From 14 to 18 July 2025, the SUSEE Summer School took place at the Free University of Bozen - a central format within the European project SUSEE - Smaller Universities for Sustainability in Engineering Education. The focus was on the question of how engineering systems can be planned and designed sustainably. Particular attention was paid to the Axiomatic Design approach in conjunction with Systems Engineering - a method that helps to develop complex technical systems systematically and purposefully.
The SUSEE project brings together the TU Ilmenau, the Free University of Bozen (Italy), the University of Information Technology and Management Rzeszów (Poland) and the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (France). A total of 46 students and doctoral candidates took part in the summer school.
Renowned academics from Europe and the USA - including Prof Chris Brown (WPI, USA), Prof David Cochran (Purdue University, USA) and Prof João Fradinho (NOVA Lisbon) - gave online lectures and assessed the teams' final presentations. Stephan Husung gave a lecture on Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) - a structured approach that incorporates sustainability aspects such as recycling, reuse or reprocessing into the development of technical systems at an early stage.
Practical projects with real challenges
A particular focus was on the practical application of what was learnt. The participants visited companies in the region such as Alpitronic, TechnoAlpin and Gresmalt - their current challenges formed the basis for three interdisciplinary projects:
- Alpitronic: Development of an assistance system for the assembly of charging stations
- TechnoAlpin: Redesign of a mobile snow factory from a sustainability perspective
- Gresmalt: Design of an AI-supported agent for data-based production optimisation
TU Ilmenau was represented by students and doctoral candidates from the fields of mechanical engineering, media sciences, computer science and industrial engineering.
David Jussupov, Master's student in mechanical engineering, summarises:
Das SUSEE-programme enabled me to help design a project in the field of AI - a topic that was new territory for me. I learnt a lot and really appreciated the expertise of my international team members.
Intercultural exchange and outlook on Boston
In addition to the intensive specialist programme, the week also offered many opportunities for personal exchange: a reception on the roof of the university, an excursion to Lake Kaltern, a wine tasting at the historic Tiefenbrunner winery and a joint closing evening with aperitivo.
Romana Rauch, Master's student in Industrial Engineering and Management, was impressed:
The week was intense but incredibly inspiring. I was particularly impressed by the factory tour at Alpitronic - and the exchange with students from other countries. The Free University of Bozen lives sustainability on campus.
The students worked under time pressure in randomly assembled teams - an experience that not only demanded technical expertise, but also social skills. Rishi Deepak Mohan Gharpuray emphasises:
It was a valuable experience to develop my own concept together with fellow students from different disciplines. The interplay between technology, teamwork and the cultural programme was outstanding.
The best projects from the Summer School will be given the opportunity to present their results at the 18th International Conference on Axiomatic Design (ICAD) at MIT in Boston in 2026 - a special honour and motivation for everyone involved.
Safi Sulaiman, a Master's student of micro- and nanotechnology and a member of the SUSEE project since 2024, was instrumental in the success of his team, which took first place in Bolzano, summarises:
The Summer School was a great experience both professionally and personally. The SUSEE project has shown how closely sustainability and modern engineering education can be linked.