Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) have selected ten winners to receive the award

Energy is indispensable in almost all areas of everyday life. However, climate change and scarcity of resources pose tremendous challenges for us to get to grips with: For example, how can we talk about energy to get as many people as possible on board? Conflicts in the provision of alternative energy sources also plague the discussions around Lusatia as a region undergoing structural change.

This is why Katharina Hunger (research associate at the CIMTT Centre of Production Engineering and Management at TU Dresden) developed her project 2050 Zukunftswerkstatt Lausitz - Energy takes center stage for the University Competition as part of the 2025 Science Year - Future Energy . The BMBF and WiD honored her as one of the ten awardees out of almost 120 nominations- her project will be funded with EUR 10,000 and will be implemented by the end of the year.

Interactive, experimental approach to the energy transition

At the 2050 Zukunftswerkstatt Lausitz - Energy takes center stage , researchers, citizens and entrepreneurs discuss challenges of Lusatia as a region undergoing structural change. Participants take on the role of decision-makers in interactive workshops while creating visions for a sustainable energy landscape in 2050. "The Zukunftswerkstatt provides a central platform for citizens to express their needs, concerns and expectations openly and contribute to shaping the energy transition," explains Hunger. Based on the project Referenzkraftwerk Lausitz (www.RefLau.com) - a new type of power plant concept - participants simulate conflicting objectives and develop innovative approaches, taking current economic and legal constraints into account.

The Zukunftswerkstatt is participative, creative and solution-oriented. It begins with the critique phase, in which participants are encouraged to identify and analyze problems. This is followed by the vision phase, in which utopias and potential solutions are developed through role plays and visual techniques. In the realization phase, the participants develop tangible implementation plans. The Zukunftswerkstatt will alternate between Dock3 (Lusatia) and the COSMO Science Forum (Dresden) in order to incorporate both urban and rural perspectives from Saxony and Brandenburg.

Scientific impact and social outreach

As a research partner with innovative strength and regional prowess, TU Dresden ensures practical implementation options. In close cooperation with corporate stakeholders and researchers from TU Dresden - such as Simon Unz (Head of the Energy Process Engineering and Heat Transfer research group at the Chair of Energy Process Engineering), scientific and technical possibilities are evaluated and supplemented by societal perspectives. "This collaboration is essential for developing solutions that are not only technically and economically feasible, but are also socially accepted and sustainable in the long term," adds Hunger, who is currently working to complete her doctorate on the topic of transdisciplinary research in engineering.

Everyone can stay up to date with the project via the posts, reels and stories by following the Instagram account @wissenschaftimdialog. In addition, this participative approach is being scientifically evaluated in order to examine the interplay between science, business and society, as well as to successfully shape social change in the long term.

Background information:

2025 University Competition
The University Competition is organized annually by Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) in cooperation with the Federal Association of University Communication (German: Bundesverband Hochschulkommunikation), the German Rectors' Conference and, as of this year, the Junge Akademie and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the Science Year.

The award-winning communication ideas thematically revolve around forms of renewable energy, complex energy policy decisions and artistic perspectives on sustainable energy systems. The teams communicate using a variety of different methods - from exhibitions to escape rooms and participative theater. The ten successful teams are regionally distributed throughout Germany.

As part of the project’s implementation, they attend training courses and events organized by Wissenschaft im Dialog, including on science communication and public relations, social media, storytelling and event organization. www.hochschulwettbewerb.net/2025/

2025 Science Year - Future Energy
The 2025 Science Year is dedicated to the future of energy. How can the energy mix be clean, reliable, affordable and conserve resources? What technology has already been developed and what research is currently underway? What new energy partnerships does our country need? What will the energy supply of the future look like - and what impact will it have on society? The importance of research in achieving a climate-neutral energy supply for the economy and society is the focus of the 2025 Science Year. Energy research is an interdisciplinary, multifaceted, capital-intensive and strategic task. Climate change, limited resources and an increasing global demand for energy are presenting governments, industry and citizens with new challenges that are being tackled with research. The 2025 Science Year - Future Energy invites you to gain insights into solution strategies from energy research, familiarize yourself with the latest innovations and findings, and engage in a scientific, political, commercial and societal exchange. The Science Year is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in cooperation with Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD). www.wissenschaftsjahr.de/2025

Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD)
Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) is the central science organization for science communication in Germany. The non-profit, limited company is committed to an open society that shapes change with knowledge. To this end, it promotes a productive dialog between science and the public: As a think and do tank for science communication, WiD develops practical knowledge, offers training and further education suitable to the target group, networks different stakeholders and develops innovative methods of communication. Wissenschaft im Dialog was founded in 2000 by the most prominent German science organizations. www.wissenschaft-im-dialog.de
 

Contact:
Katharina Hunger
CIMTT Center for Production Engineering

+49 351 463-33597