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AR&D Institutes
A leading hub of skills and innovation The HES-SO Valais-Wallis carries out its Applied Research & Development (AR&D) activities at seven institutes.
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he aim of its projects is to use the research findings to constantly update the degree programmes offered, and to promote knowledge transfer and the exchange of expertise. Disciplinary and interdisciplinary projects are carried out in collaboration with partner practitioners in the various fields and with other universities, within and outside Switzerland. In its capacity as a centre of excellence at the service of the canton, the HES-SO Valais-Wallis works hard to reinforce an
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interdisciplinary culture and way of working, both within its own walls and beyond. The school has therefore opted to focus its activities on three hubs or interdisciplinary axes, which are in line with the priorities set by the canton and are ideally suited to positioning the institution as a leader in both the Swiss and international arenas. Health, Energy and Tourism are the three key fields of study in which the expertise of the various institutes is applied in order to develop innovative projects.
The School of Management & Tourism has three institutes:
The School of Engineering has two institutes:
The Institute of Information Systems specialises in developing information systems.
The Institute of Systems Engineering has recognised expertise in integrating different cutting-edge technologies into a single product.
The Institute of Tourism makes its expertise available mainly to tourism industry professionals in Valais and the rest of Switzerland.
The Institute of Life Technologies selects and carries out projects through research groups whose complementary areas of expertise produce unique synergies.
The Institute of Entrepreneurship & Management offers open, collaborative spaces for innovation, and acts as a regional catalyst.
The School of Health Sciences has a single institute:
The School of Social Work also has a single institute:
The Institute of Health conducts research into, amongst other things, the development of instruments to be used in prevention and intervention.
The aim of the Institute of Social Work is to support the sector by providing institutions, professionals and politicians with well-founded analyses, evaluations and proposals.
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Interdisciplinary axes Tourism axis
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he objective of the Tourism Development axis is to reinforce research in the field of tourism and to help increase added value. Combining the strengths of all the institutes of the HES-SO Valais-Wallis, it seeks to look at tourism from a sustainable, interdisciplinary perspective. In the long-term, it aims to reinforce the status of the HES-SO Valais-Wallis as an institution that advises local and regional tourism professionals, as well
as the relevant political bodies, and will help to position the HES-SO ValaisWallis as a Swiss centre of excellence for promoting sustainability in the tourism industry. In the coming months, the Tourism Development axis will concentrate primarily on two essential aspects of tourism: the development of innovation transfer and of incubation processes in the world of tourism, and the creation of new tourism services and products.
Energy axis
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y initiating an energy observatory in Valais, the HES-SO Valais-Wallis has established a platform for raising awareness of energy production and consumption, targeted equally towards a specialist audience and to the lay public. It offers its expertise to the relevant political circles, and seeks to change social behaviour by raising awareness
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of new energies. In this context, the aim of the committee of the Energy strategic axis is to stimulate and coordinate the activities undertaken by the various institutes in the field of energy. Open to initiatives by these institutes, it offers the services of experts and provides support in setting up projects.
Health axis
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n 2014, the Health axis set up the HES-SO Valais-Wallis “Health Technology Innovation Center� (HTIC), whose mission is to encourage synergy between the institutes carrying out research into technologies for the support of sustainable health, by means of aspects such as the detection and prevention of disease, nutrition and healthy living, patient support, the management of chronic illnesses, rehabilitation aids, the integration of people with disabilities and support for the elderly and their families. The HTIC is already home to several interdisciplinary projects undertaken at the HES-SO Valais-Wallis, such as the Nano-Tera ISyPeM 2 project, in which the Life Technologies, Systems Engineering and Information Systems Institutes are developing a miniaturised solution for the forecasting of medication concentrations.
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Institute of Information Systems Innovating to produce sustainable economic development
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he Institute of Information Systems of the HES-SO ValaisWallis is closely related to the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes of the same name and specialises in the development of information systems for companies in any industry. The institute is active in high value-added areas of the local economy such as eHealth, eServices (digitization of services), eGovernment, eEnergy (energy management) or ERP. It offers businesses a programme of continuing education in information technology.
The specialist skills of the institute are cutting-edge and complementary, covering such varied areas as the Semantic Web, data intelligence (extraction of knowledge from data), agile project management, the internet of things, the processing of medical information and software engineering. The key to the institute’s success lies in the development and integration of innovative information systems that meet the needs of the economy.
Laurent Sciboz Head of the institute For more than 15 years, the aim of the Institute of Information Systems has been to make Valais and TechnoArk a centre of excellence for education and applied research in information systems. Our 80 members of staff have cutting-edge expertise that enables us to work with prestigious international partners on European projects, for example. This knowledge is also used to serve the regional economy and therefore benefits a large number of SMEs in Valais and the rest of Switzerland.
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Areas of activity ♦ eEnergy ♦ eGovernment ♦ eHealth ♦ ERP ♦ eServices ♦ Continuing education in IT
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Areas of activity ♦♦Management and observation tools ♦♦eTourism ♦♦New tourism products and markets ♦♦Continuing education
Institute of Tourism Observing and analysing to create future success in our tourism industry
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he Institute of Tourism (ITO) is situated in a region which attracts large numbers of tourists, and it makes its expertise available to Swiss and Valais-based tourism industry professionals through applied R&D projects and carrying out commissioned work. The special links that have been created and maintained with key umbrella organisations, at cantonal, national and international level, reinforce the institute’s involvement with the local tourism industry. The research conducted by the ITO
concerns the creation of management and observation tools, to increase the understanding of the quantitative and qualitative significance of tourism. In addition, the institute stimulates and supports innovation and cooperation so that the tourism industry’s offer can be refreshed and the competitiveness of this sector of the economy increased. The ITO observes and analyses the processes of change related to the increased use of information and communication technology (ICT).
Dr Marc Schnyder Head of the institute According to Fourquet (1989), “tourism is a total social phenomenon. It should be perceived as no less than an aspect of society, which it fully reflects.” Through its applied R&D activities and its continuing education courses, the ITO is committed to making a significant contribution to the development of 21st century tourism, especially in the Valais canton.
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Institute of Entrepreneurship & Management An entrepreneur is an innovator who implements change. (J. A. Schumpeter)
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ased on key values such as creativity, responsibility and sustainability, the Institute of Entrepreneurship & Management includes a multidisciplinary team of academics and researchers among its 20 or so staff. Making full use of its team’s expertise, the institute aims to act as a regional catalyst to reinforce the capacity for innovation and improve the competitiveness of the economic fabric.
Its main areas of research are the management of : innovation (business model, service design, open & collaborative innovation); human capital (entrepreneurship, leadership, project management); performance (quality & strategy management, energy management).
Antoine Perruchoud Head of the institute The Institute of Entrepreneurship & Management offers open, collaborative spaces that promote knowledge transfer and exchange, the emergence of new knowledge, and sharing of best practice. Through our interdisciplinary team and vision, we are committed to developing entrepreneurial spirit and disseminating efficient management tools. Our research activities are to be viewed as contributing to and/or inspiring an effective entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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Areas of activity ♦♦Education programmes (MAS in Quality and Strategy Management, Business eXperience) ♦♦Networking platforms (i-Brain, BusiNETvs) ♦♦Applied research work (InnoHub, Energy Forum)
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Areas of activity ♦♦Automation ♦♦Energy efficiency ♦♦Electronics ♦♦Hydropower ♦♦Instrumentation ♦♦Materials ♦♦Mechanics ♦♦Smart grid ♦♦Embedded systems
Institute of Systems Engineering An institute at the service of innovation
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he Institute of Systems Engineering is part of the School of Engineering at the HES-SO Valais-Wallis. Its staff has recognised expertise in integrating different cutting-edge technologies into a single product. Among its partners are SMEs, national and international companies in the fields of electricity, mechanics, industrial production, life sciences and health.
The institute has 2 main areas of activity: energy and the development of instruments for use in the fields of energy, health and the environment. With its 80 qualified and experienced staff, the institute carries out a large number of applied research and development projects every year and offers a wide range of services and continuing education courses.
Christophe Bianchi Head of the institute The institute’s unique character lies in the multiplicity of skills that can be brought to bear on a single project. From mechanics to electronics, energy to information technology, the institute is a unique gateway for a large number of undertakings. This multidisciplinary nature means that it can cope with complex systems and develop innovative solutions, enabling businesses that collaborate with the Institute of Systems Engineering to create a strong position for themselves in the competitive markets of the future.
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Institute of Life Technologies Supporting the implementation of projects
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he Institute of Life Technologies offers its partners the expertise of more than 70 scientists and researchers, 2200 m2 of laboratories, including 3 pilot halls, and facilities that are compatible with the latest technical developments. Access to various financing tools enables it to fulfil the many and varied demands of its industrial partners, who include local, Swiss and foreign SMEs. The institute is
developing its expertise in the fields of agrifood, biotechnology, chemistry and diagnostics, taking a sustainable approach (for example, improving food processing and its security, biotechnological processing of artificial materials, developing personalised diagnostic tools). Businesses that contact the institute will find it to be a partner ready to support them in their innovative projects.
Dr Sergio Schmid Head of the institute The unique character of our institute is related to two features: the close collaboration between our four research groups and our synergy with other research institutes, which ideally complement our areas of expertise. Our objective in supporting businesses is clear: to quickly turn their ideas into a commercial application!
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Areas of activity ♦♦Diagnostic Systems ♦♦Food and Natural Products ♦♦Life and Bioresource Technologies ♦♦Peptide and Protein Technologies
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Areas of activity ♦♦Nursing science ♦♦Physiotherapy ♦♦Age and ageing ♦♦Rehabilitation ♦♦Evidence-based practice
Institute of Health Evidence-based practice in continuing education and research that benefits patients.
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he Institute of Health organises continuing education courses in the fields of nursing and physiotherapy. The interdisciplinary nature of its research and development is one of the institute’s strong points: researchers from nursing science, physiotherapy, psychology and ethics work together to tackle the issues that arise within practice and to develop solutions that help patients.
The interdisciplinary approach also plays a very important role within the HES-SO Valais-Wallis Health Technology Innovation Center. The Institute of Health maintains close relationships with different partners within the healthcare field, such as hospitals, home care services, rehabilitation clinics and physiotherapy practices, and also with research institutes at various universities.
Claude-Alexandre Fournier Head of AR&D Health is a major issue in our society that involves a number of different fields, chiefly nursing and physiotherapy. These fields are increasingly interdependent, both with one another and with healthcare technology. The Institute of Health takes an interdisciplinary approach, encouraging the formation of partnerships between the different fields and the professionals within them to develop projects and provide continuing education and training. Innovation is therefore not only central to each of these fields but also to the relationships between them.
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Institute of Social Work Reflection at the service of action
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he Institute of Social Work coordinates the research activities of the teaching staff of the School of Social Work. Its areas of activity therefore cover the extremely wide field of social work, focusing on the subjects of integration, public space and its development, the body and health, and the link between professionalism and law.
The aim of the research at the School of Social Work is to support the sector by providing institutions, professionals and politicians with wellfounded analyses, evaluations and proposals.
Dr Peter Voll Head of AR&D The research conducted in the School of Social Work reflects the social action and the work of institutions and professionals, in two ways: it describes it and, through this description, questions it in relation to its premises, its objectives, its interventions and its effects. In this way, it contributes to the development of the field and of social policies.
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Areas of activity ♦♦Public space and local development ♦♦Integration ♦♦The body, health and social work ♦♦Professionalism and standards ♦♦Organisation and innovation ♦♦Methods of intervention
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Institute of Information Systems Techno-Pôle 3 3960 Sierre T +41 27 606 90 01 F +41 27 606 90 00 info.iig@hevs.ch
Institute of Life Technologies Route du Rawyl 64 1950 Sion 2 T +41 27 606 86 11 F +41 27 606 86 16 info.itv@hevs.ch
Institute of Entrepreneurship & Management Techno-Pôle 3 3960 Sierre T +41 27 606 90 94 info.iem@hevs.ch
Institute of Systems Engineering Route du Rawyl 47 1950 Sion T +41 27 606 85 14 F +41 27 606 85 15 info.isi@hevs.ch
Institute of Health Chemin de l‘Agasse 5 1950 Sion T +41 27 606 84 02 T +41 27 606 84 51 F +41 27 606 84 01 recherche.sante@hevs. ch
Institute of Social Work Route de la Plaine 2 3960 Sierre T +41 27 606 84 02 info.social@hevs.ch
www.hevs.ch info@hevs.ch | T +41 27 606 85 11
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Institute of Tourism Techno-Pôle 3 3960 Sierre T +41 27 606 90 97 F +41 27 606 90 00 info.ito@hevs.ch