TUM Campus Straubing Spearheads Youth Engagement in Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival

(IN BRIEF) The European Commission’s push for sustainability and climate protection has prompted the organization of the Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival, aimed at engaging young people as catalysts for sustainable change. Among the few institutions selected in Germany to organize satellite events is the Technical University of Munich (TUM) Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability. Led by Prof. Sebastian Goerg, the campus plans a series of events focusing on sensitizing youth to the principles of sustainable transformation. These include discussions on transitioning to a sustainable economy, a science slam by local schoolchildren, a start-up afternoon for aspiring entrepreneurs, and career insights for TUMCS alumni. These efforts underscore the importance of youth involvement in shaping a sustainable future.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 6-Mar-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Sustainability and climate protection are among the most significant challenges of the 21st century. A sustainable Europe worth living in requires innovation and efficient use of biological resources. The European Commission wants to engage young people, particularly as drivers of this sustainable change. To this end, a bio-economy festival is being held next week. The Straubing Campus for Biotechnology and Sustainability at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of four regions in Germany to have successfully applied to take part in this so-called Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival as one of four regions in Germany.

“We at the TUM Campus Straubing are very proud to be recognized as one of the few institutions in Germany to be awarded the contract by the EU to organize a satellite event as part of the Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival. With our events, together with other partners, we are putting together the most extensive program and want to primarily sensitize the young generation to the sustainable transformation in society and economy,” says Prof. Sebastian Goerg from the Chair of Economics at the for Economics at the TUM Campus Straubing (TUMCS), who is in charge of organizing the satellite event in Straubing, who is in charge of organizing the satellite event.

TUMCS is planning – in parallel to the central EU events in Brussels – several events that are part of the Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival:

• On Tuesday, 12 March, a discussion evening will be entitled “Is a transition to a sustainable economy possible?”. Together with the Bavarian Bioeconomy Expert Council, the KoNaRo Competence Center for Renewable Resources, and the student initiative TUMCSGreenTalk, the TUM Campus Straubing is organizing this so-called “Green Industry Talk.” The event starts at 18:30 followed by a panel discussion with, among others, Dr. Wolfgang Kraus, Research Director of Südzucker AG, Dr. Philipp Brodbeck, Head of the Bioeconomy Department at the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and student representatives. The event will take place in the garden hall of the NAWAREUM in the Schulgasse 23a in Straubing.
• One day later, on Wednesday, 13 March, the Straubing schoolchildren will perform at the Science Slam “Clear the stage for science!”. The Science Slam aims to present scientific topics in ten minutes excitingly and understandably. The presentations deal with the issues of sustainability, bio-economy, and biotechnology. The event begins at 18:00 in the Uferstraße 53 building in the large lecture hall of the TUMCS.
• In addition, on Wednesday, 13 March, in cooperation with BioCampus Straubing GmbH and the TUM Venture Lab Sustainability/Circular, there will also be a start-up afternoon for students and pupils. The participants will be shown, among other things, how to found a bio-based start-up.
• As part of the festival, the TUMCS is organizing will host the event “Next Steps after Straubing – Careers in Academia, Industry, and Beyond” on 14 March from 17:00. Academia, Industry, and Beyond”. In lectures, TUMCS alumni from various research areas will present their careers after their work on campus in Straubing, giving valuable insights into their day-to-day work and being available for questions and discussions.

Media Contact:

Otto Zellmer
otto.zellmer@tum.de
+49 (0) 9421 187-106

SOURCE: Technical University of Munich