Innovative S-TEC Center in Stuttgart: Revolution for sustainable food!

Innovative S-TEC Center in Stuttgart: Revolution for sustainable food!

On October 7, 2025, the new S-TEC Center for Biointelligent Value Creation (S-TEC ZBW) was officially opened in Stuttgart. The center's focus is on creating more sustainable food production by transferring research results into practical application. Nine departments at the University of Hohenheim, two Fraunhofer Institutes and four institutes at the University of Stuttgart are working together on the interdisciplinary project. The initiative will be funded with around nine million euros until 2027 uni-hohenheim.de reported.

The opening took place as part of the Biointelligence Summit and was celebrated by Economics Minister Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut celebrates. The S-TEC ZBW represents a significant step towards a sustainable food industry, especially given the global challenges.

Side projects and awards

In connection with its ongoing efforts to promote sustainable practices, the University of Hohenheim is also taking measures to reduce its own emissions. Every year, the institutional facility carries out around 5,000 business trips at home and abroad. The choice of means of transport has a direct influence on the greenhouse gas balance, as doctoral student Lilian-Marleen Beck discusses in the lecture series “Good Travel Stories”.

In addition, doctoral student Robert Fribus from the field of “Plant-Based Foods” was awarded the Best Speaker Award at the 21st ICC Conference in Vienna for his outstanding presentation on “In-situ structuring and texture modulation of starchy materials using microfoam-supported 3D printing”. This reflects the innovative strength in the university's research areas.

The University of Hohenheim also received the “Prize for exemplary training of volunteers 2025”, awarded by the Federal Association of University Communication. This award honors the excellent standards in training and was publicly recognized on September 17, 2025 in Hamburg.

Research projects on sustainable food production

In parallel to these developments, a research project at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences is focused on creating concepts for sustainable food production. The project called EdeN (Efficient Decentralized Sustainable Food Production) aims to establish closed energy, resource and distribution cycles. The focus here is on the challenges of a growing global population, unpredictable weather extremes and interrupted global supply chains. These topics are discussed by, among others biointelligence-center.org picked up.

An innovative aquaponics system that combines aquaculture and hydroponics is being researched as a solution to these challenges. The system will be evaluated by several aquaponics producers and uses IoT devices to measure and control processes. A central goal is to close resource cycles through new recycling options, for example fish waste. Furthermore, a knowledge-based management tool is being developed to promote the exchange of information and experiences.

The entire concept aims to achieve both efficiency gains and higher yields while creating incentives for future aquaponics operators. This project is supported by partners such as Research Studios Austria and the Austrian Institute of Technology.

With these comprehensive initiatives, both the University of Hohenheim and the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences underline their contribution to promoting a sustainable future in the food sector.