Fritz Widmer

Fritz Widmer has been Full Professor of Process Engineering since 1971 at the ETH Zurich where he also served as Vicepresident for Planning on the Executive Board from 1984 until the end of 1997. He retired October 1, 2000.

Prof. Widmer comes from Ellikon a. Thur ZH and was born on September 26, 1935. He completed his studies with a degree in mechanical engineering (dipl. Masch. Ing.) from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the ETH Zurich in 1960. Subsequently, he received his doctorate degree (Dr.sc.techn.) in process engineering under Professor Grassmann. In 1966 he joined the Luwa Company, Process Technology in Plant and Apparatus Engineering, Zurich. His research focuses on multiphase transport phenomenas with respect to the appartus design and the process development (backmixing effects, mechanically agitated films, Torus bioreactor, membrane separation processes, secondary flow effects) as well as granulation processes for producing uniform particles (hydroprilling) and questions of life cycle analysis.

From 1976 to 1986 he was President of the ETH Zurich Planning Commission. Since 1992 he has been Chairman of the Building and Construction Commission at the ETH Zurich, and of the executive board of KOF (Konjukturforschungsstelle der ETH Zurich) as well as a deputy member of the ETH Zurich's Building and Construction Commission for the 3rd expansion phase of the ETH Hönggerberg. Prof. Widmer is a member of many scientific organizations including independent member of the SATW, honorary member of the SIA Group for Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering, member of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering and on the board of curators for the Körber Award for European Sciences (until 1996).