Sustainovation 2011 - The future is green at MU Vienna
Under sunny spring skies, MODUL University Vienna hosted the second annual Sustainovation conference from June 3rd-5th, geared at pushing the boundaries of sustainability and innovation. The theme of ''Sustainability as a Motor for Innovation'' was a perfect fit for MU, as our philosophy embraces the need for environmental consciousness and sustainable technologies.
Truly one of the most forward-thinking conferences in this field, MU served as the perfect location for scholars, entrepreneurs, scientists, architects, designers and inventors to assemble on Kahlenberg and present ideas and projects. An excellent platform for interaction and networking, the two-day affair was organized by Mehrblick, an organization that bills itself as an ‘ideas studio and project incubator’. The open format brought together experts from varied backgrounds and encouraged them to think outside their discipline.
Consisting of 45-minute sessions structured within the three parallel frameworks of Ideas (Vision), Success (Best Practice), and Findings (Knowledge), many of the over 100 participants gave compelling presentations on their area of expertise. Within these thematic clusters, the program featured such diverse speakers as Green Party politician Christoph Chorherr discussing a university student project to build schools in Africa; researcher, advisor and project developer Rainer Rosegger explaining 'cradle-to-cradle design', in which products are designed with sustainability in mind to minimize garbage production and environmental impact; and MU’s own Vice President and Dean of New Media Technology, Arno Scharl, speaking about tracking environmental trends in social media. The research of the Department of New Media Technology focuses on content aggregation and Web Intelligence technologies - MU Vienna hosts the award-winning 'Media Watch on Climate Change' (www.ecoresearch.net/climate), for example, and the upcoming 'Climate Change Collaboratory' (www.modul.ac.at/nmt/triple-c).
Further presentations explored healthy living, sustainable urban planning and movement, and green marketing among the offerings. The participants' positive feedback underscores the appeal of such an interactive format, which encourages new bonds between people of different sectors and disciplines.
Given the great success of the first two Sustainovation conferences, we are looking forward to hosting the event again in June 2012!
Additional Information: www.mehrblick.at Photo Credit: www.pohtography.com Department of New Media Technology: www.modul.ac.at/nmt
