Charting a Course for the Future Together: The CirculaTUM Retreat 2026

From July 1 to 2, 2026, the CirculaTUM network gathered at the TUM Academy Center in Raitenhaslach for its annual retreat. Over the course of two days, female professors, postdocs, doctoral candidates, and students from the Technical University of Munich took advantage of this intensive exchange to jointly develop new ideas and provide impetus for the circular economy.

The program ranged from practical examples to various interactive workshops:

• Poster exhibition: Students, PhD candidates, and postdocs presented current research projects, dissertations, teaching formats, and student initiatives such as the School of Circularity, Reconsult, and the Straubing Green Office.
• Guest lectures: René Geiß (City of Munich) and Nivedita Mahida-Königsdörfer (BayFOR) provided important insights for the network through their presentations. Our discussions with René Geiß yielded several exciting areas for collaboration, and we are very much looking forward to future cooperation between CirculaTUM and the City of Munich.
• Interactive workshops: In collaborative workshops, new project opportunities and various research topics were developed. In addition, student groups devised measures to facilitate a circular and sustainable everyday life.
• Sustainability & Games: The circular economy was not only discussed but also explored through play: Using interactive gamification formats, participants were able to experience key concepts in new ways and exchange ideas about their application in teaching.

The 2026 retreat has once again demonstrated how important in-person, interdisciplinary exchange is to the success of our network. The insights and project ideas generated will shape CirculaTUM’s work in the coming months.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their great commitment and productive contributions!