Sustainability

The latest developments at TUM for a more sustainable future: Research findings, technical innovations, degree programs – as well as our commitment at home and in our global network.

Sparrow with nesting material in its beak on a roof
7/16/2025
Reading time: 1 Min.

Media tip: Biodiversity in the city

3D-Printed nesting façade benefits people and wildlife

A nesting façade developed by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) provides habitat for sparrows, black redstarts, and hedgehogs — while also helping to regulate indoor temperatures for humans. The façade elements were produced using a 3D printer and are made from locally sourced and partially recycled materials. A segment on München.TV showcases the prototype, recently installed at the “Südpolstation,” a children’s and youth center operated by Feierwerk e.V. in Munich.

TUM in the media Research Sustainability
Verena Stammberger (l.) from the Chair of Landslide Research examines the condition of the permafrost inside the Zugspitze every month. The melting of the 'eternal ice' due to climate change affects the water cycle in the Alps and beyond..
7/16/2025
Reading time: 8 Min.

Adaptation to climate change

The race for water

Heat, dry periods, torrential downpours, melting glaciers—in the Alps, climate change is already very clear to see. High time to adapt, warn TUM researchers. A matter for all disciplines.

TUM Magazine Research Sustainability
Vice President Prof. Gerhard Kramer presents the TUM Presidential Entrepreneurship Award to Flora Geske, founder of the start-up SUMM AI.
6/27/2025
Reading time: 1 Min.

Entrepreneurship Day brings together Munich ecosystem

Presidential Award goes to AI start-up

For the development of an AI tool that translates complex texts into plain language, the start-up SUMM AI has received the TUM Presidential Entrepreneurship Award. The other finalists for this year’s award were KEWAZO, with a robot for the construction industry, and Phlair, with a new technology for CO2 capture.

President Entrepreneurship Sustainability Artificial Intelligence Community
Participants taking part in a soundwalk at one of the listening stations
6/25/2025
Reading time: 2 Min.

Participatory Research

Exploring the urban soundscape

Take a walk through the city and contribute to research at the same time: Residents of Munich now have the opportunity to do just that through guided soundwalks in the neighborhoods of Au, Neuperlach, and Harlaching. CitySoundscapes, a joint project by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), LMU Munich, and other partners, is looking for curious citizens willing to explore their city in a new way — and help lay the groundwork for concrete ways to improve life in the city.

Research Sustainability Public Engagement
Two engineers inspect a photovoltaic system.
6/2/2025

Imports without guarantees are not competitive

Green hydrogen from Africa much more costly than previously assumed

To meet Europe’s demand for green hydrogen, governments and the private sector have high hopes for production in Africa. A study led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now shown that the financing costs for production facilities in African countries would be much higher than previously assumed. Only 2 percent of around 10,000 investigated locations would be competitive for exports to Europe. This would require price and offtake guarantees from European governments.

Research Sustainability Energy
Eine Frau und drei Männer stehen auf einem Acker. Die Frau zeigt den Männern ein Gerät in ihrer Hand. Es handelt sich um das Gerät, dass das NutriSen-Team zur smarten Düngung entwickelt hat.
5/27/2025
Reading time: 3 Min.

Start-up NutriSen gets the laboratory on the field

Smart fertilization with biosensor strips

Precise fertilization using data from the field and from satellites - that is the idea behind NutriSen, a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The start-up has developed a measuring device and an application that farmers can use to generate highly precise and specific fertilization recommendations for their crops. The aim is to reduce nitrogen input and protect the environment.

Entrepreneurship Sustainability
Professor Sebastian Pfotenhauer
5/26/2025
Reading time: 7 Min.

New Cluster of Excellence TransforM

“Studying socio-technical shocks in real time”

The Cluster of Excellence TransforM aims to find new ways of conducting research into how transformative technologies shape societal change. In this interview, TransforM spokesperson Prof. Sebastian Pfotenhauer explains why it is essential for social and engineering sciences to face highly speculative questions, discusses how the public can be involved, and how a cluster of this kind could have enabled a different response to the covid pandemic.

Research Sustainability Mobility Quantum Technologies Artificial Intelligence Public Engagement
5/20/2025
Reading time: 3 Min.

Solar battery based on porous organic material

Sunlight in - power out, long after sunset

This material acts like a solar reservoir – storing energy and releasing it as electricity long after sunset. The captured solar energy can thus also be used to supply electricity in the dark. For the first time, it has been possible to combine solar harvesting and long-term energy storage in a single, metal-free molecular framework – effectively merging the functions of a solar cell and a battery into a single, lightweight, and sustainable system.

Research Sustainability Energy
Successful together: representatives of the 12 project partners of the ATLAS-L4 project at the final event in Penzing with Ernst Stöckl-Pukall, Head of the ‘Digitalisation and Industry 4.0’ department at the Federal Ministry of Economics (front row, second from right).
5/9/2025
Reading time: 1 Min.

ATLAS-L4 funding project draws a successful balance sheet

Goal achieved: the driverless truck on the road becomes reality

After three years, the twelve project partners from industry, science, software development and infrastructure have successfully completed the ATLAS-L4 research and development project (automated transport between logistics centres on level 4 motorways): The autonomous truck in road transport became a reality thanks to the work of around 150 engineers! MAN Truck & Bus, Knorr-Bremse, LEONI, Bosch, FERNRIDE, BTC Embedded Systems, Fraunhofer AISEC, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Braunschweig, TÜV SÜD, Autobahn GmbH and the Würzburg Institute of Transport Sciences (WIVW GmbH) have joined forces for this project.

Research Sustainability Mobility Artificial Intelligence
5/9/2025

TUM researchers develop new material for solid-state batteries

World record for lithium-ion conductors

Solid-state batteries are considered a key technology for the future: they can store more energy and do not rely on flammable materials like current lithium-ion batteries. Researchers at TUM and TUMint.Energy Research have now taken a significant step towards improving solid-state batteries. They developed a new material made of lithium, antimony and scandium that conducts lithium ions more than 30% faster than any previously known material.

Research Sustainability Energy
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