The IAEA has redesignated Switzerland’s Spiez Laboratory as an IAEA Collaborating Centre for sampling and analytical techniques used to study radionuclides in the environment. The new four-year designation builds on collaboration that began in 2016. As part of this renewed partnership, the Spiez Laboratory will continue to support the IAEA in enhancing environmental safety through advanced analysis of radionuclides, particularly through the IAEA’s Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network.
Established in 1925, the Spiez Laboratory has evolved from a national facility focused on chemical protection into a world-class centre for environmental and forensic nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) analysis.
As an IAEA Collaborating Centre, the Spiez Laboratory participates regularly in interlaboratory comparisons and corroboration measurement campaigns. It also conducts training courses and takes part in international missions on environmental safety and public health.
“For Switzerland, it is a win-win situation,” said Martin Pfister, a member of Switzerland’s governing Federal Council and Head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport. “The IAEA gains independent technical expertise, while Spiez Laboratory gains operational experience, strengthens international networking in NBC protection and makes important contributions within the framework of Switzerland's ‘good offices.’ Spiez Laboratory is thus an essential element of Switzerland's overall security architecture. It intends to continue supporting the IAEA in the future.”
The laboratory’s collaboration with the IAEA focuses on sampling and analytical techniques for studying radionuclides in environmental samples, applying internationally accredited standards to guarantee the accuracy, precision, transparency and reproducibility of results. Its expertise strengthens the scientific foundation for evidence-based decision-making in environmental and radiological protection.
Spiez Laboratory has earned global recognition for its contributions to radiological monitoring, nuclear emergency preparedness and environmental assessment. It provides critical analytical data that helps assess contamination levels in air, soil and water and strengthens confidence in marine radioactivity monitoring around Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
