Fritz Kutter Fund
The Fritz Kutter Prize, sponsored by the Fritz Kutter Fund, is awarded annually and recognises outstanding practice-oriented theses in computer science.
Every year the award committee is accepting submissions for winning a reward (the Fritz Kutter Prize) from the Fritz Kutter Fund. The prize is awarded in recognition of valuable practice-oriented computer science theses. The Fritz Kutter Fund is administered by ETH Zurich, but the prize can be awarded to any graduate of a Swiss university.
Only professors can submit nominations for the respective theses! Only one nomination is permitted per are (master's, doctorate).
Competition
Eligible theses
Any thesis in the area of computer science completed between July 2024 and the end of September 2025 is eligible.
Criteria
The prize is awarded to theses which are of a high quality, innovative and considered to be directly relevant to industry and/or commerce.
Submission
All submissions must be made electronically via e-mail to . In addition to the Download submission form (PDF, 43 KB), please provide the following information:
- Project description
- Thesis
- Reviews of PhD theses; evaluation of Master's theses if available. Furthermore, videos of demos or links to online demos are welcome, if available. Please send the required documents in a zip file, if possible.
Final submission date
Wednesday, 24 September 2025.
Award ceremony
Monday, 24 November 2025.
Contact
Board of Trustees
Dr. Matthias Bossardt: Head of Cyber Security and Technology Risk and Partner at KPMG Switzerland (external page More information)
Prof. Dr. Torsten Braun: Communication and Distributed Systems, Institute of Computer Science, University of Bern (external page More information)
Prof. Dr. Esther Gelle: Institute of Business Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW (external page More information)
Prof. Dr. Barbara Solenthaler: Computer Graphics Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich (More information)
Dr. Matthias Kutter: Chairman at ECO PHYSICS AG (external page More information)
Prof. em. Dr. Bernhard Plattner: Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory, Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich (More information)
Dr. Gritta Wolf: Lead Enterprise Data Architect at Zürcher Kantonalbank (external page More information)
History
Fritz Kutter (1902-1985) was a visionary in the field of documentation, contributing significantly to the organisation and accessibility of knowledge. After studying chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) from 1920 to 1924, Kutter completed his thesis in 1926. By 1928, he had published the first register of literature for the brewery industry, laying the foundation for modern documentation practices.
In his 1964 book “5xW: Wissen wo-wie-wer-was” (Knowledge: where – how – who – what), Kutter reflects on his early work: "In 1926, when I was a young chemist at the research lab of the Swiss Brewery Association, I decided to summarise the publications of the specialists in the brewing industry. Instead of printing these reviews in journals, I published them on cards, which became the foundation of a growing register. In 1928, the first 16 cards appeared in a brewing journal, and it was issued monthly until 1975."
Kutter's influence extended beyond this initial achievement. He served as CEO of the Swiss Brewery “Falken” from 1934 to 1948, co-founded the Swiss Organization for Documentation in 1935, and played a key role in the development of industrial documentation from 1936 to 1973. He also authored important texts, including the 1951 work “Koordinierte Klassifikation” and led courses on industrial documentation.
Kutter’s pioneering efforts in organising knowledge were instrumental in shaping the field, paving the way for today’s digital documentation methods. In 1975, his contributions were honoured with the establishment of the Fritz Kutter Fund at ETH Zurich.
