Land management and the securing, use, control and governance of land-related natural resources is one of the key drivers for sustainable development in Africa. Sustainable land management should contribute to food security, adaptation of agriculture and forestry to climate change, nature and environmental protection, and be organized in a way that contributes to social justice. From October 2022, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), together with INTERFACES, is supporting four regional research and development (R&D) projects that will contribute to this aim.

Project management at the H-BRS

The KLUGER Transfer project stands for knowledge transfer in the fields of climate, environment and health research. The aim is to strengthen the transfer of knowledge from basic research at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC) via applied research at the International Center for Sustainable Development (IZNE) at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) to the public, politics and business. Different formats for targeted exchange are being tested in order to improve communication between science, society and politics.

Project management at the H-BRS

ETN e.V., together with IZNE and the Biological Station Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, is carrying out a project entitled "Vernetztes Rainland". Within the framework of this project, suitable areas in municipal ownership are to be made available for insect protection in cooperation with representatives of agriculture, the municipalities and other relevant stakeholders, and suitable subsidies for the maintenance of the Raine are to be offered to the users if required.

Project management at the H-BRS

The creation and improvement of educational opportunities is essential for the sustainable development of a region. The implementation requires the cooperation of academic as well as non-academic educational institutions. A four-day symposium on this topic was held in October 2021 as a platform for dialogue in Sardinia, a hotspot of biological diversity. Prof. Dr. Wiltrud Terlau from the International Center for Sustainable Development (IZNE) at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) is hosting it together with the University of Sassari (UNISS) and other partners.

Project management at the H-BRS

Using the One Health approach, the research college, led by ZEF at the University of Bonn, is looking at urban food systems: on the one hand, at the "supply of healthy food from sustainable production" and, on the other hand, at the "spread and transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens" through food chains. Furthermore, health-related aspects of urban transformation are highlighted, which fall into the areas of "health and well-being" and "sustainable cities".

Project management at the H-BRS

Sustainable educational institutions The creation and improvement of educational opportunities is essential for the sustainable development of a region. The implementation requires the cooperation of academic and non-academic educational institutions. A four-day symposium on this topic will take place in Sardinia, a biodiversity hotspot, in October 2021 and will contribute to the establishment of a dialogue platform. Prof. Dr. Wiltrud Terlau from the International Centre of Sustainable Development (IZNE) at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) is organising the meeting together with the Department of Agriculture of the University of Sassari (UNISS) and other partners.

Project management at the H-BRS

The research project "Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas (DINA)" is the first of its kind in Germany and aims to address research deficits on the effects of agricultural use in the vicinity of nature conservation areas in the field of applied biodiversity research. Thus, the impact of agricultural use on biodiversity is to be assessed, with insects being the focus of the investigation.

Project management at the H-BRS

Doing business sustainably, measuring this and communicating about it is becoming increasingly important - regardless of the size of a company or business. Entrepreneurial/operational and social sustainability are equally important. In an agricultural business, planning security and development opportunities are key parameters, whereas for consumers and other stakeholders, ecology and social issues are of particular importance.

Project management at the H-BRS

The international Summer School "Green and Social Entrepreneurship for Biodiversity Conservation and Local Development" will take place from November 4 to 11, 2018 in the South African province of KwaZulu Natal and is jointly organized by a network of the following African and German partners.

Project management at the H-BRS

Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences has adapted its existing transfer instruments to the changing demands and requirements of business and needs of business, society and science and developed new suitable transfer mechanisms. The project was funded by the federal-state initiative "Innovative University".

By signing the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP), the local government of the city of Cologne recognizes that a more actively oriented food policy is necessary. Such a rethinking of the current global food system seems timely and innovative. On a global level, similar examples can be seen, which already show first progress. Worldwide, 133 cities have signed the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact; following the signing, food councils or similar multi-stakeholder platforms have been established in some of these cities.

Project management at the H-BRS

One goal of bioeconomic research and consulting is to help ensure that existing fossil raw materials can be used more efficiently and substituted or supplemented with the highest possible proportion of renewable raw materials. The subject of the study on grass-based paper was the comparative life cycle assessment (according to ISO 14040) of the use of sulfate pulp, recycled pulp and grass-based pulp in the German paper industry. The LCA addressed the question of the extent to which the production of paper in Germany can be made more ecologically advantageous.

Project management at the H-BRS

Food Pro.tec.ts was developed to be able to bring high-class, technological innovations to the German-Dutch economic area. In the project, companies from both countries cooperate with innovation experts within various technology clusters with the aim of jointly developing new and novel technologies and learning how to use them. The sub-project "Food Pro.tec.ts Knowledge Transfer" develops exercises, trainings and knowledge transfer for consumers and users of new technologies in one of 8 work packages. The work packages focus on the development of sustainability and CSR management, communication as well as education strategies to promote a common understanding of sustainability in the Rhine-Waal region. This is the basis for the development of trend-setting technologies and processes that meet the ecological, ethical, social and economic market requirements. Through these developments, the competitiveness of SMEs in the agricultural and food industry in the Rhine-Waal region is secured in the long term. The reputation of the Rhine-Waal region beyond regional borders as an attractive and sustainable business location is strengthened.

Project management at the H-BRS

The research consortium "One Health and Urban Transformation - Recognizing Risks and Developing Sustainable Solutions" is a graduate school funded by North Rhine-Westphalia’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Research NRW. It is coordinated by the Center for Development Research (ZEF) in cooperation with institutes of the University of Bonn, the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences and the United Nations University (Institute for Environment and Human Security).

Project management at the H-BRS

NRW has an enormous market power with an annual procurement volume of approx. 50 billion euros. Increasing demands on the sustainability of these products demanded by the public sector have already shown positive effects. At the same time there is still potential for improvement in the consideration of ecological and social aspects in public tendering procedures. Our research and transfer network on sustainable public procurement in NRW is dedicated to the identification of relevant barriers and drivers, value chains as well as potential solution options.

Project management at the H-BRS

In and around Bonn, there is a unique concentration of local, regional, national and international actors in the field of biodiversity research and conservation. They include various institutions such as international organizations, relevant university institutes and facilities, several federal ministries and subordinate authorities, in addition to numerous other important actors of different stripes. With almost 60 member institutions from the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg region, BION bundles extensive knowledge and know-how in the field of biodiversity.

Project management at the H-BRS

Food is increasingly available at lower prices in Germany. As a result, large sections of the population in Germany can now financially afford to eat meat every day, for example. However, the production, trade and consumption of meat are not free from criticism. Companies are responding to this with various means of improved communication; such as information offers or quality seals and labels for the consideration of animal welfare.

Project management at the H-BRS

Against the backdrop of the concretization of the 2030 Agenda adopted in September and the universally applicable Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) anchored therein, solution strategies for the greater intensification of interdisciplinary cooperation between different scientific disciplines and the necessary internationalization of research will be developed in a dialogue between representatives of development and sustainability research, research policy and research funding institutions.

Project management at the H-BRS

In the e-H@C HUPAction project, a system is being developed and tested to improve the cross-border exchange of information between authorities and companies in the vegetable value chain, using the Euregio Rhine-Waal as an example. The focus is on the rapid detection and monitoring of health risks and the control of hazards posed by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) bacteria.

Project management at the H-BRS