100 guests at uDay XXIII at the FHV

This year's uDay with the title "Climate: Behavior? Design!" attracted 100 guests to the FHV - Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences. Numerous participants from science, practice, politics and society listened to the exciting presentations and exchanged views on current developments relating to climate-relevant behavior and innovative design strategies. Guido Kempter, Head of the FHV's Human-Centred Technologies (HCT) research center, emphasized the relevance of the format in his welcoming address: "Designing the future of the climate requires not only technological answers, but above all social answers - and this is exactly where uDay comes in. Dealing with the topic shows impressively that change is feasible - with research and knowledge, creativity and cooperation."

Organizer Tobias Werner from HCT summed up: "The audience showed great interest. We succeeded in bringing together experts and practitioners from a wide range of fields and promoting a lively dialog. We were particularly pleased that the participants were not only highly engaged in the discussions, but also took away concrete ideas and solutions from the workshops."

Socially just climate policy

Provincial Councillor Martina Rüscher sent a video message and emphasized: "Events like this year's uDay are very important for raising awareness because they focus on socially just climate policy. The effects of climate change are clearly noticeable in Austria, which also has health consequences. The research results presented at the event show impressively how even simple measures can help to deal with the changing conditions. For example, with the increasing occurrence of heat waves. On the other hand, sustainable measures for climate-friendly and sustainable healthcare are presented. With these results, the FHV's Human-Centred Technologies research center is making an important contribution to stimulating climate-relevant behavior and design in Vorarlberg. I would like to thank the entire organizational team for their great commitment to making events like this possible and thus making a valuable contribution to raising awareness and networking in this important field."

Martin Moder as a guest

The well-known molecular biologist Martin Moder (Science Busters) provided a stirring and entertaining impulse with his trenchant lecture "Climate crisis finally solved". Afterwards, top-class speakers such as Ruperta Lichtenecker (GÖG), Susanne Willi (Amazone Association) and Marcel Butterweck (Butterweck KG) addressed topics such as sustainable healthcare, career guidance in the face of climate change and heat protection measures for vulnerable groups.

The afternoon started with practical workshops that offered space for interactive participation. Whether green roofs, innovation in the care sector, municipal adaptation strategies or climate-friendly school design - the topics were diverse and highly relevant. The presentations on spatial planning in Vorarlberg by Andrea Weninger and on the Rhesi project by Markus Mähr made it clear once again how important climate adaptation is for all of us right now. The scientific poster exhibition offered the opportunity to exchange ideas with researchers, whose contributions can also be read in the digital conference proceedings. The next uDay XXIV in 2026 will focus on the project "SimLern - AI-optimized, simulation-based learning environments" under the direction of Patrick Jost.