ENAC is EPFL’s faculty addressing sustainability challenge in the built and natural environments. Our mission is to address major social and environmental challenges such as the protection of ecosystems, the renewal of infrastructures, rapid urbanization, and energy-intensive lifestyles.
ENAC researchers apply their expertise in three strategic areas:
- Climate change
- Digitalization of infrastructures and cities
- Urbanization and sustainable territories
Two clusters to solve challenges through interdisciplinary research
We have set up two research Clusters – one for each of our last two strategic focus areas.
1. Cluster “Digitalization of Infrastructures and Cities”
This cluster explores opportunities related to digitalization and big data to nurture the ecological and social transition. It aims to develop tools and methods for improved infrastructure and city management:
- Designing with resource constraints and radical rethinking of construction.
- Move from “data” to “knowledge” to support policy-making – sensing and actuation for a sustainable built environment.
- Adding simulation layers to digital twins for physical infrastructure design, operation and maintenance.
2. Cluster “Sustainable Territories”
This cluster aims to rethink urbanization towards social and ecological sustainability. It offers a holistic vision of the urban system:
- Modelling sustainable territorial development as a system-of-systems.
- Linking multiple scales and technology through network analysis and modeling.
- Transformation territories by reshaping the links between urban and rural areas.
This cluster aims to develop tools and methods advancing the management of infrastructures and cities.
This cluster aims to renew our understanding of cities and territories through a systemic approach.
In the long term we hope that the activity of this cluster generates a bundle of fascinating innovative projects in renewable energy research and development, supporting likewise the energy transition for a more sustainable future.
The aim of this grant is to foster new interdisciplinary research collaborations within the ENAC clusters.
FUSTIC is a network of partners. The association connects ENAC researchers with other research organisations as well as private or public partners.