IECO Newsletter – MAY
IECO Newsletter – May
IECO Summer School 2022
The first IECO Summer School took place at Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh) in Valdivia from 27 March to 2 April 2022. During seven days, 23 advanced students from universities in Chile and Germany gathered at the Miraflores Campus of UACh, a site surrounded by vast forests and lakes, to learn about ideas and topics related to Eco-Industrial Development, a highly interdisciplinary field of study.
The courses were led by scientific experts from all four IECO universities: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Concepción, and Universidad Austral de Chile. The program consisted of lectures focusing on scientific theories, and workshops or excursions where students received hands-on experience. Moreover, one full day was dedicated to innovation management and technology transfer, including an ideation workshop and a pitching event in teams to prepare students to bring their ideas to the market (Sarah Manthey, KIT and Vanessa Nowak, CECODE).
The German and Chilean lecturers covered a broad variety of topics, ranging from Wastewater Management (Vanessa Bolivar and Witold Poganietz, KIT), Bioeconomy (Alex Berg, UdeC and Andreas Rudi, KIT), Geothermal Energy (Diego Morata, UChile), to Urban Circularity (Danny Tröger, Renzo Vallebuona, KIT, and Leonardo Agurto, UACh) and Sustainable Land Use (Andreas Braun, KIT and Antonio Lara, UACh). As the IECO director, Andreas Braun, emphasized, “the purpose of the Summer School was to discuss with the students a relatively new approach to the development of industrial ecology, which aims to improve the sustainability within the industry by copying ecosystemic principles or mechanisms that are very useful to reduce the environmental impact”.
During various field trips the students learned about applied sustainable solutions: At Liquen Austral, a start-up company in Mafil, the young entrepreneurs of the company presented an innovative way of producing natural fertilizer for the development of sustainable agriculture. During a full-day trip to the Andes, the students visited a geothermal Greenhouse Project near the Villarrica volcano in which subsurface heat sources are used to grow vegetables. At an excursion at the cellulose plant of ARAUCO the students learned about the company’s environmental impact management and waste water treatment. A last highlight was a trip to the Valdivian Coastal Reserve which got everyone soaking wet due to heavy rains common in that region: Here the students explored the impact of forest recovery (done by Nature Conservancy), and were able to compare near native forests to commercial industrial forest plantations.
Every day was concluded by an evening program presenting German culture and the German academic system. The head of scientific cooperation at the German Embassy Anna Richter, the DFG representative Gudrun Kausel, the director of the DAAD Chile Susanne Reischmann, and DAAD language assistant Nicole Bachmann, gave insights into grant and scholarship schemes, collaboration opportunities and cultural perspectives. Cristian Bornhardt presented the KIT Alumni Club Chile. The last evening was hosted by Kunstmann, a brewery with German roots.
All participants agreed that the event was a rewarding experience, both in a scientific and personal sense, with enthusiastic participation by students and lectures. It was an excellent opportunity for interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange and the creation of new ties for future academic and professional collaboration. As one PhD student put it: “The Summer School truly broadened my horizon: It was a great contribution to learn more about sustainable development processes in circular economy, integrating environmental, social and economic aspects. I also enjoyed interacting with students from other countries and making so many new friends.”
The IECO Summer School was funded by the DAAD – the German Academic Exchange Program.
Further News: Diario UACH and on Instagram
Open Calls Related to Eco-Industrial Development Topics relevant for German-Chilean collaboration
BMBF
Green Talents Award for young researchers in Sustainable Development
Place of Action: Germany
Financing Amount: Dicretionary
Application Deadline: 31.08.2022
Description:
The award, under the patronage of the German Federal Minister of Education and Research, honours young researchers from numerous countries and scientific disciplines for their achievements and efforts to making their communities, countries and societies more sustainable.
Karlsruher Kreis e.V.
Förderstipendium für Masterarbeiten
Place of Action: International
Financing Amount: up to 2.000€
Application Deadline: 28/05/2022
Description:
Students at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology who are doing part or all of their master’s thesis abroad.
AL-INVEST
Promotion of sustainable production chains in Latin America
Place of Action: International
Financing Amount: up to 300.000€
Application Deadline: 27.06.2022
Description:
Promotion of the growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Latin America, through the implementation of sustainable practices, such as the reduction of the carbon footprint in their processes, greater efficiency in the use of resources, etc. This, with a view to contributing to their transition towards a more circular economy.
CINEA
Innovation Fund small scaale projects
Place of Action: International
Financing Amount: Discretionary
Application Deadline: 31.08.2022
Description:
The European Comission is launching the Innovation Fund´s second call for small-scale projects in renewable energy, energy-intensive industries including substitute products, energy storage, and carbon capture, use and storage.
UNESCO
International Geoscience Programme
Place of Action: International
Financing Amount: € 9,000
Application Deadline: 15.09.2022
Description:
The call aims to facilitate international collaboration amongst scientists from around the world in research on geological problems, particularly between those individuals from more industrialised and those from developing countries.
Humbolt Foundation
Place of Action: Germany
Financing Amount: € 60,000
Application Deadline: 31.10.2022
Description:
Up to four awards are granted annually to internationally renowned academics from developing and transition countries. The grant is to be used to conduct a research project with a German host institution in close collaboration with a specialist colleague. Nominations must be done by a german university. Note: Chile is not an eligible country.
BMWK
Resource Efficiency in the Context of the Energy Transition
Place of Action: Germany
Financing Amount: Discretionary
Application Deadline: 31.12.2022
Description:
Funding is provided for research and development projects on the interdisciplinary topic of resource efficiency in the context of the energy transition. The focus is particularly on cross-system and cross-technology approaches. Projects must bring together at least two different research fields.
BMEL
Research funding programme “Renewable Raw Materials”
Place of Action: Germany
Financing Amount: Discretionary
Application Deadline: open all year
Description:
This program provides funding for application-oriented research and development projects dedicated to developing innovative sustainable solutions for production and usage of renewable raw materials. There are several key funding topics for which proposals may be submitted at any time. In addition, the BMEL issues fix-term calls for proposals on current research topics.
Any German institution is allowed to apply. Cooperation between science and industry/organisations or municipalities is expressly supported.
DFG
Initiation of International Collaboration
Place of Action: Germany
Financing Amount: Discretionary
Application Deadline: open all year
Description:
This call is for researchers with a doctoral title who are working in the German scientific system. The funding is available for trips abroad or guest visits in Germany (max. three months each) and exploratory workshops.
