Noa Schmid gets the CSEM Inventor Award 2026

Micromechanical engineer Noa Schmid has been awarded the CSEM Inventor Award 2026 in recognition of his foundational contributions to precision liquid-handling technologies—key components of modern laboratory automation, diagnostics, and health monitoring.

Over more than two decades at CSEM, Noa Schmid has played a central role in advancing devices capable of controlling and dispensing liquids at extremely small volumes with high accuracy. Such technologies are essential for a wide range of applications, from biochemical and environmental analysis to drug development, infectious disease diagnostics, and personalized health monitoring.

Working closely with colleagues at CSEM and industrial partners in Switzerland and abroad, Schmid contributed to eight patents and multiple successful technology transfers. His innovations have enabled the commercialization of automated laboratory devices that are faster, more precise, and more cost-efficient, while maintaining the reliability required for clinical and industrial use. A major achievement of his work has been the miniaturization of laboratory equipment, reducing reagent consumption and speeding up analysis without compromising precision.

His collaborations span leading companies such as Tecan, Fluigent, and Hamilton, resulting in breakthroughs ranging from ultra-wide-range pipetting systems to contamination-free flow measurement and advanced calibration tools for automated liquid-handling platforms. His technologies have even reached space: one of his pump designs was used aboard the International Space Station in a flow cytometer analyzing blood samples from astronauts. More recently, his work supported the development of a home-use diagnostic device capable of detecting multiple sexually transmitted diseases from a single urine sample.

“At heart, I am an engineer,” says Noa Schmid. “My motivation is to create devices that improve people’s lives. Simplifying a product or a process is often the hardest challenge—but also the most rewarding.”

The CSEM Inventor Award highlights not only Schmid’s technical excellence, but also the impact of long-term, application-driven research that bridges engineering innovation and real-world societal benefits.

➡️ Source: Press Release | 📸 Noa Schmid (Expert Tools & Instruments for Life Sciences, CSEM) and Vincent Revol (VP, Industry 4.0 & Life Sciences, CSEM). ©CSEM.