Transdisciplinary Research Area Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Futures
Sustainability means using resources in a way that the needs of today are met without neglecting or even disregarding the needs of future generations. This raises questions in a wide range of areas: poverty, hunger, food security, demographic change, health, protection of the environment, climate change and the responsible use of resources pose a global challenge for us all. To achieve progress with regards to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, our researchers apply an interdisciplinary approach focused on solutions combined with basic research, actively engage in global networks and collaborate with Bonn-based UN organizations.
Our TRA: Transcending classical disciplinary boundaries for the future
At the last Bonn Science Night in summer 2022, the speaker of TRA Innovation and Technology for a Sustainable Future Prof. Jan Börner (Institute for Food and Resource Economics) and the former speaker Prof. Joachim von Braun (Center for Development Research) came to speak. Why is there a need for transdisciplinary research areas like the ones at the University of Bonn? What are the questions and problems that can only be addressed through a transdisciplinary perspective and cooperation? And what can transdisciplinary research look like?
The nutrition epidemiologist and recently elected speaker of the TRA Innovation and Technology for a Sustainable Future, Prof. Ute Nöthlings, presents the COPLANT study, which shows how transdisciplinary work can develop innovative approaches in research for important current problems.
News
Save the Date! The next TRA Sustainable Futures General Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 11 July 2023 at 10 a.m. In the course of the General Meeting, this year's Töpfer Prize will be awarded and an interactive poster session will follow. More information and the registration form will be available here soon.
The lecture series "Innovation Pathways to Sustainability" welcomes its first speaker in 2023. On 6th of April 2023, at 13:30 CEST we will host Prof. Dr. Michels. More information here.
TRA Sustainable Futures welcomes J.Prof. Dr. Wolfram Barfuss as new Argelander Professor for Integrated System Modeling for Sustainablity Transitions to the University of Bonn.
Members directory: From now on, members of TRA Sustainable Futures can be found by name or by their research focus.
Our Open Call for seed funding is still available to all TRA members. Please feel free to contact us in advance if you have any questions.
Report on the General Meeting of TRA Sustainable Futures
On December 15th 2022, the members of TRA Sustainable Futures met again to exchange ideas and to decide on important directions for 2023. With broad approval, changes in the administrative structure were voted for. We congratulate the new TRA speaker Prof. Ute Nöthlings and the re-elected TRA speaker Prof. Jan Börner. Our thanks go to the now former speaker Prof. Joachim von Braun and Prof. Gabriel Schaaf, who left the Steering Committee of TRA Sustainable Futures.
In the main plenary, overviews of TRA's development and reports on funded projects were presented. In addition, members were able to actively discuss with each other in three open barcamp groups. The diverse topics were suggested by members themselves. They were about possible applications of infrared sensors in measuring activity of animal live stock, which help to make decisions for more animal welfare. Another group addressed the rights of future generations and the ethical question of the duty not to leave irreversible damage to the environment with current decisions and actions, especially due to climate change and biodiversity loss. The third barcamp addressed the implications of COP27 (Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, November 2022) for the TRA Sustainable Futures research agenda, including centrally the question: what interdisciplinary research is currently essential to enable a sustainable future through innovation and technology?
We look forward to further networking opportunities in TRA Sustainable Futures.
Award of the Klaus Töpfer Research Prize 2022
During our general meeting on July 12, 2022, Dr. Melanie Braun from INRES was awarded the Klaus Töpfer Research Prize 2022. Her project idea "Colloidal and Nanoplastics in Soil" prevailed over strong competition in a multi-stage review process. With the help of the prize money of €50,000, Melanie Braun now wants to develop an analytical method that can be used to quantify the smallest plastic particles in soil.
Prof. Dr. Joachim von Braun said at the award ceremony: "Melanie Braun's project fits perfectly with our focus on modeling, foresight and risk assessment capacity, as it provides for the first time data on soil pollution by nanoplastics that can later be used for forecasting and other purposes."
Dr. Klaus Töpfer (on the left in the picture) took the journey to Bonn for the first presentation of the award that bears his name and used his speaking time to emphasize, among other things: "In the question of how we can still feed the growing world population in the future, research on soil is immensely important."
In her acceptance speech, Dr. Braun explained the motivation behind the project idea: "There has been evidence that soils receive plastic input, mainly by agricultural practices like application of sewage sludge and compost as well as irrigation. As soils are one of the most important bases of our food production, there is an urgent need to investigate the prevalence of colloidal and nano-sized plastics in soil, to adequately safeguard worlds food production."
How can people work together to forge new, environmentally sustainable paths in a complex system? This is the question being tackled by Jun.-Prof. Dr. Wolfram Barfuss, the new Argelander professor in the Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Futures Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA Sustainable Futures) at the University of Bonn. He is developing mathematical models for collective learning and linking different research areas, including complex systems, artificial intelligence and social ecology, in order to identify key levers for easing the transition to sustainability. Barfuss and his team are based at the Center for Development Research (ZEF).
What impact does artificial intelligence (AI) have on the environment? And what might the ramifications of AI be for society? These are some of the questions being tackled by the research group led by Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe, a Humboldt Professor at the University of Bonn. She will now bring international experts in the field together between May 30 and June 1. At the Universitätsclub Bonn, the researchers will discuss cross-cultural perspectives of sustainable AI on a global level.
German consumers consider paper-based packaging to be particularly environmentally friendly. Nevertheless, they tend to be skeptical about innovative products such as paper-based bottles. This is shown by a recent study by the University of Bonn and Forschungszentrum Jülich. Almost 3,000 women and men from all over Germany were surveyed for the study. The results have now been published in the journal “Food Quality and Preference.”
Research for more sustainable crop production: A new type of research greenhouse is now being built at the University of Bonn's Klein-Altendorf campus. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is providing 8.1 million euros in funding for the project, called START. Partners from various institutions will be working together here on an interdisciplinary basis over the next four years. Construction of the deep water culture greenhouse at the Klein-Altendorf campus is scheduled to begin this year so that demonstration operations can begin in 2024.
Press review
Members of TRA Sustainable Futures in the media (in German)
- "Vom Feld ins Netz"12 (WirtschaftsWoche, 14.06.2021) - Prof. Stefanie Bröring zu der Digitalisierung des Landhandels und der Entwicklung von Deeptech-Start-ups in der Agrarbranche
- "Der Urwald brennt für unser billiges Fleisch"1312 (SWR Fernsehen, 07.04.2021) - Prof. Jan Börner in der SWR Dokumentation zu der Verbindung von illegaler Brandrodung und günstigem Rindfleisch aus Südamerika
- "Die wissenschaftliche Sicht auf die Phänomene Flucht und Migration" (Radio free FM, 07.04.2021) - Dr. Benjamin Schraven in dem Podcast "Die internationale Stadt" zum Thema Flucht und Migration
- "Arbeitsmigranten überweisen weniger Geld" (MiGAZIN, 17.03.2021) - Dr. Benjamin Schraven über die Bedeutung von Rücküberweisungen von Migrant*innen
- "Bonn bekommt UNESCO-Lehrstuhl für Mensch-Wasser-Systeme"141399 (WDR, 24.02.2021) - Bericht im WDR zum UNESCO-Lehrstuhl von Prof. Mariele Evers
- "Klimaschutz von unten"15141010 (Der Spiegel, 09.02.2021) - Prof. Wulf Amelung dazu, wie Böden genutzt werden können, um Kohlenstoff aus der Atmosphäre zu holen
- "Abgase in den Boden"16151111 (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 21.01.2021) - Prof. Wulf Amelung zu der Idee, durch Hummusaufbau des Bodens Treibhausgasemissionen zu kompensieren
- "Es gibt nicht ‚das‘ Patentrezept" (Unsere Kirche, 17.01.2021) - Prof. Dr. Joachim von Braun spricht über Möglichkeiten bei dem Kampf gegen den Hunger
- "Auf 2021 kommt es an17161212" (Frankfurter Rundschau, 07.01.2021) - Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge dazu, welche Entscheidungen in 2021 in Bezug auf die Umwelt- und Klimapolitik anstehen
- "Ackerböden als Kohlenstoff-Speicher nutzen13" (Wissenschaftsjahr Bioökonomie, 04.11.2020) - Prof. Wulf Amelung zu einer internationale Studie unter Beteiligung der Universität Bonn, die Vorschläge dazu ausgearbeitet hat, wie ein verändertes Bodenmanagement im Ackerbau helfen könnte, mehr CO₂ in Wurzeln zu binden.
- "CO2-Emissionen - Können Bäume den Klimawandel stoppen?14" (ZDFHeute, 02.11.2020) - Prof. Eike Lüdeling zur Bedeutung von Wald und Bäumen im Kontext des Klimawandels
- "Mehr Armut und Hunger durch Corona15" (Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 24.10.2020) - Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge im Interview zu den Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie in Entwicklungsländern und dazu, welche Maßnahmen die internationale Gemeinschaft kurz- und langfristig zur Eindämmung dieser Auswirkungen ergreifen muss
- "Bonn soll Mekka der Klimaforscher werden16" (Handelsblatt, 21.10.2020) - Beitrag über die Bewerbung Deutschlands mit Bonn als Standort für das Europäische Zentrum für mittelfristige Wettervorhersage (EZMW)
- "Welt ohne Hunger bis 2030? „Durchaus realistisch“"17 (Vatican News, 15.10.2020) - Prof. Joachim von Braun im Interview dazu, wie das Ziel Null Hunger erreicht werden kann
- "Hungerkrise: Landwirtschaftsproduktion bis 2050 um 60% steigern"18 (top agrar online, 13.10.2020) - Zum Start der Welternährungswoche stellte Bundesentwicklungsminister Müller zwei wissenschaftliche Studien, unter anderem unter Beiteiligung des ZEF, zur Überwindung der globalen Hungerkrise vor
- "Mehr Corona-Opfer durch Lockdown als durch das Virus: In Afrika wurden die Krisen massiv verschärft"19 (Berliner Zeitung, 01.10.2020) - Prof. Müller-Mahn blickt auf die Folgen von Corona in Afrika
- "Entwicklungshilfe, jetzt erst recht!20" (WDR 5, 30.09.2020) - Prof. Anna-Katharin Hornidge im Interview dazu, warum Deutschland gerade jetzt in der Corona-Krise mehr Geld in Entwicklungshilfeprojekte investieren muss
- "Die Spannung zwischen Vielfalt und Gemeinwohl21" (Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit, 23.09.2020) - Interview mit Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge zur Frage, was Entwicklung und funktionale Differenzierung miteinander zu tun haben
- "Regenwaldrodungen in Brasilien - Brandbeschleuniger Europa22" (Spiegel, 15.09.2020) - Prof. Jan Börner im Spiegel zur Studie " The rotten apples of Brazil's agribusiness23" (Science, 2020)
- " Rebellen des Regenswaldes24" (3Sat Nano, 14.09.2020) - Interview mit Prof. Jan Börner zur Umweltpolitik und Zukunft des Tropenwaldschutzes in Brasilien (ab Min. 09:16)
- " How can potato plants adapt to heat and drought?25" (Research in Germany, 01.09.2020) - Prof. Ute Vothknecht zum neuen EU-Projekt ADAPT
- " Treibhausgas-Hotspots - Einige Soja-Anbauregionen in Brasilien setzen überdurchschnittlich viele Treibhausgase frei26" (pflanzenforschung.de, 16.06.2020) - Beitrag zur Studie " Spatially-explicit footprints of agricultural commodities: Mapping carbon emissions embodied in Brazil's soy export27s" unter Beteiligung von ZEF und ILR
- "Lebensmittelversorgung: Bauer sucht Roboter28" (heise.com, 16.06.2020) - Bericht auf heise.com zur Keynote von Prof. Cyrill Stachniss zum Einsatz von Robotern für eine nachhaltige Pflanzenproduktion auf der Robotikkonferenz ICRA 2020
- "For world’s poorest, coronavirus loss of income threatens ability to eat29" (Horizon - The EU Research & Innovation Magazine, 02.06.2020) - Prof. Joachim von Braun zu den Auswirkungen von Corona auf arme Bevölkerungsgruppen
- "Projekt zur Nachhaltigkeit im Obstbau30" (Obst & Garten, 22.05.2020) - Prof. Eike Lüdeling zur Entwicklung eines Systems für ganzheitlich nachhaltigen Obstbau
- "Globaler Handel mit Soja geht auf Kosten des Klimas31" (top agrar online, 08.05.2020) - Dr. Neus Escobar zur Studie " Spatially-explicit footprints of agricultural commodities: Mapping carbon emissions embodied in Brazil's soy exports32"
- "Forschung für nachhaltigere Landwirtschaft33" (Wissenschaftsjahr Bioökonomie, 06.05.2020) - Bericht über die Arbeit des Exzellenzclusters PhenoRob
- "Intensivierung von Grünland verringert Artenvielfalt34" (proplanta, 03,05.2020) - PD Dr. Olena Dubovyk zu einem Projekt an der Universität Bonn, in dem Forschende der Vegetationsökologie und der Fernerkundung gemeinsam der Frage nachgehen, ob mit dem Artenrückgang auch Einschränkungen in den Ökosystemleistungen verbunden sind
- "PhenoRob startet in Feldphase35" (top agrar online, 30.04.2020) - Bericht über den Start der Feldphase von PhenoRob
- "Uni Bonn: "Intensivierung des Grünlands führt zum Artenschwund"36" (top agrar online, 29.04.2020) - PD Dr. Olena Dubovyk zu einem Projekt zwischen Vegetationsökologie und Fernerkundung der Uni Bonn, das in drei Gebieten untersucht, welchen Einfluss die reale Landwirtschaft auf die Grünlandökologie hat
- "Drittes Dürrejahr in Folge möglich37" (klimareporter, 22.04.2020) - Dr. Michael Brüntrup zur Auswirkung von Dürre auf die Ernährungssicherheit in Entwicklungsländern
- "The moment to see the poor38" (Science, 17.04.2020) - Editorial in Science von Prof. Joachim von Braun, Prof. Stefano Zamagni und Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo
- "Kann uns naturnahe Landwirtschaft ernähren?39" (Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 30.03.2020) - Prof. Thomas Döring im Deutschlandfunk Kultur zu Permakultur
Speakers
Prof. Dr. Ute Nöthlings
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences (IEL) - Nutritional Epidemiology
Prof. Dr. Jan Börner
Institute for Food and Resource Economics (ILR)
Management
Hanna Zimmermann
Manager TRA Sustainable Futures
Strategic Development and Quality Assurance
Vice Rectorate for Research and Early-Career Researchers
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Poppelsdorfer Allee 24
53115 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 73 54469
Email: tra6@uni-bonn.de