Harvard University has received a $350 million gift for its Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired … [+]
Harvard University has received one of its largest private gifts in history – $350 million from billionaire entrepreneur Hansjörg Wyss, for the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
The gift brings Wyss’ total contributions to his namesake institute to more than $700 million since it was founded with his initial $125 million gift in 2009. He made subsequent donations of $125 million in 2013 and $131 million in 2019 for the Institute, which has become a world leader in bringing together scientists and engineers to develop innovative technologies and products.
The Wyss Institute focuses on translational bio-engineering research that addresses challenges in healthcare and the environment by building on Nature’s basic design principles. Faculty teams working at the Institute are renown for translating their bio-inspired discoveries into products that have real-world uses, including medical devices, diagnostic tools, robotics, and novel sustainability technologies.
Wyss Institute researchers have made nearly 4,000 patent filings and their research has led to more than 100 licensing agreements and 50 start-ups as well as numerous industry collaborations.
“Since its founding 13 years ago, the Wyss Institute has been devoted to breaking down silos within and between academia and industry,” said Harvard University President Larry Bacow, in the university’s announcement. “That aspiration, expressed passionately and persistently by Hansjörg Wyss, has yielded a unique model of collaborative and cross-disciplinary research, as well as disruptive innovations that are improving and savings lives. We are extraordinarily grateful not only because Hansjörg is one of Harvard’s most generous supporters, but also because he inspires our community with his curiosity, imagination, and vision.”
For his part, Wyss said, “I have been tremendously proud to watch the Wyss Institute grow into the remarkable engine for innovation and entrepreneurship that it has become today, and I want to recognize and congratulate the institute’s leadership, entire faculty, and staff for working so tirelessly to realize my initial vision of working together across disciplines to solve some of the greatest challenges that we face as a society.” Wyss added that he hoped others would see what the Institute had accomplished in a short time and join him in helping to expand its impact further.
In addition to supporting the Wyss Institute, Wyss has made donations to other Harvard programs, including support for the doctoral program as well as fellowships for the social enterprise initiative and other major gifts to Harvard Business School.
A native of Switzerland and a 1965 alumnus of Harvard Business School, Wyss sold his medical device and orthopedics company Synthes to Johnson & Johnson for $20.2 billion in 2012. Forbes pegs his wealth currently at about $5 billion and reports that his charitable foundations have assets of over $2 billion. In addition to his support for Harvard, he has given $120 million to two universities, – University of Zurich and ETH Zurich – to establish a center to accelerate medical breakthroughs.