The NCCR PlanetS Closes After 12 Remarkable Years

On Friday, 22 May 2026, scientists from the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS will meet at the Kursaal in Bern to celebrate the achievements and successes of the Swiss planetary science community over the last 12 years.

The NCCR PlanetS, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and involving the University of Bern, the University of Geneva, the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, has enabled many exceptional collaborations and research projects since its creation in 2014. The NCCR will close at the end of May as the new Swiss Institute for Planetary Sciences (SIPS) is initiated.

Started in June 2014 under the leadership of the University of Bern and co-leadership of the University of Geneva, the NCCR PlanetS has enabled the expansion of capacities of Switzerland in the domains of space exploration of our Solar System and study of exoplanets – distant worlds orbit other stars than our Sun.

“We wanted to reflect on our 12 years of achievements with an event for the community, as we reach the conclusion of NCCR PlanetS at the end of the month,” shares Prof. Nicolas Thomas from the University of Bern and current director of the NCCR PlanetS, “It will also be the occasion to present what will follow, with the creation of a Swiss Institute for Planetary Sciences, or SIPS, to maintain the spirit of collaboration we have seen over the Swiss academic network.”

Switzerland, worldwide leader of planetary sciences

With nearly 500 members from over 50 nationalities in the last 12 years, the NCCR PlanetS has been at the forefront of planetary sciences worldwide. The teams of scientists, engineers and specialists have explored varied scientific topics, including: asteroids, comets, the planets of our Solar System from Mercury to Neptune, moons, planet formation, exoplanet detection, planetary system architecture, atmosphere observation, climate studies, planetary interior or even the search for life elsewhere in the universe.

The NCCR PlanetS scientific approach combined observations with theoretical work, simulations, laboratory measurements and ground- and space-based instrument development. “The work of our members has led to an exceptional scientific productivity, with over 1250 scientific publications – most of which are openly available,” explains Nicolas Thomas.

This diversity of topics and the participation in over 50 ground- and space-based instruments, observatories or missions, and international collaborations, has made Switzerland one of the most prominent organizations worldwide in planetary sciences.

“This diversity is what enabled us to have a clear global vision of planetary sciences, one of the keys of the success of the NCCR PlanetS,” points out Prof. Stéphane Udry from the University of Geneva and co-director of the NCCR. He adds: “Each of the 4 involved institutions brought their own strength and set of skills to create the perfect chemistry.”

The University of Bern is a recognized world leader of solar system exploration since its participation in Apollo 11 and the first moon-landing, and a world-class player in the theory of planetary system formation. The University of Geneva has played a key role in instrumentation-building and the observation of exoplanets, since its teams discovered in 1995 the first exoplanet orbiting a solar-like star.

The University of Zurich has brought unique expertise in theoretical work and high-performance computing. Finally, the ETH Zurich teams are renowned experts in sample and meteorites analysis and of instrumentation development for direct imaging.

A closure, and a new beginning

The NCCR PlanetS final event will bring together scientists, engineers and staff from all four of the institutions participating in it, as well as stakeholders from the SNSF, the universities and the Swiss government. Participants will learn more about the history behind the NCCR PlanetS, and the keys of its success. The morning will be mostly dedicated to the technical platforms which supported the scientists:

• The Technology and Innovation Platform (TIP), in charge of linking with industrial partners and stakeholders, favor knowledge and technology transfer, and promoting innovation.
• The Academic Platform (ACAD), participating to the academic development of the NCCR PlanetS institutions and to the professional development its members, and promoting diversity and gender equity.
• The Communication Platform (COMM), advertising and making accessible the scientific discoveries to the media, the public, schools and key stakeholders.

The first part of the afternoon will be focusing on the scientific achievements of the NCCR PlanetS in the various domains of planetary sciences, while the second part of will focus on the future of Switzerland’s planetary science community, and on the soon to be created Swiss Institute for Planetary Sciences (SIPS). The founding members of SIPS will be the University of Bern, the University of Geneva, the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. More information on SIPS can be found here: https://swiss-sips.ch/

“The NCCR PlanetS has enabled to unite the Swiss planetary science community and break the boundaries between the different sub-disciplines and institutes. The NCCR PlanetS also significantly contributed to the leadership role of Switzerland in planetary science at the international level. We want to continue and expand this achievement through SIPS,” concludes Prof. Ravit Helled from the University of Zurich, director of UZH Space and future President-Designate of SIPS.

Astrobiology, exoplanet,