What is the B.Life Centre at the HSWT?
In the B.Life Centre, the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) concentrates its broad methodological and technical expertise in the fields of climate change and climate-neutral land use. Researchers and teachers develop practical, interdisciplinary and regional solutions for securing economic and living space - in Bavaria and beyond its borders.
Goals & Tasks of the B.Life Centre
The long-term safeguarding of livelihoods in harmony with the economy and society
As an interdisciplinary, strongly application-oriented knowledge centre, the B.Life focuses on climate-neutral and sustainable land use. The centre aims to make an essential contribution to securing our livelihoods and, above all, to preserve them for future generations. At the same time, it is necessary to advance the sustainable transformation of the economy and society and to protect ecosystems and resources.
B.Life provides directly applicable knowledge on these topics for politics, economy and society - and advises on their use and implementation. The experts of the knowledge centre develop sustainable measures and implement them in cooperation with various social actors.
The B.Life Centre sees itself as a central platform where activities and multilateral knowledge transfer in research, teaching and further education converge at regional, national and international levels.
Tasks of B.Life:
- Providing knowledge and stimulating exchange
- Promoting inter- and transdisciplinarity
- Bundling activities
- Advising politics, economy, society
- Promoting social acceptance and transformation
- Developing measures for climate-friendly management
- Strengthening innovation and knowledge transfer
The three spheres of the B.Life Centre
Land use
B.Life deals with all topics related to climate-neutral and sustainable land use.
Climate change
B.Life bundles the activities of the HSWT in the areas of climate protection and adaptation as well as sustainability.
Society
B.Life contributes to the sustainable transformation of society and the economy.
Added value for the University of Applied Sciences & society
Towards climate neutrality and climate-friendly business, the B.Life Centre interlinks all necessary areas. This results in synergy effects for scientific and non-scientific stakeholders.
Added value for the university of applied sciences & research
Researchers and teachers at the HSWT benefit from B.Life in the following areas:
- Developing ideas: mutual support in project acquisition and joint development of research ideas
- Enabling research: Support in raising third-party funds or in finding financing options.
- Raising awareness: Raise awareness of HSWT issues among the general public, towards politics and the business community, thus contributing to transformation.
- Match-making - science meets practice: bringing together cooperation partners from business and administration with the HSWT.
- Best practice examples: Jointly develop lighthouse projects and achieve climate goals, thus strengthening Bavaria's pioneering role.
Added value for society and the economy
Overall, B.Life is to develop and implement measures for climate-friendly business and strengthen the living and economic space with applicable and innovative solutions. B.Life triggers a knowledge and technology transfer that leads to
- The general acception of climate protection and adaptation measures,
- The establishment of behavioural and consumption patterns in society, such as eating habits, are reconsidered and changed, and
- The wide application of new climate-friendly solutions, technologies and innovations.
Focal points in the B.life Centre
The B.Life Centre combines research, study and teaching, further education, internationalisation and a climate-friendly campus. The virtual centre works closely with the central academic institutions of the HSWT.
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Research
B.Life supports research on climate protection, climate adaptation and sustainability. It processes the disciplinary results and initiates transdisciplinary research on a sustainable, holistic approach. Linked to this are, among other things, new formats for research communication and regular exchange formats for the researching professors, with the aim of a comprehensive, transdisciplinary approach. Particularly important is the networking of scientists with stakeholders from politics, business and administration.
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Study and teaching
The aim of the B.Life Centre is to introduce HSWT students to climate change issues across all degree programmes in the long term. The measures are intended to raise awareness for strategies and means of climate protection, climate adaptation and sustainability. In addition, a central task is the development of future-proof study programmes adapted to the requirements of the labour market around the topics of climate protection, biodiversity conservation and resource protection.
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Further education
The B.Life Centre develops knowledge-based academic further education for students, teachers and professionals. In climate camps for schoolchildren or the certificate course Climate Protection Management, scientific basics of climate change, interrelationships and possible alternatives for action are taught in a way that is appropriate for the target group. Offers for municipalities and small and medium-sized enterprises are designed to evaluate processes and operational procedures, identify potential for optimisation and provide training in communicating measures and public relations.
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Internationalisation
B.Life's goals are also of utmost international importance, as global change is strongly driving socio-economic pressure on our resource usage. There is an enormous global need for intelligent concepts, measures and strategies around the topics of climate protection, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and resource protection. The B.Life Centre is therefore working on international cooperative partnerships for developing (joint) study programmes, the exchange of people and ideas, and topic-related networking activities.
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Climate-friendly campus
B.Life supports the development and implementation of climate-friendly structures and processes at the HSWT, which will serve as a benchmark for other state organisations. In doing so, the centre works closely with Environmental Management, the Sustainability Task Force and the EMAS team. Central topics are the optimisation of space utilisation in order to reduce land consumption, the development of outdoor areas as high-quality working and learning spaces, and the updating of mobility concepts for students and staff.
