David Oesch

University of Bern, Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration

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About

David Oesch is a researcher whose work spans the critical intersection of environmental remote sensing and the economic impacts of automation. His early contributions focused on atmospheric science, where he developed methods for retrieving aerosol optical depth (AOD) from NOAA AVHRR satellite data over complex alpine terrain, a technique essential for understanding air quality and climate dynamics in mountainous regions. More recently, Oesch has made a significant pivot to accounting and finance, investigating how automation technologies reshape corporate behavior. His highly relevant 2024 study, which has already garnered attention, uses an instrumental variable approach based on industrial robot adoption to demonstrate that increased automation exposure leads to lower reporting quality in firms. This finding has profound implications for investors, regulators, and our understanding of the modern information environment. With a career that bridges the physical and social sciences, Oesch’s work is notable for its methodological rigor and its timely exploration of how technological change—from satellites to robots—alters our world.