Following up the ED´s R&I research networking event on "Sustainability", Prof. Stefan Winter’s Chair organized a workshop on "Climate neutrality at the TUM", which took place on 3rd May 2023. In a keynote speech, the new Vice President for Sustainable Transformation, Prof. Werner Lang, presented the sustainability strategy of the TUM. In principle, there are already many actions and initiatives, but this "patchwork" has to be summarized into a large whole. Especially in the areas of energy and resource consumption a lot of things need to be optimized. In organizational terms, the necessary precautions have already been taken. There is a TUM Sustainability Board, and three task forces are planned. The one about "Sustainable Campus Development" has already started work. It is almost exclusively made up of professors of the TUM School of Engineering and Design: Besides Werner Lang, it includes the ED professors Thomas Auer, Benedikt Boucsein, Hartmut Spliethoff and Thomas Hamacher, Gebhard Wulfhorst, as well as Stephan Pauleit from the School of Life Sciences. Vice President Lang emphasized the importance of the students in this process. In addition to the existing Green Offices, a student sustainability office is also planned in Munich, in the rooms of the former collection of building materials.
A lively discussion ensued. Among other things, it was proposed to look for creative and innovative solutions and to use the possibilities of the new Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG). Prof. Fanelsa suggested a particular planning department at the TUM, in which e.g., architects – comparable to their medical colleagues in the hospital – could practice. Additionally, Prof. Malte Jaensch presented his project "Schragenhofstraße 31" (SHS/31). This property could be used as a real-world laboratory. Prof. Jaensch was very open and actively invited his colleagues to cooperation work, what aroused great interest from everyone. Among other things, it was discussed whether there can be developed formats for the project week in January 2024, using this example. As a homework, event manager Prof. Winter asked everyone to think about which individual projects they could offer. The next follow-up meeting shall therefore take place this summer directly in Schragenhofstraße. Planning is already underway.