Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences (inwa)

We know what
Water creates.

Application-orientated research and innovation development for business partners and the municipal sector.

Logo of the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences.
DIP

The Institute

The Institute for Sustainable Water Systems focuses on applied research and development in the key areas of sponge city, photonics and food production.

Research areas

The Institute for Sustainable Water Systems conducts research in the areas of sponge cities, photonics and food production as well as sustainability and digitalisation. One focus is on the transfer of knowledge from research results into practice, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises and local authorities.

Foundation and development

The Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences was founded as an independent institute in March 2023, having emerged from the predecessor Institute for Water and Energy Management. With four research groups and around 15 academic staff, the focus is on application-oriented research and innovation development in the water sector for industry and local authorities.

Goal

Research activities centre on application-oriented innovation developments and transfer tasks with partners from trade and industry as well as local authorities and cities - both nationally and internationally. We have our own research networks for individual key topics such as the elimination of trace substances in wastewater.

Foundation
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Projects
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Research assistants
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ktns

Competence and transfer centre for a sustainable sponge city and region

The goals and tasks of the Competence and Transfer Centre for Sustainable Sponge City and Region (ktns) reflect the different needs of municipalities, specialist engineers, architects and urban planners that were expressed in the course of the SPORE project and the certificate course "The Road to the Sponge City - Urban Development in Times of Climate Change" to overcome the challenges posed by the effects of climate change.

Knowledge storage and transfer

Collect existing knowledge on the subject of the sponge city/sponge region in a web-based knowledge repository and transfer it to practice in the form of training courses or similar.

Counselling & Coaching

With the second focal point, we form the link between solutions from the knowledge repository and their preliminary examination for implementation by planning offices.

A group of representatives from the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences (inwa) and partners pose in front of a banner of the Competence and Transfer Centre for Sustainable Sponge City/Region. The picture shows the cooperation and the focus on knowledge transfer, consulting and coaching in the field of sustainable water systems.
From the left: David Höltgen, District Administrator Dr Oliver Bär, LfU Vice President Dr Richard Fackler, Prof. Dr Manuela Wimmer, Prof. Günter Müller-Czygan, Thomas Lang, 1st Mayor Eva Döhla, Prof. Dr Dr Dr h.c. Jürgen Lehmann

Projects

Further research projects

The research here is tough.

services

Much more than research.

We focus on applied research and offer various services.

Contract research

Monitoring, data collection, scientific evaluation, technical concepts, acceptance analyses and training in areas such as recruiting, sustainability and digitalisation.

Further training

Training and certificate courses in sponge city, skilled labour recruitment, sustainability and digitalisation to support municipalities and companies in extreme weather, skills shortages and digital challenges

Innovation consulting and support

Development and realisation of research ideas, including innovation consulting, procurement of funding, project management and coordination in our own research fields.

Water analysis

The technical equipment in our laboratories enables us to offer a wide range of analytical services.

Provision of research labs

The provision of our laboratory infrastructure and the associated measuring equipment opens up a wide range of possibilities.

Sustainability optimisation

Project management, process analysis and optimisation as well as implementation of sustainability factors.

Water management analysis and signposting for municipalities

Recording, defining and evaluating sponge city measures at different spatial scales.

Free tools

Useful aids and tools relating to the core topics of inwa.

Latest news

News and events

News about the inwa and its events.

Free tools

Simply achieve more.

Our free tools support you with a wide range of tasks.

Logo: Digital Lotse Wasser

Digital pilot water

The web portal for digital solutions in water management.

Logo: Digital Recruiting

DRhochN goes digital

Online course on digital recruiting.

Sustainability in the WaWi

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Become part of the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems

Career and academic theses

Job offers and project, Bachelor's or Master's theses - you've come to the right place.

Media computer scientist or web designer or IT specialist or media designer (m/f/d) in the field of e-learning
Job
In the research group "Project Management and Sustainability in Water Management" of the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences (inwa) for the project DRhN-Booster (Digital Recruiting high Sustainability - a web-based, participant-specific, non-linear, AI-supported educational module with interactive knowledge management as a transfer booster) we are looking for a media computer scientist or web designer or IT specialist or media designer (m/f/d) in the field of e-learning at the earliest possible date.
from Feb 2025
Full-time
A group of students and researchers from the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences (inwa) discuss at a meeting. The picture shows the committed collaboration and the opportunities for careers and academic theses in the field of sustainable water systems.

Contact us

Contact person

The inwa is managed by an institute management consisting of all research group leaders. One member of the institute management takes on the role of spokesperson for the external presentation of inwa and represents the organisation of the institute.

Institute Director and Research Group Leader:Prof Günter Müller-Czygan.

Prof Günter Müller-Czygan

Institute Director; Research Group Leader

Water infrastructure and digitalisation (DiWa)

Prof Dr Manuela Wimmer. Research group leader in the area of sustainability and project management in water management.

Prof Dr Manuela Wimmer

Deputy Head of Institute; Research Group Leader

Sustainability and project management in water management (NaPro)

Portrait of Dr Harvey Harbach, research group leader for resource-efficient food production in integrated aquaculture at the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences.

Dr Harvey Harbach

Research group leader

Resource-efficient food production in integrated aquaculture (ReLe)

Portrait of Prof Dr Tobias Schnabel, research group leader for photonics and water at the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences.

Prof. Dr Tobias Schnabel

Research group leader

Photonics and water (PhoWa)

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