Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important tool for addressing sustainability challenges. From analyzing environmental systems and optimizing infrastructure to monitoring and managing natural resources, AI methods enable new ways of extracting knowledge from data, improving predictions, and supporting informed decision-making.

The landscape of AI methods is as diverse as the sustainability challenges they address. Drawing from this wide range of research opportunities, the workshop’s Keynote Talks highlight two particularly promising areas: GeoAI and AI for sustainable energy system operation. The keynotes are complemented by Spotlight Talks showcasing current research activities at the University of Münster and highlighting opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange and future collaborations. One of these Spotlight Talks will be given by Prof. Fabian Gieseke (Department of Information Systems), who will talk about "AI4Forest: AI for Large-Scale Forest Monitoring from Space". Beyond that, the workshop also provides space for critical reflection on the role of AI in sustainability research by inviting discussion of dominant technological narratives.

Bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines, the workshop is designed to spark new ideas, encourage fresh perspectives, and strengthen AI for sustainability research at the University of Münster. All interested researchers, including PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers, are cordially invited to join the event.

When: 14 September 2026, 12:30 – 17:45

Where: GEO 1 Building, Heisenbergstraße 2

Registration:  Register by 31 August via Indico.

Contact: Katrin Schmietendorf (CDSC), Carolin Bohn (ZIN), Fynn Schmidt (Ulysseus).

For the schedule and abstracts, please see the detailed program.

The workshop is co-organized with the  Center for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research (ZIN). International participation in the event is enabled by the Ulysseus European University Alliance.