Podcast – two years of “Future Lab”

With over 20 episodes, the podcast “Labor Zukunft – Forschung ohne Kittel” provides insights into the work of the District Future real-world lab and local sustainability projects. The format explores transformation processes on site.

Source: Podcast Labor Zukunft

Since the podcast’s launch in January 2020, two dozen episodes have already been published in cooperation with Campusradio Karlsruhe. With changing guests, the episodes hosted by ITAS scientist Helena Trenks provide food for thought and show in a practical way how everyone can help make their own city more sustainable.

Real-world lab research and everyday topics

Time for a little review: While the first episodes provide an overview of the District Future real-world lab, sustainability, and real-world lab research in general, the later episodes present topics from ITAS real-world lab projects, such as sustainable energy production, nature-based gardening, serious gaming, and other approaches. Also everyday topics such as water, mobility, and sustainable food and shopping are examined from a sustainability perspective and placed in a scientific context.

Repair café, photovoltaics, and international experts

The topic of personal sustainability is also explored together with experts and various experiences are presented. For a special English-language episode, the US scientist Jenny Stephens, an acknowledged expert on innovative energy systems and social transformation processes, could be won as an interview partner. The conversation focused on the topic of energy justice for all and the question of how society and politics should be linked with science and technology. The podcast delved deeper into this topic in an episode on balcony photovoltaics.

In the fall of 2021, the young generation in particular had its say. In a double episode, participants in the FutureFiction competition read from their texts about positive visions of the future. The podcast also regularly presents sustainable and everyday projects from the city, such as the repair café or the lending shop in Karlsruhe.

The new episodes appear every last Tuesday of the month live on air at 8 pm on 104.8 FM or in the stream of Campusradio Karlsruhe. Afterwards, all episodes are available on Spotify and in the Campusradio Mediathek. (11.08.2022)

Further links:

Detailed blog article on Labor Zukunft topics and episodes to date