Aspire Group is pleased to announce the takeover of the former Hotel Kaiserhof Wuppertal which will be rebranded and operated as Spark by Hilton Wuppertal City Centre from 2 June 2025 This marks the second Spark by Hilton property in Germany Following the successful launch of the first Spark by Hilton in Stuttgart Sindelfingen earlier this year is ideal for guests looking to maximise the value of their travel budget without compromising on quality The new Wuppertal property features 172 comfortable and relaxing guest rooms and a stylish bar Ideally situated just steps from the main train station and in the heart of the city centre the hotel is perfectly located for both business meetings and leisure travellers and the world-famous Wuppertal Suspension Railway The hotel offers numerous amenities to enhance the guest experience and much more in both the rooms and public areas With this acquisition and the continued expansion into the German market Aspire Group remains on a strong growth trajectory and solidifies its position in the premium economy hotel sector Hotel website Brand OwnerHilton boasting one of the longest stretches in Germany of opulent mansions on a single street; as monied textile manufacturers and bankers built hundreds of villas in neo-Renaissance and historicist styles in the Briller Viertel such affluence led to technical innovations—including the suspended monorail the “Schwebebahn,” which commenced operation in 1901 and remains unique in the world to this day—as well as a flourishing cultural sphere It was here that Dada poet Else Lasker-Schüler would be born as would philosopher Friedrich Engels whose socialist thought was just as inspired by the inequalities he saw in Manchester as it was by the industrial exploitation he witnessed firsthand in Barmen (now part of Wuppertal) at his wealthy family’s numerous textile factories And while it is true that Wuppertal would later be home to other important cultural figures the city quickly declined in the mid-twentieth century due to globalization and automation it experienced the same brain drain that affected most Western German cities once the German government relocated to Berlin after Reunification most of the aforementioned personages bid adieu to Wuppertal at some point—mostly for Berlin The only one to have stayed was Pina Bausch whose loyalty is repaid with murals on city walls and local coffee roasts named in her honor when the German weekly Die Zeit declared that “Wuppertal is the New Berlin” on March 5 This quaint yet impoverished city is full of empty storefronts and shattered dreams happy to speak of its glorious memories while insisting that it isn’t provincial (which is oh so provincial) this hyperbolic headline was welcome news to me I had just moved to Wuppertal from Berlin at the end of January and whenever I told anyone where I was now living “Where’s that?” My answer stopped being “near Dusseldorf and Cologne,” and became “it’s the new Berlin.” I couldn’t find anything that resembled the capital I had just left after nearly two decades of residence which resembled great bars in Neukölln in the late naughts Wuppertal only resembled the myth of Berlin—cheap Altbau apartments What was especially missing was something very fundamental to the capital something that had made it special for decades upon decades All of this changed when Open Ground opened its doors in December 2023. The club, which is located inside an underground bunker a stone’s throw from the main train station, has since hosted internationally recognized acts, such as Floating Points, Joy Orbison, Ben Sims, Chez Damier, and DJ Storm amongst others, to play on its Funktion 1 sound system, whose impeccable sound has received much praise The brainchild of Markus Riedel and Mark Ernestus (of Hard Wax Records and Basic Channel fame) the club is also notable for its wide music spectrum—dub and grime might drop at any point—and its lowkey When a friend asked me what Open Ground was like I spoke to Riedel and Ernestus in early February about Wuppertal being the worst of news and why every room is a problem SHANE ANDERSON: You’ve been open for just over a year now MARKUS RIEDEL: January is normally a very slow month in club culture That’s a relief because it’s a really difficult time for clubs some of which are fighting for their existence There was a phase last spring where we were very new and still a little insecure and went from running both rooms every Friday and Saturday to just one but soon we understood that the two nights cannibalized each other and having only one floor gave people less incentive to attend either night So running both rooms just on Saturdays would be the better formula But we already had our plans laid out for six weeks and since then it’s always been a good party with both rooms open There were always around 400 to 600 people and for some of the bigger evenings like Floating Points and Joy Orbison Open Ground is becoming more and more packed The audience was very appreciative until the end MR: The plan is to close at six but if it’s really full The Perlon night is coming up [on February 14 I don’t think there will be a night with less than 600 people for the foreseeable future Open Ground entrance near Wuppertal Train Station MARK ERNESTUS: People are very impressed and very grateful—sometimes even saying “I can’t play in this or that club after having seen what’s possible.” MR: DJ Mantra was on BBC 1 and spoke very highly of the club It was like a prophecy and now Open Ground is not only making the rounds in the scene in Germany But it took a while for them to understand that it’s not a new club in Berlin the typical talk about Open Ground was: “A new club in Germany Where in Berlin is it?” We are now being taken seriously all over the world though We’re getting an insane number of requests SA: But why did you choose to open a club in Wuppertal The first coincidence is that when the city was thinking about activating the bunker The second coincidence is that the city called my brother The third coincidence is that I had moved back to Wuppertal four or five years before that And we started talking about whether it makes sense to open a club in Wuppertal It would have to be well curated with a broad spectrum But we also knew the acoustics have to be right and that the acoustics in the bunker would be a problem ME: The acoustics are a problem in every room we didn’t think of opening a club in Wuppertal the space was offered to Markus and Thomas [Riedel] it’s a spectacular space that’s only just some meters away from the main train station and there are no apartments nearby I don’t mean that as a dig at Wuppertal but more that any city of that size on its own is too small for such a carefully curated club of that size the city is part of the largest metropolitan area in Germany the club’s about 2.5 hours away from Amsterdam and about four hours away from Berlin and Paris MK: Wuppertalers always have this tendency to defend and thereby perpetuate their provinciality It’s as if they have an inferiority complex and try to compensate it with the Schwebebahn and Pina Bausch I think you can talk about the city with more self-confidence and be natural about it It’s quite green and yet not far from Cologne and Dusseldorf And the topography and buildings are interesting ME: You can be a local patriot without being provincialist—or as they say SA: Are many people traveling to the club from elsewhere ME: There are three layers of guests who make up the mix: locals The weight of each night depends on the lineup and whether the label or artist has a very loyal fanbase MR: A lot of people from Cologne have told me that if they want to go out Photo courtesy of Open GroundRIGHT: Open Ground outdoor queue Opening a club in a former WW-II bunker that is still buried underground is wild Could you talk about the construction phase MR: Mark and I had a very clear idea of what we wanted not only in terms of the rooms and the acoustics ME: That’s just the initial height of the room MR: That was also before the sound absorption—or acoustic absorbers—which was absolutely essential but it’s made of one meter of concrete and beneath that is the river Wupper’s gravelly soil The structural engineer said that if we lowered the floor We decided to see if we could saw the ceiling out We found a company that converts bunkers into lofts and saws concrete blocks out of walls and ceilings It was during this initial excavation work that we found the water reservoir which houses our ventilation system and the small club room We already had the suspicion that something was there from the blueprints but it was just a dashed line on the blueprint and no one in the administration could confirm that it existed we found a rusty hatch under a bit of earth That was the only access to the trapeze-shaped water reservoir we had to abandon our entire plan and reapproach the city administration since it was such a massive change MR: From the initial planning to completion The bunker was made up of a lot of smaller rooms Since we removed so many load-bearing walls the structural engineer had to recalculate SA: That sounds like it cost a ton of money SA: What fascinates me is that you decided to keep going That even after the first phase where you noticed that the ceiling was too low but my brother started having doubts as it became more and more expensive I think that if we would have known before how much it was going to cost and so we were always in a situation where it didn’t make sense to give up We were always at a point where we had to see it through ME: That’s how it goes with projects of such magnitude If you had known what you were getting yourself into you’re very happy that you didn’t back down I’ve often felt that way in life and with projects And it only makes sense to do such a project if you do it with consistency and really try to make a difference I don’t think any of us could have been bothered to just open the one thousandth club in Germany And I think the same thing could be said of your programming who does the curation supported by Chris Parkinson ME: I think it all goes back to the beginning The motto was always to have an open program that is nevertheless never arbitrary I said there are some factors that are difficult to influence The first is to take the acoustics and sound seriously then you already have a striking and unique selling point But the best sound in the world doesn’t mean shit if you don’t play really good music on it—otherwise and content to the whole experience—the door everything—and do it with consistency at a very high level Original bunker space under Wuppertal's Döppersberg you run Hard Wax in Berlin and are also active as a producer and musician You also used to run Kumpelnest 3000 in Schöneberg I understand how you became part of the project I was on this journey from the very beginning But I was never really involved in the creative side of things—I never looked after the music at Hard Wax or was a DJ I was always comfortable in the club scene and the Hard Wax environment when I went out a lot and often wondered whether opening a club would be a good job but then we had kids and moved to Wuppertal and everything turned out quite differently but my friendship with Mark was always there Whenever he would tour with the band from Dakar [Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force] sometimes spending a few days during a break in their schedule it was completely clear to me that I would approach him about the idea And then the rest came together quite quickly We both clearly had the same desire and agreed on everything who has been a DJ or been on the road with a band for many years there have been many moments where I thought things could and should be done better And that was also one of the incentives [to do it right] There were some great club nights where everything was perfect—the atmosphere SA: You’ve mentioned multiple times that the sound is the foundation for Open Ground it’s generally accepted that speakers are a never-ending journey you think you’ve arrived at the final destination I always loved Funktion 1 when I had the chance to play on it though there was no reason for us to keep doing research very sure that Funktion 1 would go where we wanted to go It should also be said that the room is at least as important as the sound system—you can’t separate them at all It makes no sense to talk about a system if you don’t talk about the room the acoustics have to be the first thing you think of SA: You’ve done a lot of work in that regard while the bass still rumbles through your body And the experience of being in a club and dancing together seems to me to be very important at Open Ground Is that why you don’t allow photos and tape over the cameras on phones ME: We weren’t sure in the beginning whether people in the region would accept this ban as they might not be as familiar with it as clubbers in Berlin—but were pleasantly surprised by how almost everyone actually embraced it right away It was immediately understood that going to a club is an intimate space especially since people post all kinds of shit on social media It also fits with our philosophy that this is about a real experience that you can’t convey in a selfie Just be there and live in the fucking moment MR: We don’t want people taking photos during the event and in the beginning even for the DJs—even when the club night hadn’t yet started I think this ban came a bit from the experience with Berghain and the idea that it’s good if you’re curious about a space and that it doesn’t really appear anywhere else There are more and more photos by people and the DJs are also welcome to take pictures during soundcheck and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing But we really don’t want people taking photos during the club night because it’s just wrong and annoying then it’s not just the occasional person taking photos but a ton of people all the time the social media team really want something for Instagram and I’ll discretely make a few video recordings I’ll stand at the very back and try to discreetly film the backs of people for a couple of seconds What has often happened is that people either cover the camera or speak to me—sometimes in a friendly way and sometimes quite rigorously Some people accept it when I tell them I’m part of the team they’ll go to the bar and complain that there’s an old man in the back taking pictures Brutalismus 3000: “The Secret Ingredient is Controversy” Gated Nightmares: Herrensauna’s Cem Dukkha RAVE: Before Streetwear There Was Clubwear “If this is hell then I’m lucky.” In the Eye of the Storm Lust & Sound: Man About Town MARK REEDER’s Forgotten 80s Berlin performed by Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch Check out what went down in Wuppertal on day three of the 2024 German Short Course Championships 31-year-old Christian Diener captured the men’s 200m backstroke victory on day 2 of the 2024 German Short Course Championships November 17th, 2024 Europe, International, News, Previews & Recaps The 2024 German Short Course Championships concluded tonight from Wuppertal with the nation’s athletes vying for slots on the nation’s roster for next month’s Short Course World Championships We expect the final roster to be revealed within this next week Nicole Maier completed her campaign with an impressive 4th gold medal taking the women’s 400m freestyle in dominating fashion stopped the clock at 4:04.71 to get to the wall over 5 seconds ahead of the pack Settling for silver was Julia Ackermann, last night’s 1500m freestyle winner, who notched 4:09.92 while Alina Baievych rounded out the podium in 4:10.68 her result easily cleared the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard of 4:06.95 needed to automatically qualify for next month in Budapest she now ranks as Germany’s 8th-fastest female of all time in this event The men’s 400m free saw 17-year-old Johannes Liebmann get it done for gold Reinke touched just .01 behind in 3:46.04 while Fritzke was also sub-3:47 with a bronze medal-worthy 3;46.40 The men’s 50m back saw Alexander Bauch deny previous gold medalists Christian Diener and Ole Braunschweig the gold while veteran Diener settled for silver in 24.04 Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC More from Retta RaceSee All Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates LondonWith its off-kilter comedy and flirtatious touches this show is Bausch at her most accessible – and beautiful very wetThis article is more than 2 months oldSadler’s Wells A curtain of water dramatically falls from the sky plumes of the stuff arcing into the air and crashing against the giant monolithic rock that dominates the stage (designer Peter Pabst is almost as much an author of this work as Bausch) Water is a recurring theme in Bausch’s work and here it rains down is thrown from buckets and poured into overflowing glasses Bausch’s other great recurring theme is the endless cycle of flawed human habits (Vollmond means “full moon” more cycles) and the power play and pettiness between men and women Her men are always smartly dressed in shirts her women ever glamorous in spaghetti-strap gowns and long swishing hair – yearning nostalgically for a more glamorous era while deriding its mores There’s a very funny scene about how long it takes to undo a bra clasp this is Bausch at her most accessible (although these repeating cycles go on longer than they need to) The mode of performance is all affectation; that’s just the way of Bausch – the never-quite-sincere smiles what never feels affected is when they dance Some of the newer dancers of the ensemble are bewitching movers Nicholas Losada and Maria Giovanna Delle Donne being two striking examples At Sadler’s Wells, London Here below we publish the presse release sent by the press office of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch young Argentinians are empowered to advocate for a just energy transition The research project is supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) Medium Grants Program It aims to equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to become knowledge holders and active participants in governance and policy discussions – both locally and internationally project participants focused on integrating environmental and energy topics into technical schools in Chubut modern didactic materials on climate change and the energy transition were developed and distributed to more than 60 teachers from 30 schools across the country These teachers are now incorporating the materials into their classes with ongoing support the researchers of the Wuppertal Institute visited Argentina to assess the results of the first year of the project talking with government authorities and with the trained teachers as well as their students The feedback from all those interviewed was extremely positive authorities demonstrated a high level of commitment to promoting the expansion of the project's impact within their respective provinces Teachers in participating schools emphasised the quality of the pedagogical content on climate change that they had acquired as well as the simplicity and clarity of the content YouthEnergy participants will work with 24 schools to integrate topics related to alternative energy solutions into the curriculum Hands-on learning will be supported through teaching kits and experimentation tools focused on renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies In addition to working with technical schools the project also creates spaces for young people to participate in energy debates A series of online seminars and provincial-level forums will enable young people to share their visions for a just energy transition with local and national authorities two youth facilitators are also supporting international debates at this year's 30th Climate Change Conference (Conference of the Parties and proactive young generation ready to drive Argentina’s transition to a sustainable energy future Cookies help 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For further information on the use of cookies or to change your settings, please click on More about the use and rejection of cookies SearchReview: Club Amour, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch and Terrain Boris Charmatz at The Festival TheatreTheatre TravelsMar 125 min readReview by Lisa Lanzi Once more at the Festival Theatre in Adelaide audiences experienced a truly ‘Festival-worthy’ event Club Amour is a concept delivered by Boris Charmatz Charmatz became the artistic director of Tanztheater Wuppertal the company founded by Pina Bausch in 1973 These were both viewed in close proximity upon the Festival Theatre stage with audience members invited to stand For Pina Bausch’s Café Müller we returned to normal seating within the auditorium where the stage was re-set during a thirty minute break an elongated version of the French word Attention :Look!) was performed by three dancers on a three level open tower of metal struts and wooden ‘floors’ Each platform was perhaps three square metres and housed one person - lower and middle level dancers were male This structure was secured in the centre of the Festival Theatre stage with audience surrounding it the dancers were already in place and performing vague warm-up style movement to loud PJ Harvey grunge opaque spherical lamps were suspended at different levels and shifted through various stages from quite dim to full brightness As the music faded and the audience settled each dancer began to strip off sweat pants and underwear until they were clothed only in plain white T-shirts the performers continued to move within their allotted space at around eight metres conveying a real sense of danger for that dancer The choreography was often quite violent with the three executing sometimes grotesque leaps or high kicks then flinging their bodies to the floor The sound of flesh pounding a surface was magnified by the hollowness of the wooden platform and the squeaks of the metal structure to the point where my own dance-trained body was flinching Other moments were defined by more sinuous balances and leg extensions or flowing sequences to the floor and inverted sometimes at the very edge of the platform the dancers leant on the struts or swiped perspiration away as grunge music blared again; a loud vocalisation was also heard that may have been a part syllable of the word ‘attention’:  “aaaaaaarrrrgggghhhh” or “eeeeeeeeeeee” etc and opinions drifted through my mind while I was experiencing this intimate The proximity to near nakedness (somehow more confronting than full nudity?) suggested vulnerability and the limited boxy spaces provoked reflections of loneliness or frustration Aatt enen tionon felt as much like a ‘happening’ as it did choreography though on a more prosaic note we could have been peering into a working class tenement where occupants might exist rather than thrive and where privacy is limited images of Covid lockdowns and that bleak isolation and sense of powerlessness the movement was strenuous and accomplished but not ‘pretty’ nor did the dancers work in unison though sometimes the fragments were similar enough that their solo predicament was more palpable It was also striking to have three alternate views of three different bodies in the unusual vertical space duo - an excerpt from herses (une lente introduction) - is a tender abstract work that featured Boris Charmatz and Johanna Elisa Lemke slowly walk out of the darkness through a gap in the circle of spectators Throughout the entire work the bodies are in almost constant contact and after acclimating to the absence of clothes it was compelling to observe the sculptural shapes and intertwined constructs that emerge throughout the floor work There are alterations in speed and levels but for the most part the pace is measured as the duet traverses the space after the two sink to the floor like humans being subsumed back into nature Care and compassion radiate as these bodies lift almost as one organism until they disconnect there is also a sense of gentle exploration and discovery I was reminded of scenes where humanity might arrive on a new planet that is utopian in its welcome All is underpinned by Stefan Fraunberger’s slightly ominous but witnessing it live on stage is an exquisite On a stage littered with matte black café tables and chairs As Dido’s Lament by Purcell rings out a female somnambulist figure stumbles and crashes through the space arms dangling and palms forward in supplicant fashion; a male dives and chases to toss furniture out of her way through care or perhaps fear Another female periodically runs about in skittish A male and female violently pitch their own bodies or each other against the clear framed panels Another couple embrace passionately only to have the woman fall through her partners arms; an imposingly tall male then intervenes to forcibly arrange the male’s arms and stance then hoists the female back into those ready arms but she falls again to the floor the speed of the choreography increasing to frantic levels - is this a ‘forced’ pairing or is the tall figure sternly repairing a relationship Bausch left a legacy of some 50-odd creations where human gesture and dark themes pervaded alongside some wry or absurd humour Another of her preferences meant that her company consisted of individuals of differing ages and statures as opposed to a homogenous collection of stick figures the dancers working under Charmatz’ were all astonishing technicians and utterly riveting to watch It appears Tanztheater Wuppertal continues to thrive in fine hands with an enquiring sophisticated and adventurous spirit at the helm Broadway DivaThe Sweet Science of BruisingPast ProductionsMore The French choreographer took over Bausch’s dance company in 2022 but explains how their histories have entwined born in the French Alpine town of Chambéry in the year Bausch took over a ballet company in North Rhine-Westphalia and renamed it for her dreamlike dance theatre (He is Avignon’s artiste complice this year Stunning … Forever (Immersion dans Café Müller de Pina Bausch) Photograph: Christophe Raynaud de LageHe is joined by Nazareth Panadero who originated her part as one of the troubled figures weaving their way through chairs and tables to the plaintive sound of Purcell switches from company boss to unabashed fanboy: “It’s mind-blowing for me I never thought I could be part of this company I’m dancing with Nazareth who I saw so many times on stage Charmatz, who trained as a dancer at the Paris Opéra ballet school and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse, co-founded the association Edna with Dimitri Chamblas before he turned 20 is still touring so he similarly has a body of work stretching back decades it’s not as old as Café Müller’ – but it’s still from 1993.” Alongside Tanztheater Wuppertal, Charmatz still runs Terrain, founded in 2019 as a dance project without walls. Its productions have been presented in various outdoor locations whereas Bausch’s stage works were built for the city’s opera house (albeit sometimes using soil and turf on stage). But Charmatz highlights her extraordinary 1989 dance film Die Klage der Kaiserin with performers close-shaving in roadside puddles wandering in high heels through the woodland and riding on the Schwebebahn So it was not exactly a break with history for members of the Wuppertal ensemble to dance in a nearby church last year in Charmatz’s premiere Liberté Cathédrale which was also performed at Avignon in a sports field earlier this month invited dozens of amateurs to perform alongside professionals He likens taking over in Wuppertal to the gardening technique of grafting forming a union between two parts of different plants I think it feels pretty good that this company now has two heads … Pina is still giving a lot to us Café Müller was staged outdoors at the grand Cour d’honneur in Avignon’s Palais des Papes “It’s the most monumental stage ever,” says Charmatz It doesn’t come from a discomfort with the original piece [which will continue to be performed in the company’s repertory in its usual form] Sometimes it’s good to look from a different angle and rethink And I’m sure we will learn a lot from doing that … We need to think after this one Café Müller sums up both the way the company has pressed on and his own part in leading it There are so many movements that are looped and This repetition is in the endless desire between the dancers bodies that try to find each other.” He pauses “It’s also a symbol of our desire to never give up.” Forever (Immersion dans Café Müller de Pina Bausch) is at La FabricA, Avignon Chris Wiegand’s trip was provided by Tanztheater Wuppertal The transport sector is responsible for over a fifth of Germany's greenhouse gas emissions and at European level even for more than a quarter In order to achieve the EU's climate targets – and to avoid billions in fines or the purchase of pollution rights from other countries – massive efforts will be required in the coming years In addition to avoiding and shifting traffic the focus of solutions for private motorised transport is on electric vehicles but other approaches are needed for trucks and aircraft Synthetic fuels could be a promising solution in this regard researchers from the Wuppertal Institute have carried out a model-based analysis that outlines the technical potentials and investment risks of the MENA region with regard to the production and export of synthetic fuels to Europe: Using a cost-optimised energy supply model the authors analyse the potential role of the MENA region in meeting the future demand for synthetic fuels in Europe Various scenarios are used to map regional differences in investment risks: a base scenario in which regional differences in investment risks are not taken into account and three risk scenarios with different developments in regional investment risks The results show that imports from the MENA region can be an attractive option from an economic perspective the analysis shows that lower import quotas for synthetic fuels would be more attractive for Europe as the higher production costs in Europe would be offset to a certain extent by the lower investment risks The technical potential for renewable energy in Europe is also sufficiently high to meet future demand for electricity and synthetic fuels the results show that the consideration of country-specific investment risks in techno-economic modelling is of crucial importance The analysis "Providing the transport sector in Europe with fossil free energy – a model-based analysis under consideration of the MENA region" was published in the journal frontiers and can be downloaded free of charge via the following link The results are based on the MENA Fuels project the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) took place in Baku (Aserbaidschan) Researchers from the Wuppertal Institute attended the conference and summarised the key outcomes of the negotiations under the title "Not a 'Gift from God': Disappointing Results from Baku 2024 Climate Conference and Calls for COP Reform" The analysis has now been published as a peer-reviewed article in the journal "Carbon Climate & Law Review" (CCLR the conference adopted a "New Collective Quantified Goal" (NCQG) for climate finance the new finance goal falls far short of the actual financing needs the conference failed to further solidify the signal for the global energy transition agreed at last year’s conference in Dubai – including the transition away from fossil fuels Despite all the resistance that once again came to light in Baku the trend towards more climate-friendly technologies will continue And one can expect that the Brazilian conference presidency next year will be more committed and more successful than the Azerbaijani presidency in translating the real transformation momentum into a more successful outcome The peer-reviewed article is available via the following link U gebruikt helaas een verouderde internetbrowser. Voor een optimale ervaring met deze website is het aan te raden om over te stappen naar een modernere verie of installeer Google Chrome Frame On 7 May 2024, coinciding with the bicentenary of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the Network of Houses and Museums of European Musicians (HMEM) adopted the Wuppertal Call this manifesto issues a solemn plea to all European citizens: “Use your vote for Peace Beethoven monument on the Beethovenplatz square in Vienna underscores the vital importance of participating in the European elections from 6 to 9 June 2024 to support the foundational values of peace and unity that define the European project amidst current challenges Against these challenges threatening peace and unity the Wuppertal Call urges Europeans to harness the unifying power of music promotes unity in diversity and fosters a more inclusive society the call exemplifies its commitment to advancing cultural cooperation across borders Launched in April 2022 in Bougival (Yvelines, France), the Pan-European Network of Houses and Museums of European Musicians (HMEM) unites 61 organisations across 24 countries. It was initiated by the Centre Européen de Musique and supported from the outset by Europa Nostra This network swiftly established itself as a leading advocate for European musical heritage By uniting iconic institutions and houses of musicians from across Europe the network preserves and enriches musical heritage while promoting cultural exchange and cross-border cooperation The Network of Houses and Museums of European Musicians encompasses a diverse array of prestigious institutions across Europe from the Beethoven House in Germany to the Amália Rodrigues Foundation in Portugal and the Franz Liszt Museum in Hungary This diversity underscores the richness of European musical heritage For more information and to download the full Wuppertal Call, click here the Wuppertal Institute has welcomed two new international guest researchers as part of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's International Climate Protection Fellowship The young researchers from India and Mexico have extensive expertise in the fields of circular economy and sustainable mobility and are strengthening the Institute's international research cooperation Tackling plastic waste – in a socially responsible and effective way Raghuvir Raghav Das from Gurugram (India) is an economist specialising in sustainable development and circular economy he will be conducting research in the Circular Economy Department on the use of plastic credits as an instrument for reducing plastic pollution especially in countries of the Global South He will also analyse how social aspects can be integrated into the design of such mechanisms.  Raghav has a wide range of practical experience: He worked with rePurpose Global on GIZ-funded plastic projects in India and Kenya analysed the recycling of solar panels in his master's thesis and developed strategies for recycling lithium-ion batteries His previous work has often focused on the question of how local communities can be actively and fairly involved in environmental solutions This collaboration will ensure a deeper and more extensive network with other research areas in the future Rocio Patricia Ruelas Fimbres from Mexico City is an environmental manager and mobility expert with many years of experience in subnational climate policy she worked for the city network ICLEI Mexico where she co-developed the climate plan for the state of Sonora and promoted the switch to electric bus systems in urban areas Oliver Lah and Rosa Muñoz as part of the ACCESS project The aim is to develop practical strategies to more closely interlink sustainable mobility digital innovations and climate protection The focus is on low-emission transport systems new financing approaches and greater involvement of civil society Rocio's extensive experience in building interdisciplinary networks will be invaluable to the institute contributing significantly to international mobility and climate policy Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are being discussed and tested in different countries to reduce industrial emissions Public opinion about industrial CCS (iCCS) can be a key factor in whether it will be implemented measuring public acceptance of CCS is a challenge: on the one hand the use of CCS is the subject of intense and controversial political debate a majority of people is still not aware of it.  researchers from the Future Energy and Industry Systems Research Division at the Wuppertal Institute conducted a survey proposing a new approach to measuring public opinion of iCCS The results have now been published in the journal "Energy Research & Social Science": In their article "Understanding public acceptance amidst controversy and ignorance: The case of industrial Carbon Capture and Storage in Germany" the authors conclude that five factors influence the acceptance of iCCS: The survey also shows that many respondents have safety concerns regarding the transportation of CO2 A lack of trust in industrial players could also make the implementation of iCCS more difficult the authors recommend transparent communication and involving actors perceived as trustworthy – such as scientists the researchers see potential for broad acceptance of iCCS if the public is well informed and actively involved locally The paper can be downloaded free of charge via the link below Kazakhstan is one of the world's largest producers of metals such as iron one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the industrial sector The country’s strategy for achieving a climate-neutral economy by 2060 includes the transformation of the steel and aluminium industries to almost GHG neutral production the objective of the DeKaMe project was to provide a knowledge base on which policymakers and stakeholders can draw to define technological pathways towards a deep decarbonisation of the metals industry and for the design of supporting policy instruments on behalf of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) identified and described technological options for decarbonising the steel industry as well as the aluminium industry and summarised their advantages and disadvantages in the Kazakh context In order to provide the Kazakh authorities with a broad portfolio of policy options the researchers also identified and described policy instruments for decarbonising the steel and aluminium industries including best-practice examples and international activities on green lead markets stakeholder interviews were conducted and the results were later presented in a webinar the DeKaMe project team found various advantages and disadvantages of different options that require further analysis and discussion during the further elaboration of the countries decarbonisation strategy The identification and discussion of policy instruments revealed that international markets for green metals and other sustainable materials are likely to emerge creating new opportunities for Kazakh companies investing in climate-friendly production Support and de-risking instruments used in the EU and Germany aim to address coordination They are typically designed to bridge the cost gap between conventional and climate-friendly technologies which is not yet fully covered by a CO2 price Given the currently low CO2 price in Kazakhstan a significant increase would be necessary to enable the cost-efficient use of such support and de-risking instruments The project involved the following members from the Sectors and Technologies Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute: Dr Katharina Knoop from the Structural Change and Innovation Research Unit Anna Leipprand from the Transformative Industrial Policy Research Unit contributed to the study The report "Providing a knowledge base for decarbonizing the Kazakh metals industries (DeKaMe)" was produced as part of the DeKaMe project and can be downloaded free of charge via the following link In the midst of numerous crises and intensified social debates we seem to be faced with a choice: Do we save the German economy do we ensure a dignified life for all or do we stop climate change In their new book "Earth for All Deutschland" the Wuppertal Institute and The Club of Rome make it clear that this does not have to be a choice The book explores possible strategies to address the current challenges facing Germany and demonstrates how it is possible to overcome environmental crises while safeguarding democracy and prosperity It shows that by pursuing all three goals together the solutions can complement each other and provide co-benefits interrelated crises and increasing social tensions the book shows that we still have the opportunity to shape a future worth living "We need to focus much more on the opportunities and immense potential," says Prof President and Scientific Managing Director of the Wuppertal Institute "We already have the necessary technical and political solutions it is important that we combine them skilfully and think about the social and ecological aspects together If we do this then a sustainable transformation is possible." Based on data analysis carried out in collaboration with the Wuppertal Institute and the Millennium Institute the authors developed two future scenarios for Germany: Too Little Too Late – where we continue a path of business as usual which exacerbates the current crises; and the Giant Leap – where transformative actions enable us to achieve wellbeing for all within the planetary boundaries In order to ensure good living conditions for all in the long term and to be able to deal with crises in a resilient manner the authors address the need for five extraordinary turnarounds: in a country with very high resource consumption such as Germany there is a need to switch from today's highly linear economy to a circular economy The book shows examples of possible solutions for each of the turnarounds and emphasises that it is important to approach the turnarounds with a common The key message is that if all the turnarounds are implemented together an ecological transformation will only work if everyone has the opportunity to participate and social inequalities are reduced a socio-ecological transformation is the practical choice We can no longer continue with business-as-usual The cost of inaction to the current crises and changes caused for example by climate change are significantly higher than those of a transformation." says Till Kellerhoff co-author and programme director of The Club of Rome The authors do not claim to be able to provide all the answers to today's challenges however the book is intended to offer a starting point for discussion amongst policymakers The German Earth4All initiative is embedded in the international Earth4All project and describes possible solutions in a national context member of the Club of Rome and Senior Advisor at the Wuppertal Institute comments: "Policy measures must be tailored to the unique circumstances of each country and region An additional resource transition is particularly important in industrialised Germany Joint implementation – especially with the energy food and inequality turnarounds – will result in positive synergy effects that can shorten the path to a wellbeing society." Earth for All Germany – Aufbruch in eine Zukunft für Alle The book "Earth for All Germany – Aufbruch in eine neue Zukunft für Alle" is now available in bookshops (320 pages ISBN 978-3-98726-111-4) as a softcover for 26.00 euros (26.80 euros - AT) or as an eBook for 19.99 euros (20.99 euros - AT) Energie gGmbH Responsible for content: Prof Deputy Head of Public Relations Tel: +49 202 2492-292 E-mail: pr@wupperinst.org Head of Communication Tel: +43 664 414 4456 E-mail: press@clubofrome.org Researchers from the Europa-Universität Flensburg and the Wuppertal Institute have analysed how many people in the EU could find housing through more efficient use of existing under-occupied buildings: According to the analysis the theoretical potential lies at around 100 million people – almost a quarter of the EU population The researchers report this in their paper "Housing for millions without new buildings An analysis of the theoretical housing potential of under-occupied dwellings in the European building stock" which was recently published in the journal "Environmental Research Letters" the existing under-occupancy of many dwellings would have to be reduced: If the housing situation changes people would have to move from under-occupied dwellings into smaller accommodations take in additional occupants or divide the dwelling into smaller units The calculations are based on occupancy standards of Swiss co-operatives and municipal housing authorities according to which the number of rooms – in simplified terms – may only exceed the number of residents by one or two rooms This regulation is colloquially known in Switzerland as the "room rule" (German: "Zimmerregel") It served the researchers as a tried-and-tested comparatively widely accepted upper limit for needs-based housing By combining the room rule with data from EU statistics on income and living conditions the researchers found a theoretical housing potential of around 152 million rooms in the EU's building stock this would be around 50 million additional dwellings – or living space for 100 million people which corresponds to 23 per cent of the entire EU population "This is a theoretical value that we have calculated without factoring in technical That's why we describe it as theoretical housing potential in our paper," explains Johannes Thema Senior Researcher in the Energy Policy Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute and co-author of the study The potential for more living space and environmental protection is nevertheless enormous Jonas Lage from Flensburg University: "Regulations such as the Swiss room rule could effectively alleviate the housing shortage even without large numbers of new buildings this would also reduce the enormous emissions waste production and soil sealing caused by new buildings." The construction sector in the EU is responsible for five to twelve per cent of CO2 emissions around half of all raw materials extracted in the EU and more than a third of waste generation The paper has been published in open access and can be downloaded free of charge via the link below you confirm that you agree to the integration and the necessary data transmission to Google If you want your browser to remember this decision a cookie with a validity of 31 days will be stored Alternatively, you can also search with the free search engine DuckDuckGo Privacy Policy / How do we want to and how can we deal with refugees and migration in the future This question is the focus of the next Wuppertal Transformation Talk The CityKirche in Wuppertal Elberfeld // Photo Zafer Ferhat opportunities and challenges of migration will be discussed by Wuppertal's Lord Mayor Uwe Schneidewind philosopher Prof Smail Rapic from the University of Wuppertal and Member of the Bundestag Helge Lindh - together with the audience The event will be moderated by Prof Dr Rita Casale educational scientist at the University of Wuppertal There is an intense and controversial debate in politics and the public about how to deal with refugees and migration has pointed out that Germany is dependent on continuous immigration from abroad due to the increasing shortage of skilled labour What problems arise when taking in refugees and migrants Participants will get to the bottom of questions like these at the event next Tuesday The audience is invited to contribute their own questions and thoughts The Wuppertal Transformation Talks are an event format of the Centre for Transformation Research and Sustainability https://transzent.uni-wuppertal.de/de/ Editor Phone 0202/439-3722 E-mail bischof[at]uni-wuppertal.de Website Press Office Department of Philosophy Phone 0202/439-5478 E-mail rapic[at]uni-wuppertal.de Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the European Commission introduced the Clean Industrial Deal (CID) The paper outlines how the decarbonisation of European industry as well as improved security of supply can be achieved in tandem the CID presents a series of planned legislative initiatives setting the course for European industrial policy in the years ahead 14 researchers from the Wuppertal Institute analyse what the CID means for European – and thus indirectly for German – industrial policy In the 16-page paper "Rapid assessment of the Clean Industrial Deal: an initial assessment of the EU Commission's industrial policy work programme for 2025-2029" the authors summarise the objectives and instruments for each of the six main topics of the CID and evaluate them from a scientific point of view they provide a compact but detailed analysis of the core areas of the Clean Industrial Deal: affordable energy global markets and international partnerships as well as social justice and just transition The analysis shows that the CID is suitable for addressing the key issues but it largely shifts the responsibility for its implementation and financing to the member states the decisive factors will include how the 500 billion infrastructure fund is allocated and what industrial policy priorities the next German government will set: These points will also be a determining factor at European level as to whether sufficient public funds can be mobilised to leverage the necessary private investment According to the researchers' notably positive conclusion the European Commission has successfully linked industrial transformation with competitiveness and resilience through the CID: The EU is thus sending an important signal to the European economy to consistently pursue the transformation initiated in recent years with the EU Green Deal the CID is providing urgently needed impetus and offering continuity and certainty of direction And both are urgently needed in order to restore the economy's confidence to invest in the future and position Europe for economic success The analysis of the CID can be downloaded free of charge via the following link The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is a scientific body of the United Nations that assesses the current state of climate research by analysing the scientific studies on climate change available worldwide Its reports serve as a central source of information for international climate policy by providing insights into the causes consequences and mitigation strategies of climate change.  The presentation of future emission pathways is a central component of the IPCC assessment reports which are increasingly made available through public scenario databases the article "Tracing the transformation: Energy and socioeconomic system transformation through a decade of IPCC-assessed scenarios" has now been published in the journal Nature Climate Change Co-Head of the Transformative Industrial Policy Research Unit Co-Head of the Global Climate Governance Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute examined in their article the developments and changes in the energy and socio-economic systems recorded by the IPCC over the last ten years The researchers compare the scenarios in the IPCC´s 5th and 6th Assessment Reports as well as the IPCC´s Special Report "Global Warming of 1.5ºC" to assess the relevant factors for the development of emissions pathways.  The analysis finds that reference scenarios without specific climate protection measures consistently show lower CO2 emissions in more recent reports This trend is due to a combination of factors including falling costs for low-carbon technologies and reduced expectations of economic growth which lead to a decline in the projected share of fossil fuels in the energy and industry sectors Ambitious mitigation pathways aligned with global warming below 1.5 to 2°C tend to lean towards greater electrification and a higher share of renewable energy in electricity generation in more recent scenarios and carbon capture and storage (CCS) has gradually decreased due to changing costs Despite the shrinking carbon budget caused by inadequate climate policies mitigation costs have not increased thanks to more optimistic projections for low-carbon technologies The analysis underlines the need for continuous recalibration of models and scenarios in order to keep pace with technological The paper was written as part of the research project "NDC ASPECTS" which is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research program under grant agreement no the researchers developed global and national pathways for the decarbonisation of four sectors central to climate protection and investigated international political framework conditions that can enable and promote this transformation How do urban development measures affect health Researchers are now investigating this in the SalusTransform collaborative project which is being coordinated by the Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research at the University of Bremen funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with 1.66 million euros begins in February 2025 and will run for a period of three years and the Wuppertal Institute are working together on the project The aim is to comprehensively evaluate integrated urban development concepts (ISEK) These concepts are designed to improve the situation in urban ISEK are control and coordination instruments for urban development in a municipality These include a variety of measures that improve the quality of residential buildings as well as social and health care structures The development of new ideas for the use of vacant shops or for improving the image of the district can also be among the measures mainly the processes for developing and implementing integrated urban development concepts have been evaluated Comprehensive evaluation of integrated urban development concepts for the first time The aim of SalusTransform is to comprehensively evaluate integrated urban development concepts in Germany for the first time The aim is to clarify whether the concepts as a whole lead to an improvement in health integrated urban development concepts in the cities of Bremen Together with the stakeholders from the municipal administration and from the urban districts the project team is analysing how the concepts were designed and the individual measures implemented The researchers are also investigating the extent to which integrated urban development concepts can contribute to establishing health-promoting and sustainable living conditions for everyone in the urban district one district in each of the three cities with an integrated urban development concept will be compared with a district without such a concept the researchers are comparing the district of Blumenthal for which such a concept was adopted in spring 2023 The evaluation includes municipal data on population structure the researchers collect extensive data by surveying residents conducting interviews with stakeholders involved in implementing the measures and using participatory formats such as neighborhood walks and citizen science approaches to measure air pollution the Wuppertal Institute is responsible for measuring air quality with the help of particulate matter sensors and the assessment of the  biodiversity and ecological quality as well as traffic counts in Bremen Bochum and Wuppertal  through district inspections The researchers are also evaluating the processes and results in Wuppertal and conducting qualitative interviews with municipal representatives of the Wuppertal city administration we are taking a close look at the impacts of urban development measures on the living conditions and lifestyles of the city residents," emphasises Dr project manager at the Wuppertal Institute and senior researcher in the Innovation Labs Research Unit The methodology for evaluating integrated urban development concepts which is being developed and tested within the framework of SalusTransform should be able to be continued in the participating municipalities and transferred to others This aims to support the consideration of health equity in municipalities President and Scientific Managing Director Press contact: Luisa Lucas Deputy Head of Public Relations Tel: +49 202 2492-292 Email: luisa.lucas@wupperinst.org Franziska Stelzer Tel: +49 202-2492-224 Email: franziska.stelzer@wupperinst.org ‹ í½ÛzÛHÒ xm_½CÞ¶È*‚G‘’(KnùÔUÝvÙk¹ºþÛ«‰$X (‰Vi¾ÿöfçnÞao÷jæMþ'وÈL q ŠrUõ?݋ 2###㘇ÈǞ¿yöþo_°I4uï?Æ?̵¼ñ‘Á=ó/O 6t­0<2f[‘e†çŽwd¸ÎxXœ[öñý{§<²Øpb!ŽŒŸÞ¿4÷ 6øèȘDÑ,ì7ãél\÷ƒqãjä5Z-Qí¾€ˆeLþËܹ8Ú¹2m/4gP—GÉ9ô½(ð݆?¸íøÞ`··£ßî4CÛûև®?·G®ðúПî`›kkZŸ­«úØ÷Ç.·fNX¾â0·©FVäËWƒ*uÔ¯syy)Q4-ÏrÐ`!¢PÓõ-{‡YáÑN8œY¤€¨- ½k¸Î l\òv«ÑR¿êŸC8pϚò£ÀøQ¨ ­ãÙüªÆF¾ëú—56µ®Lgj9öãÂá—}É1BϙÍxÔ7[âù±¹4[;‚/Ãháòcg:î;aåCè|áÀäÖ<ò æ|ª1ñæÿ¯jø®Ê®!ËñLxÏñBghb±>ë4›ÍÙkuéÏÍㆀ||ïñÓdï'NÈB'âþú³È™B5›]:фEÎþá[aÄN_¼a3w>v but the distance between the late choreographer and the company bearing her name is palpable There aren’t many choreographers whose work can truly be called unique Pina Bausch is – was – one of them She died in 2009 but her instantly recognisable dance theatre lives on Bausch is a reliable favourite at festivals There was a special frisson when her version of The Rite of Spring arguably at the top of the huge pack of dances made to Stravinsky’s imperishable music came to Adelaide in 2022 with a cast drawn from a number of African countries Nelken was seen in Adelaide with the Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal company in 2016 and never forgotten This year Bausch is represented by the early work Café Müller seen alongside two shorter pieces by the Bausch company’s current artistic director Boris Charmatz The portmanteau title for the trio of dances is Club Amour and it’s true is different expressions of extreme vulnerability It’s clearly something that’s timeless as the newest of the pieces Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Contribute to Limelight and support independent arts journalism Forced Entertainment throws everything under the kitchen sink at Shakespeare to create a rich An evening of highs and lows at Adelaide Festival site-specific happening is a hypnotic celebration of community and the joy of dance Irish actor Stephen Rea delicately explores the nooks and crannies of Samuel Beckett's rueful monodrama Simon Stone’s production of Kaija Saariaho’s final opera is a potent deep dive into what motivates an atrocity Check out our playlists from our latest issue Our free Weekly Newsletter delivers the latest arts news reviews and features to your inbox each Saturday Stefan Nemirovski is the new Professor of Complex Analysis at the University of Wuppertal The 51-year-old previously worked at Ruhr University Bochum Mathematician Stefan Nemirovski // Photo Friederike von Heyden His research focuses on finding out what fundamental and stable properties certain types of "spaces" have that are used in mathematics the domains of definition of analytic functions in complex analysis or light ray spaces in the general theory of relativity Nemirovski studied mathematics at Lomonosov Moscow University where he also obtained his doctorate in 1998 he became a scientific member of the Steklov Institute of Mathematics in the Russian capital and qualified as a professor there in 2007 he conducted research at the Ruhr University Bochum as part of various German Research Foundation projects Stefan Nemirovski has been a professor at the University of Wuppertal since April 2025 Denise Haberger Editor Phone 0202/439-2221 E-mail haberger[at]uni-wuppertal.de Prof. Dr Stefan Nemirovski Teaching and Research Area Complex Analysis E-Mail stefan.nemirovski[at]uni-wuppertal.de Website Complex Analysis The German Sustainability Award honours pioneering contributions to the transformation towards a sustainable future and uses concrete examples to show how ecological and social progress can be achieved more quickly The Wuppertal Institute is the winner of the "Research and Development" category and has thus been recognised as one of this year's pioneers of sustainable change The award will be presented at the award ceremony for 17th German Sustainability Award on 28 November 2024 in Düsseldorf 4 November 2024: Which companies and institutions are currently mastering the specific challenges of their industry best Who is making effective contributions to change in their own operations or through their products and services Where are the opportunities of transformation being seized particularly successfully the German Sustainability Award recognises pioneers in 100 industries and 20 sectors the prize is being awarded together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the WWF The Wuppertal Institute and the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum) came out on top in the "Education and Research" sector and were selected as pioneers of transformation in the "Research and Development" sector "As a research institute for sustainability and transformation research sustainability is not only our central area of research but also the guiding principle for the development of our own business operations Anyone who wants to credibly advise politics business and society on issues of sustainable development should set a good example in their own business operations," says Prof The top ten contenders in the "Research and Development" category also include the Oeko-Institut and the Institute for Ecological Economy Research are also members of the Ecological Research Network (Ecornet) non-profit institutes for environmental and sustainability research in Germany Sustainability at the Wuppertal Institute – implemented in practice and research climate protection and resource efficiency have been at the centre of the Institute's research agenda sustainability has been systematically promoted in operational practice by sustainability managers who are firmly anchored in the Institute's structure More climate protection and sustainability is a matter close to the hearts of all employees at the Wuppertal Institute The Institute has also had this externally audited: With regard to compliance with the 1.5-degree target based on science" has shown that the Wuppertal Institute has achieved Paris compatibility since 2020 Both major and numerous smaller measures have contributed to this the Institute's sphere of influence is anything but solely directed inwards The Wuppertal Institute engages with its target groups stakeholders and the general public in the field on social media and through various formats to discuss how sustainability goals can be achieved in practice: The researchers develop concrete solutions for how we can live in ecologically and economically sustainable and fairer societies in the future science as well as society as a whole and shows where existing structures can be transformed and how the future can be shaped The researchers provide advice at municipal national and international level – for example in the context of developing zero-waste city concepts helping to shape the national circular economy strategy or as part of the UN-Habitat Collaborating Center working with the United Nations on climate-friendly urban development and approaches to sustainable mobility in the world's megacities The German Sustainability Award is the national award for excellence in sustainability in business municipalities and research – and the largest of its kind in Europe The award is sponsored by the Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis The award ceremony will take place on Thursday including CEOs and sustainability managers of the 100 pioneering companies from all sectors politics and society and around 100 media representatives dynamic and research-oriented campus university with an interdisciplinary profile in research and teaching academic staff and students face the challenges of society The University of Wuppertal invites applications for a Professorship (§ 36 HG NRW) in French Literature and Cultural Studies The position will be based in the School of Humanities The position is to be taken up as soon as possible we are looking for a personality with a focus on French Literature and Cultural Studies who will represent and further develop the field in research and teaching in appropriate breadth §   Your areas of work include interdisciplinary narrative research and/or current cultural topics We expect you to provide evidence of your qualification and substantial contributions to research and teaching §   You are internationally networked and have experience in raising third-party funding are actively involved in interdisciplinary research projects within and outside our school §   You offer an attractive range of courses for the school's degree programmes ranging from 16th century literature to 21st century literature You are open to acquiring and using modern teaching methods §   You are responsible for the university’s binational German-French degree programmes and their development §   Completed university degree in Romance Studies usually demonstrated by the outstanding quality of a doctorate desirably on a topic relevant to the advertised position §   Additional academic achievements in the context of a (junior) professorship a habilitation or academic work as a research assistant at a university or research institution or other occupations in Germany or abroad when appointed to a first professorship which is proven by appropriate previous experience or demonstrated by excellent performance in the appointment procedure You are able to demonstrate your qualification for the position by publications in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals international collaborations) and the independent acquisition and management of third-party-funded projects Applications should be addressed to the Dean Prof. Dr. Ursula Kocher and solely submitted via the online portal of the University of Wuppertal until 07 October 2024: https://stellenausschreibungen.uni-wuppertal.de (reference code: P24007) we appreciate individual and cultural differences of our employees and support gender equality Applications from persons of any gender and persons with disabilities are highly welcome In accordance with the Gender Equality Act of North Rhine-Westphalia women will be given preferential consideration unless there are compelling reasons in favour of an applicant who is not female The same applies to applications from disabled persons who will be given preference in the case of equal suitability © Tous les textes et documents disponibles sur ce site, sont, sauf mention contraire, protégés par une licence Creative Common. the transport sector remains Germany's biggest challenge: as in previous years the target set out in the Federal Climate Action Act (German: Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz) was again massively exceeded in 2024 this time by around 19 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents the sector is a long way from achieving the climate targets of the Paris Agreement In their recently published article "Feasibility of sufficiency-policy instruments: an assessment using impact chains for the German mobility sector" researchers from the Wuppertal Institute and the Öko-Institut analyse sufficiency policy instruments in terms of their feasibility they compiled and analysed impact chains for 83 policy instruments from the transport sector ranging from policy stimulus and induced activities resulting outputs and outcomes to final impacts The evaluation focussed on supporting factors existing barriers and risks along the impact chain This makes even very different policy instruments comparable in terms of policy objectives or instrument types "The systematic assessment of highly diverse policy instruments some of which tried and tested in practice constructive discussions on political feasibility supporting and hindering factors can be compared," explains Johannes Thema Senior Researcher in the Energy Policy Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute and one of the lead authors of the paper adds: "This is not only interesting for scientists but can also be highly valuable in political practice for example when decision-makers want to compare different policy options." The analysis is based on policy measures from the European Sufficiency Policy Database of the junior research group "The Role of Energy Sufficiency in Energy Transition and Society" The database comprises more than 350 sufficiency-based policy instruments from all sectors including sources and – where available – additional information such as examples of implementation and mitigation potentials The database can be accessed free of charge via the link below The article "Feasibility of sufficiency-policy instruments: an assessment using impact chains for the German mobility sector" has been published in open access and can be downloaded free of charge via the link below.  The Wuppertal Institute has developed the "ASEAN Guidelines on Light Electric Vehicles" for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) the guidelines were officially adopted at the 30th ASEAN Transport Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur The creation of the guidelines is a part of the ASEAN-German Technical Cooperation Project "Sustainable Mobility in Metropolitan Regions in ASEAN" (SMMR) funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development The light electric vehicle (LEV) guidelines are part of comprehensive efforts to decarbonise the transport sector and are intended to promote the implementation of sustainable mobility strategies in ASEAN member states They recognise the central role of light motorised vehicles in the region especially for passenger transport and urban logistics To reduce their negative impacts – especially air pollution noise and CO2 emissions – the document provides member states with a flexible framework to promote LEVs The guidelines support the development of country-specific approaches to suit local circumstances three- and four-wheeled vehicles play an important role in the transportation of people and goods in many countries in Southeast Asia The electrification of these vehicles therefore has the potential to significantly reduce air and noise pollution as well as CO2 emissions – while at the same time creating cost-effective sustainable mobility solutions for the local population and economy It also opens up new potential for the development of regional value chains and innovative charging infrastructures that can accelerate the transition to low-emission transportation systems The guidelines can be downloaded free of charge via the link below.  The School of Humanities and Cultural Studies at the University of Wuppertal cordially invites you to a current lecture entitled "Die Papstwahl The occasion is the death of Pope Francis last Monday and the upcoming election of his successor the faithful will be able to bid farewell to Pope Francis over the next few days in lecture hall 32 on the Grifflenberg campus The focus will be on the historical developments of the conclave its theological and political dimensions and the significance of the papal election in an increasingly globalised world The event is aimed at all interested parties and will be followed by a discussion Chair of Medieval History Phone 0202/439-4817 E-mail johrendt[at]uni-wuppertal.de Website Papacy Research the Wuppertal Institute presents the ten most important peer-reviewed publications of the past year the institute aims to highlight central scientific contributions by its researchers and to provide insights into the current state of its internationally recognised research Seven articles from 2024 were selected on the topic of climate whose business models are based on circular economy play a central role in establishing circular processes they often lack legitimacy and trust from implementation partners Certifications such as Cradle to Cradle (C2C) can help address this issue structured tools for developing C2C business models have been lacking Alexa Böckel from the Circular Transitions Research Unit and Kim-Mai Hoang from the Technical University of Munich present a new approach in their article "Cradle-to-cradle business model tool: Innovating circular business models for startups": the C2C Business Model Tool It systematically supports founders in developing their business models and communicating with partners The tool was developed using a design science approach and subsequently validated with eight start-ups – receiving consistently positive feedback In the article "The key role of sufficiency for low demand-based carbon neutrality and energy security across Europe" Johannes Thema from the Energy Policy Research Unit presents a 1.5-degree compatible pathway for Europe with low energy demand based on bottom-up modeling at the national level Europe’s final energy demand could be reduced by 50 per cent compared to 2019 with at least 40 per cent of these savings in the scenario resulting from various sufficiency measures across all sectors Such a reduction would enable renewables to account for 77 per cent of the energy mix by 2040 reaching 100 per cent by 2050 – while requiring only minimal imports from outside Europe Sufficiency also contributes to equalising energy service indicators such as per-capita passenger-kilometers or living space leading to a fairer distribution among European countries The analysis shows that with sufficiency measures Europe has the opportunity to significantly reduce its energy demand – thereby lowering the costs of the energy transition and swiftly returning to the 1.5-degree pathway Nicolas Kreibich from the Global Climate Governance Research Unit examines the development of the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) since the 2015 Paris Agreement and its relationship with the United Nations (UN) climate regime in his article "Toward Global Net Zero: The Voluntary Carbon Market on Its Quest to Find Its Place in the Post-Paris Climate Regime" Prior to the adoption of the Paris Agreement the VCM and the UN carbon market largely operated in parallel The Paris Agreement triggered a surge in net-zero and climate neutrality targets among companies driving increased interest in the VCM as a source of carbon credits for offsetting emissions doubts arose about the offsetting model and concerns over double counting emerged A shift from the offsetting model to a climate contribution approach aimed at mobilising private climate finance could help the VCM overcome its "identity crisis" and carve out a new role within the evolving climate regime No governmental or non-governmental entity can tackle climate change on their own – this is why polycentric governance is gaining attention empirical evidence on the climate change mitigation potential of polycentric policymaking remains limited In their study "Promises and Pitfalls of Polycentric Federalism: The Case of Solar Power in India" Chris Höhne from the Global Climate Governance Research Unit explores the opportunities and challenges of polycentric climate policy in three Indian states by analysing the development of solar energy with a particular focus on scaling and institutionalisation in federal systems.  The findings indicate that the states are driving the transition forward and play a crucial role in overcoming political barriers there are only few successful non-governmental or urban bottom-up initiatives that have been institutionalised in the long run Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is being discussed worldwide as a potential technological approach to reducing industrial emissions Public acceptance is crucial in this context yet many people are unfamiliar with the technology In their article "Understanding public acceptance amidst controversy and ignorance: the case of industrial carbon capture and storage in Germany" and Katja Witte from the Future Energy and Industry Systems Research Division introduce a new approach to measuring public opinion Their study primarily analyses the perspectives of individuals who consider themselves knowledgeable about industrial CCS (iCCS) A survey conducted in Germany with 1,845 participants reveals that acceptance of iCCS is influenced by five key factors: the survey highlights significant concerns about CO₂ transportation Many respondents also express a lack of trust in industry actors and energy providers to make responsible decisions regarding the use of iCCS The most promising approach to reducing CO2 emissions in steel production is direct reduction using green hydrogen The resulting green iron does not become liquid in the process but is produced as solid which can be transported cost-effectively over long distances This allows for a spatial separation of iron production and steel production potentially leading to a global trade in green iron In their article "Global Trade of Green Iron as a Game Changer for a Near-Zero Global Steel Industry – A Scenario-Based Assessment of Regionalized Impacts" and Alexander Jülich from the Sectors and Technologies Research Unit evaluate the potential impacts of such global trade They consider both the shift in global energy demand towards regions with favorable conditions for hydrogen production and the potential resulting cost savings The authors compare three scenarios and discuss the prerequisites and obstacles for a global trade in green iron The analysis suggests that the cost savings could significantly contribute to the development of net-zero steel production practical implementation depends on various factors and strategic global partnerships in the green iron market In the study "Country Risks Analysis for the Development of Green Hydrogen and Synthetic Fuel Sectors in the MENA Region" Peter Viebahn from the Future Energy and Industry Systems Research Division along with Magdolna Prantner from Geisenheim University investigate the role of hydrogen in decarbonising the energy and industrial sectors plans to import significant quantities of hydrogen in the medium to long term and views the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) as a potential major supplier of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels investment risks represent a significant barrier to the development of the green hydrogen industry in the MENA region there have been only few systematic risk analyses for these sectors in MENA countries The researchers address this gap by presenting a comparative risk assessment for renewable energy They evaluate macro- and micro-risks and consider two risk scenarios for future developments The results indicate that while MENA countries have significant potential the majority exhibit at least moderate risks for sector development highlighting the complexity of promoting these industries in the region The study "The Impact of Biodiversity Information on Willingness to Pay" Kathleen Jacobs from the Circular Transitions Research Unit Jacob Hörisch from Leuphana University Lüneburg and Prof Lars Petersen from Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences investigates how information about the positive or negative biodiversity performance of a product influences consumers' willingness to pay Data were collected from 524 German consumers The results indicate that consumers with higher education levels and strong concerns about biodiversity loss are willing to pay more for products with above-average biodiversity performance (positive information) and less for products with below-average performance (negative information) the authors find that the extent to which a product outperforms the industry average does not influence consumers’ increased willingness to pay This means that both marginal and substantial improvements in product-related biodiversity would be rewarded with the same willingness to pay The researchers conclude that consumers alone are unlikely to provide sufficient monetary incentives to achieve substantial improvements in biodiversity conservation need to introduce subsidies for products with biodiversity performance far above the industry average or ban products that perform significantly below the industry average project-based learning with a focus on "learning by doing" is the predominant teaching method Learners are encouraged to engage with complex problems it remains unclear how motivation in projects can be activated to address these challenges and promote environmentally friendly behavior In the paper "Circular Economy from Scratch: A Novel Project-Based Learning Method to Increase Motivation in Metal Recycling Among Industrial Design Students" Christa Liedtke from the Sustainable Production and Consumption Research Division Fabian Hemmer from the University of Wuppertal present a project-based teaching method linked to a normative decision-making model from social psychology using generative toolkits among other resources to explore ways to improve metal recycling and develop competencies on the metal The paper demonstrates which specific intervention measures are suitable and how they can be methodically applied Preliminary evaluation results suggest that the project-based teaching method can indeed strongly motivate the target group To assess the societal impacts of real-world laboratories Matthias Wanner from the Innovation Labs Research Unit Karolin Augenstein from University of Wuppertal Timo von Wirth from Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences Daniel Lang from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology applied structuration theory in their article "Impacts of urban real-world labs: insights from a co-evaluation process informed by structuration theory in Wuppertal-Mirke" The authors used this theory to analyse the effects of six co-productive urban design projects carried out in the Mirke district of Wuppertal they expanded structuration theory by introducing new subcategories All Open Access articles are available on the Wuppertal Institute’s publication server via the links below If you are interested in articles that are not Open Access In the "Tales of Carbonia" simulation participants can dive into a world of possibilities and experience the challenges of a Just Energy Transition: They can explore the complex interrelationships of structural change processes by slipping into the role of their respective negotiating partners in a playful way The goal of the simulation is to transform the energy system in the fictional world of Carbonia from coal to renewables while simultaneously enhancing quality of life This is not an easy task as Carbonia's economy is heavily based on fossil fuels While wrong decisions could lead to unemployment or mass migration from the region the right ones could unlock a brighter future for all By working together constructively despite their sometimes conflicting interests Researchers at the Wuppertal Institute developed the simulation together with the Centre for Systems Solutions in order to promote mutual understanding between the different interest groups and encourage players to look beyond their own horizons the game employs changes of perspective: a real-life trade union representative might take on the role of a Carbonian coal company CEO while a government official could slip into the role of an environmental activist the participants act and negotiate based on their role descriptions accessible resources and available capital The participants thus experience first-hand the conditions and restrictions within which the stakeholders navigate and the effects of their own actions they reflect on how the fictional world relates to reality – and how they can achieve better results for society the environment and the climate in the real world The simulation was developed as part of the research project "IKI JET – Innovation Regions for a Just Energy Transition" Building on the Wuppertal Institute's long-standing research in coal regions and a collaborative process with stakeholders and experts on Just Energy Transition in Colombia and Indonesia specific challenges and barriers in coal regions were identified to be addressed in the simulation which was further developed in various test runs with a focus on fine-tuning game mechanics The social simulation can be adapted to country-specific challenges as well as individual constellations of dialogue and participants This allows participants to directly transfer their experiences from the simulation to real-life negotiation situations in their regions The pilot version of the "Tales of Carbonia" simulation was successfully played in Colombia and Indonesia in September and October 2024 it is planned to adapt and implement the simulation for other coal regions in transition – including South Africa This sets out our values as well as our options for action: we understand diversity as an essential component of a modern and competitive university We demand and promote a discrimination-sensitive culture of fair respectful and solidary cooperation in the responsibility of all All members and affiliates of the university are committed to contributing to a climate of openness equality and equal opportunities through their behaviour and actions We are in favour of a culture of awareness and taking a closer look We oppose tabooisation and raise awareness and attention for disadvantages This policy also aims to prevent any exploitation of power and dependency structures." The University of Wuppertal's anti-discrimination policy pursues three main objectives: It strengthens our shared commitment to a respectful culture and encourages everyone to exercise their rights to act; it provides a frame of reference for the work of the Anti-Discrimination Office; and it enables us to initiate formal proceedings if informal approaches to resolution are not sufficient Our fundamental concern is that conflicts can be resolved through mediation there are situations in which serious misbehaviour cannot be tolerated we are prepared to impose sanctions ranging from a simple reprimand procedure to exclusion from facilities or courses they can develop to their full potential: The well-being of all those who work and study at the University of Wuppertal is a central concern for the university management - from safety on the campus paths to protection against discrimination and harassment of all kinds on our premises Tips for threatening situations You can also ensure great safety with little effort: Counselling and complaints offices Below you will find an overview - the general contact points - the contact points for students - the contact points for employees https://www.uni-wuppertal.de/de/universitaet/organisation/beschwerdestellen-ombudsleute/ Corinna Dönges Head of Phone +49 202 439-3047 E-mail doenges[at]uni-wuppertal.de Knowing faster what moves the target group: the start-up experial from the university of Wuppertal develops AI-supported digital twins for market research It has now won the prestigious €50,000 EHI Science Award 2025 in the "Best Start-up" category Honoured for excellent work: The start-up experial at the Science Award 2025 ceremony The two co-founders Dr Tobias Klinke (left) and Nader Fadl (right) are closely associated with the Chair of Marketing at the University of Wuppertal experial was founded by Dr Tobias Klinke and Nader Fadl from the university of Wuppertal The two economists are (former) doctoral students at the Chair of Marketing under Prof Dr Tobias Langner and are developing an innovative solution with their start-up to make market research faster and more cost-effective: AI-based digital twins simulate real target groups and provide precise answers for companies' strategic marketing and purchasing decisions This enables companies to avoid typical challenges in traditional surveys: unlike human participants the digital twins do not have the motivation problems that often occur with real samples "As a research-driven team that develops new methods of digital market research the science prize is both a special honour and motivation for us," explains founder Tobias Klinke he accepted the award last week in Düsseldorf in front of around 250 guests from the retail and consumer goods industry The event was organised by the EHI Foundation and GS1 Germany which award the prize to scientists and start-ups whose excellent scientific work and projects are relevant to the retail sector and consumer goods industry The experial technology is based on large data sets machine learning and natural language processing It enables companies to carry out in-depth analyses of their consumers up to 100 times faster than with conventional methods Find out more on the experial website. Prof Dr Tobias Langner: "A great achievement I am delighted that Tobias Klinke and Nader Fadl will continue to be closely associated with the University of Wuppertal through our joint research projects Their innovative approaches show the potential of combining science and practice." experial also received support in the start-up process from the University of Wuppertal's Start-up Centre Its head of operations Dr Kazem Mochkabadi (centre) accompanied the founding team to the award ceremony in Düsseldorf // Photo BUW Congratulations also come from the Start-up Centre at the University of Wuppertal which advised experial in the final phase before it was founded and nominated it for the science award Head of Operations: "At the Start-up Center advising on the selection of suitable funding programmes or preparing for idea pitches to investors A success story like experial's shows how worthwhile and important it is to work together in professional structures." The University of Wuppertal is strengthening its support for those interested in starting a business in the long term: since January 2025 the Start-up Centre has been funded directly by the university rather than through the EXIST Potential Programme This secures the central contact point for entrepreneurial ideas in the long term and firmly anchors it in the university structure The centralised funding means that the wide range of advice events and funding opportunities for prospective founders - as in the case of the start-up experial - will be retained "This decision is an important step for the sustainable promotion of entrepreneurship at our university," explains Prof "The permanent institutional support will enable us to further expand our services and support students and employees in the realisation of their business ideas in the long term." the Start-up Centre has already provided over 690 consultations which have resulted in 458 start-up projects - 148 of which were successful start-ups This impressive record shows how strongly the ecosystem for entrepreneurship has grown at the university Further information on the services offered is available on the Start-up Centre website Editor Phone 0202/439-5632 E-mail reschop[at]uni-wuppertal.de Website Press Office experial E-mail: office[at]experial.ai Website experial Start-up Centre of the University of Wuppertal E-mail startupcenter[at]uni-wuppertal.de Website of the Start-up Centre Chair of Marketing Phone 0202 / 439-2547 Email langner[at]wiwi.uni-wuppertal.de Website of the Chair The climate crisis is an increasing challenge especially for young people who often feel powerless in the face of the consequences of climate change Education can play a key role in strengthening self-efficacy and empowering active participation in climate protection this study examines the long-term effects of the Schools4Future project on the general and climate-related self-efficacy as well as the sustainable behaviour and civic engagement of former participants Schools4Future was implemented at schools in Germany between 2020 and 2022 and aimed to actively involve pupils in climate protection measures and provide them with practical experience in the field of sustainable development the focus was on strengthening self-efficacy The study investigates whether these effects persist two years after the end of the project.The empirical study was based on a quantitative research design with a theory-based questionnaire An online survey was conducted to collect data in order to reach former students who are now in training 20 of whom were from the Schools4Future group and 31 from an age-matched control group The analysis was carried out using inferential statistical methods including the independent t-test and Pearson correlation The study shows that Schools4Future primarily strengthened the civic engagement of the participants in the long term this commitment was significantly higher in the project group than in the control group This was reflected in particular in more frequent participation in demonstrations greater involvement in environmental organisations more active support for online petitions and more active participation in topic-related working groups there was no significant difference in general and climate-related self-efficacy or sustainable behaviour The study discusses possible explanations for this such as the stability of self-efficacy over longer periods of time or the influence of new phases of life after the end of the project the results emphasise the importance of action-oriented ESD projects such as Schools4Future for promoting long-term social commitment to climate protection The study makes it clear that such projects can empower young people to take responsibility and play an active role in shaping a sustainable future In order to secure this effect in the long term such projects need to be structurally anchored in the education system and have secure financial and human resources further measures should be developed to promote sustainable behaviour beyond the school context – for example in the workplace this can make an important contribution to strengthening sustainable thinking and behaviour in society Klimaschützer*innen von morgenLangfristige Auswirkungen von Schools4Future auf die Selbstwirksamkeit von Schüler*innen und deren Beteiligung am Klimaschutz (Wuppertaler Studienarbeiten zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung no Research in the social sciences contributes to transformations in the industrial and energy sectors in Germany and Europe yet it is frequently neglected in research funding It is time for programmes to intensify their focus on the political and social dimensions of the energy transition Opposition to the ambitious goals of the energy and industrial transitions in Germany and Europe is growing While the technical feasibility of the energy transition is now widely understood and accepted economic and social consequences of this far-reaching transformation are proving increasingly controversial The political debate is shifting away from technical issues to the complex societal challenges that arise on the ground and in communities political and legal aspects of this transformation play an important role in shaping policy developments research funding in Germany and Europe continues to place a strong emphasis on technological innovation Under the energy and climate programme of the European research framework programme "Horizon Europe" projects are required to indicate the extent to which they address issues relevant to the social sciences and humanities this means that social science expertise is often viewed as an "add-on" thereby limiting this research to a supporting role What is lacking are calls for research proposals that address questions relevant to the social sciences and humanities The situation in the German research funding landscape is somewhat better The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action has launched a new research network and funding priority programme that will focus on interactions between the energy transition and society when it comes to research that looks beyond this narrow focus on energy issues and tackles the broader challenges of industrial transformation With the exception of issues relating to energy efficiency industrial topics have been removed from the energy research programme An equivalent programme for social science research on industrial transformation and the resulting socio-economic changes is still lacking Social science research is indispensable for effective long-term energy and climate policy Without a deep understanding of the social and political implications of transformations there is a risk that policies will be poorly designed Social science research can help here: For example it analyses public perceptions of transformative change against the backdrop of changing social and individual values It analyses complex power dynamics and questions of (in)justice in relation to the distributional effects of transformations and policy instruments interdependencies with existing social and regional inequalities - and it develops opportunities for participation The political debacle surrounding the Building Energy Act is a striking example of how relevant such issues can be in political reality Social science researchers are also investigating why climate action – both nationally and internationally – is not being driven forward with sufficient ambition and why the implementation of agreed measures frequently fails These issues are fundamental to developing effective policies and this research should not be placed in a merely supporting role The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has acknowledged this and has announced that it will give greater consideration to political science and sociological research in future Research programmes must address social science issues Against a backdrop of escalating political conflicts investment in social science research must be urgently increased the new EU Commission will draw up the main features of the next European Research Framework Programme The Commission should seize this opportunity to bolster research in the social sciences by introducing thematic calls for proposals that focus on social science and humanities issues social and political dimensions that are central to the success of the energy transition risk being marginalised the German government should make research on the social and political aspects of industrial transformation in the context of the energy transition a particular focus of its funding Geo-political and geo-economic competition between the leading industrialised nations has intensified considerably in recent years and threatens to escalate even further following the election of US President Trump Germany and Europe could well be left behind Social science research can help to better understand the challenges for industrial policy conflicts in economic policy and regulatory options for action This kind of knowledge is needed in order to develop viable political and social strategies to make manufacturing and industry in Germany sustainable climate-friendly and competitive over the longer term – while effectively mitigating the social impacts of structural change in industrial regions This also includes promoting a better understanding of the broader political and societal contexts of transformations in countries outside Europe Germany and Europe are increasingly dependent on international cooperation international cooperation frequently fails due to diverging interests and world views Social science research undertaken in cooperation with international partners not only enables us to develop a better understanding of the political and social conditions in other countries scientific cooperation and exchange can also serve as a basis for later political and economic cooperation for example with emerging countries in the Global South such as India We need to understand the "political will" better While it is true that technological progress and falling costs and prices are key drivers of the unfolding transformations values and discourses are equally important we know what can be done and how to do it – but the political will to make things happen is lacking And this is precisely where social science research comes into play by helping us to recognise where the limits of the politically feasible lie and – ideally – how we can shift them The EU Commission and Germany would therefore be well advised to afford greater priority to the political and social dimensions of their research programmes but for the success of the energy transition This article was first published on 3 December 2024 in Tagesspiegel Background Energie & Klima The authors are co-initiators of an open letter by the Research Network on Energy Politics Policy and Governance (Energy-PPG) of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) and the Sustainability Transitions Research Network (STRN) to the EU Commissioner responsible for the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Over 300 European scientists have signed the letter, which can be accessed via the link below The EU Taxonomy Regulation is a classification system for sustainable economic activities used by financial institutions for reporting purposes demonstrating compliance with the technical criteria for this regulation can be challenging the EU Taxonomy Regulation requires proof that the primary energy demand of buildings (built before 2021) falls within the top 15 per cent of energy performance in the building stock Determining which buildings meet this criterion is a challenge for financial institutions as they often lack the necessary information this threshold will continue to shift as renovation measures and higher energy efficiency standards are implemented reducing planning certainty for financial institutions and investors researchers at the Wuppertal Institute have developed a methodology that allows the 15 per cent criterion to be determined using comparatively limited data for both the current and future building stock along with thresholds for current and future German residential buildings in the peer-reviewed article "Estimating future thresholds for the 15% eligibility criteria of the EU taxonomy with limited data availability" in Springer Nature The findings are particularly relevant for financial institutions and investors seeking to demonstrate the taxonomy compliance of their building portfolios The article is available (open access) via the following link The Wuppertal Institute was commissioned by the German Council for Sustainable Development to analyse examples of successful transformations with regard to their success factors in order to derive federal policy measures for the promotion and scaling of such sustainability activities 14 examples from six transformation areas were analysed using a specially developed analysis pattern and presented in concise factsheets As a small sample of the diverse commitment in the field of sustainability the selected examples show how favourable framework conditions create an enabling culture that facilitates the diffusion of successful practices this means a shift from a controlling to an enabling state which expands local room for manoeuvre and at the same time ensures coordination and consistency of direction as well as the horizontal and vertical coherence of the instruments Despite project-specific and sometimes high barriers key success factors can be identified: Connectivity to proven measures active participation of local actors and a low probability of conflict during implementation Measures that have been realised with the involvement and networking of various social actors also enjoy a particularly high level of acceptance In view of the immense financial challenges in creating and maintaining sustainable living environments many municipalities are faced with an almost impossible task especially as far-reaching changes are required that extend into peoples everyday routines A consistent and reliable mix of various steering instruments and a high level of acceptance is therefore essential The examples of transformation examined provide a first introduction to the necessary in-depth analyses of the effectiveness of potential and consistent policy packages and their interactions with other instruments in the multi-level system Gute Beispiele für eine gelingende Transformation – Impulse für nachhaltige Lebenswelten Caption: (from left to right) 3rd prize for Jonas Lützenkirchen and his voluntary work with the German Red Cross in Solingen 3rd prize for Birgit Galda with the Essen-based organisation 'Zweitzeugen' The 4th prize went to Clarissa Bohn for her commitment to 'Bark Date - animal welfare dogs' the 1st prize to Vivien Junker for the 'design of common rooms of the Essen parents' initiative for children with cancer' and the 2nd prize to Jana Bickel with her commitment to the 'Malteser Kältebussen' the University of Wuppertal hosted a brilliant scholarship ceremony sponsors and friends of the Deutschlandstipendium - came together to celebrate 272 Deutschlandstipendium scholarships and 6 'Smart & Sustainable' start-up scholarships After the welcoming address by Rector Prof who emphasised the cycle of commitment as the central idea of the programme the first-ever Volunteer Award was presented: from the 272 scholarship holders all students at the University of Wuppertal almost 30 of them applied with their respective volunteer work A live vote among the attendees finally selected five finalists and their impressive projects of the heart Special thanks go to the Thomas and Gabriele Meyer Foundation the Dr Werner Jackstädt Foundation and the Knipex company for their generous support of the prizes The former spontaneously offered an additional donation for all five finalists and the latter also doubled its donation for two tied third places The subsequent ceremonial presentation of the certificates provided the perfect setting for encounters: At specially prepared meeting points sponsors and scholarship holders were able to talk to each other and socialise Website Press Office In the project "Enabling Circular Value Chains via Production Digitization and Human Empowerment" (ENCIRCLE) the Wuppertal Institute is collaborating with 14 international partner organisations to develop the industrial basis for a digitally-enabled Circular Economy The EU-funded project aims to fundamentally transform the prevailing linear production methods Innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence digital twins and digital product passports are at the heart of ENCIRCLE the researchers put conventional production methods to the test – and develop sustainable they create the conditions for keeping products and materials in circulation in industrial ecosystems The focus lies on combining technological innovation upskilling of the workforce and improved information flow as well as enabling end consumers to make more sustainable decisions ENCIRCLE pursues a holistic approach with three main objectives: the project partners also incorporate legal and ethical issues into their research The project is being funded as part of the EU's Research Framework Programme Horizon Europe and will run for three years Being well prepared instead of not being able to react in an emergency - that must be the top priority when it comes to the risk of widespread power outages In order to be able to supply critical infrastructures such as hospitals waterworks and traffic management systems with electricity again as quickly as possible well thought-out local emergency concepts are required Switzerland and Austria were interested in finding out what these could look like At the invitation of the Chair of Electrical Power Supply Technology at the University of Wuppertal they were given an insight into the results of feasibility studies using the cities of Wuppertal and Leverkusen as examples things have to move quickly: Critical infrastructures such as hospitals waterworks and traffic management systems must also be supplied in the event of a crisis "The concepts for both cities are in place," explains chair holder Prof Dr Markus Zdrallek "The aim of the workshop and joint exchange was to explain this but above all to present a blueprint for other cities and municipalities to plan their own emergency supply," says the energy expert The SiSKIN research project (large-scale power outage - options for partial supply of critical infrastructures) paved the way for the concepts At the centre of the concepts are forward-looking stand-alone grids that have already successfully passed their first tests Stand-alone grids are local power grids that are operated independently of the higher-level grid and enable a rapid partial supply in crisis situations Power plants with black start capability - i.e those that can be restarted after a power failure without external energy - battery storage and decentralised generators such as combined heat and power plants or renewable energies can be used to restore the power supply in a targeted manner researchers at the University of Wuppertal developed strategies for grid operators to be able to quickly put sub-grids back into operation in the event of blackouts Laboratory and field tests confirmed the technical feasibility and showed ways to implement them "A key result of the project is detailed island grid planning which shows how grid operators can operate sub-grids autonomously It was investigated how a stand-alone grid can be set up and which switching operations are required to ensure a stable and reliable power supply," summarises Prof Zdrallek Together with the electricity and gas distribution network operator WSW Netz from Wuppertal research was also carried out into how such a stand-alone network can be set up on site The focus here was on the specific conditions of the local electricity grid and the integration of existing generation plants such as waste-to-energy plants combined heat and power plants and renewable energies Another key milestone in the project was a large-scale field test at Energieversorgung Leverkusen (EVL) a real grid section was isolated and re-energised with a black-start-capable generation unit - a waste-to-energy plant The test was successful: the power plant was able to start up independently and keep the isolated grid stable while a consumer was switched on Zdrallek: "These findings show that it is possible to supply critical infrastructure with power in a targeted manner in an emergency and thus minimise the effects of a blackout." the SiSKIN Applied connection project was launched the focus is now on practical implementation The main focus here is on the transferability of the developed concept to other networks The aim is to apply the concept to various network structures Further field tests and pilot projects will help to transfer the developed concepts into practice and provide grid operators with concrete solutions "is to make cities and supply grids more resilient to large-scale power outages and to sustainably improve security of supply." The Chair of Electrical Power Supply Technology at the University of Wuppertal deals with highly topical research issues relating to the energy transition distribution grid operators and other research institutions new approaches for the efficient integration of renewable energies and electromobility into the energy supply grids are being developed here Chair of Electrical Power Supply Technology Phone 0202/439-1925 E-mail jwieland[at]uni-wuppertal.de Website Chair EVT At the signing of the contract in Elberfeld Town Hall (from left to right): Gunther Wölfges Chairman of the Board of Kunst- und Museumsverein Wuppertal Head of Cultural Affairs and City Director Matthias Nocke Director of Von der Heydt-Museum and Mirja Montag Head of Gebäudemanagement Wuppertal (GMW) // Photos (2) Friederike von Heyden Here's to a good collaboration: Prof Katja Pfeiffer and Matthias Nocke a cooperation agreement marks the beginning of a collaboration This time it was different: at the beginning of July together with the city of Wuppertal and the art and museum association of the Von der Heydt Museum announced the revitalisation of the Kunsthalle Barmen has expressed her enthusiasm: "I am very impressed by the scope and artistic charisma that the project has already taken on on the part of the university" is also delighted with what has already been achieved which has now been formally signed and sealed: "As the city we are happy to help revitalise such a flagship project for Barmen city centre and the entire region by covering the building and operating costs." those willing to donate can now also provide concrete support for the work accompanying the exhibition in the neighbourhood Reason enough to take a closer look at the idea of the Kunsthalle Barmen and the work of the "Kunsthalle Barmen Lab" "Kunsthalle Barmen is not a traditional museum we focus on contemporary art and its mediation We want our students to conduct practical research into what it's like to work with international artists set up an exhibition and establish an institutional operation," says Prof Katja Pfeiffer Head of the Kunsthalle Barmen Lab at the University of Wuppertal The Kunsthalle Barmen in Wuppertal // Photo Vivian Junker The idea and work of the Kunsthalle Barmen Lab All of this is happening - now and in the future to accompany exhibitions - in the "Kunsthalle Barmen Lab": a unique laboratory for the encounter between the city's population 60 of them have been developing flexible exhibition architecture mobile laboratory equipment and a guidance system to the exhibitions via barrier-free access in five seminars innovative educational formats and programmes are being created to enable intergenerational communication about art on a professional basis Initial indications of all these projects are already arousing curiosity: "The LAB will be active We are responding to current and pressing social issues exhibition themes and ideas from participants and visitors," says Pfeiffer the participation of citizens is central to all of this: They are already in contact with numerous neighbourhood initiatives and educational institutions "But we look forward to receiving further enquiries and interested parties!" supporters can donate free amounts or sponsor specific events or certain material purchases Browsing here is therefore expressly encouraged and provides a good insight into the scope and diversity of the "Lab" programme Click here for the launch press release from 9 July Click here for the German-language press release for the trade press Click here for further press material Prof. Katja Pfeiffer Phone 0202 439-5146 E-mail pfeiffer[at]uni-wuppertal.de Isabelle Meiffert Mittelsten Scheidt Visiting Professor Email meiffert[at]uni-wuppertal.de Artistic concept and artists Barbara Green Barbara Green arts management Phone 0176 32908744 Email contact[at]barbaragreen-artsmanagement.com Sustainable and resilient neighbourhoods are crucial for the future of our cities the EcoZones project has demonstrated how digital tools can foster community engagement and urban transformation After the successful completion of the pilot phase in Mexico the initiative is now entering a new phase: the methods and technologies developed will be disseminated worldwide to make neighborhoods more sustainable At the heart of EcoZones is a digital toolbox that enables collaborative data collection and provides sustainable urban solutions which offers interactive dashboards with results access to over 160 sustainable urban solutions and downloadable resources such as reports and knowledge products The EcoZonas mobile app includes a neighborhood survey and a community mapping module The app is available for free on Google Play Store and will soon be available in Apple App Store Pilot projects in Mexico and international outreach In the two vulnerable neighbourhoods of La Metalera (Hermosillo) and Jardines de San Miguel (León) in Mexico measures to improve public spaces were implemented in close cooperation with the local communities murals and workshops to promote the local economy After the successful implementation in Mexico and its dissemination in events such as the 12th World Urban Forum in Cairo in November 2024 and webinars EcoZones aims to become a model for replication in other contexts With its digital tools and participatory approach EcoZones is making an important contribution to sustainable urban development – far beyond Mexico The EcoZones_Mex project is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and is implemented by the Urban Living Lab Center (ULLC) of the Wuppertal Institute and the World Resources Institute Mexico (WRI Mexico) Around 20 million smartphones are sold in Germany every year as Bitkom recently reported – a heavy burden on the environment and climate: Information and communication technologies are responsible for around 8 per cent of Germany’s CO2 emissions The high consumption of valuable raw materials The discussion paper "Circularity as the Service" published today by the Wuppertal Institute and commissioned by the Vodafone Institute offers the first comprehensive overview of the entire smartphone lifecycle It identifies strategies the smartphone industry can use to extend device lifespans and reduce their ecological footprints In a world in which every moment counts and connectivity is everything smartphones have a come to play an all-important role in our daily lives In the discussion paper "Circularity as the Service" the authors identified strategies the smartphone industry can use to extend device lifespans and reduce their ecological footprints the potential of extending device usage spans became clear: An average usage span of five to seven years could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from smartphones by around half smartphones in Germany are replaced after an average of 2.5 years demand for new devices could be significantly reduced which would translate into economic advantages for consumers in addition to the environmental benefits Consumers would also prefer to use their smartphones for longer: According to a survey conducted in Austria smartphone users would like to see device lifespans of around five years Researcher in the Digital Transformation Research Unit of the Wuppertal Institute and lead author of this discussion paper says: "It is worth taking a closer look – because the standard smartphone lifecycle has thus far primarily served the target group of tech enthusiasts and those with a distinct sense for aesthetics." Those two groups are particularly interested in new models and the most up-to-date technology price-sensitive users and long-term users are open to using their smartphones for longer as well as to purchasing refurbished devices which make up an estimated user share of 60 per cent," Reinhard criticises The key to extending smartphone usage lies in adjusting the business model along the entire value-added chain According to the Environmental Product Declaration of producers like Apple around 80 per cent of CO2 emissions occur during the production phase producers should focus more on repairability and durability This includes the design of modular smartphones that can be repaired more easily and the availability of affordable and readily available replacement parts security updates over a period of at least seven years are also crucial such update periods are only four years for Android and six years for Apple devices Promote circularity and extend smartphone lifecycles Economic models focused on circularity are essential for extending smartphone lifecycles These include the expansion of repair services and increased offerings of refurbished devices by retailers and telecommunications providers The professional collection and recycling of devices that have reached the end of their lifecycle must also become standard in order to recover the – according to a Bitkom estimate – 210 million unused mobile devices languishing in drawers in Germany An appeal for a sustainable transformation The authors of the discussion paper believe the onus is primarily on the industry and on policymakers to work towards a more sustainable use of smartphones Strategies for extending smartphone usage spans must focus on consumers but also on the entire smartphone system – including manufacturers service providers and other market stakeholders Only then can a sustainable transformation in the production and usage of smartphones be achieved "The extension of smartphone usage offers an enormous opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions and protect valuable resources we are committed to ensuring that the sector exploits this potential and focuses squarely on sustainability It is time for business models to be reconsidered and consumer needs to be prioritised to shape a more environmentally friendly future together," says Christina Arens Joint Press release Wuppertal Institut für Klima Energie gGmbH Responsible for content: Prof Scientific Managing Director Press contact: Luisa Lucas Deputy Head of Public Relations Tel: +49 202 2492-292 E-mail: luisa.lucas@wupperinst.org Researcher in the Digital Transformation Research Unit Tel: +49 202-2492-389 E-mail: julia.reinhard@wupperinst.org Vodafone Institute for Society and Communication Press contact: Laura Caspers Corporate Communications Expert E-mail: LauraKatryn.Caspers@vodafone.com This question occupies hundreds of pupils every year The University of Wuppertal offers support in finding the answer at its Study Information Days They offer an initial insight into the wide range of courses on offer and will take place from 13 to 24 January 2025 All events are offered in person at the three university locations and can be attended without prior registration with a general informative lecture entitled "Ways to make a good study decision" by the Central Student Guidance and Counselling Services (ZSB) The Faculty of Economics - Schumpeter School of Economics will kick off the presentation of the various degree programmes at 2.30 pm It will then present the Health Economics and Management degree programme prospective students will gain an insight into the other degree programmes at the University of Wuppertal through lectures Pupils can take time off school to attend the events Details of the complete programme can be found on the event website interdisciplinary event will take place on both Fridays the ZSB counsellors will provide information about funding opportunities for future students in the presentation "(Almost) everything about scholarships" The study information days are part of the NRW-wide "Study Orientation Weeks". Further information at www.zsb-in-nrw.de. Head of Central Student Guidance and Counselling Services Phone 0202/439-3890 Email hummel[at]uni-wuppertal.de The University of Wuppertal is rising steeply in the nationwide start-up radar of the Stifterverband: With exemplary achievements it is now one of the top 10 large universities in Germany From advice to events - anyone interested in setting up a business at the University of Wuppertal is supported by the Start-up Centre with numerous support services // Photo Start-up Centre In the current edition of the Start-up Radar 2025 the University of Wuppertal is ranked 9th and has thus improved by ten places compared to the last ranking report in 2022 A total of 227 universities took part in the voluntary survey conducted by the Stifterverband which compares start-up activity and start-up support at German universities University Rector Prof Dr Birgitta Wolff: "What Prof Christine Volkmann and her team have been doing for years in terms of start-up support is absolutely admirable Every euro there is an investment in our future viability; not only because we need more start-ups but also simply more entrepreneurial spirit overall." Start-up counselling permanently established at the BUW The Start-up Centre has been funded directly by the university since January 2025 events and funding opportunities for prospective founders will be maintained - the BUW also scored highly in the current start-up radar "This decision is an important step for the sustainable promotion of entrepreneurship at our university," explains Prof Dr Christine Volkmann This impressive record shows how much the ecosystem for entrepreneurship has grown at the university "The start-up radar that has now been published is proof that the path we have taken is worthwhile and is designed entirely in the interests of prospective founders," says Dr Kazem Mochkabadi Operational Director of the Start-up Centre Further information on the offers is available on the Start-up Centre's website The start-up radar has been implemented by the Stifterverband in cooperation with and with the financial and technical support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection since 2012 the authors ask all state and state-recognised private universities about their performance in supporting start-ups politics and business as well as science sponsors can recognise how far the start-up culture at a university has developed and where there is still potential More on the results of the start-up radar: https://www.gruendungsradar.de/ Women in the start-up scene: Female founder network "WES" launches model project for the whole of Germany (Press release from 5 March 2025) Solutions for retail: Bergische Uni start-up wins Science Award 2025 (Press release from 24 February 2025) Scientific Director Start-up Centre of the University of Wuppertal Phone 0202/439-3982 Email volkmann[at]wiwi.uni-wuppertal.de Head of Operations Start-up Centre of the University of Wuppertal E-mail startupcenter[at]uni-wuppertal.de Website Start-up Centre