Research, education and knowledge transfer are the core elements of our strategy. The Paul Scherrer Institute also communicates its self-image and values in the form of guiding principles.
Research
PSI designs, develops, constructs and operates large-scale and complex world-class research facilities and places them at the disposal of the Swiss and international research community. PSI's own research is concentrated on areas in which experiments on these large research facilities offer particular advantages. This ensures a competitive edge for PSI researchers, because they can use their own in-house facilities for their studies. At the same time, they gain experience from their work which enables them to develop the facilities still further, so that they always remain internationally competitive. Thanks to this experience, PSI scientists can offer excellent support to external users and be competent partners for them during their experiments. To achieve this, PSI has set itself the goal of excelling in a few selected areas, rather than trying to serve the needs of all potential users.
Education
PSI is deeply involved in teaching at the Swiss universities, as well as in the education of doctoral candidates at universities and universities of applied science in Switzerland and abroad. By means of joint projects, it contributes to the further education and training of specialists at universities and in industry.
Transfer of knowledge
New knowledge created at PSI in areas such as energy, the material sciences, structural biology or medicine benefits both Swiss society and industry. Joint ventures with other research institutes, universities and industry promote the transfer of knowledge: through the acquisition of staff trained, or technologies developed, at PSI; through the training at PSI of people based in another country; through the exchange of staff for limited periods of time; and finally through patents and licences.