This year, ABUD was again a Climate KIC host. Our pioneer was Marina Braun from Nürnberg, Germany. As an engineer specialised in renewable energy technologies and with a background in digitalization of energy systems, we involved Marina in our research on energy communities. With the supervision of Viktor Bukovszki, Marina was working on the issue of how specific challenges raised by the upscaling of these communities can be overcome by two technologies: urban scale modelling and smart contracts, running on blockchain database. We interviewed Marina about her experiences at ABUD.
Why did you choose ABUD while you were looking for your Host company?
I was looking for an interesting company, that was involved in the creation of sustainable buildings and cities, but not to close to the field I was working at that moment, namely renewable energy systems. I really wanted to enhance my knowledge and see a different approach to create a more sustainable environment in urban areas. ABUD was also my first choice, because I was keen on getting to know the mindset of architects, urban designers, engineers and how they approach climate change in their daily work.
How do you see ABUD now, from the inside, is it different than expected?
I had a very interesting time at ABUD. Not only are the people lovely, the atmosphere is very inspiring too. Understanding the mindset of urban designers was a very great experience that made me think outside my "usual" box and use techniques that I’ve never worked with before. I came up with some great ideas, that I have to further develop in the near future. Overall, it was exactly the experience I wished for.
What do you think, what will you take with yourself from ABUD after the placement?
I now see the broad field of urban design and it’s importance on our way towards sustainable living. I definitely will cooperate more closely with urban planners and designers in my projects, and involve their brilliant and strategic ideas for future buildings and cities.
