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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.

More about Sustainability at TUM

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.

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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.

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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.

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Research Sustainability Energy
Freeway with speed limit
5/8/2025
Reading time: 4 Min.

Psychological reasons for responses to speed limits and the like

Why people reject new rules – but only until they take effect

From smoking bans to new speed limits – many people soon stop resisting policy changes that restrict their personal freedom once the new rules come into force. This conclusion was reached in a study conducted by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the University of Vienna. The researchers also identified the underlying psychological mechanism to gain important insights for possible communication strategies when introducing such measures.

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Research Sustainability
Three people are standing in front of a chamber in which soy plants are growing on two levels.
5/5/2025
Reading time: 3 Min.

Sustainable proteins for the cities of the future

Vertical Farming to increase yields and reduce environmental impact

Vertical farming can do more than lettuce. A research team headed by TUMCREATE, a research platform in Singapore, led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has investigated the cultivation of six food groups in vertical farming: Crops, algae, mushrooms, insects, fish and cultivated meat. In this study, the researchers show the positive effects of vertical farming on both yield and environmental impact and underline its role in future food security.

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Research Sustainability
Trees on a densely populated street with apartment buildings on a sunny day
4/25/2025
Reading time: 2 Min.

Citizen Science project “Mein Baum”

Contributing to Sustainable Urban Planning via Smartphone App

Trees reduce heat pollution in cities, provide us with oxygen, and bind climate-damaging Carbon dioxide. However, it is currently unclear which and how many trees grow in urban areas and how much this stock can help with climate adaptation. In collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf (HSWT), BUND Naturschutz has launched the citizen science project “Mein Baum” ('My Tree'). With the help of a smartphone app, people can document local trees and play an active role in scientific research.

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Research Sustainability Public Engagement
Michael Penk in the laboratory's “brain” with central control cabinet and monitor for all measurement data
4/9/2025
Reading time: 2 Min.

Energy laboratory for school classes

Renewable energies and technology you can touch

How do you get children and young people interested in renewable energies and the energy transition? A research group at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has come up with a solution: a laboratory for sustainable energy systems. Here, schoolchildren can observe the energy consumption of household appliances in real time. In this way, the team aims to make technology and sustainable energy systems tangible.

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Sustainability Energy Public Engagement
There are sheets of paper with various diagrams on a table. Several people are leaning on them, discussing the diagrams. However, only their hands are visible.
4/2/2025
Reading time: 1 Min.

Comprehensive method for the environmental assessment of business processes

Creating measures to determine whether companies are truly sustainable

Companies are increasingly making claims of sustainable production part of their public communications. However, the related ratings and seals of approval tend to focus primarily on CO₂ emissions and energy consumption – while ignoring other important aspects. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now developed a comprehensive method for a holistic environmental analysis of business processes: Sustainability-Oriented Process Analysis (SOPA). This will enable companies to make targeted searches for shortcomings and take measures to conserve resources and reduce emissions.

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Research Sustainability
Interior view of an industrial hall at the LRZ with the SuperMUC high-performance computer.
3/6/2025
Reading time: 2 Min.

Training neural networks more efficiently

New method significantly reduces AI energy consumption

The enormous computing resources needed to train neural networks for artificial intelligence (AI) result in massive power consumption. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a method that is 100 times faster and therefore much more energy efficient. Instead of taking an iterative approach, the parameters are computed directly based on probabilities. The results so far are comparable in quality to existing iterative methods.

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Research Sustainability Artificial Intelligence Energy
A microscope image can be seen. The background is black, a yellow fragmented and serpentine line runs from the bottom right to the top left. In addition, various small ovals can be seen in red on a background of red serpentine lines.
2/27/2025
Reading time: 2 Min.

Fertilization affects the plant immune system

Why too much nitrogen is harmful to plants

Even for plants, there can be too much of a good thing. When nitrogen levels are too high, for example due to excessive fertilization, plants become more susceptible to certain diseases. However, the exact reasons are not yet fully understood. A group of researchers involving the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now taken the first steps towards answering this question. They identified a small protein (peptide) that makes the plant resistant to certain bacteria. However, its effect is limited when there is a high nitrogen supply.

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Research Sustainability
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