Thinking and acting sustainably is becoming a core part of the engineering degree programme at Ulm University.Thinking and acting sustainably becomes part of the engineering degree programme! The "Sustainable Technologies" project at Ulm University, which is funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, is being funded with 456,000 euros. The project, which has been running since June 2025, aims to develop interdisciplinary modules on sustainability topics as well as case studies - at both Bachelor's and Master's level. The innovations will first be implemented in the Biomedical Engineering study/degree programme.
Engineers at Ulm University want to think beyond technical feasibility and factor in the technological consequences for the future. They have driven forward the "Sustainable Technologies" project, which is now being funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation with 456,000 euros. "We thought about how we could reinforce awareness of sustainability issues during their studies and provide our students with the knowledge and tools they need to think and act sustainably later on in their appointmentscareers," says Professor Walter Karlen, Head of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Ulm University. Together with Professor Claudia Lenk, the scientisthe has developed a concept that anchors sustainability topics in the Engineering degree programme in a structured way. "Students should learn to take the entire product cycle into account during their studies, i.e. to think about production, application and recycling, and then put this into practice later on," says the Lenk, Hhead of the Institute of Functional Nanosystems.
Sustainability has many dimensions: - economic, ecological, health, and social. "The basic idea is to act in the present in such a way that future generations are not deprived of their resources, possibilities and opportunities," explain the researchers explain . In the technical sciences, however, such considerations often only play a subordinate role. This will definitely change in Ulm.! Interdisciplinary modules are now to be developed for the Engineering programme at Ulm that relate to the sustainability goals of the United Nations.
Wearing comfort and material properties are decisive for the service life and longevity
In the Master's lecture "Appropriate Medical Device Design", students learn to develop empathy for the users of medical devices. They are specifically prepared to put themselves in the shoes of people who need prostheses, pacemakers or other medical devices. How do they experience the use of such medical technology aids? How comfortable are they to wear? How complex is the operation? Such questions are crucial for the service life and longevity of medical devices and ultimately also decisive for sustainable use. A pool of case studies is also being created for all eEngineering study/degree programmes. This is because many topics in this area offer clues for making products more sustainable. In order to be able to reuse medical devices, for example, it is important to use biocompatible materials that are both durable and recyclable. If necessary, they should also be able to withstand the required sterilisation without damage. Such criteria are relevant for the selection of materials. Biomedical Engineering" will be the pilot study programme. This will start with the implementation of central project ideas and case studies, followed by the other Engineering study/degree programmes.
"As a University, we want to contribute to shaping a sustainable future. We are guided by the global sustainability goals of the United Nations," emphasises Karlen. In 2023, Ulm University drew up its own sustainability strategy , which it is now putting into action step by step. The university also offers a master's programme in Sustainable Management and a university group for sustainability. And at the "Green Energy Campus Ulm", a large number of facilities and institutes are researching sustainable ways of energy conversion and energy storage. Ulm University is also a member of the German Society for Sustainability at Universities.
"It is important to us that we can get the younger generation interested in such topics and communicate aspects of sustainable development," emphasises Lenk. The researchers in Ulm are convinced that the interest in future-oriented solutions in research and teaching is so great that sustainability topics are also becoming increasingly important for attracting students.
Further information:
Prof. Dr Walter Karlen, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, e-mail: walter.karlen(at)uni-ulm.de
Prof. Dr Claudia Lenk, Institute of Functional Nanosystems, e-mail: claudia.lenk@uni-ulm.de
Info page on the Internet: https://www.uni-ulm.de/in/bmt/lehre/csz-rethink/
Text and media contact: Andrea Weber-Tuckermann