European Students Create Sustainable Results

Within the framework of the E³UDRES² Bootcamp on the topic "Creative Roots – Designing Experiences Inspired by Nature" from 7 to 11 July 2025 at the Sportzentrum Niederösterreich, more than 30 students from nine European countries worked on creative solutions for more sustainable living with and in nature. The five-day innovation format was organised by the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, the leading institution and coordinator of the European University Alliance E³UDRES².

Creative Ideas for Nature and Environmental Protection

The focus of the innovative format lasting five days, held as part of an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme, was on concrete questions contributed by the Lower Austrian initiative "Natur im Garten" in close collaboration with the Garten Tulln. The objective was to develop new ideas as to how the experience of nature, environmental protection, and educational work could be designed in an even more playful, interactive, and sustainable manner in future.

"We shape the future here in Lower Austria, with new ideas that renew our country and strengthen our continent. Young people from various countries and disciplines jointly work on hands-on solutions that will benefit our society and conduct research to offer our children the best possible future. Such formats enhance not only innovative power but also cohesion in Europe. Lower Austria is a place of innovations – and here in St. Pölten, we show the strong impact that these ideas can have internationally as well", says Stephan Pernkopf, Deputy Governor of Lower Austria.

"As the lead of the European University Alliance E³UDRES², the St. Pölten UAS is a pioneer in the active design of the European educational landscape. Its commitment brings together talented people eager for knowledge, thus promoting teaching, research, and innovation. The E³UDRES² Bootcamp impressively demonstrates how creative solutions to the challenges of our times can be found by bringing together students from all over Europe with their individual knowledge and ideas", says Matthias Stadler, Mayor of St. Pölten. 

_{The participants of the E³UDRES² Bootcamp in St. Pölten. Credit: Luna Moser}

Finding Solutions to Real-World Challenges

In interdisciplinary and international teams, the students dedicated themselves to five challenges. These included, for example, the question of how garden owners could be motivated to make their gardens more climate friendly as well as ideas for the playful teaching of biodiversity – such as knowledge about garden-dwelling birds or relationships between predators and prey in the ecosystem.

On Wednesday, a field trip took the participants to the gardening exhibition Garten Tulln where the teams explored nature and the theme park and received feedback on their first concepts.

European talents co-create regional futures

The E³UDRES² Bootcamp not only brings fresh ideas to Lower Austria, but also unites international talents who actively help shape the region. These young participants act as ambassadors for St. Pölten and Lower Austria in their home countries, spreading innovative approaches far beyond national borders. At the same time, the region benefits directly: EU-funded activities generate new impulses for education, the environment, and sustainable development.

Award-Winning: Subscription Box for Bird Protection

The jury selected the team "Birdwatch Buddies" with the idea "Bird ’n’ Box" as one of the winner projects. Based on a subscription box, older people in particular are to be playfully familiarised with the diversity of garden birds and encouraged to actively engage in the protection of birds. The box, which is sent out at regular intervals, contains information, crafting materials for birdhouses, games, bird food, plant seeds, and trading cards.

Vertical Plant Shelves for Balcony Gardeners

"The Bootcamp was a great experience for me. Especially the intensive teamwork helped me to listen more closely and to value other perspectives", explains Amira Babkir, a student of the Polytechnic University of Setúbal in Portugal. Together with her team, she worked on the following challenge: "How can we help hobby gardeners to create a sustainable, green oasis on their balcony with limited space and little effort required?" The result: a concept for an innovative vertical planting shelf with automatic irrigation, intuitive app control, and optimal use of space.

Coaching, Community, and European Spirit

The students were accompanied by experienced coaches from the E³UDRES² partner countries who supported them with their diverse expertise in fields including Design Thinking, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and communication.

Apart from the intensive project work, the participants certainly did not lack for social events, either: A Science Pub Quiz, a barbecue evening at the lakes in St. Pölten, and joint sports sessions – from yoga to spike ball – promoted networking between the students, thus strengthening cohesion.