Peter Burgherr

Peter Burgherr is a researcher and group leader at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), leading the interdisciplinary Technology Assessment (TA) group within the Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis (LEA). He holds a PhD from ETH Zurich and serves as a lecturer at ETH Zurich in the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, with additional teaching roles at HSLU, ZHAW, University of Geneva, EPIC (University of Chicago), and KINGS (Busan, Korea).

His research focuses on energy systems, particularly comparative risk assessment, sustainability, resilience, and energy security. He is the primary developer of the Energy-Related Severe Accident Database (ENSAD), the world's most comprehensive database on severe accidents in the energy sector. His work integrates Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) frameworks and tools such as Mighty MCDA and MCDA Index Tool to support decision-making in sustainable energy transitions.

He has been a Principal Investigator in major research programs including the Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research – Supply of Electricity (SCCER SoE) and the Future Resilient Systems (FRS) program at the Singapore ETH Centre. He regularly publishes in peer-reviewed journals, serves on editorial boards for Frontiers in Energy Research and Sustainability, and acts as a reviewer for several scientific journals.

Scientific Awards:

• PSI Diversity Award (First Laureate)

He supervises students at all levels (PhD, MSc, BSc, interns), participates in PSI mentoring and diversity training programs, and contributes to education and outreach in sustainable energy systems. He is actively involved in international conferences and collaborative research networks.