How can new technologies safeguard historic treasures against climate change and mass tourism? At the University of Bamberg’s Graduate School of Smart City Science, Rana Tootoonchi is exploring how digital twins can transform the conservation of cultural heritage.
Researchers from the Technical University of Munich hope to transform building envelopes envelopes into habitats for animals, plants and microorganisms. Their aim is to develop a software plug-in with partners capable of incorporating the relevant knowledge into the design process.
As part of his doctoral research, Frédéric Lapierre works on creating and improving culture media for biocementing bacteria—which could yield sustainable applications for the construction industry and environmental engineering.
One hundred years after it was founded, the Margaretenau building cooperative is getting a facelift. Researchers on the MAGGIE project are working to ensure the renovations deliver energy savings and meet climate targets.
At the HM Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences, a model project on recycled concrete shows how demolished buildings can literally take on new forms.
Hof / Germany, February 2026 – A new research project focusing on sustainable thermal insulation and improved room acoustics is now underway at Hof University of Applied Sciences. Under the title “WAVE” (Thermal Insulation and Acoustic Enhancement through the Use of Residual Materials as Fillers in Near-Net-Shape 3D Woven Structures for Textile Panels), the university and regional partners from Upper Franconia have joined forces to develop functional textile insulation solutions based on locally sourced wool. The project, which commenced at the beginning of the year, is scheduled to run for two years and is funded under the German Central Innovation Programme for SMEs (ZIM).
Students at Hof University of Applied Sciences Develop an Innovative Guide for Urban Food Production and Sustainable Water Management Hof – How can food production, water management, and resource conservation be intelligently combined in urban environments? This question was explored by an interdisciplinary team of students from Hof University of Applied Sciences as part of the project “EcoFloatFarm.” Within just 16 weeks, 13 students developed a practical guide demonstrating how planted floating islands can improve water quality while simultaneously producing food directly on the water.
Hof / Mexico City – Water scarcity, flooding, and overstretched infrastructure pose enormous challenges for megacities around the world. This is particularly evident in the 23-million-inhabitant metropolis of Mexico City. How innovative concepts for sustainable water management can help address these challenges was examined by Christopher Funk, a master’s student in the “Sustainable Water Management and Engineering” program at Hof University of Applied Sciences, during a research semester in the winter semester of 2024/25. On behalf of the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems (inwa), he analyzed the potential of the so-called sponge city concept at two schools in the Mexican metropolis.
How can historic buildings, artworks, and archaeological sites be better protected against gradual deterioration, environmental stress, or the impacts of climate change? This question lies at the heart of the large-scale European research project ARTEMIS, in which Hof University of Applied Sciences plays an active role. At the project’s annual meeting in mid-December 2025 in Brussels, key advances were presented and dialogue with European institutions and professional stakeholders was further intensified.
Hof / Jena, October 2025 – After three and a half years of intensive research, the joint project InSchuKa 4.0 has come to an end. Its goal: to use artificial intelligence to help sewer networks better respond to heavy rainfall and dry periods—enabling smarter adaptation to climate change.
