A graduate with a Master's in Physics and then a PhD in environmental science, Yves Loerincik committed himself professionally to sustainability as soon as he left EPFL in 2000. From co-founding start-ups and associations to managing strategic missions for the Canton of Vaud, he gets involved at different levels to put his convictions into practice.
Born in Lausanne, Yves Loerincik grew up between two cultures: that of Switzerland, in a well-off social environment, and that of Slovakia, his father's country of origin, where communism was present. Yet environmental sustainability issues were only rarely discussed in his family, even today.
After his studies in physics, he sought his path.
“I needed something hyper-concrete in my work, perhaps in reaction to the hyper-abstract nature of my studies.”
After an internship in India, he told himself that humanitarian work would be something too difficult for him. An internship in industrial ecology, however, helped him identify that environmental topics would be a good compromise for making his contribution to global issues.
It was ultimately thanks to the closure of the Ecosystem Management Laboratory, where he was carrying out his thesis on questions related to the life cycle of products, that his path took shape.
On the very day of his thesis defence, he co-founded Quantis, his first start-up, an environmental strategy consultancy. Nothing had been planned, he explains. “We just didn't want the laboratory's expertise to be lost.”
Through this experience, he developed a strong understanding of the world of multinationals. He realised how much scientific knowledge can help these structures and support the decisions made within them, even if it is sometimes difficult to shift the lines in these highly political environments with strong financial constraints.
“I have always been curious to understand how systems work.”
True to his versatility, he got involved in other impact start-ups, such as eqlosion, which he co-founded in 2015. He also gets involved in associations such as Graines de nature, a community forest garden, or Jardin-Forêt Suisse.
In 2023, he joined the Cantonal Office for Sustainability and Climate of the Canton of Vaud (OCDC). He sees similarities between the world of entrepreneurship and his current work, both of which offer spaces of freedom to act.
The approach, however, is new to him: “That surely comes from my physics studies. I find that same need to model the regional issues and stakeholders in order to understand how best to act and contribute to living together.”
He also invites EPFL to strengthen its link with the OCDC, which works in particular with many semi-public service providers as well as a large network of SMEs.
For fifteen years, Yves has been constantly on the lookout for levers of transformation. The local dimension seems essential to him for bringing about greater resilience.
And if he had to give one piece of advice to the next generations coming out of EPFL? “Experiment in a concrete way, take an interest in sustainability in a broad sense, and create offerings to address the issues.”
And he concludes: “Don't choose the easy way!” A principle he has himself applied to the letter.