Although laboratories belong to the most resource-intensive areas of the university, they have traditionally received less attention than other fields such as the energy and building sector, or mobility.
To remedy this, the University of Vienna has joined the sustainability framework SPARKHub. SPARKHub aims to help researchers reduce their environmental impact through practical guidance, certification, and community-led good practice. The auditing mechanism is based on verification through peer-to-peer reviews with central quality control checks. In addition to experimental laboratories, SPARKHub contains modules also for workshops and computational groups, allowing improving the sustainability of most research activities.
During the pilot phase over the summer, three laboratories from the Faculty of Physics reached the bronze certification: Somex lab, Faculty Center for Nanostructure Research, and Physics of Nanostructured Materials. The certificates are available on the SPARKHub website.
After this successful pilot phase, SPARKHub is expected to be released in its final version later this year, after which many other laboratories are expected to join. After this successful pilot phase, SPARKHub is expected to be released in its final version later this year, after which many other laboratories are expected to join.
