Apr 11, 2025
Closer cooperation for the sustainable use of resources: TUD and United Nations University will establish a center for climate resilience and sustainability in Dresden
TUD Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger and Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University, signing the Memorandum of Agreement to establish the UNU-Hub CREST.
TUD Dresden University of Technology and the United Nations University signed a Memorandum of Agreement on April 8, 2025 to establish the UNU Hub on Climate Resilience and Sustainable Technologies (CREST). The signing was one of the highlights that kicked off the 2025 Dresden Nexus Conference. The conference draws together participants from over 75 countries who will discuss innovative concepts for the sustainable use of resources in Dresden from April 8 to 10, 2025. The new center combines the expertise of both institutions in engineering and environmental sciences. The aim is to build a strong international network and develop innovative solutions to tackle the challenges of climate change.
TUD Rector Prof. Ursula Staudinger gave an inspiring speech at the signing ceremony: "By establishing this hub in Dresden, we are doing everything we can to strengthen international cooperation and to develop solutions to one of the greatest challenges of our time: human-induced climate change and the increasing scarcity of natural resources - especially water. These challenges affect us all; they call for global solutions based on targeted research and decisive action. The fact that the United Nations have chosen us as a partner is a great vote of confidence in TUD's expertise in the field of climate resilience and sustainable environmental technologies. It builds on the many years of close cooperation between TUD and UNU-FLORES."
In the areas of education, research and knowledge transfer, the CREST Hub will promote innovative learning programs on resource efficiency and climate protection in an international context, all the while training future engineers and political decision-makers with this in mind. Interdisciplinary research serves as the basis for the promotion of climate-resistant infrastructures, adaptable water management and recycling technologies. By actively collaborating with policy makers, businesses and communities, the UNU Hub will bridge the gap between science and practice and ensure that technological innovations make an impact in the real world.
"CREST will be a central place of dialogue - traversing disciplines, institutions and continents," explains TUD Rector Staudinger, adding: "In close cooperation with the United Nations University and under the leadership of Prof. Jürgen Stamm and Dr. André Lindner, we will develop forward-looking solutions that can improve the lives of people around the world. We are delighted to be taking this important step at the 2025 Dresden Nexus Conference - a forum that stands for the networking of sustainable research like no other."
About UNU-FLORES
The United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), based in Dresden, has been dedicated to research and training in the field of integrated resource management since 2012. As part of the United Nations University (UNU), UNU-FLORES contributes to the development of research-based solutions for global environmental and sustainability issues, while supporting decision-makers worldwide.
Would you like to know more? https://unu.edu/flores
About the Dresden Nexus Conference (DNC)
The DNC is an English-language global platform for resource sustainability that unites forward-thinking scientists, policy makers and industry leaders to address global challenges through the resource nexus approach. The participants exchange ideas and discuss how integrated resource management can overcome the complex interactions between water, energy, food and environmental security. The conference is a brilliant opportunity to develop integrated solutions for the future and promote their sustainable development.
More about the 2025 Dresden Nexus Conference: https://unu.edu/flores/press-release/die-hohepunkte-der-dresden-nexus-conference-2025-nachhaltige-ressourcen-und
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