Six Bavarian universities want to collaborate more closely in the future on the topic of sustainability and have founded the Bavarian University Sustainability Center (BayZeN). The Technical University of Munich (TUM) will participate in the venture, specifically contributing its expertise on “Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneurship”.

BayZeN sees itself as a think tank whose objective is to improve the basic conditions for sustainable development and climate protection. The new platform is intended to promote inter-institutional networking as well as interchange and collaboration in the fields Research, Teaching, Operations, Transfer, Student Initiatives and Governance.

Because of its especially broad range of experience and success with spin-offs, TUM plans to provide support in particular to start-ups that focus on sustainable transformations. The partner universities are to benefit from TUM’s experience with the associated structures and processes.

Collaboration as a prerequisite for success
TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann observes: “Sustainability is an integral guiding vision in our plan of action at TUM. Our decisions combine scientific success and economic resilience with ecological and social justice aspects. Our society is on the verge of tremendous changes which we will only be able to master and shape working together with others. I’m therefore very pleased about this collaborative undertaking with other Bavarian universities.”

The Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) will be responsible for coordination at BayZeN. In addition to TUM, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, OTH Amberg-Weiden, Nurember Tech (TH Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm) and University of Passau. Additional universities may also be added in the future.