Since January 2026, the Chair of Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Ecosystems at the Universität Duisburg-Essen, led by Prof. Dr. Hannes Rothe, has been cooperating with LIG GmbH (https://l-i-g.net/). The collaboration focuses on advancing sustainable digital transformation through the development and application of artificial intelligence for circular economy and recycling systems.

A key objective of the partnership is to leverage AI technologies to enable more resource-efficient and data-driven value chains, enhance material recovery processes, and improve decision-making in sustainable production and recycling. The collaboration combines academic research with industrial expertise to translate methodological advances in AI into practical applications.

What an inspiring three days! The AI for Good Hackathon brought together students from across the Rhine-Ruhr Region to collaborate, create, and explore how artificial intelligence can contribute to solving some of society’s most pressing challenges.

Together with the BRYCK Startup Alliance, we created a space where students could transform their ideas into prototypes, connect with mentors and experts, and build AI solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From sustainability to inclusion, the teams explored how technology can support a more equitable and sustainable future.

We would like to thank everyone who helped make the AI for Good Hackathon such a success: all participants who brought their creativity and dedication, the organisers and mentors who guided and supported the teams throughout the weekend, and the jury members who shared their expertise and helped recognise the most impactful solutions.

A huge congratulations to our winners,

CareAI — an AI assistant designed to support care workers in helping dementia patients with migration backgrounds overcome language barriers. The solution combines personalised patient profiles built from family input, real-time language support, and culturally aware care recommendations (B2B/B2C). It addresses a critical gap in care, considering the approximately 158,000 people living with dementia in Germany with diverse linguistic backgrounds and the extremely limited time available for individual patient interaction.

We also want to celebrate our runners-up:

FormFirst (“Don’t train like a shrimp!”) — an AI-powered movement and posture analysis tool using the camera of a smartphone, laptop, or tablet. It provides real-time feedback to correct poor form during home workouts, helping prevent injuries while making proper training more accessible, affordable, and available anywhere.

PoliTech (PolitiKlar) — a non-profit, open-source AI platform for parliamentary monitoring. It translates complex legislative documents into clear, unbiased, and understandable information, enabling citizens to make more informed decisions and strengthening democratic accessibility (aligned with SDG 16).

The AI for Good Hackathon showed the potential of combining creativity, technology, and a strong sense of purpose. When students from different backgrounds come together to address the challenges reflected in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, innovative ideas can emerge that have the potential to make a real difference.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event possible. We are excited to see how these ideas continue to grow and how the next generation of innovators will use AI for good. See you in our next AI for good Hackathon!

Dr. Tomasz Waliczko from the Chair of Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Ecosystems at the University of Duisburg-Essen attended VivaTech in Paris last weekend.

His participation followed an invitation from PSL and provided an opportunity to engage with one of Europe’s most important conferences dedicated to technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

VivaTech brings together leading representatives from academia, industry, and start-ups to discuss current developments and future directions in digital transformation, emerging technologies, and sustainable innovation.

During the event, Dr. Waliczko gained valuable insights into ongoing technological trends and engaged in exchanges with international experts working at the forefront of digital and sustainable innovation.

Overall, the visit contributed to strengthening the Chair’s engagement with international innovation ecosystems and provided inspiration for future research and collaboration activities.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way software is developed, businesses are managed, and digital innovations are created. In a recent segment on WDR Lokalzeit Essen, Prof. Dr. Hannes Rothe from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Duisburg-Essen explained the impact this development is having on computer science and business informatics.

Rothe made it clear that while AI will bring about lasting changes to the world of work, it will not replace the fundamental skills of computer scientists. Rather, the requirements are shifting. In addition to technical expertise, the ability to analyze problems, design complex systems, and use AI tools thoughtfully will become increasingly important in the future.

From Rothe’s perspective, there is also no cause for concern among prospective students. The degree programs offered by the Faculty of Computer Science continue to be in high demand. Each year, around 1,000 students choose to study at the faculty. The need for qualified professionals remains high—even as job profiles and fields of activity evolve in the wake of technological advancements.

At the same time, the faculty is working on the technologies of tomorrow. Research priorities such as neuro-symbolic artificial intelligence, edge computing, and other innovative approaches are helping to actively shape the digital transformation.

For the faculty, one thing is clear: Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool—not a substitute for solid computer science skills. For this reason, AI content is increasingly being integrated into degree programs to prepare students as effectively as possible for the demands of a changing professional world.

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Hannes Rothe for his insightful analysis and are pleased that the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of Duisburg-Essen was able to contribute its expertise to the public discourse surrounding artificial intelligence.

Click here for the WDR report (starting at minute 18:07): https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/lokalzeit-ruhr/wdr-lokalzeit-ruhr-oder-01-06-2026/wdr-essen/Y3JpZDovL3dkci5kZS9CZWl0cmFnLXNvcGhvcmEtY2ExZWY3ZDEtZmU3OC00M2E0LWJjYzctZTg5MzdjOTEwZWZj

The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) is excited to welcome Avneet Kaur from Lehigh University (USA) as a 2026 Ruhr Fellow. Hosted by the Chair of Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Ecosystems, Avneet will participate in an intensive summer program combining academic research with industry experience in Germany’s Ruhr region.

Prof. Hannes Rothe and Arslan Haider will provide academic supervision for her research project, focusing on how digital platforms and data ecosystems can drive sustainable entrepreneurship. Dr. Tomasz Waliczko and Karina Eifert will handle the program's management, coordinating logistics and international mobility.

The Ruhr Fellowship offers a comprehensive itinerary designed for top-tier North American students. It includes advanced research collaborations on digital sustainability projects at UDE, cultural excursions, and German language seminars. Furthermore, the fellow gains exclusive networking access to corporate partners and regional startup hubs across the UA Ruhr network.

The Chair extends a warm welcome to Avneet and looks forward to a productive summer of transatlantic collaboration!

Representing our chair's commitment to bridging cutting-edge digital research with societal impact, Dr. Tomasz Waliczko, Daniel Courtney, and Sandra Haag showcased UDE's expertise through interactive sessions and vital academic contributions.

Dr. Tomasz Waliczko and Daniel Courtney jointly spearheaded a specialized, interactive workshop focused on practical, community-led initiatives. Combining Courtney's deep knowledge of open-source software business models and digital sustainability ecosystems with Waliczko's extensive experience in sustainable digital entrepreneurship, the duo explored how digital innovation can build equitable global partnerships. Their session introduced practical methodologies for "Moonshot Innovation," encouraging participants to develop responsible entrepreneurial practices that benefit local and international communities.

Alongside this practical workshop, Sandra Haag presented her featured research paper on global pedagogies. Haag's work delved into transformative learning, critical global awareness, and the development of core competencies for social entrepreneurship, providing higher education institutions with a clear roadmap to cultivate and measure their real-world societal impact.

The chair extends its gratitude to the organizers at VU Amsterdam and all the international participants who made this year's symposium an inspiring success for global civic education and sustainable ecosystems.

Contact: For follow-ups regarding the workshop methodologies or research papers presented, please reach out directly to Daniel Courtney and Dr. Tomasz Waliczko.

The EHDS4ALL consortium recently came together for its 9th Consortium Meeting and second annual in-person gathering at Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE) in Essen. Across a full day of presentations, discussions, and collaborative exchange, project partners and associated stakeholders reflected on progress achieved over the past year while aligning on the next steps needed to further support the development of sustainable health-data ecosystems under the emerging European Health Data Space (EHDS).

A central topic throughout the meeting was the rapidly evolving EHDS landscape and its growing movement toward implementation within national contexts. Updates highlighted current developments surrounding Germany’s preparations for EHDS adoption, including discussions on health data access structures, data governance, and the increasing role of secondary health data usage and artificial intelligence in future healthcare environments.

The consortium also reviewed the current state of EHDS4ALL itself. As the project moves deeper into implementation, several of its core outputs are now progressing toward integration into the digital platform environment. The prioritization and development of key services—including the maturity model, the secondary data usage framework, educational services, the EHDS Navigator, and the health data access repository—continue to shape the project's practical direction.

An important milestone discussed during the meeting was the continued progress of platform development. Following the successful migration of hosting and infrastructure, work has increasingly shifted toward transforming project results into user-oriented digital services. This includes the conversion of scientific outputs into interactive and accessible platform components intended to support startups, SMEs, and other actors operating within the health data landscape.

Partners across the different work packages presented interim results and ongoing developments, highlighting progress in use cases, business model research, maturity assessment tools, and practical frameworks designed to support organizations in leveraging health data opportunities.

Beyond project outputs, the meeting also highlighted the value of the EHDS4ALL use cases, which continue to generate practical insights across diverse application areas. Current activities range from work on predictive healthcare approaches using linked datasets, to projects exploring neurodiversity and innovative approaches for structuring health information. These use cases remain central for testing and validating project results in realistic settings.

The open forum sessions provided additional opportunities for partners and associated organizations to present emerging ideas and explore potential collaborations. Discussions addressed topics including the transformation of unstructured health information into reusable formats, the practical and economic implications of health data access for organizations, and opportunities to strengthen user perspectives within the project’s remaining phase.

As EHDS4ALL enters its final stages, the consortium's shared focus remains clear: transforming research outputs into accessible tools, services, and practical guidance that can help organizations navigate the future health-data landscape. Through continued collaboration across research, industry, and healthcare stakeholders, the project aims to support a more connected and sustainable ecosystem for health data use and innovation.

The meeting concluded with a shared sense of momentum and a reaffirmation of the collaborative spirit that has continued to drive EHDS4ALL forward and continues to throughout its final year. 

From 18 to 21 May 2026, the University of Duisburg-Essen hosted the Aurora Annual Conference 2026, welcoming researchers, students, and university leaders from across Europe to discuss the future of higher education, sustainability, and innovation.

A particular highlight for the Chair for Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Ecosystems was the plenary session “Innopreneurship: From Peer Review to Revenue”, held on 20 May. The panel focused on how universities can better connect academic research with entrepreneurship and societal impact.

The session featured Hannes Rothe alongside Anne-Karen Hueske, Dana Pietralla, and Lena Katharina Bödeker, moderated by Tomasz Waliczko. The discussion explored how digital ecosystems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking can help transform research into sustainable innovation.

The panel also emphasized the evolving role of universities as drivers of innovation and cross-sector collaboration. In this context, sustainability and entrepreneurship were presented as closely interconnected approaches to addressing societal challenges.

The conference marked another important step in strengthening European collaboration within the Aurora network and highlighted the growing importance of innovation-oriented research and education.

More information about the conference is available on the official Aurora website: Aurora Annual Conference 2026

Over 30 students from across the Aurora Universities recently convened for the Blended Intensive Programme, "Digital Resilience for a Vital Europe." Hosted following a preliminary online phase, this five-day on-site initiative challenged participants to confront sobering realities regarding Europe's digital infrastructure and global dependencies.

Confronting Disruptions and Technological Debt

The program moved beyond theoretical discussions of digital resilience to address pressing contemporary vulnerabilities. Throughout the week, participants examined several critical challenges:

• The brittle nature of dependencies on volatile global supply chains and raw materials.
• The cascading risks associated with technological debt within public infrastructure.
• The localized impact of geopolitical tensions on stock markets and product life cycles.

Applied Student Research and Real-World Impact

A core component of the week involved direct collaboration with public sector partners. Eight distinct student teams worked closely with Stadt Essen and Essener Systemhaus to tackle high-stakes challenges. These teams successfully produced concrete, critically reflected recommendations focusing on the adaptive and absorptive abilities of:

• Artificial Intelligence applications within public administration.
• Sovereign cloud architectures.
• Sovereignty in the use of software.

By directly engaging with these complex topics, the student teams demonstrated that periods of technological and geopolitical disruption can serve as powerful catalysts to accelerate European innovation.

Grounding Research in the Regional Ecosystem

To connect academic insights with practical application, the program integrated visits to key innovation hubs in the Ruhr area. Highlights of these excursions included:

• A visit to the BRYCK Startup Alliance, which featured a meeting with 9elements to discuss digital resilience within the private sector.
• An excursion to the RAG-Stiftung at the Zeche Zollverein. Here, students learned about "Ewigkeitsaufgaben" (perpetual obligations) from Tobias Frick, providing a vital perspective on long-term institutional resilience.

Collaborative Effort

The execution of this comprehensive program relied on an extensive academic and professional ecosystem. The international teaching team featured collaborative contributions from Silvia Rucinska, Liana Razmerita, Ing. Michaela Lukačínová, PhD., Dora Achourioti, Misha Velthuis, and Albina Komysheva, who also spearheaded the event's organization. Crucial practical challenges were conceptualized by Peter Adelskamp, CDO of Essen, and Christian Varcol, Department Head Data Centers & Networks.

Get Involved

Are you a student interested in exploring the intersection of digital innovation, resilient ecosystems, and sustainability? 

Discover our current and upcoming course offerings, student project opportunities, and open thesis topics at the Chair of Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Ecosystems.

Marvin Mathis is a research assistant at the Chair of Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Ecosystems and recently participated in the Blended Intensive Programme “Nurturing seizmic Change” at Copenhagen Business School from April 20–24.

Together with 39 educators and curriculum designers from across Europe, the programme explored how social entrepreneurship education can be strengthened — not only conceptually, but also through practical implementation.

A particular focus of the programme was on co-creation and open innovation. Participants did not only discuss innovative teaching approaches, but also worked collaboratively on concrete implementations, including competency alignment, syllabus redesign, new assessment formats, and the integration of digital tools into teaching and learning processes.

An important component of the programme was the seizmic Community App, which participants actively helped shape through feedback and collaboration. In combination with AI-based mentors, the platform demonstrated new possibilities for supporting students and designing innovative learning experiences.

The programme also emphasized strong connections to practice, for example through a visit to Impact Roasters, where discussions around social entrepreneurship were linked directly to real-world applications.

Beyond the individual activities, the programme highlighted a broader vision: building an international collaboration of universities working towards a shared infrastructure for social innovation education.

Marvin is looking forward to translating these ideas into future courses and contributing to the continued growth of this international community.