TUM deepens engagement with UC Davis and Stanford on sustainable food systems

The development of sustainable food systems requires interdisciplinary collaboration – from the life sciences to agricultural and environmental sciences, as well as digitalization, entrepreneurship, and policy frameworks. Food and agriculture are not only scientific and technological challenges but are also closely linked to culture, taste, and consumer needs.

Challenges in sustainable food systems

Against this backdrop, the TUM delegation engaged in discussions with representatives of its two partner universities in Northern California. The delegation was led by Prof. Stephen Schrettl and Lisa Göpfert from the TUM School of Life Sciences. Participants also included Prof. Volker Sieber, Rector of the TUM Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability; Prof. Corinna Dawid, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology; Roman Bosl Werner, Managing Director of the TUM Venture Lab Food / Agro / Biotech; Prof. Heinz Bernhardt, Chair of Agricultural Systems Engineering; and Prof. Jürgen Geist, Chair of Aquatic Systems Biology.

UC Davis: Interface of agricultural science and innovation

UC Davis and TUM complement each other in their respective strengths in food systems, agriculture, biotechnology, sustainability, and food and agri-entrepreneurship. In discussions with researchers from the biological and engineering sciences, agriculture, as well as food and environmental sciences, the focus was on shared topics and new opportunities for collaboration. The Innovation Institute for Food and Health and the Institute for Global Nutrition were also involved in the discussions.

Stanford University: Research on climate and food systems

TUM already maintains a strategic collaboration with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in the areas of the energy transition, energy-efficient building design, circular economy, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.