The Hub is located at the University of Münster and in the Münsterland region (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Europe, Planet Earth).
The Hub makes an important contribution to the development of innovative ideas and solutions for the pursuit of sustainable wellbeing on the planet by addressing global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, energy transition, issues of peace and democracy and shaping a good life for all.
The Hub focuses on inter- and transdisciplinary formats in research, education and transfer/innovation and places a special emphasis on social innovation and inter- and transdisciplinary as well as transformative approaches to sustainability research and practice.
The Idea of the Innovation Hubs in Ulysseus
At the center of the innovation ecosystem of the Ulysseus University Alliance are eight Innovation Hubs, one in each partner university. They act as engines for cocreation processes, promote cooperation at all levels of the three university fields of action - education, research and transfer/innovation - and support the interlinking of activities in the service of society.
Together, the Innovation Hubs of the Ulysseus university network form an inter-campus structure that aims to strategically align the universities with the major social challenges of the present and future and how to overcome them.
Focus of the Innovation Hub in Münster
With its focus on sustainable development, the Innovation Hub on socio-ecological sustainability at the University of Münster is dedicated to a central challenge of our time that requires comprehensive social change.
Primarily ecological issues such as the climate crisis, species extinction and the energy transition cannot be separated from primarily social issues such as peace, democracy and justice.
As the crises are complex and globally interconnected, the solutions must also take this into account. Innovative strategies and ideas that enable societies to overcome the socio-ecological challenges of the present are urgently needed. In order to develop these, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary and, in particular, a deep integration and interlinking of social and natural science contributions to sustainability research and practice is required.
The aim of the Innovation Hub in Münster is to analyze, discuss and respond to the diverse requirements for viable solutions to upcoming sustainability challenges.
Structure and Elements of the Innovation Hub
The Innovation Hub for socio-ecological sustainability is based at the Center for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research (ZIN) at the University of Münster and acts as a node between a number of stakeholders from the university, the city of Münster, the region and the Ulysseus network.
The illustration explains the basic elements of the Innovation Hub, which are assigned to the three university fields of action - education, research and transfer/innovation - or represent cross-sectional elements.
In the 'Research' field of action of the Innovation Hub, the Center for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research (ZIN) is the research center where thematic research groups on the focal points of the InnoHub are set up and research projects are developed and applied for. Through cooperation with other Ulysseus partners, it serves as the 'Joint Research Center' of the university alliance. The 'Shaping & Exploring Sustainability' profile area at the University of Münster provides a framework for bundling research activities.
In the InnoHub's 'Transfer/Innovation' field of action, the REACH - Euregio Start-up Center acts as a (joint) incubator and transfer facility. The promotion and interconnection of start-ups and spin-offs is realised in particular through a coach-the-coach program and various workshops on women*, social and intersectional entrepreneurship, innovation skills & capacities and know-how for start-up teams.
Within the 'Education' field of action, various formats on sustainability topics such as Sustainable Design Thinking, Green Skills and Sustainability & Green Transition are developed and used at the InnoHub: In addition to various courses for students, Open Classes offer a publicly accessible educational program and various training courses and workshops provide further education and training for different target groups within and outside the Ulysseus network. A Teaching Innovation Lab supports the design and development of teaching programs in the spirit of transformative education.
Several elements lie across the fields of action or connect with their activities in all three areas:
'Living labs' and 'real-world laboratories' are formats that are located in all three fields of action. In sustainability science, living labs are designed as transdisciplinary and transformative research and development facilities in which various stakeholders from science and civil society learn together and from each other and work together on sustainable solutions. Innovative ideas, transformation approaches and new social practices are tested and researched in experimental settings.
In collaboration with the Münster Center for Open Science (MüCOS), the 'Open Data Warehouse' is being created to ensure the free accessibility of materials and data generated in the areas of research, teaching and transfer - in particular open access publications, open educational resources and open data.
The transversal element 'Culture & Creativity' aims to incorporate the creative potential that exists in the dialog and interaction of art and culture with science, research and teaching.
Vision and Mission of the Innovation Hub
What do we mean by socio-ecological sustainability?
Considering and safeguarding human need satisfaction and the good life for all, everywhere, now and in the future
Considering and safeguarding biophysical systems and living conditions (across the species-divide) and staying within planetary boundaries
Recognizing the urgency to transition to low-carbon societies in the face of widespread, rapid, and intensifying climate change
What starting points guide us?
Researching diverse relationships and dynamics within human-nature-relations / more-than-human ecologies
Researching how societies can provide for their citizens‘ wellbeing while severely lessening environmental harm and strengthening regenerative capacities
Researching transformational pathways that include mitigation and adaptation strategies with the overall aim to enhance wellbeing while keeping within the 1.5° target
How does our Innovation Hub want to contribute to this?
Bridging Social Sciences / Humanities and Natural Sciences by generating interdisciplinary exchange formats and research groups
Providing / producing normative / ethical assessments and evaluative criteria for sustainability challenges
Emphasizing a transdisciplinary orientation through citizen science, outreach activities, and co-creation processes, encouraging (self-)education and authentic encounters
Involvement & Contact to the Team
We cordially invite you to help shape a sustainable and liveable future together and to participate in the activities of the Hub or to combine your activities with those of the Hub.
For all kind of requests please contact the InnoHub-Team of Münster via: innohub@uni-muenster.de
If you want to reach out to specific team members please find contact details & information on areas of responsibility in the contacts section.
