Prof Wendelin Stark is a full professor at the Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering (IBS) at ETH Zurich. His research combines materials with specific functions for medical or industrial use. Prof Stark has developed nanoparticles for environmental applications: for example, to increase energy efficiency in water and solvent purification, to enable large-scale remediation or to create more environmentally friendly catalytic processes. He is the co-founder of 10 companies active in the areas of diagnostic reagents, nanoparticle synthesis, functional membranes and medical devices. In addition, he has written more than 330 papers and has obtained 40 patents.