Press releases
Companies took in half a trillion dollars more than expected in 2022
Windfall profits from oil and gas could cover climate payments
A central issue at the UN Climate Change Conference, set to start on November 11, will be the negotiations on new payments from industrialized nations to poorer countries. However, the question of whether and how these payments will be financed remains highly controversial. The study by an international team of researchers has now revealed: The windfall profits alone taken in by oil and gas companies due to the 2022 energy crisis would have been sufficient to cover the existing commitments of the industrialized nations for nearly five years. The researchers therefore recommend collecting taxes on these so-called windfall profits from fossil fuels.
Student club Impetus
With the wind at their backs
Lightweight, fast and built as sustainable as possible: This is the profile of a racing sailboat designed and built by a group of TUM students. Their objective: Winning a university sailing cup in the Adriatic Sea off the Italian coast.
TUM Researchers Develop New Chemical Method for Improved Energy Storage
Significant Extension of Zinc Battery Lifespan
The transition to renewable energy requires efficient methods for storing large amounts of electricity. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a new method that could extend the lifespan of aqueous zinc-ion batteries by several orders of magnitude. Instead of lasting just a few thousand cycles, they could now endure several hundred thousand charge and discharge cycles.
Research alliance under TUM leadership
Sustainable Water Management in Industry
A cost-effective and sustainable water supply is increasingly becoming a crucial factor for industry. To address this development and tackle the challenges of maintaining a sustainable water supply, the Bavarian Research Foundation is funding the new research alliance BayWater with two million euros. The goal of the consortium is to reduce water demand as well as costs and energy consumption in industrial production processes through the use of modern membrane technologies and treatment methods. BayWater will be jointly implemented by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) along with two other technical universities and 25 industrial partners.
Global warming leads to higher nitrogen requirements
New wheat varieties can contribute to food security
Wheat is the world’s most important grain. But it has high environmental costs due to the need to fertilize with nitrogen. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) have now determined that new wheat varieties produce better crops with the same quantities of fertilizer.
Awards to researchers from the USA, Denmark, Germany, and China
Sustainability Awards presented by the Nobel Sustainability Trust
This year, the prestigious Sustainability Awards, supported by the Nobel Sustainability Trust (NST) in cooperation with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) were awarded to three researchers from the USA, Denmark and Germany, as well as China. Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, Prof. Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, and Prof. Jiuhui Qu are recognized for their leadership in implementing sustainability measures and their outstanding contributions in the fields of agriculture and water.
Oktoberfest: TUM tests autonomous mobility in Oktoberfest traffic
AI-operated "MCube Wiesn Shuttle" in test operation
The world's biggest folk festival as an ultimate test for artificial intelligence: for the first time, an autonomous vehicle is tackling the particularly heavy traffic around the Munich Oktoberfest. Under the leadership of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Institute of Automotive Technology, the Munich Cluster for the Future of Mobility in Metropolitan Regions (MCube) has developed the fully automated "Wiesn Shuttle". The team will test autonomous driving under extreme conditions in a two-day real-world trial on 25 and 26 September.
Renewable energies could exceed destroyed capacity
How Ukraine can rebuild its energy system
The potential for renewable energies in Ukraine is significantly greater than the power generation capacity that was destroyed during the war. This is shown by a study for which an international research team initially created the most comprehensive mapping of destroyed energy infrastructure to date. The team also determined in which regions of the country how much electricity could be generated with wind power and photovoltaic plants. The study can serve as a basis for rebuilding a more crisis-resistant energy system.
Results of the project "Car-reduced Neighborhoods for a Livable City"
High marks for traffic experiment in Munich
For a few weeks, streets in Munich's Südliche Au and Walchenseeplatz districts were transformed into temporary green and recreational areas. In the summer of 2023, this triggered numerous public discussions about the future of urban traffic and the design of urban neighborhoods. Researchers under the lead of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and with the involvement of the Mobility Department and the Department of Urban Planning and Building Regulations of the city of Munich have now evaluated the outcome of these so-called real-world laboratories: According to the results, a majority of residents rate them positively.
Global discourse series “One Topic, One Loop“: Werner Lang
Sustainability needs a holistic approach
To conclude our global discourse series "One Topic, One Loop," Werner Lang, Vice President for Sustainable Transformation at the Technical University of Munich, provides an overview of the key takeaways from the contributions.