Research
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Research
Sustainability research in Oldenburg has a long-standing tradition and addresses key societal challenges at the intersection of people, nature and technology. It makes a wide range of contributions to tackling current issues in the context of sustainable development, such as climate change, resource scarcity and socio-ecological transformation.
The various research areas address specific issues and contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Global and regional problems, as well as their interrelationships, are examined in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research projects, discussed with partners in the field, and tackled with concrete solutions.
Sustainability Research in Oldenburg: The Research Areas
- Resilient Nature and Health: Ecosystem restoration and green and blue connected infrastructure – such as parks, small woodlands or watercourses – have a positive impact on biodiversity and human health, support climate adaptation and create resilient habitats for people and animals.
- Green & Blue Transition: The energy transition, decarbonisation, renewable energy, the circular economy and ecological water management form the basis for a shift towards a sustainable economy and way of life.
- Smart Society: Digital infrastructure, energy efficiency, smart grids, data-driven decision-making and citizen participation provide solutions for a sustainability-oriented and inclusive society.
- Transformative Society: Flexible planning, crisis management, social cohesion, local knowledge, evidence-based policy advice and transformation skills enable a future-proof approach to solving complex challenges.
- Education for Sustainable Development: With the aim of empowering people to think and act in a sustainable manner, education for sustainable development enables people of all ages and skill levels to understand the impact of their own actions on the world and to develop sustainable action skills.
- Transformative Markets and Organisations: The development of fair, inclusive and socio-ecological framework conditions for markets, companies and other organisations contributes to the establishment of sustainable economic activity.
Sustainability-related institutes and centres
TRUST
TRUST@UOL is a cross-faculty and integrative scientific centre that strengthens the university's focus on sustainability and increases its national and international visibility. The centre focuses on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary cooperation. Anchored in university processes, the centre integrates activities in the areas of research, teaching and transfer. At the same time, this will strengthen the University of Oldenburg's contribution to a sustainable transformation of society.
ICBM
The Institute of Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) is an interdisciplinary research institute that deals with fundamental and applied questions of marine and environmental research. The ICBM investigates the significance of marine environmental systems in collaboration with working groups from various scientific disciplines (chemistry, biology, physics, modelling). The focus is on marine material cycles and energy flows in water, in sediments and at interfaces between habitats and water bodies, as well as the functional role of marine biodiversity. One of the ICBM's research focuses is on coastal waters worldwide, as coastal regions are among the most productive and most human-influenced and utilised zones on our planet. The North Sea and the Wadden Sea are of particular interest. The ICBM is also the home institute of the research vessel Sonne and is therefore globally active in the various oceans. The function of marine ecosystems depends on the biological diversity of the oceans. How strongly and in what form this biodiversity reacts to global warming and anthropogenic influences is the central research interest of the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Ecosystems, which was founded in 2017. Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), which was founded in 2017.. It aims to gain a better understanding of the effects of fluctuations in biodiversity on the function and performance of marine ecosystems and to develop appropriate nature conservation and management strategies. Together with the Bremerhaven Alfred Wegener Institute and the Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) the ICBM is currently developing and expanding the HIFMB. Modelling, observational and experimental research approaches benefit from modern, high-resolution chemical analysis and our own technological developments in marine sensor technology. To this end, in January 2017 the Centre for Marine Sensor Technology (ZfMarS) began its work with ICBM employees. The centre also focuses on boundary layers. The transition from the sea to the atmosphere is a key area for climate processes. New metrological methods are intended to record the exchange processes at the interfaces and shed light on their role in technical applications as well as in climate research.
ForWind
ForWind is the centre for wind energy research at the universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen and brings together 30 institutes and working groups. This cross-university co-operation is unique in Germany. The German Aerospace Centre (DLR), the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) and ForWind form the joint Wind Energy Research Network (FVWE). Findings from the fundamental questions of wind energy research are transferred to industry in numerous research projects via application-oriented projects. ForWind has a firm place in the national and international research landscape. The scientists work in research projects on the large offshore wind farms in the North Sea and participate as experts in specialised committees.
HIFMB
The HIFMB (Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity) was founded in 2017 and is an institutional co-operation between the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven (AWI), the Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research and the University of Oldenburg. It researches marine biodiversity and its significance for the function of marine ecosystems. In doing so, it develops the scientific basis for marine nature conservation and ecosystem management. One of the HIFMB's projects is the Polar Sounds initiative, in which artists from all over the world create compositions with sounds from the polar seas. The aim of this innovative project was to raise awareness of anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems and to demonstrate the potential of art-science collaborations to promote public engagement and behavioural change. The project calls for consideration of the fragility of our polar ecosystem in the face of the climate crisis. With the Earth's poles warming faster than the global average, this sound collection aims to draw attention to a fascinating, rapidly changing environment and inspire reflection on how it can be preserved for future generations.
IBU
The Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU) is an interdisciplinary research institute specialising in biodiversity and evolution, landscape ecology, neuroscience and the didactics of biology. The IBU also includes the Botanical Garden, which primarily serves as a teaching infrastructure for further education in all aspects related to plants. However, it also offers good opportunities for educational events on zoological and environmental science topics. Ultimately, it is also open to other members of the university and other educational organisations that promote the aims of the Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden is a close co-operation partner
of Oldenburg Touristik und Marketing GmbH and an active member of the Association of Botanical Gardens in Germany. The number of visitors per year is around 70,000.