News and Events

The new transdisciplinary project ReHoLab (Re-Use Hof Living Lab: a hub for materials and knowledge), funded by Engaged UniBE and led by Sebastian Fastenrath, has officially launched. Over the next three years, the project will investigate and develop circular economy practices in the DIY and construction sectors.

‘Lager B’ (Re-Use Hof Bannholz) in Wohlen bei Bern serves as a living lab for circulating reusable materials from demolition, defective batches and overproduction. The focus is primarily on new practices, collaborations and innovations relating to these material flows. The project is a partnership with OFFCUT Bern, led by Julia Lütolf.

Last Saturday, 12 September, the Bern Sustainability Days provided the perfect opportunity to showcase the project on site: Lager B opened its doors to the public for the first time. OFFCUT Bern shares the warehouse with other circular economy organisations from Bern, including RE-WIN, Kreisbau and Quadrat AG. Two guided tours through the 70-metre-long warehouse introduced visitors to the organisations based there, accompanied by the exhibition ‘How circular is your lifestyle?’, curated by ZirkuLIE.

We are delighted to see how many committed and inspiring organisations in Bern are working on solutions for a circular construction industry – and that our own real-world laboratory is now right at the heart of it all.

Link:
Engaged UniBE

Contact:
Dr. Sebastian Fastenrath
sebastian.fastenrath@unibe.ch
Hannah Wicki 
hannah.wicki@unibe.ch

From September, Sebastian Fastenrath will lead a new three-year project: ReHoLab, together with partner OFFCUT Bern (Julia Lütolf).

The project centers on the Re-Use Hof Bannholz in Wohlen near Bern – a warehouse where construction materials from demolition and overproduction are prepared for reuse. ReHoLab accompanies this site as a real-world lab, studying how circular economy practices emerge and how such models could transfer to other Swiss cities.

More info: Re-Use Hof Reallabor – Engaged UniBE

From 21 to 24 June 2026, Sebastian Fastenrath participated in the 4th International Workshop on Circular Economy and Sustainability (IWCES), hosted jointly by the University of Bergamo and Monash University in Bergamo, Italy.
Sebastian presented ongoing research on the spatiality of circular economy transitions, examining how place-based dynamics shape circular food waste experimentation across Melbourne, Vienna, and Zurich.
The workshop brought together scholars from across Europe, Australia, and the Americas and opened up promising avenues for future collaboration.

Sebastian Fastenrath has been elected as an academic member of the transdisciplinary working group “Economy and Climate Change Adaptation” at the Academy for Spatial Development within the Leibniz Association. Over the next three years, the working group will bring together academia and practitioners to deepen economic perspectives on climate change adaptation and develop practical strategies for sectors and regions particularly affected by climate change. Particular emphasis is placed on linking scientific expertise with application-oriented solutions.

Heike Mayer has been elected to the SRI board for a three-year term. With the Sustainability Research Initiative, SCNAT, together with its sister institutions, promotes research on sustainable development and 2030 Agenda. It focuses on the joint handling of social issues of higher priority in overarching consortia.

Heike Mayer, Professor of Economic Geography, was a guest on SRF 1 Radio this week.

As a guest on SRF 1, she reported on the SNF research project on mountain hubs and spoke about ideas and initiatives that have the potential to make mountain communities more attractive again.

The interview (in German) is available here.

Prof. Dr. Heike Mayer and Micaela Lois travelled to Barranquilla, Colombia, for an exciting workshop with the SNF-SPIRIT research project team “Women Entrepreneurs: An Intersectional Perspective on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Colombia, Germany, and Switzerland” (WeEco). Over the course of the workshop, we delved into research design, methodologies, and specified the focus of our three case studies. One of the most memorable moments was an interactive session with local entrepreneurs using LEGO blocks. Through this hands-on approach, participants built and shared their unique perspectives on entrepreneurial ecosystems, visualising their structure, challenges, and opportunities. This creative exercise sparked lively discussions and helped us uncover what truly matters to entrepreneurs. By co-creating their ecosystems, participants can highlight their experiences and shed light on spaces of inclusion and exclusion, offering invaluable insights for our research.

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