Organisation behind Research and Innovation
Hagerbach Foundation
Since its designation in 2025 as a Research Infrastructure of National Importance, the research facility has continued to evolve. This includes the establishment of the Hagerbach Foundation, which co-finances selected research infrastructure investments and strengthens long-term research and innovation activities at the site.
Through its organisational structure, the Foundation ensures the required scientific evaluation and the associated monitoring and compliance of the use of foundation assets in accordance with its organisational regulations and the specifications by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI). In addition to the federal state funding, the Foundation can receive further donations by third parties willing to support VSH in its future development towards an established research infrastructure for academia and industry.
Members of the Foundation Board:
- Dr. Tobias Walser (ETH Zurich)
- Helen Amberg (Representative of VSH)
- Prof. Matthias Sulzer (EMPA)
Scientific Council
The VSH Board of Directors and its management are supported by a Scientific Council. Composed of world-renowned scientific experts in academia, this body accompanies the development process, promotes collaboration with other research institutions and industry partners. The council further provides advice on strategic orientation regarding VSH’s research focus areas and its implementation into the academic environment via their large netork. It helps identifying key research and infrastructure needs within the scientific community for which the Hagerbach Test Gallery can offer a substantial added value to promote development and implementation of new technologies. Lastly, the scientific council helps identifying and shaping strategic investments into the VSH infrastructure in order to secure the long-term attractiveness of the research facility for academic and industrial partners.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Board:
- Prof. Dr. Lyesse Laloui (EPFL Lausanne)
- Prof. Dr. Eleni Chatzi (ETH Zurich)
- Prof. Dr. Jörg Worlitschek (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts)
VSH Research Team
With a team of dedicated scientists, engineers, geologists, and material science experts, we are strongly involved in various Research, Development & Innovation topics with academic and industrial partners from all over the world. Diverse backgrounds in underground construction technology, geology, construction materials, energy, and electrical engineering paired with long-standing experience in R&D make us an ideal partner for joint activities in applied research and prototyping in the framework of national and international research consortia.
Are you interested in using the unique VSH underground infrastructure for your R&D activities? Do not hesitate to contact us, we are happy to support you in further shaping your ideas as well as to assist in writing research proposals to take your project to the next level!
For questions about our Research, Development, and Innovation activities, please contact Dr. Julien Michels.
about us
VSH was founded in 1970 with the aim of building a research, test, training and dissemination infrastructure for Switzerland‘s pioneering engineering activities in underground space use.
Hagerbach always offered companies and educational institutions the opportunity to test innovations for the construction and operation of infrastructure systems on a large scale before they are applied in reality. This is done on a total length of more than 5 km of tunnels. The connected caverns vary in dimensions and provide in total more than 25.000 m2 of test and lab-area.
Thanks to the legal security provided by integration in the zoning plan, Hagerbach Test Gallery can continue to grow, flexibly and purposefully.
