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Lecture series "Digital Sustainability Transformation of, by and for the TUM"

Content

This winter term, our lecture series "Digitainability for, with, and by the TUM" continues in a hybrid format. We once again focus on the two megatrends of digitization and sustainability, with a focus on four subject areas:

  • intelligent sustainable mobility (11 November to 25th)
  • human-centered digitization (Novemer 4th, December 9th, January 20th)
  • green & sustainable finance (December 16th to January 13th)
  • circular economy & intelligent waste management (January 27th to February 10th)

For each area, we dedicate several sessions to inviting experts from science and practice. The lecture series features talks, roundtables, and workshops that allow you to actively participate and explore new ideas and approaches. Each session is organized in cooperation with actors from Munich and beyond to discuss common opportunities and challenges of sustainability and digitization at various levels. The syllabus for the lecture series is available here.

Structure

The lecture series takes place every Thursday during the semester from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. - the time may vary slightly on selected dates, e.g., for excursions or workshops. It is designed as a hybrid format, depending on the Corona-related precautions. It takes place either online as a Zoom webinar or in the seminar rooms of the Bavarian School of Public Policy. More information can be found below in the description of the single events. The Zoom webinar can be accessed via the following links:

For Thursday, February 10th, different Login:

The events are open to the TUM community and are designed explicitly for interested members of the public outside the university. Lectures and discussions are in English.

The lecture series started last semester. This semester, it is possible to participate only in the lecture series and acquire 3 ECTS for this course. Students must actively participate in the lecture by engaging in discussions and writing two policy briefs, each approximately five pages in length. Each policy brief must focus on a different subject area of the lecture. Each Policy Brief counts 50% of the final grade. Find help in the Fact Sheet Policy Brief.

The deadlines are as follows:

  • Topics on intelligent sustainable mobility: 10 December 2021
  • Topics on sustainable finance & human-centered digitization: 4 February 2022
  • Topics on circular economy & waste management: 25 February 2022

In addition to the lecture series, there is also a project-based seminar this semester where students can develop and implement their own projects within the context of TUM.

All events are recorded and subsequently made available on the Bavarian School of Public Policy's YouTube channel.

Lecture series program

Introduction

Presentation of the teaching project and introductory notes on the module and the individual courses. Closed event for students who have enrolled in the module.

Our Expert

Jens Gröger is Senior Researcher at the Öko-Institut e.V. (Institute for Applied Ecology), where he focuses on sustainable consumption and products. His research focuses on the areas of information and communication technology (ICT) and digital transformation. This includes the life cycle assessment of ICT products, the development of award criteria for the Blue Angel eco-label, the definition of minimum requirements for green public procurement, and the development of new assessment methods for efficient data centers, telecommunications networks, and resource-efficient software.

Input & Workshop

In this input and workshop, Jens Gröger will demonstrate how to calculate the personal carbon footprint of our digital lifestyle, including the use of video streaming, video conferencing, and other digital services.

The input lecture takes place as a Zoom Webinar from 4:45 to 5:15 p.m.; please log in via:

From 5:15 p.m. onwards, the workshop takes place as a normal Zoom Seminar to ensure interactions and exchange; please log in via:

Our Experts

Birgit Heinke is Scientific Officer for Mobility at Acatech Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften. In her work, she focuses on the interconnection of players on the interface of science, economy, and politics. In the Mobility Data Space project, she was responsible for the technical implementation of the project. Her input will focus on the Mobility Data Space as a network for the mobility community to share data and create innovative, sustainable, and intelligent products and services for the future of mobility.

Nils Heller is responsible for mobility at Bitkom, Germany's leading platform for the digital economy. In his role, he drives the digital transformation of the transportation sector. He works with tech companies, public transportation providers, OEMs, and mobility service providers to promote efficient, intelligent, and connected mobility. In previous positions, Nils gained experience at an automotive manufacturer, a consulting firm, and a shipping company. Previously, he studied International Relations and Public Policy in Groningen, Pretoria, Budapest, and Barcelona. 

Malte Schmeck works at the state agency for New Mobility Solutions and Automotive, e-mobilBW, of the State of Baden-Württemberg, where he is responsible for digital transformation and infrastructure of market-& implementation-oriented technologies. The e-mobil BW understands itself as the central partner for innovative and sustainable mobility.

Tilmann Vahle leads SYSTEMIQ’s work on Circular mobility, batteries, and digital for impact. In this role, he authored multiple reports, co-founded the Circular Cars Initiative, which is hosted at The World Economic Forum, co-led the Circular Economy Initiative Deutschland group on batteries, and is a recognized expert on the circular mobility transition. Previously, he worked with EY Sustainability, Volkswagen Corporate Foresight, GIZ, and the DESERTEC Foundation. He holds degrees with distinction from Maastricht and Lund University.

Talk & Discussion

The various presentations will introduce different fields around the topic of innovative mobility concepts. Topics such as autonomous driving, data spaces for mobility, and e-mobility will be discussed, and the potential, as well as the challenges, for sustainable mobility will be explored together with the participants.

Our Expert

Rauno Andreas Fuchs is the CEO of Green City Experience GmbH and the general manager of the Experience and Drive project. He has extensive experience in the fields of urban development and mobility. He focuses on municipal strategies and business development in the triad of mobility, urban development, and climate protection. He is also the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Kartoffelkombinat eG, a member of the Transport Committee of the Chamber of Commerce in Munich and Upper Bavaria, and the Executive Director of ADFC Bayern e.V.

Input & Workshop

Due to the current high and rising COVID-19 incidence rates, the event will be held online. It starts at 4:45 p.m. and lasts until 6:15 p.m. or longer, depending on the duration.

The input lecture takes place as a Zoom Webinar from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m.; please log in via:

From 5:30 p.m. onwards, the workshop takes place as a normal Zoom Seminar to ensure interactions and exchange; please log in via:

Our Experts

Dr.-Ing. Julia Kinigadner works at the Chair of Urban Structure and Transport Planning at TUM School of Engineering and Design. She is a graduate of the international TUM master's program in Environmental Engineering and works on accessibility planning and integrated mobility concepts. Currently, her research interests focus on projects addressing street experiments and urban redesign, such as SET (Street Experiments Tools) and CLEAR (City LivEAbility by Redesign). Furthermore, she is involved in multiple projects within MCube, a Munich-based network focused on the future of mobility in metropolitan regions.

Daniel Schröder (TUM) is a research assistant at MCube. The Munich Cluster for the Future of Mobility in Metropolitan Regions aims to establish Munich as a pioneer in sustainable and transformative mobility innovations. MCube aims to capitalize on the unique geographical concentration of innovation actors in the mobility sector as a "learning region" to develop scalable solutions with a model character for metropolitan regions in Germany and globally over the next nine years.

Talk & Discussion

Integrated mobility solutions

Our Expert

Pascal König is a researcher at TU Kaiserslautern and currently a visiting sholar at Harvard University. His research deals with the consequences of digital technology for democratic politics and governance. He is particularly interested in regulatory action as a response to increasingly widespread forms of data-based value creation. His research also studies how socio-technical developments challenge existing institutions and policies and lead to changes in the conflict space of party competition.

Talk & Discussion

How to ensure accountability of AI in smart city contexts.

Our Expert

Stefan Wurster holds the chair of Policy Analysis at Hochschule für Politik München. His current research focuses on governance structures, sustainable regulation of energy markets, and policy comparisons in the fields of innovation and research policy, environmental policy, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology.

Talk & discussion

In his lecture, the role of sovereign wealth funds for sustainable development will be critically examined.

Our Expert

Max Krahé is a historically oriented political theorist and political economist, working primarily on North America and Western Europe since the end of the Bretton Woods era. He is currently a postdoc at the Institut für Sozioökonomie at the University of Duisburg-Essen, where he coordinates the PhD programme "Die Politische Ökonomie der Ungleichheit" (the political economy of inequality). He is also a co-founder of Dezernat Zukunft, a German macroeconomic finance think tank, and its research director.

Talk & discussion

What does a system of sustainable finance look like?

Our Expert

Armin Pialek is responsible for Innovation at the German Foundation for Civic Engagement and Volunteering, a public foundation supporting volunteers and nonprofits across Germany. In his work, he assists nonprofits with capacity building, digital transformation, and strategy, while also developing a pro bono practice. Before, he was a community builder with the International Alumni Center Berlin, a daughter of the Robert Bosch Foundation. There, he managed the Connecting Networks program, aimed at building sustainable and impactful philanthropic networks across Europe. From 2009 to 2019, Armin worked with the BMW Foundation in various positions. He was particularly passionate about pro bono work, social innovation, purpose, and collaboration.

Workshop

The Zoom login is different from usual. The workshop can be accessed via the following link:

Our Expert:

Martin R. Stuchtey is Professor of Resource Strategies and Management at the University of Innsbruck. He is also the founder of SYSTEMIQ. He previously worked for McKinsey for 20 years, most recently as Director of the Centre for Business & Environment. He is the initiator of the New Plastic Economy and the Breaking the Plastic Wave Report.

Keynote

Monday, 31 January 2022, 3.00 – 4.30 p.m. in Theodor-Fischer-Hörsaal (Thierschbau EG, Room 0360) and online: tum-conf.zoom.us/j/69586228649 (Password: DigiSusTUM)

Our Experts

Anna Cavazzini (MEP) is a member of the European Parliament for the German party “Die Grünen”. She is the chairwoman of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. There, she is working to ensure that the European Green Deal for Consumers becomes a reality, for example, through a right to repair, more durable products, and further proposals on the circular economy.

Matthias Potthast is Co-Founder and Managing Director at Relevo, the reusable system for to-go and take-away food and drinks. After completing his studies in San Francisco and holding various positions in startups and management consulting, Matthias founded Relevo in early 2020. Since then, he has enabled people and companies to make their strategies, businesses, and cultures sustainable as an entrepreneurial consultant, thinker, speaker & guest lecturer.

Susanne Kadner initiated the Circular Economy Initiative Germany at acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering. She is the Director of the state and industry-funded initiative's Head Office, which aims to define the transition towards a resource-efficient and digitally enabled Circular Economy, involving stakeholders from Politics, Science, industry, and Civil Society. In addition, since June 2021, she has assumed co-leadership of the thematic area of energy, resources, and sustainability at acatech. Before that, she worked for 10 years at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, including as Head of Science for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. After studying Oceanography, Susanne Kadner completed her PhD in Analytical Chemistry and Marine Microbiology at the University of East Anglia.

Talk & Discussion

The panel discussion on "German and European Perspectives on the Circular Economy" will take place, scheduled three quarters of an hour later, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. The login dates remain the same.

Our Expert

Frederic Weihberg works in the marketing department of Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München (AWM), the municipal waste management department. In his interactive presentation, Frederic Weihberg explains the topics of waste avoidance, waste separation, and recycling. He demonstrates how Munich's 3-ton system (for residual waste, paper, and organic waste) and the recycling islands operate. The AWM expert answers questions about composting, circulating "recycling myths," and attractive, sustainable (online) offers from AWM. It will be demonstrated how waste can be avoided in the long term and how costs can be effectively saved, while valuable resources are conserved.

Workshop

The workshop will take place online via Zoom. It starts at 4:45 p.m. and lasts approximately 2 hours, until around 6:45 p.m.

https://tum-conf.zoom.us/j/67830926030

passcode: DigiSusTUM

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