EMPA NEST Director Reto Largo Calls for Risk Management and Collaboration for Sustainability

Sabancı Business School hosted EMPA Nest Director Reto Largo and OMYA Vice President Philipp Hunziker. Following their campus visit, Reto Largo addressed the key points for achieving sustainability goals in his presentation at Sabancı University Faculty of Management.

Stress: A Key Factor

During the campus tour that began at Sabancı Business School, EMPA Nest Director Reto Largo and OMYA Vice President Philipp Hunziker visited SUCool. At the meeting with the SUCool team, information was provided about the general operation of the program and the processes carried out. Following the meeting, a presentation was given to students at the Faculty of Management Sciences. In the final part of the program, a tour was organized at SUNUM. As part of this, the SUNUM laboratories were visited, and an informational meeting was held with a presentation introducing the center's activities.  

In his speech at Sabancı Business School, EMPA Nest Director Reto Largo addressed the concept of stress, which he believes is a key factor in advancing sustainability. Largo also commented on the future of the construction industry in the remainder of his speech. 

Reto Largo touched on the activities of the Federal Technology Laboratories (EMPA/FL), part of the Swiss Federal Research Entities (SW Federal Research Entities). He stated that these laboratories focus on key areas such as material environmental performance, energy resources, and innovation research. Largo listed collaborations, skills, and the ability to work with companies as the most important elements of sustainability success.

NEST, a Swiss-based company operating under EMPA, functions as a modular, experimental entity designed to test sustainable construction and living technologies. Reto Largo said that they established an experimental construction office to this end, even demonstrating failures.

“Innovation goes hand in hand with challenges”

In his presentation at Sabancı University, Reto Largo also highlighted the challenges in the construction industry. He cited examples where all components of small buildings can be easily reset and high-quality materials are easily manufactured during the design and production processes. Largo stated that innovation goes hand in hand with challenges and requires taking risks.