The Klever Birne sustainability award was presented for the third time on the evening of 11 September 2025. A preliminary jury selected the ten most creative ideas from 22 entries. Nine teams then presented their ideas in the form of three-minute presentations on the evening of the award ceremony. The jury awarded first prize to the team ‘10 m2 Neighbourhood’. The audience award went to the idea ‘Food Forests’ by student Hien Do.
The Klever Birne, a collaboration between the TransRegINT project (Transformation of the Lower Rhine Region: Innovation, Sustainability, Participation) at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW) and the city of Kleve, had the theme of ‘Sharing Economy’ this year: Kleve residents were called upon to come up with creative ideas to show how sharing, swapping and community action can make the city more sustainable. Twenty-two entries testify to the fact that the competition is still proving very popular in its third year. ‘Integration into the region is an important concern for the university. This includes working with the city of Kleve to promote commitment to sustainable measures. I am very pleased to see that the sustainability award is now known beyond the city limits,’ said Prof. Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen, President of HSRW, at the start of the final. Joachim Schmidt, Deputy Mayor of the city of Kleve, emphasised the value of the award and encouraged the teams for their presentations: ‘Who knows, maybe tonight we will find the next big impetus for shaping the sustainability of our city.’
3 minutes for each team
Each team has three minutes to present their idea and then answer questions from the jury. The audience also has a say: everyone can vote for their favourite idea to win the audience award. The ideas presented range from exchange stations, neighbourhood initiatives and networking platforms to sensors for environmental data and a reusable cup system to community-supported agriculture and food forests.
First prize goes to ‘10 m2 Neighbourhood’
The jury retires to deliberate, and the last ballots for the audience award are placed in the ballot box. Then the winners are determined and announced by Joachim Schmidt and Dr Gerhard Heusipp, Head of the Centre for Research, Innovation and Transfer at HSRW and Deputy Project Manager of TransRegINT. The first prize, worth €2,000 and including individual coaching, goes to the ‘10 m2 Neighbourhood’ initiative. Anna-Lena and Philip Frauenlob, together with Jan-Peter Heinz, want to use a mobile bicycle trailer to transform parking spaces into lively meeting places in the neighbourhood. Why 10 m2? Cars spend 95% of the day in public spaces and occupy a parking space of at least 2 m x 5 m = 10 m². The team is convinced: ‘We as a society can use this space.’ The prize money will go directly towards the construction of the bicycle trailer. The goal is clear: ‘We want to be ready for the next Klever Birne and then drive in here with our trailer,’ say the Klever*innen.
Solidarity Agriculture Association, Sanjha Idea and Food Forest Idea also receive awards
The celebrations are just as lively for the second winning team, the Solidarische Landwirtschaft Kleve association. The harvest is the focus and is distributed among the members. In return, they pay a membership fee and help out on campaign days, for example. The prize money of €1,500 strengthens the association’s investment power and will be used to fund an irrigation system. The third prize, worth €1,000 in prize money and coaching, goes to ‘Sanjha – Sharing Hub’, an idea conceived by students Hannah S. David and Kirandeep Kaur. They want to promote the sharing of items with exchange stations and an accompanying app, because ‘Sanjha’ means ‘sharing’ in Hindi. The winner of the audience award is also a student at HSRW: Hien Do impressed with his idea of food forests. Domestic gardens thus become valuable edible forests. A first garden in Kleve is already in the planning stage.
The jury
This year’s jury was very diverse, enabling different perspectives on the ideas presented. The jury included Herbert Looschelders from the Kleve Social and Ecological Foundation, Dirtje Derksen from the Kleve District Climate Working Group, Nadja Brauer, educational director of the Kleve District Vocational Training Centre (BBZ), and Michael Gesikiewicz, neighbourhood manager at SOS Children’s Village Lower Rhine.
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