vunk - Institute for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption
Research for the future society:
,,user-oriented design of technology, economy and law on the basis of consensual fundamental values while balancing conflicting legitimate interests."
The Institute for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption (vunk) at Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences bundles the university's interdisciplinary research activities on issues of the future society. It offers a platform for applied research in the field of consumer, user and sustainability research. It facilitates transfer as well as exchange and cooperation with and also in relation to government agencies, civil society, business, media and politics.
The work of vunk refers to the research, co-design and support of a society of the future, its technology, economy and legal framework. This is done with the aim of balancing the diverse interests. On the basis of this balance of interests is formed by basic values on whose validity a society of the future can agree across the board; e.g. fundamental rights. The vunk focuses its research on the user and his or her relationship to products, business models and (digital) goods.
The results of research at vunk are regularly fed back into teaching at the university. Above all, however, they are also introduced into the scientific, social and political discourse.
The competence center is characterized by a particularly broad and well-founded interdisciplinarity. Thus, legal scholars, business economists and economists, scientists from the fields of market and opinion research, technology, psychology, quantitative methods as well as design sciences participate in the competence center.
DIGITALISATION AND IT
The research focus of the subject group "Digitalisation and IT" is how to protect people in a digitalised, entirely networked world and how to promote and ensure transparency, self-determination and participation ... learn more
SUSTAINABILITY
The Sustainability Division conducts interdisciplinary research - including economic, technical, legal, psychological and ethical perspectives - on issues of sustainable products and product development, sustainable business, sustainable consumption and sustainable societies ... learn more
CONSUMER RESEARCH & MARKET INSIGHTS
The specialist group is interested in the relationships between consumers and companies, brands and products. On the one hand, it deals with research into the experience and behavior of people in different phases of the consumption process. On the other hand, it examines marketing strategies (national and international), business models (in the combination of analog and digital worlds) and sustainable behavior patterns of companies. …learn more
CONSUMER LAW
The expert group deals with issues of legal policy discussion, design and implementation of rules for the protection of special interests of private end users and comparable groups ... learn more
CONSUMER DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Ensuring that consumers' rights are not just written down on paper but are actually enforced is a particular challenge for consumer protection. Consumer arbitration boards, for example, offer a low-threshold way to enforce one's rights. The expert group deals with these and other forms of consumer dispute resolution ... learn more
APPRENTICESHIP
The Teaching Division is concerned with linking research with teaching, novel teaching and outreach concepts, and the transfer of research findings to higher education and society, including consumer and user education and awareness ... learn more
COMPETITION, VALUES, WELFARE
The “Competition, Values and Welfare” specialist group discusses issues and topics relating to competition at various levels... learn more
TEAM
HEAD OF VUNK
Prof. Dr. Tobias Brönneke
Head of vunk
Professor of Economic Administrative Law with European References
E-mail: tobias.broenneke@hs-pforzheim.de
Prof. Dr. Steffen Kroschwald, LL.M.
Head of vunk
Professor of European and International Business Law
E-mail: steffen.kroschwald@hs-pforzheim.de
SECRETARIAT
Marta Kast
Room number W2.4.24
Telephone number: +49 7231 / 28-6018
sekretariat.vunk@hs-pforzheim.de
EMPLOYEES
Zina Al-Washash, LL.M.
Room W2.4.33
Tel: +49 7231 / 28-6493
zina.al-washash(at)hs-pforzheim(dot)de
Ben Knappe, LL.B.
Room G2.4.01
Tel: +49 7231 / 28-8019
ben.knappe(at)hs-pforzheim(dot)de
Kim Wolfinger
Room G2.4.01
Tel: +49 7231 / 28-6018
kim.wolfinger(at)hs-pforzheim(dot)de
Lukas Waidelich, M.Sc.
Tel: +49 7231 / 28-6131
lukas.waidelich(at)hs-pforzheim(dot)de
STUDENT ASSISTANTS
Annalena Secci, LL.B.
Yilmaz Tas
The team, from left: Dr. Patrik Schmidt (former research assistant), Zina Al-Washash (research assistant), Annalena Secci (student assistant), Professor Dr. Steffen Kroschwald (head of the vunk), Marta Kast (secretary of the vunk), Professor Dr. Tobias Brönneke (head of the vunk), Ben Knappe (research assistant). Missing persons: Vanessa Schweikert (student assistant), Lukas Waidelich (research assistant), Kim Wolfinger (research assistant) and Luisa Merx (student assistant).
MEMBERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
Prof. Dr. Hanno Beck (VWL especially economic policy)
Prof. Dr. Margarita Bidler (Customer Insights & Data Analytics)
Prof. Dr. Tobias Brönneke (Economic administrative law with European references)
Prof. Dr. Felix Buchmann (Business Law and Data Protection Officer)
Prof. Dr. Svenja Buckstegge (Business Law)
Prof. Dr. Thomas Cleff (Quantitative Business Administration with Statistics and Operations Research)
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Föhl (Psychological Market Research)
Prof. Dr. Simone Harriehausen (Private Business Law)
Prof. Dr. Peter Heidrich (Electrical Equipment and Electrical Machinery Construction)
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Jautz (Private Business Law and Rector)
Prof. Sibylle Klose (Fashion)
Prof. Dr. Steffen Kroschwald (European and International Business Law)
Prof. Dr. Martin Leroch (Economics and Business Ethics)
Prof. Dr. Yasmin Merz (Digital Marketing and Digital Media)
Prof. Gabriele Naderer (Market psychology and buyer behavior)
Prof. Dr. Frank Niemann (Information transmission, transmission methods, communication systems and networks and Prorector)
Prof. Dr. Ralph Schmitt (Private commercial law with focus on general civil and commercial law)
Prof. Dr. Anja Spilski (Chair of Marketing Communication and Marketing)
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Volkert (Economics)
Prof. Dr. Andreas Willburger (Private Business Law with focus on International Business Law)
The head of vunk Professor Dr. Tobias Brönneke and Professor Dr. Steffen Kroschwald, with some members of the vunk in summer 2023: Professor Dr. Christa Wehner (vunk research fellow), Professor Gabriele Naderer (consumer psychology), Rector Professor Dr. Ulrich Jautz, Vice-Rector Professor Dr. Frank Niemann, Dean Professor Dr. Thomas Cleff and Professor Dr. Felix Buchmann (specialist lawyer for IT law and copyright and media law). Photo: Axel Grehl
We regularly collaborate with other institutes on an interdisciplinary basis, for example with the INEC (including Prof. Dr. Mario Schmidt, Prof. Dr. Tobias Viere, Prof. Dr. Jörg Woidasky) or the IOS3 (including Prof. Dr. Thomas Schuster) and thus live interdisciplinarity as part of the vunk DNA not only internally, but also in cooperation with the other university institutes.
RESEARCH FELLOWS
Prof. Brönneke (right) is glad about the new appointment of the research fellow Prof. Voss (left).
ADVISORY BOARD
The advisory board of the vunk is composed of persons associated with the vunk who are outstandingly active or renowned in science, society, administration or politics in the subject areas of the vunk. The advisory board advises the vunk and its management on strategic issues and supports the networking of the vunk in government, science, business and civil society.
- Prof. Dr. Carsten Becker
Director at the German Federal Cartel Office and honorary professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz - Felix Braun
Board member of the Federal Universal Conciliation Body Zentrum für Schlichtung e.V. - Stefan Ebelt
UBA association project WeWaWi and board member ReUse e. V. Berlin - Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Grimm
University of Koblenz and Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology (SIT - Jutta Gurkmann
Head of Consumer Policy Division, Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) - Prof. Dr. Peter Kenning
Deputy Chairman of the German Advisory Council on Consumer Policy (GCEE) Chairman of the German Advisory Council on Consumer Affairs (SVRV) and member of the coordinating body of the Federal Network for Consumer Research at the BMJV - Prof. Dr. Tobias Keber
State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Baden-Württemberg (LfDI BW) - Jean-Marc Noël
Founder and CEO of Trusted Shops SE - Ursula Pachl
Head of Collective Redress bei noyb - Hubertus Primus
Former board member of Stiftung Warentest (StiWa) - Prof. Dr. Lucia Reisch
Head of the El-Erian Institute of Behavioural Economics and Policy at the University of Cambridge - Prof. Dr. Sabine Schlacke
Managing Director of the Institute for Energy, Environmental and Maritime Law (IfEUS) - Dr. Norbert Lurz
Head of Consumer Policy Division, Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection BW
FLUR.VUNK
Debate initiatives by the Institute for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption (vunk) …learn more
VUNK REAL-WORLD LABORATORIES
A real-world laboratory is an innovative institution that acts as an interface between science and civil society. It creates experimental environments that enable people to work together to find solutions to problems facing society today and in the future, and to learn from each other …learn more
MEiK - Single-use medical devices in the circular economy
The MEiK project is analyzing which changes in hospitals can help to reduce disposable waste and promote sustainable action. The aim of the MEiK project is to develop a climate-friendly and high-quality recycling option for disposable medical products with a high plastic content. (2024 - 2026) …learn more
TRUSTWORTHY REVIEW COMMUNITIES – VBG
How can online reviews become more reliable – and what role do consumers play in this? These are precisely the questions addressed by the research project Trustworthy Review Communities (VBG) (2024–2025). …learn more
EVIDENTT
Use of distributed technologies for the evidence-based documentation of consumer protection violations on online platforms (12/2024–08/2025) …learn more
KIVEDU
Artificial intelligence-based consumer enforcement (2023–2025): This project aims to develop an AI-based system that, in the area of so-called “private enforcement,” will enable injunctive relief creditors, among others, to automatically secure their rights and enforce their claims …learn more
MEDI-PI
Added value of providing user data for the personalization and individualization of media offerings (2023): Scientific support in the analysis and design of data protection- and consumer-friendly, value-adding, data-based recommendation systems in SWR online formats …learn more
INFOTEILHABE
Information and participation through user reviews: Status quo & development potential – Reliable and valuable consumer information through intelligent strengthening of the role of consumers in user reviews (2021–2023)…learn more
SMART CITY, SMART REGION...SMART SOCIETY (2022)
Digitalization for and with people: Digital participation and self-determination – on the way to a digital society in Pforzheim and the northern Black Forest. A project by the Scientific Center for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption (vunk) at Pforzheim University in collaboration with the Public Library Department of the Karlsruhe Regional Council and other libraries in the Northern Black Forest for the nationwide Digital Day 2022 …learn more
SUSTAINABLE MODULAR
Moodle micro-modules and teaching materials for secondary levels I and II (2021–2022). …learn more
ALBLENDLEARN
The project aims to support optimal studying in line with the needs and wishes of students. …learn more
ZWISCHEN.VUNK
With exciting presentations and panel discussions featuring interesting guests and colleagues, vunk offers a platform for exchange and transfer. Prof. Dr. Rainer Lademann: Power distribution between industry and food retailers – Is the market power of food retailers a threat to effective competition? (May 25, 2022) …learn more
CONTRACT LAW 4.0 (October 14–15, 2021, online)
CONSUMER RESEARCH FORUM 2019 – REALIZING CONSUMER RIGHTS
CONSUMER RESEARCH FORUM 2018 – SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION
The vunk series "Forschung für die Zukunftsgesellschaft” (“Research for the Future Society") publishes scientific contributions of vunk, its members and contributors and outstanding works of students. With its publication series vunk makes its core mission – conducting research user-oriented design of technology, economy and law on the basis of consensual fundamental values while balancing conflicting legitimate interests – visible to the public and scientific community.
"Research for the Future Society" is part of the series Beiträge der Hochschule Pforzheim (Contributions of Pforzheim University).
vunk - Institute for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption
Tiefenbronner street 65
75175 Pforzheim
Head of vunk:
Secretariat:
Marta Kast, Room number W 2.4.24
Telephone: +49 7231 / 28-6018
sekretariat.vunk(at)hs-pforzheim(dot)de
Are you interested in the vunk-Spruch - The quarterly newsletter from the Institute for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption? Then please let us know at sekretariat.vunk(at)hs-pforzheim(dot)de.
Prof. Steffen Kroschwald (left) and Prof. Dr. Brönneke (right)
