EFEU Summer School 2025: Future Skills for a Sustainable Industry
Location: DHBW Stuttgart
Date: May 5–9, 2025
Participating Institutions: Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW Stuttgart, Germany), Polytechnic of Leiria (Portugal), Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), and Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (France)
The EFEU Summer School 2025, hosted at DHBW Stuttgart, brought together students, educators, and sustainability professionals from across Europe for a transformative, week-long journey aimed at developing future-ready skills for a sustainable industry. Hosted at DHBW Stuttgart, this hands-on program combined traditional and innovative learning formats, including master classes, problem- and project-based learning methods, workshops, serious games, and collaborative innovation, to address global sustainability challenges.
The week began with an immersive opening session, where students from four partner institutions were welcomed by Prof. Klaus Homann, Prof. Christian Gotz, and Abeo Trotter of the EFEU coordination team. Day 1 set the tone with expert-led sessions, including a master class on life cycle analysis by Sergio Rossi, and thought-provoking keynote talks by Prof. Margrit Ebinger on climate change and human health, and Prof. J. Hirschmann on sustainable materials. The day concluded with a tour of DHBW’s School of Engineering laboratories, reinforcing the program’s hands-on approach.
For two days, students worked in diverse and interdisciplinary teams to address sustainability challenges confronting university campuses and industries. With the support of agile methodology specialist Jeannine Schwarzkopf, students applied human-centred design thinking to tackle the sustainability challenges facing university campuses—specifically, carbon-heavy mobility and infrastructure. Participants developed and prototyped practical, user-informed ideas for greener campuses with use of striking 3D visuals, compelling storytelling, and strategic insights
Day 4 shifted focus to the Circular Economy, with Jakub Mües guiding students through the role of digital innovation and smart design in creating sustainable, regulation-ready products. Constructive feedback from EFEU mentors—including Klaus Homann, Christian Götz, Dominique Deneux, Hachimi ABBA, Judite Vieira, Paulo Carvahlo, and Jorma Säteri—added depth and dimension to the learning.
The final day featured the EFEU Serious Game, inspired by Ma Terre en 180 Min, which challenged participants to reimagine climate action on personal, professional, and institutional levels. The simulation brought urgency and realism to climate strategy and sparked valuable discussions. Students reflected on their experience with a feedback survey and also provided testimonials. These testimonials (EFEU Testimonials) were inspired by the selection of a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that personally resonated with them—a powerful moment that underscored how deeply the week had impacted them. One participant summed up the experience with the following quote: “This was the highlight of my entire three years as a student.”
A certificate ceremony and celebratory photo session brought the Summer School to a memorable close. From ideation to implementation, the EFEU Summer School 2025 empowered Europe’s future changemakers with the tools, mindset, and collaborative spirit needed to drive sustainable transformation. The week proved that with purpose, passion, and partnership, a greener future is not only imaginable—it’s achievable.
