Dr. Xaver Edelmann studied Physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland from 1968 to 1973 and received his PhD there in Technical Sciences in 1985. From 1974 he worked as a research and development scientist at Sulzer Brothers Limited Winterthur, Switzerland.

From 1985-1986 he was consultant at the Nondestructive Evaluation Center of the Electric Power Reerach Institutte, EPRI in Charlotte, NC. In 1986, he was awarded with the Berthold Award of the German NDT Society for outstanding contributions in the field of nondestructive testing. 1986 he assumed the position as the Head of Nondestructive Testing at the Corporate Research Department at Sulzer Brothers Limited. Additionally he became the Head of Technical Physics and finally the Head of the Department of Applied Sciences.

Since 1991, he has been a member of the Executive Board of Directors at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Empa, where he was the Head of the Information, Reliability and Simulation Technology Department and in addition was responsible for the Energy Research Program. Between 1991 and 2001 he was also a lecturer for technology at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Furthermore from 1996 to 2005 he was President of the Swiss Association for Standardization SNV and he is an Honorary Member of SNV. From 2001-2012 he was President of the Swiss Federal Commission for Metrology. Since 2003 Dr. Edelmann has been the President of the Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems, SQS as well as President of the Executive Board of Association Micro- and Nano-Technology of the Euregio Lake of Constance. He is a Member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences, SATW and Head of the topical platform “Resources and Sustainability”.

Dr. Edelmann is Founding President and Vice-President of the World Resources Forum, WRF.