A journey of mutual learning for ETH students and industry partners: the city and canton of Zug today announced the ETH Learning Factory Zug project. Rector Günther Dissertori discusses its aims and vision in this interview.
ETH is planning to open a Learning Factory in Zug. What exactly does that entail?
Günther Dissertori: The Learning Factory is a space where students will be able to tackle real, practical problems alongside industry partners. Companies will provide concrete challenges, which students will then analyse, develop solutions for and implement in real life wherever possible. They’ll work together with seasoned professionals and apprentices, the idea being that everyone learns in tandem and can also learn from each other.
Why is that important?
ETH gives students a very strong academic foundation, but it’s equally important for them to learn how to apply that knowledge in practice. This includes being able to grasp problems in all their complexity and working in teams to find solutions. Beyond that, they need to get comfortable with making decisions when faced with uncertainty and incomplete information. The setup at the Learning Factory is ideal for developing these kinds of skills.
You stress that apprentices are a key part of the Learning Factory. How so?
Students and apprentices bring different strengths to the table. Students tend to have more theoretical knowledge, while apprentices are much closer to the practical side of things. Together they can form a team with a really diverse set of abilities. Everyone learns to contribute their strengths and develop solutions together, which reflects day-to-day reality in a lot of businesses.
Project work and prototyping are nothing new at ETH. Why does the university need a dedicated space for this?
We want to remove as many barriers as possible to collaboration between students and companies so that this model of education can become more widely established. This requires spaces for generating ideas, fostering discussions, building prototypes and making presentations, ideally all’in one place. One special feature of the Learning Factory concept is that we are building lasting partnerships with companies. They become embedded in this educational model and participate alongside their employees. They can present their challenges to students with little additional effort on their part. It’s also exciting for instructors, who get a direct line to the current concerns and problems of private sector companies.
What’s the current status of the project? When will it be ready to open its doors?
Over the past few years, we’ve worked with businesses and policymakers in Zug to develop the concept and test its feasibility. Several pilot projects are already up and running, using improvised facilities. The next step is to build out the rooms, infrastructure and spaces inside an existing building at the Tech Cluster Zug. Both the cantonal and city governments of Zug have approved the project. The decision on financing, meaning whether
The Learning Factory is a substantial project. How is it going to be funded?
The first stage of the ETH Learning Factory Zug, covering construction and ten years of operation, will cost around 110 million francs. Most of this will come from the city and canton of Zug, with contributions from participating companies. For its part, ETH Zurich brings teaching capacity and expertise to the table, making
When will students and instructors actually be able to use the Learning Factory?
We already have pilot projects running. If political decisions turn out in our favour, we expect to be able to develop and use around 5,000 square metres of existing space at the Tech Cluster Zug over the coming years. Regular operations are set to begin in 2029, with around 150 people - students, apprentices and professionals - being able to work there together every day. Until then, we’ll keep running pilot projects, gaining experience and developing the Factory’s offerings.
How did the idea arise?
The idea took shape in 2023 from talks between the city and canton of Zug, several companies and ETH Zurich, which revealed some overlapping interests: companies are looking for specialists who not only have field-specific knowledge but who can also solve complex problems while working in a team setup. We’re looking for real problems from the business world that students can learn from, plus space and infrastructure to promote mutual learning. We’re very happy about how much support and funding have come from the private sector for this project.
The Learning Factory was developed in cooperation with a lot of companies. Are SMEs also welcome?
Yes. Companies are an important part of the overall concept, since they contribute real-world challenges to work on. Small and mid-sized companies in particular often have very concrete problems connected to practical applications, but they lack access to the kind of infrastructure and networks that the Learning Factory will be able to provide.
How do businesses benefit from this collaboration?
For companies, one of the key benefits is gaining a fresh perspective on their problems. Students often approach problems differently and come up with new ways of tackling them. A lot of companies find the process itself valuable - being able to see how the upcoming generation engages with problems and what approaches they come up with.
