Nation backs 29 initiatives establishing eco-friendly research facilities

Ministry Launches "BWGreenLabs" Ideas Competition to Reduce Lab's Ecological Footprint

The Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts in Baden-Württemberg has launched an innovative ideas competition, "BWGreenLabs", to reduce the ecological impact of research labs. Minister of Science, Petra Olschowski, spearheaded this initiative, aiming to implement sustainable ideas in university labs.

Labs consume an average of ten times more energy and four times more water compared to office spaces. To address this issue, around five billion kilos of plastic are required worldwide each year for labs. The "BWGreenLabs" competition aims to tackle these challenges head-on by funding projects that focus on the areas of "energy", "water", "waste", and "materials/chemicals" in daily lab operations.

A total of 29 projects at universities, universities of applied sciences, and the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University will be funded with up to 35,000 euros each for one year. These projects will be located at the participating institutions, including the University of Stuttgart, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hochschule Offenburg, and Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen.

After the one-year trial phase, the three most creative ideas will be awarded an additional 100,000 euros each for further implementation and best-practice promotion. The three best roll-out concepts will also each receive 100,000 euros for implementing the proposed measures at the university or college.

Digital platforms for the shared use of chemicals, cell lines, antibodies, and equipment are to be established as part of the competition. This will encourage collaboration among the funded projects, fostering the exchange of ideas and resources.

Training and awareness-raising offers are available for students or school classes who can become "Green Champions". These initiatives aim to educate the next generation of scientists about the importance of sustainability in their work.

The competition began in March 2025, with each university able to submit up to three applications. Separately funded outreach activities will be conducted to promote successful concepts and ideas across the state. After the projects began their work on September 1, 2025, roll-out concepts are to be submitted from each project.

For media enquiries, contact the Press Office or the Citizen's Representative of the Ministry. The total funding volume of the ideas competition is 1.4 million euros. The "BWGreenLabs" competition supplements existing energy and climate protection concepts of the universities, marking a significant step towards a more sustainable future for research labs in Baden-Württemberg.