Prof. Dr. habil. Ursula Eicker handed over the leadership of the Institute of Applied Research (IAF) to a new scientific directorate in June 2019 and accepted the invitation to Concordia University of Montréal as part of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program (CERC).
The Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program (CERC) is a funding program of the Canadian government that has been calling strong and well-known scientists from all over the world to Canadian universities since 2008. Funding of up to $10 million over several years enables them to establish a challenging research program with outstanding colleagues.
In this context, Prof. Eicker has taken over the research chair for Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities (Canada Excellence Research Chair in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities.). This includes research on energy efficient neighborhoods with renewable supply, smart networking and information technology, urban simulation and sustainable urban development.
Together with 5 other new professors in the "Cities" research cluster from the fields of philosophy, design, electrical engineering, urban biodiversity and building research, the chair will investigate how cities can operate sustainably while providing new services to their citizens. It builds on inter- and transdisciplinary research in environmental complexity, resilience, and sustainability. It focuses on the use of living labs for demonstration at the neighborhood level and the advancement of urban data and modeling science.
With this longer-term research stay, however, Prof. Eicker does not turn her back on the IAF, but only interrupts her work at the HFT for a few years. Through this newfound connection to Concordia University, a lively exchange with HFT Stuttgart is made possible. In research, Prof. Eicker continues to provide important impulses.
The Institute for Applied Research (IAF) is the central scientific institution of HFT Stuttgart. Fifteen years ago, Prof. Eicker laid the foundation for the IAF with the Center for Sustainable Energy Technology as the university's first competence center. Thanks to the many projects launched by Prof. Eicker, the HFT Stuttgart, which now has eight centers, has established itself as one of the most most research-active university made a name for itself among all German universities of applied sciences.