News & Events
News from the Institute
Read the latest updates on the topic of sustainable water systems.
Thinking About Water Supply in Developing Countries from the User’s Perspective
For 22 students, the new winter semester got off to an unusual start. To the students’ surprise, two guests from the Water Is Right Foundation were in attendance for the English-language course “Water, Climate, and Society” in the master’s program in Sustainable Water Management and Engineering. One was Rolf Stahlhofen, singer and co-founder of the […]
5th Hofer Water Symposium: How Sponge Landscapes Make Communities Climate-Resilient
103 participants from municipalities, government agencies, academia, and the professional field gathered at Hof University of Applied Sciences to discuss how to retain water in the landscape and advance climate adaptation in rural areas. The focus was on concrete measures, digital solutions, and the question of how “sponge landscapes” can be implemented in practice. How […]
Improving Flood Forecasting: German-Ukrainian Workshop Prepares for Project
A flood forecast usually specifies a water level. However, emergency management agencies need to know which locations and streets will be flooded. The “RiFFER-EU” project, coordinated by the Institute for Sustainable Water Systems at Hof University of Applied Sciences (inwa) , is working to address this gap. In September, the German and Ukrainian partners met […]
From the Pond to the Field: How Surplus Nutrients Are Turned Into Valuable Fertilizer
What is currently considered a problem in ponds could become a valuable raw material for agriculture in the future: In the cross-border research project “Teichkreis,” Dr. Harvey Harbach and his team from the Resource-Efficient Food Production Research Group at Hof University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with a Czech partner, are investigating whether excess nutrients […]
Turning Waste into Fertilizer: Dr. Harvey Harbach and his research team are developing new nutrient cycles for sustainable agriculture
How can valuable nutrients from agriculture be put to better use? The ReKorD research project at Hof University of Applied Sciences is addressing this question. The goal is to convert waste products from animal husbandry into high-quality fertilizers, thereby closing regional nutrient cycles. The project aims to make agriculture less dependent on mineral fertilizers while also conserving resources.
From Research to Startup: OnSpectra Develops Smart Sensors for Environmental Monitoring
The 2026 Southwest Thuringia Startup Idea Competition demonstrated just how diverse and innovative the region’s startup scene is. This year, 32 business ideas were presented—ranging from creative and social concepts to technological solutions in the fields of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and innovative applications. In the category for technical startup ideas, the team from OnSpectra, […]
