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Freie Universität Bozen

CC Sustainability

Eco-Social Design MA students drive sustainability with real world-projects

Professors J. Ammendola and J. Dehio guided collaborations with 11 external partners, tackling concrete social and ecological issues through innovative projects

The "Project 2" course of the Master in Eco-Social Design at unibz concluded on Monday, June 17th. The course, coordinated by Prof. Jacopo Ammendola (Competence Center for Sustainability) and Prof. Johanna Dehio, represents the main class of the second semester and involves student teams collaborating with 11 external partners on "real world" projects. These partners range from cultural centers like BASIS Vinschgau Venosta to public institutions such as the Comune di Bolzano and Comune di Stelvio.

Each partner provided a specific issue, challenge, or topic that served as a starting point for the students to develop solutions, pose new questions, and explore various perspectives. The projects developed during the spring of 2024 addressed a range of sustainability-related topics, including land use, social cohesion, circular economy and waste reduction, social accessibility of culture, gender equality, and climate change mitigation. 

Despite the limited timeframe, emphasis was placed on impact analysis and economic feasibility, leading to significant development in most of the projects, with many of them producing proof of concepts, working prototypes, or other tangible results. One notable example, that can directly be accessed online, is "Ask Groovy" a tool for sustainability assessment of music festivals, developed in collaboration with Climate Action South Tyrol and South Tyrol Music Festivals. Other partners for the 2024 edition include: BASIS Vinschgau Venosta, Blufink, Comune di Bolzano Sportello WE, Comune di Stelvio, COOLTour, Foundation Haydn, OfficineVispa, PoliTermica, Associazione Ambiente e Salute.

Details about the projects can be found on the Faculty Portfolio at this link.