Speed dating in the Historic Main Building Ecoversity Initiative: Cooperation for Strong Science

On 24 February 2026, the Ecoversity project teams met for the second time. Employees from 16 departments at Technische Universität Braunschweig used the meeting in the Science and Art Lab in the Historic Main Building to get to know each other better and discuss their respective tasks.

Employees from 16 departments came together for the Ecoversity project team meeting. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Science thrives when it is conducted collectively within a vibrant ecosystem. An ecosystem in which institutions, disciplines, and support structures are interconnected. Only in this way can potential be unleashed that would not be possible alone.

TU Braunschweig is located in one of Europe’s most research-intensive regions, but the associated development opportunities have not yet been fully exploited. The university’s goal is to collaborate across disciplines and work more closely with various regional stakeholders. It wants to enter into partnerships with industry, politics and society — not as guests at the university’s table, but as co-creators of a shared future. Through the “Ecoversity – Ecosystem University” initiative, TU Braunschweig is consistently expanding its network. A team funded by the zukunft.niedersachsen funding programme will work intensively on the initiative in the coming years together with other stakeholders from the university and the region.

During a speed dating session, participants got to know the various projects and the people behind them. Sixteen teams from various projects within the Ecoversity initiative (covering topics such as alumni, student marketing and internationalisation) and the Ecoversity Hub took part, with eight tables and fifteen five-minute rounds, as well as a gong. In a very short time, they shared content, discovered interfaces and developed initial ideas for collaboration. Then, until the gong sounded to prompt participants to move on and bring new conversation partners together, the process continued.

TU President Angela Ittel welcomed the participants to the project team meeting. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Speed dating: 8 tables, 15 rounds of five minutes each, and a gong. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

During a speed dating session, participants got to know the various projects and the people behind them. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Henrike Wenzel and Dr Jule Hillgärtner from the Science and Art Lab. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

Initial ideas for collaboration were developed during speed dating. Photo credit: Kristina Rottig/TU Braunschweig

TU President Angela Ittel welcomed the participants and emphasised how important networking within and outside TU Braunschweig is, as well as the contributions of each individual project to the success of the initiative.

“Because the world around us is changing in general, science in particular must also change and become more networked. TU Braunschweig is actively tackling this task with its members. All those who want to accompany this transformation, our changemakers from a wide range of fields of study, are advancing cooperation between science, business and society. This will enable us to pool our strengths and thus make much more effective use of the opportunities offered by this region. Everyone is invited to participate!” says Angela Ittel.

The project team meeting at the Science and Art Lab marks the beginning of an exciting process. Now it is time to follow up on the contacts made during speed dating and the initial ideas for joint actions and bring them to life.