Branco Weiss

Weiss was born into a Jewish family from the Austrian province Burgenland which had settled in Croatia. After his father's death at the hand of the fascists in 1943, Weiss fled with his mother to Italy and later to Switzerland.{{cite web | url = http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/politik/schweiz/tue_gutes_und_rechne_scharf_1.5431395.html | title = Tue Gutes und rechne scharf | accessdate = 2011-01-15 | last = Weiss | first = Branco | date = 2010-04-13 | work = Neue Zürcher Zeitung | language = German}}

While growing up in a town on the shore of Lake Constance, he studied literature, art and history and developed an interest in natural sciences.{{cite web | url = http://www.phzh.ch/webautor-data/402/081031_Laudatio_Oelkers.pdf | title = Laudatio auf Branco Weiss zur Verleihung des Zürcher Bildungspreises 2008 | accessdate = 2010-12-23 | last = Oelkers | first = Jürgen | year = 2008 | language = German | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110707001758/http://www.phzh.ch/webautor-data/402/081031_Laudatio_Oelkers.pdf# | archive-date = 7 July 2011 | url-status = dead}} He obtained his high-school diploma in Glarisegg in 1947. Subsequently, he enrolled at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich and graduated there with a degree in chemical engineering in 1951.{{cite web | url = http://www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_articles/101101_nachruf_branco_weiss_tl/index_EN | title = The great industrialist and patron Branco Weiss dies aged 81

| accessdate = 2011-01-15 | last = Langholz | first = Thomas | date = 2010-11-01 | work = ETH Life | language = German}} During his studies he worked part-time as a lab technician. Weiss wrote a thesis on cost-benefit analysis in the field of filtration.

Weiss has established several national and international high-tech companies. Kontron, a company he founded in 1959, was acquired by Hoffmann-La Roche in 1974. He was also the founder of Esec, a provider of semiconductor components that BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. acquired from OC Oerlikon in 2009. These companies were amongst the pioneers of the computer industry. Weiss was the founder and past president of the Swiss Venture Capital Association.{{cite web | url = http://www.ionewmanagement.ch/de/artikelanzeige/artikelanzeige.asp?pkBerichtNr=145636 | title = Was die KMU brauchen, ist Mut | accessdate = 2011-01-15 | last = Weiss | first = Branco | date = 2007-02-27 | work = Handelszeitung | language = German | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706234417/http://www.ionewmanagement.ch/de/artikelanzeige/artikelanzeige.asp?pkBerichtNr=145636# | archive-date = 6 July 2011 | url-status = dead}}

Weiss was a frequent lecturer on innovation and high-tech entrepreneurships. He held lectures at the ETH Zurich from 1985 to 1994 on "Technological Strategies" and on "Management of New Companies". He was a board member and honorary member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Science, an honorary member of the Swiss Engineers and Architects Society as well as the Alumni Association of ETH.{{cite web | url = http://www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_articles/101101_nachruf_branco_weiss_tl/index_EN | title = The great industrialist and patron Branco Weiss dies aged 81

| accessdate = 2011-01-15 | last = Weiss | first = Branco | date = 2010-11-01 | work = ETH Life | language = German}}

Weiss patronized{{cite web | url = http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/kultur/aktuell/die_muehseligkeit_der_menschlichen_existenz_erleichtern_1.7321950.html | title = Die Mühseligkeit der menschlichen Existenz erleichtern | accessdate = 2010-12-23 | last = Weiss | first = Branco | date = 2010-08-25 | work = Neue Zürcher Zeitung | language = German}} several universities and numerous cultural projects.

In 1987 Weiss together with Swatch founder Nicolas Hayek initiated the Swiss Technology Award.{{cite web | url = http://www.ch-innovation.ch/index.cfm?sef=1,390,33,62,0,1,1 | title = The history of the Swiss Innovation Forum | accessdate = 2010-12-23 | language = German }}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Jointly with Israel's Ministry of Education, he founded the Branco Weiss Institute in Israel in 1990.{{cite web | url = http://www.brancoweiss.org.il/e/ | title = Branco Weiss Institute, Israel | accessdate = 2010-12-23}} The institute consists of 12 schools that promote learning competencies and thinking abilities to students and teachers.

In 2002, Weiss founded Society in Science – The Branco Weiss Fellowship, a fellowship for researchers shortly after their PhD from around the globe. The grant enables postdocs to work on a research topic of their choice for up to five years. In Spring 2010 he handed this organization together with a 20 million Swiss francs endowment over to the ETH.{{cite web | url = http://www.bilanz.ch/leserservice/300reichste.asp?Session=FE4CE9D0-57E7-46DE-967C-BC34AE627ACB&CID=110&CPID=0 | title = 300 reichste Schweizer, Bilanz 2010 | accessdate = 2011-02-02 | language = German}}{{Cite web|url=https://brancoweissfellowship.org/news-2010-article-reader/branco-weiss-donates-society-in-science-to-eth.html|title = Branco Weiss Donates Society in Science to ETH}} The fellowship's research projects receive broad media coverage. Its fellows work on research projects that affect society, such as the analysis of how diseases spread through communities{{cite web | url = http://news.discovery.com/human/disease-spread-high-school-model101213.html | title = Busy high school model shows how diseases spread | accessdate = 2011-02-01 | last = Bland | first = Eric | date = 2010-12-13 | work = Discovery News}} and how stress affects ageing.{{cite news | url = http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sciencetoday/2010/1118/1224283615717.html | title = Measuring the effects of stress on the ageing process | accessdate = 2011-02-01 | last = Cormac | first = Sheridan | date = 2010-11-18 | newspaper = The Irish Times}} In 2009 fellow Riley Crane together with his research team at MIT won the DARPA Network Challenge. The Pentagon Prize was organized by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for developing new ways to understand how information is spread through social networks. According to his research team this technique could be used for finding criminals and missing persons.{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/technology/internet/07contest.html?_r=1 | title = With Lure of Cash, M.I.T. Group Builds a Balloon-Finding Team to Take Pentagon Prize | accessdate = 2011-02-01 | last = Markoff | first = John | date = 2009-12-06 | work = The New York Times}} In his will Branco Weiss left an estimated 100 million Swiss francs to Society in Science – The Branco Weiss Fellowship.{{cite web | url = https://www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_articles/121025_schenkung_branco_weiss_rok/index_EN | title = Branco Weiss' last gift | accessdate = 2012-10-27 | date = 2012-10-25 | last = Klingler | first = Roman | work = ETH Life}} In 2017, the fellowship changed its name to The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science.{{Cite web|url=https://www.brancoweissfellowship.org/news-2017-article-reader/the-fellowships-new-name-and-appearance.html|title = The fellowship's new name and appearance}} This research fellowship is designed to support postdoctoral researchers after their PhD and before their first faculty appointment. Those in current postdoctoral positions are also eligible. Ideally, fellows pursue unconventional projects in new areas of science, engineering and social sciences. {{Cite web|date=2019-11-27|title=Branco Weiss Postdoc Fellowship for young researchers, a generous personal research grant - Society in Science|url=https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/worldwide/brazil/branco-weiss-postdoc-fellowship-young-researchers-generous-personal-research|access-date=2021-09-22|website=EURAXESS|language=en}}

Weiss also donated 23 million Swiss francs in 2004 to the ETH's "Science City" – an infrastructure project that helps transform the additional ETH campus built in the outskirts of Zurich into an attractive district. In 2008 the Branco Weiss Information Science Laboratory was opened in Science City.

Weiss made one of the largest donations to Central European University (CEU) and also was a member of the team that developed the strategic plan of the University, which was applied in 2003. In 2004 he helped with the initial accreditation of the CEU by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.{{cite web | url = http://www.ceu.hu/news/2010-11-02/dr-branco-weiss-23-april-1929-%E2%80%93-31-october-2010 | title = Central European University News Room | accessdate = 2011-02-02 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721104419/http://www.ceu.hu/news/2010-11-02/dr-branco-weiss-23-april-1929-%E2%80%93-31-october-2010# | archive-date = 21 July 2011 | url-status = dead}} The CEU is ranked 22nd on the European Top Business Schools 2010 report.{{cite web | url = http://www.topmba.com/mba-rankings/top-business-schools-report-2010/regions/top-business-schools-in-europe | title = European TOP Business Schools 2010 | accessdate = 2011-02-02 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://archive.today/20120913023124/http://www.topmba.com/mba-rankings/top-business-schools-report-2010/regions/top-business-schools-in-europe | archivedate = 13 September 2012}}

• 2005 honorary doctorate University of Basel{{cite web | url = http://www.unibas.ch/index.cfm?uuid=BC7986D4C09F28B63431DB33DFA98576&o_lang_id=2 | title = Honorary Doctorate of the Faculty of Theology | accessdate = 2010-12-23 | year = 2005 | publisher = University of Basel | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721042607/http://www.unibas.ch/index.cfm?uuid=BC7986D4C09F28B63431DB33DFA98576&o_lang_id=2 | archive-date = 21 July 2011 | url-status = dead }}
• 1998 honorary doctorate University of EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)
• 1998 honorary doctorate Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich
• 1993 honorary doctorate University of Tel Aviv

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110707002744/http://www.satw.ch/index_EN Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences]: fellow, board member
• [http://www.sia.ch/d/index.cfm Swiss Engineers and Architects Society]: honorary member
• Alumni Association of ETH:{{cite web | url = http://www.ethistory.ethz.ch/rueckblicke/hochschulgremien/alumni/4_Zukunftsperspektiven | title = Honorary Members of ETH | accessdate = 2010-12-23 | year = 2000 | publisher = ETH | language = German}} honorary member

• Branco Weiss (Eds.): Praxis des Venture Capital (Practice of Venture Capital). Verlag Moderne Industrie, Zürich 1991, {{ISBN|3-478-31610-3}}
• Branco Weiss: Entrepreneurship. Ramot Publishing, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 1994, {{ISBN|965-274-160-4}}

• Richard Morais: Swiss Risk – How Branco Weiss is shaking up the cautious Swiss. In: Forbes magazine. Vol. 139, Issues 10–14, Forbes, New York, NY 1987, S. 49 ff, [http://dispatch.opac.d-nb.de/DB=1.1/FKT=8/FRM=0015-6914/IMPLAND=Y/LNG=DU/LRSET=1/SET=1/SID=6555d477-1d/TTL=1/LNG=EN/NXT ISSN 0015-6914]{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Branco Weiss}}

• [http://www.brancoweissfellowship.org The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science]
• [https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=z2vnIh9lFls Lecture podcast by Dr. Branco Weiss at ETH Zurich]. Retrieved 2018-11-21.

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Category:1929 births

Category:2010 deaths

Category:Swiss businesspeople

Category:Yugoslav emigrants to Switzerland

Category:ETH Zurich alumni