Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW

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Sustainability Navigator

Summary

The Sustainability Navigator serves as a dynamic platform designed to showcase and publish sustainability projects, fostering a vibrant community for networking and collaboration in the field of sustainability.

Keywords

Angular, NodeJS, Sequelize, MySQL Database, Docker Container, SWITCH Server

Objectives

The primary objective for the Sustainability Navigator (SN) project is to develop an adaptable solution tailored to the needs of various stakeholders at the FHNW. This will involve initial in-depth discussions with stakeholders to assess and incorporate their requirements and expectations. The SN aims to be integrated into the FHNW environment at a later stage. Due to the current relaunch of the FHNW website, immediate integration is not feasible, necessitating the development of a solution that functions independently at first but can be integrated into the FHNW systems later.

The IP5 project covers the comprehensive development of server, database, backend, frontend, and design, facilitating the creation of profiles and the publication of projects on the platform. A key goal is to ensure the platform is user-friendly and interactive to enhance user engagement. The development will culminate in a functional prototype, showcasing the benefits and laying the groundwork for potential integration discussions with marketing and IT departments. The design and functionality of the SN are crucial to meet the needs of both the internal stakeholders and external visitors, with a focus on simplicity and interactivity to encourage widespread use.

Initial Position

The FHNW has a strong focus on sustainability, boasting a team of experts in various sustainability domains, actively engaging in research projects and offering courses on this crucial subject. Nonetheless, there exists a lack of awareness among many regarding the wide array of sustainability-related skills, projects, and offerings available at FHNW. This lack of clarity poses a challenge for external individuals, staff, and students in fully comprehending the extent of what FHNW provides in terms of sustainability. To address this issue, a tool called the "Sustainability Navigator" is set to be developed.

The client for this project is the FHNW, and it involves three primary stakeholders whose needs and expectations need to be assessed and taken into account. Additionally, this initiative is built upon a bachelor’s thesis conducted in August 2023, which delved into the research and analysis required for such a tool. Their research, comprising interviews and various investigations, revealed that users prefer a tool that can seamlessly integrate into their existing workflow. However, due to the ongoing relaunch of the FHNW website, immediate integration isn’t feasible. Consequently, the plan is to create a solution that can be adapted and integrated later, while currently functioning as a standalone tool.

Solution

The solution encompasses a dynamic platform designed for FHNW's researchers and lecturers, enabling them to establish profiles and present their sustainability projects. The Sustainability Navigator functions as a pivotal resource for both internal and external visitors, facilitating networking and connecting them with specialists in various sustainability endeavors. This platform not only aids in finding experts for particular projects but also actively encourages collaboration and engagement in working towards a sustainable future.

The projects are sorted by Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's). The project overview page also delivers crucial informations about the SDG's and why they are important.