Nation champions 29 initiatives geared towards eco-friendly research facilities
The Ministry of Science launched the BWGreenLabs ideas competition in March 2025, aiming to promote more sustainable research practices in the region. After a competitive selection process, 29 project proposals from universities, universities of applied sciences, and dual universities across Baden-Württemberg were selected to receive funding.
The funded projects cover a wide range of areas, from the use of the latest sensor technology and modeling to a "Freezer Challenge" aimed at optimizing the energy and water consumption of freezers. Some of the participating institutions include Hochschule Offenburg, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), University of Stuttgart, and DHBW Karlsruhe. Each university received up to 35,000 euros to support their climate-friendly research initiatives.
For an initial period of one year, these projects will be funded with up to 35,000 euros each. During this time, the teams will work on implementing their ideas and making their laboratories more sustainable. After the one-year funding period, each project will be required to submit a roll-out concept for continued implementation.
The competition organisers have also established digital platforms for the shared use of chemicals, cell lines, antibodies, and equipment. This will help in reducing waste and promoting a more efficient use of resources.
At the end of the one-year trial phase, the three most creative and impactful ideas will be awarded 100,000 euros each. These funds will be used to implement the proposed measures at the university or college. The awarded ideas will serve as best practice examples nationwide and will be publicized as such.
In addition to the funding, the competition also offers training and awareness-raising opportunities for students or school classes who wish to become "Green Champions". Separately funded outreach activities will also be conducted to promote successful concepts and ideas throughout the state.
The total funding volume of the ideas competition is 1.4 million euros. Each university can submit up to three applications for project proposals. Up to 20,000 euros for personnel costs and 15,000 euros for material costs can be applied for per project proposal.
The projects focus on the areas of "energy", "water", "waste", and "materials/chemicals" in daily laboratory operations. The BWGreenLabs ideas competition is a significant step towards making research in Baden-Württemberg more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Work on the 29 selected projects began on September 1, 2025.
