ELPRO celebrates 40 years of innovation. In an interview, co-founder Alois Bischof reflects on the company’s origins, major milestones and the evolution of environmental monitoring.
ELPRO is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026. Founded in 1986, the Swiss company has grown from an early technology pioneer into an internationally recognized provider of environmental monitoring solutions for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, life science and biobanking industries. In an interview, one of the founders—Alois Bischof—looks back on the company’s beginnings, major technological breakthroughs, defining moments and the values that continue to shape ELPRO today: quality, innovation and customer proximity.
The history of ELPRO began on August 1, 1986, in a small engineering office located in a barrack behind the railway tracks. Together with Ernst Erni and Max Schmid, Alois Bischof set out to develop innovative electronic products under the name ELPRO (“Elektronik‑Produkte”).
We simply did everything that came our way—software, firmware, design, special projects. We wanted to grow.
Alois Bischof, Co-Founder of ELPRO
With only a few employees in assembly, ELPRO began developing its own measuring devices early on. As early as 1988, one of the first electronic data loggers was created—initially for dentistry: a device for long-term measurement of gum temperature in collaboration with the University of Bern. Although not suitable for the broader market, this prototype provided the decisive inspiration for a development that would shape ELPRO’s future.
While exploring further fields of application for continuous temperature monitoring, one key question emerged: Where else could unnoticed temperature changes cause damage?
The answer: in cold-chain food transport. This marked the beginning of the first industrial data logger—the “Hamster.” By 1989, it entered the market, accompanied by early successes in Switzerland, Germany, the United States and Japan. At the same time, a growing network of distribution partners emerged across Europe.
While the food market was increasingly characterized by price pressure, connections within the logistics sector opened doors to the pharmaceutical world. In the 1990s, this industry was confronted with increasingly temperature-sensitive products and launched systematic control processes along the cold chain for the first time. A major Swiss pharmaceutical company was the first to recognize the importance of continuous temperature monitoring—a turning point in ELPRO's corporate history.
The visit to this pharmaceutical company was a key moment. We were able to demonstrate what continuous temperature monitoring can achieve—and that was convincing.
Alois Bischof
Why did global pharmaceutical players place their trust in what was then still a small, young company? According to Alois Bischof, there were three reasons: a consistent focus on quality, open and close cooperation with users, and a clear principle: no isolated solutions. Innovations originating from individual projects were always further developed in a way that benefited all customers.
Among his most memorable milestones, Alois Bischof highlights the success of the patented LIBERO data logger, which became instrumental in monitoring temperature‑sensitive shipments around the world, as well as the strong growth in the years that followed. Equally defining, he says, were the team spirit, the joint effort to solve complex technical challenges and the knowledge that ELPRO’s products contributes to the global quality assurance of vital goods with its products.
Four decades of development, pioneering work and reliable partnerships—and a founder whose passion is still palpable. What began as a small engineering office has become a global promise of quality. With this foundation and the innovative spirit that shaped its origins, ELPRO enters the coming decades stronger than ever—ready to continue shaping the future of monitoring critical environments.
See the full interview for all the details, anecdotes, and original quotes:
