New alliance for alpine research: four institutes united!

New alliance for alpine research: four institutes united!

The Alpine village of Altdorf in Switzerland will be the scene of a significant change in Alpine research on June 22, 2025. Four research institutes from different parts of the country have founded the Swiss Alpine Research Collaboration (Swiss ARC). The institutes with locations in Altdorf, Chur, Mendrisio and Sion combine their expertise to conduct interdisciplinary research into the Alpine habitat. In doing so, they would like to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the Alpine region. This reports tagblatt.ch.

The Swiss ARC Foundation is an answer to the urgent questions arising from climate change and the special needs of the regional population. The institutes should maintain their independence and still coordinate their research projects with one another. The four institutes involved are: the Uri Institute of Alpine Cultures in Altdorf, the Graubünden Institute for Cultural Research (IKG) in Chur, the Laboratorio di Storia delle Alpi (LabiSAlp) in Mendrisio and the Center interdisciplinaire de la recherche sur la montagne (CIRM) in Sion. Each of these institutes contributes specific focal points that support the interdisciplinary orientation of the Swiss ARC, such as schweizerbauer.ch explained.

Research objectives and perspectives

The focus of the Swiss ARC is on the cultural studies perspective of Alpine research. A central concern of the alliance is to take greater account of the lives of people living in the Alps and to work in harmony with urban research centers, which often take an urban perspective. The research institutes would like to better understand the importance of the Alps for the Swiss economy. Even if this is currently considered to be low, its importance could increase due to the effects of climate change. Topics such as permafrost, avalanche danger and landscape protection are the focus of the investigations.

A particularly relevant goal of Swiss ARC is to create synergies and increase the visibility of research projects. Through increased collaboration, the institutes hope to fundamentally strengthen research, which will attract both local and international attention.

Public presentation

The official presentation of the Swiss ARC will take place on July 4, 2025 in Airolo as part of the 30th anniversary of the International Society for Historical Alpine Research. A panel discussion will also be held on this occasion to highlight the Alliance's objectives, next steps and challenges. Experts from various fields are expected to discuss the visions and importance of this new research community.

With the founding of the Swiss Alpine Research Collaboration, a new path in Alpine research is being taken, which aims to shed more light on both the cultural and socio-historical dimensions of the Alps and to take greater account of them in research.