TU Hamburg: Festive Meeting of the United Nations University Hubs
Opening of two CampusLabs
05.06.2025
For their first joint event, the six existing UN University Hubs worldwide met at TU Hamburg to conclude Hamburg’s Sustainability Week.
The inaugural Annual Meeting of the United Nations University (UNU) Hubs on June 5 and 6, 2025, marked a significant step toward promoting research collaborations between the UNU Hubs, with a special focus on environment, climate change, water, and the Global South. Distinguished international guests included Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the UNU and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of the UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH).
The goal of the meeting at TU Hamburg was to strengthen cooperation between science, politics, and society, as well as to develop sustainable technological solutions for today's most important challenges, such as climate change and sustainable resource management. The six existing UNU Hubs worldwide—from Canada, Sweden, the USA, and Germany—along with other partners emphasized the importance of expanding partnerships to create innovative solutions for global environmental and development challenges.
The meeting was framed by the ceremonial openings of two CampusLabs on the TU Hamburg campus: the “CampusLab for Global Soil Health, Water and Climate” and the “Circular Economy” CampusLab. The former is located outdoors and is equipped with modern measurement technology, including thermal cameras, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, and advanced sensors to quantify soil and environmental processes. The data collected serves research into soil quality, plant growth, land-atmosphere exchange, and climate variability. A particular focus lies on the use of AI-supported analytical methods.
The Circular Economy CampusLab focuses on fully mapping closed material cycles—from biomass through the development of novel high-performance materials to their recycling.
Maryam Blumenthal, Senator for Science
“A powerful partnership for the future: Today, Hamburg proudly becomes the first city in the world to host all United Nations University Hubs. At TU Hamburg, brilliant minds from across the globe are coming together to tackle one of humanity’s greatest challenges: climate change. This international milestone comes just one year after TU Hamburg joined the UN University family with its hub 'Engineering to face climate change'. What fills me with particular joy is that we’re also celebrating the opening of two new CampusLabs – vibrant spaces where research, innovation and education meet in the real world. Together, they stand for our shared commitment to shaping a more sustainable and livable tomorrow. This is a huge step forward in the incredible momentum of this university and a shining example of what we can achieve when we work together."
Professor Dr.-Ing. Irina Smirnova, Vice President for Research
“I am particularly happy that the members of our new CampusLabs include not only the institutes of TU Hamburg but also our start-ups. They are future employers for our doctoral candidates and graduates, and they serve as a vehicle for transferring our research findings into industry and society."
Professor Dr.-Ing. Andreas Timm-Giel, President of TU Hamburg
“The first global meeting of all UNU Hubs sends a strong signal for international cooperation in sustainability research – with the Hub Engineering to Face Climate Change, TU Hamburg is proud to be part of this global network. The new CampusLabs represent the local counterpart: they make global challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and resource use tangible, and demonstrate how excellent research and teaching can be translated into concrete solutions. I see these Labs as a pioneering reinterpretation of Humboldt’s holistic educational ideal – and I am convinced that they will have a lasting impact on science, education, and the shaping of a sustainable future.”
Professor Nima Shokri, Head of the CampusLab for Global Soil Health, Water and Climate and Co-Director of the UNU Hub on Engineering to Face Climate Change
“On the occasion of World Environment Day, it is our honor to inaugurate the CampusLab as a space where science, education, policy and innovation meet to help tackle the most challenging environmental problems of our time. This is not only a living lab, but also a "living promise" to future generations for creating engineering solutions that foster a sustainable and resilient planet for all.”
Further information on both CampusLabs can be found here:
https://www.tuhh.de/unuhub/capacity-building/campuslabs
The full program is available here:
https://www.tuhh.de/unuhub/events
Participating Hubs and Institutions
- Hub on Water in a Changing Environment – Lund University
- Hub on Empowering Communities to Adapt to Environmental Change – University of Calgary
- Hub on Remote-Sensing and Sustainable Innovations for Resilient Urban Systems – City College of New York
- United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Hub for SDG 2: Zero Hunger – University of California, Davis
- Dresden University of Technology
- Learning Planet Institute, Paris
The United Nations University (UNU) Hub on campus connects TU Hamburg through the UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) with the global research and education activities of the UNU and contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Executive Summary – CampusLab Global Soil Health, Water and Climate
The CampusLab Global Soil Health, Water and Climate at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) is part of the strategic initiative Engineering to Face Climate Change. Serving as a real-world laboratory, it facilitates practice-oriented research and teaching on soil processes, land-atmosphere interactions, and climate-relevant environmental parameters. The site covers 990 m² and is located approximately 3.5 km from the main campus. It is managed by the Institute of Geo-Hydroinformatics and operated interdisciplinarily together with other TUHH institutes. The objective is to monitor physical, chemical, and biological processes in the soil as well as their response to climatic fluctuations and land use.
Scientific and Societal Impact
The CampusLab is equipped with modern measurement technology, such as sensors for evapotranspiration, multinode resistivity systems, weather stations, thermal cameras, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, and advanced sensors to quantify soil and environmental processes, which enable digital access to measurement data and processes. The data are used for researching soil quality, plant growth, land-atmosphere exchange, and climate variability. A particular focus lies on the use of AI-supported analytical methods.
Role in Teaching and Science Communication
The CampusLab offers practical training opportunities for students as well as formats for involving school classes (particularly grades 10–12) to foster early interest in STEM subjects. The public gains insight into environmental research and can experience science through direct contact. Through events, guided tours, and digital offerings, it creates a space for exchange between research, education, and society.
Partnerships and Support
The CampusLab is supported by the City of Hamburg and the Gustav Polensky Foundation. It uses measurement technology from leading manufacturers such as METER Group, FLIR, and Apogee Instruments. Collaboration with other TUHH institutes strengthens interdisciplinary exchange.
Executive Summary – CampusLab Circular Economy
The CampusLab Circular Economy at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) is a central showcase for innovation, education, and transfer within the framework of the strategic initiative Engineering to Face Climate Change. It embodies the vision of a resource-conserving, circular economy and makes technological innovations visible and tangible. The core principles of the circular economy are demonstrated through the product chain from biomass over high-performance materials to their recycling. The CampusLab will be accessible to various visitor groups (e.g., students, politicians, companies, school classes). As a platform between science communication and an active workspace, the CampusLab will provide the opportunity to experience and carry out product development and material handling up close.
Scientific and Societal Impact
The focus is on fully mapping closed material cycles—from biomass through the development of novel high-performance materials to their recycling. Students, the public, and stakeholders from politics and industry have the opportunity in the CampusLab to experience technologies for sustainable production and resource utilization at the scale of real applications. The societal benefit lies in the active involvement of diverse target groups and the promotion of a critical yet constructive approach to climate protection technologies. Contributions and activities generated in the CampusLab are adapted and presented to various target groups, including youth-appropriate formats developed in cooperation with the NachwuchsCampus team at TUHH.
Economic Impact and Embedding within the Metropolitan Region
The CampusLab strengthens the innovation capacity of the regional industry through applied research and demonstrators on the TUHH campus. Successful TUHH spin-offs such as “BioMP” (biorefineries), “Aerogel-it” (bio-based insulation materials), and “Traceless” (bio-based, compostable plastics) demonstrate market-ready solutions and new business models. The CampusLab Circular Economy also continues to network purposefully with industry partners, public institutions, and innovation platforms in Hamburg (goals: involvement of 10 corporate partners in the lab, development of a master plan for a circular economy model region after 10 years), positioning itself in Hamburg as a center for future-proof circular technologies.
Networking Within TUHH
Scientific networking within TUHH among the various institutes is to be strengthened by creating a shared workspace. This enables, for example, interdisciplinary student theses and projects. Currently, eight institutes are involved, and three common thematic focuses have been identified so far. The scientific output on the “Circular Economy” is to be made visible through publications that contribute concretely to the UN SDGs (UNU-HUB). Contribution to the Collaborative Research Center “Smart Reactors” The CampusLab is closely linked to the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) Smart Reactors. Both pursue the development of intelligent reactor concepts that enable flexible, adaptive, and autonomous processing of renewable raw materials. The physical implementation of these concepts in the CampusLab provides a real-world validation space for research results from the CRC.
Role in Teaching
The CampusLab serves as a living lab in teaching—through hands-on projects, demonstration systems, and theses, research-based learning becomes tangible. Students work interdisciplinarily with scientists, technical staff, and external experts from the metropolitan region. This practical learning environment not only increases the attractiveness of TUHH as a study location but also improves the student success rate.
The CampusLab contributes to achieving important strategic goals of TUHH:
• Number of student projects in the CampusLab (goal: continuous increase per semester);
• Third-party funding acquisition through cooperation with industry and EU projects;
• International visibility through the integration of international experts
• Contribution to the climate-neutral city of Hamburg through technological demonstrators and societal knowledge transfer;
• Development of value chains for the circular economy to strengthen the innovation potential of local and regional industry through technology transfer along the value chain.
TUHH - Public Relations Office
Ruediger Bendlin
E-Mail: bendlin@tuhh.de
Phone: +49 40 428 78 3330
