News

In einem neuen Förderprogramm des Wissenschaftsministeriums kommt auch das Kooperationsprojekt "RewitAI" der Hochschule Aalen zum Zug, hier mit Projektleiterin Prof. Dr. Iman Taha (4.v.r.). Foto: © MWK | Jan Potente

Aalen University together with its cooperation partners – Furtwangen and Pforzheim Universities of Applied Sciences, as well as the University of Stuttgart and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) – have convinced the Ministry of Science with two research projects. They are now being funded in a new program. It aims to promote collaborative research projects in the fields of sustainability and the circular economy.

In total, the Ministry of Science is funding six projects at Universities of Applied Sciences (HAW) with the program for applied sustainability research. “All projects have the potential to show how the pooling of ideas and capacities from science, business and society can increase sustainability. The projects can provide a blueprint for how to reduce the energy and CO2 footprint as well as supply chain dependencies in the circular economy – so that it triggers a sustainability boost in many industries,“ said Ministerial Director Hans J. Reiter at the program launch in Stuttgart. „With funding of up to 2.4 million euros per compound and a duration of four years, the program is a clear commitment to German research funding in financially difficult times,“ Reiter continued.

The co-operation project „Preserve“, which focuses on the integration of rare raw materials in the circular economy, is being funded with 2.3 million euro. Of this, 1.5 million euros will go to Aalen University. In particular, recycled rare earth magnets and Li-ion batteries are being evaluated in terms of their potential uses and ageing properties in order to make them suitable for the best possible applications. This conserves resources and promotes independence from supply chains. At Aalen University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Dagmar Goll is leading the project with her colleagues Prof. Dr. Volker Knoblauch, Dr. Timo Bernthaler and Prof. Dr. Gerhard Schneider from the Institute for Materials Research (IMFAA).

In the second co-operation project, „RewitAI“ is about closing plastic cycles and promoting recycling in the plastics industry. The main focus lies on highly stressed plastics in outdoor sports facilities. „RewitAI“ researches both the dismantling of used plastic and alternatives made from bio- and recycled plastics. The project is being funded with a total of around 2.2 million euros. The interdisciplinary team of Aalen’s professors Dr. Iman Taha, Dr. Katharina Weber and Dr. Doris Aschenbrenner can use approximately 1.5 million euros of this for their research.

According to the Ministry, the PAN HAW BW program is an outstanding program with a duration of four years and funding of up to 2.4 million euros per network. It exemplifies that HAW research is a special concern of the Ministry of Science. The PAN HAW BW funding includes a total funding volume of 14.4 million euros, which is made up of 8.6 million euros in state funding and 5.8 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The ERDF serves Baden-Württemberg as an important instrument for implementing necessary transformations. In the ERDF funding period 2021 to 2027, the state would like to contribute to the implementation of key sustainability goals of the European Union as part of the European Green Deal and the state.