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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Three years of research come to an end: GreenInnoSax junior research group develops solutions for energy transition, resource conservation, and pollutant reduction. With the end of the funding period, the GreenInnoSax junior research group at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK Leipzig) will take stock at the end of 2025. Funded by the European Social Fund and the Free State of Saxony, a team of seven young scientists researched issues relating to the energy transition, the substitution and elimination of pollutants, for example from plastics and buildings, and the sustainable use of resources.
The transformation of the energy system, sustainable products and processes, and the reduction of environmental pollutants play a key role on the path to a sustainable future. "With GreenInnoSax, we have succeeded in pooling interdisciplinary expertise from several faculties at HTWK Leipzig and local partners such as the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig (UFZ) to jointly develop practical solutions and technologies. The project has proven to be a focal point for future research and transfer projects at HTWK Leipzig and has also been an important tool for the individual qualification of young researchers," explains Björn Höhlig, professor of sustainable construction and building renovation and head of the junior research group.
Interdisciplinary research for a sustainable future – overview of topics
Pollutants: A central research topic was the degradation of organochlorine pesticides, which still pose a threat in historical wooden objects and works of art today, as they were a component of wood preservatives. The team developed a two-stage process that first extracts the pollutants from the material and then converts them into significantly less toxic compounds through catalytic processes using reactive hydrogen. Initial investigations by Viktoriia Karabtsova revealed degradation rates of over 90 percent. The environmental chemist also gained deeper insight into the mobility behavior of the pollutants – an essential building block for future restoration and remediation strategies.
Biocides from facade paints and plasters enter the water cycle through precipitation and can accumulate there. To better understand this process, Maria Balda and Robin Berg further developed a sprinkler device that enables realistic testing. The analysis provides detailed data on leaching processes. Adsorption tests with activated and biochar developed at HTWK Leipzig also showed that such materials can play an important role in managing pollutants and protecting the environment. These findings are important for the development of suitable filter systems.
In order to monitor the durability of structures, it is necessary to detect salts that are harmful to buildings and different water contents in mineral building materials in a non-destructive manner. To this end, Alexander Oschim developed a method using ground-penetrating radar. Initial studies prove that areas contaminated with salts can be reliably identified.
Elena Lorenz investigated the method of X-ray fluorescence analysis for use on reinforced concrete structures: it enables rapid on-site measurements of chloride content. With just a few reference measurements, the results provide a solid basis for efficient in-situ condition assessment.
Building materials/climate adaptation: An important step towards the use of innovative, sustainable building materials is the stress testing of large-format, hybrid wood-straw elements by Timon Macht. He was able to demonstrate the high load-bearing capacity of straw as a building material and presented recommendations for future measurements.
Jan Bertram shed light on the topic of atmospheric water harvesting. He developed a prototype facade element for passive water harvesting, providing new impetus for climate-adapted building envelopes. This could become increasingly important for the development of sustainable blue-green infrastructures in the future.
Hydrogen technology: In order to gradually replace fossil fuels, hydrogen is increasingly being fed into the natural gas grid. This requires inexpensive sensors that monitor the hydrogen content in oxygen-free environments. In another focus of the project, Alexander Kühne and Oliver Bartzok developed a semiconductor-based sensor that reliably detects hydrogen concentrations of up to about 20 percent in natural gas. In addition, Andreas Blum developed a cost-effective, explosion-proof electronic platform that enables sensor operation in industrial environments.
Final presentation and review
The junior research group is closely integrated into regional and supraregional networks such as RWTec, Saxony5, and Hypos, and cooperated intensively with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). The combination of environmental technology, materials research, and hydrogen innovations has resulted in practical solutions with high transfer potential.
Following the final presentation of GreenInnoSax on December 4, 2025, HTWK Leipzig can look back on three years of intensive applied environmental and technology research. The results show how multidisciplinary approaches can help reduce pollutants, conserve resources, and provide concrete support for the transformation to a sustainable, climate-neutral future.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Björn Höhlig
HTWK Leipzig, Professor für nachhaltiges Bauen/Bauen im Bestand
Tel.: +49 341 3076-6511
E-Mail: bjoern.hoehlig@htwk-leipzig.de
Lorenz, E. et al. (2025): Feasibility study for in-situ measurement of the chloride content in reinforced concrete structures using X-ray fluorescence analysis for condition assessment and service life prediction. In: 21st fib Symposium Proceedings, June 16-18, 2025, Antibes, France. ISBN 978-2-940643-29-5.
https://greeninnosax.htwk-leipzig.de GreenInnoSax Website
Young researcher Jan Bertram examines a substrate plate made of peat moss and inserts sensors into i ...
Quelle: Jan Bertram
Copyright: HTWK Leipzig
The GreenInnoSax junior research group team (from left): Alexander Oschim, Elena Lorenz, Oliver Bart ...
Copyright: HTWK Leipzig
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