Folkwang University of the Arts

Folkwang University of the Arts is one of the largest art and design universities in Germany with departments of Music, Theatre, Dance, Design and Research. The university’s design department is located in the city of Essen at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein. It hosts the Sustainability by Design (SBYD) project, funded as part of the Innovative Universities programme by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Joint Science Conference (GWK). 

Sustainability by Design aims to transfer knowledge from sustainability research into society and the economy through design. The project explores the potential of design in contributing to the development of a climate-neutral and resource-light society. It involves various formats such as international symposia, exhibitions, and workshops, revolving around the three core themes of craft, technology and biodesign. Two external research institutes with an expertise in sustainability research are involved in the project as collaborators: the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT.