Sustainability Days: practical approach for a sustainable future

From July 2 to 4, 2025, students on the Energy & Sustainability Management degree program at FH Kufstein Tirol once again transformed the university into a platform for sustainable innovation. The annual Sustainability Days focused on topics such as the circular economy, biodiversity and energy.

Partner companies such as Greenzero, revitalyze, Green Energy Center Europe, Stadtwerke Kufstein, sonntagplus and MATR presented their own projects. Accompanying workshops provided in-depth information and gave participants practical insights. The event was also supported by the sponsor Sparkasse Kufstein.

Companies present innovative ideas from the field

The event kicked off on Wednesday with a focus on the circular economy. The companies MATR and revitalyze presented their business models for recycling materials and showed how used objects and building materials can be processed and successfully marketed. In doing so, they underlined the growing importance of sustainable recycling processes.

Green Zero opened the program on the second day. Among other things, the company prepares life cycle assessments for companies and presented a pilot project for the processing and renaturation of an old farm in order to create new areas for nature and animals. In the afternoon, Hermann Sonntag from sonntagplus spoke about the importance of biodiversity - both globally and regionally. He explained what contribution each individual can make to preserving biodiversity and gave a vivid overview of the plant and natural world, particularly in Tyrol.

The last day of the event focused on regional energy supply. Stadtwerke Kufstein presented its role as an energy supplier. A key element of their commitment to sustainability is that 70% of their customers are already supplied with district heating, which is generated by burning wood chips. They also discussed the topic of energy communities, which is likely to become increasingly important in the future. The Green Energy Center Europe rounded off the day's program with an insight into strategic developments for sustainable energy supply and the usage of hydrogen.

Workshops for students: Sustainability you can touch

Building on the lectures, the students organized workshops focusing on the circular economy, biodiversity and energy. For example, visitors were able to discover a bottle biotope as an experiment in biodiversity and experience water treatment using natural filters in a practical way.

Another highlight was a model of a hydropower plant that clearly explained the complex procedures. This was accompanied by presentations showing construction plans and data from real power plants.

In the area of recycling management, the students presented the treatment of wastewater and a documentation of their visit to the Kufstein sewage treatment plant. An accompanying presentation with a quiz provided additional insights.

The workshops also illustrated the changes to different materials - such as toilet paper or kitchen roll - in the water treatment process. Visitors were able to assign the dissolved materials to their original form and experience the process in practice.

Food for thought for the economy, society and the environment

The Sustainability Days 2025 impressively demonstrated the impact of initiatives for a sustainable future in business, society and the environment. The topics of circular economy, biodiversity and energy did not stop at theoretical content, but were vividly experienced through the active impulses of the students. The students made it clear that sustainable solutions can not only be discussed, but actively shaped and implemented.

Links:

• Energy & Sustainability Management | ft
• Sustainability Days | Event series
• Sustainability Days 2025 | Event review