research areas, collaborations with startups and companies are certainly important for innovations. How are these cultivated and promoted in Wädenswil?

The Gründerpark grow was launched 20 years ago. This successful incubator for startups has grown rapidly in recent years, to four locations today. There has also been an expansion in terms of topics, as more companies from the food industry want to settle here because of the "Future of Food" campus. I would like to see companies and startups find their way to us in the future and take advantage of our excellent infrastructure. For many, this should be cheaper as well as more sustainable than having to purchase certain machines themselves.

What would you like to see at the Wädenswil site?

We want to be the first address for bright minds, motivated students, innovative startups as well as renowned companies in the field of food and beverage innovation. Also for international cooperation, for example with the Food Campus Berlin or the universities in New England. In addition, we are working with the cantonal and regional location promotion on a food hub for Wädenswil. Even though I take a very differentiated view of growth, we can only tackle the global challenges in the area of nutrition by growing together. Because I am firmly convinced that the battle for sustainability will be decided on our plates.