Hagerbach Test Gallery: 55 Years of Research and Development Underground

Credit/Quelle: VSH

1 From the outside, the entrance to the Hagerbach Test Gallery near Flums in Switzerland looks rather unassuming

Credit/Quelle: VSH

2 Upon entering the VSH, a vast tunnel complex opens up, offering enough space for an entire trade fair underground

Credit/Quelle: VSH

Credit/Quelle: Celina Martinez

3 The VSH’s fully equipped construction materials testing laboratory

Credit/Quelle: Celina Martinez

Credit/Quelle: VSH

4 The VSH is a popular venue for events with a varied number of participants

Credit/Quelle: VSH

5 Companies and associations from all fields conduct their tests and presentations at the VSH – such as a sprayed concrete test, as shown here

Credit/Quelle: VSH

6 In particular, the tests on the burning behaviour of vehicles in the VSH tunnels have yielded interesting insights

Credit/Quelle: VSH

7 The ever-growing demand for energy and data capacity is giving rise to complex questions about the energy management systems and data structures of the future. At the VSH, solutions are being sought for both today and tomorrow

Credit/Quelle: VSH

Credit/Quelle: Celina Martinez

8 Research into the production and cultivation of food and plants for use in space is also being carried out at the VSH

Credit/Quelle: Celina Martinez

Since its foundation in 1970, the Hagerbach Test Gallery (VersuchsStollen Hagerbach/VSH) in Switzerland has evolved from an initial test tunnel into an internationally recognised research infrastructure. Thanks to a wide range of potential uses and activities, the underground research facility quickly made a name for itself as a unique venue and a sought-after testing facility for a wide variety of industries. At the end of 2024, the VSH was recognised by Switzerland as a research infrastructure of national importance.

“The Hagerbach Test Gallery is unique worldwide in its dual role as both a research and testing facility and a venue,” states Dr. Michael Kompatscher, Managing Director of the VSH. “As one of the most versatile sites of its kind, we are, amongst other things, co-founders of the European Underground Laboratories.” There are also other underground research laboratories in Switzerland, but these are specialised; for example, the ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) carries out seismic investigations there, whilst NAGRA (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) conducts...