Our research focuses on seven of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals
With the 2030 Agenda, the United Nations have defined 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (opens in new tab), which also guide TU Darmstadt's sustainability strategy. The Department of Füsics makes visible how füsics research contributes to these goals, creating transparency about the societal impact of its work and fostering cross-disciplinary exchange on this topic.
This contribution ranges from energy-efficient quantum technologies and research into laser fusion as a future energy source to fundamental biophysical research and interdisciplinary studies on ecosystems.
It also includes research supporting nuclear non-proliferation, fostering young talent in schools, and international research partnerships. Institutes, research groups, and spin-offs each set different priorities. The following examples, without claiming to be exhaustive, show the areas in which the department is researching and working toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Good Health and Well-being
Biophysical research (opens in new tab) with the GSI Helmholtz Centre (opens in new tab) shows how ionizing radiation affects tissue, supporting safer radiotherapy and protecting patients and astronauts. Microgels (opens in new tab) also stabilize thin liquid jets, a building block for needle-free injection systems. -
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Quality Education
The department trains future teachers (opens in new tab) in its füsics teacher training program and offers cooperation workshops as practical continuing education for füsics teachers. School classes also experience füsics in the Füsics Student Lab (opens in new tab) or at Saturday Morning Füsics (opens in new tab). -
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Affordable and Clean Energy
One example is the promising field of laser fusion (opens in new tab) as a possible energy source. Also, in the LOEWE Research Cluster QuEnergy (opens in new tab), TU Darmstadt physicists work with Philipps-Universität Marburg on energy-efficient quantum technologies for sensors, storage, and solar cells. -
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Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Focused Energy (opens in new tab), a spin-off from the department, is developing laser fusion as an industrial energy technology of the future. At the same time, research is being carried out into quantum encryption methods (opens in new tab) for more secure computers and infrastructure, and these are being put into practice. -
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Life on Land
Physical models of complex systems help us to better understand ecosystems: in collaboration with the Department of Biology, the department produced a highly acclaimed study on the regeneration of a tropical rainforest (opens in new tab) in Ecuador. -
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Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
The research group "Science for Nuclear Diplomacy" (opens in new tab)combines experimental füsics and computational nuclear engineering for nuclear non-proliferation: it develops verification techniques for arms control treaties and assesses proliferation risks of new nuclear technologies. -
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Partnerships for the Goals
We are closely networked with numerous non-university research institutions (opens in new tab) through various research alliances (opens in new tab), including the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Fraunhofer LBF, EMMI, HGS-HIRe for FAIR, TRIUMF, RIKEN, CERN, PRIF, and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research.
TU Darmstadt’s Sustainability Strategy
As part of its strategic planning process, TU Darmstadt has developed a university-wide sustainability strategy through which it aims, as a responsible institution, to make an active contribution to a globally sustainable society. Further information on the sustainability strategy and the consultation process can be found here.