FACHHOCHSCHULE NORDWESTSCHWEIZ FHNW

Their core work

FHNW is a Swiss University of Applied Sciences that bridges laboratory research and real-world deployment, with deep strength in water treatment engineering, industrial enzyme technology, and applied digital systems. Their water expertise spans the full cycle — from wastewater treatment and micropollutant removal to water reuse and energy recovery — demonstrated across projects in Europe, China, and India. They also develop enzyme-based solutions for food processing, packaging recycling, and bio-based consumer products. As an applied sciences institution, they consistently focus on prototyping, demonstration, and scale-up rather than pure fundamental research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2015–2018, FHNW's work centered on marine enzyme discovery (INMARE), rare earth and scandium extraction from industrial waste (SCALE), IoT interoperability, and early water treatment demonstrations (AquaNES). From 2019 onward, a clear shift emerges toward circular economy applications — water reuse with energy recovery (NextGen, ELECTRA), machine learning for enzyme engineering (FuturEnzyme), bio-based packaging solutions (TERMINUS), and cybersecurity tools for small enterprises (GEIGER). The trend shows a move from exploratory participation in diverse topics toward applied, sustainability-driven engineering with stronger coordination ambitions.

FHNW is consolidating around circular economy engineering — water reuse, enzyme-based recycling, and ML-assisted bioprocess design — making them a strong partner for upcoming Horizon Europe calls in these areas.

How they like to work

FHNW primarily operates as a contributing partner (24 of 30 projects), but has demonstrated coordination capability in four projects spanning water treatment, food bioprocessing, environmental remediation, and cybersecurity. With 411 unique consortium partners across 35 countries, they are a well-connected hub rather than a repeat-partner institution. Their participation in both RIA (16) and IA (10) projects shows comfort with both research-oriented and deployment-oriented consortia, making them adaptable collaborators who can contribute from lab through demonstration scale.

FHNW has collaborated with 411 distinct partners across 35 countries, giving them one of the broader European networks for a mid-sized applied sciences university. Their projects span EU-wide consortia and extend globally, with field work in China (ELECTRA) and India (PAVITRA GANGA).

What sets them apart

FHNW occupies a distinctive niche as a Swiss applied sciences university that combines water engineering, enzyme biotechnology, and digital tools under one roof — a rare combination that enables cross-disciplinary solutions like ML-assisted enzyme discovery for water treatment. Their Swiss base provides access to high-quality infrastructure and industry partnerships while their H2020 track record (30 projects, EUR 9.2M) demonstrates full integration into European research networks despite Switzerland's associated country status. For consortium builders, they offer the practical engineering muscle to take lab concepts to demonstration scale, particularly in circular economy applications.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GEIGER
  Their largest single grant (EUR 1.19M) and a coordinator role in an unusual-for-them domain — cybersecurity tools for micro-enterprises, showing institutional breadth.
• ELECTRA
  Coordinated project combining bio-electrochemical systems with 3D-printed biofilms and nanoparticles for bioremediation, with field experiments in China — a technically ambitious environmental project.
• FuturEnzyme
  Represents their most forward-looking work: applying machine learning and big biodata mining to enzyme discovery for circular economy products like greener detergents and bio-processed textiles.