Green Transformer Summer school and student challenge ” Enabling Innovative Wool Transformation Through Sustainable and Adaptive Resource Processing”

The University of Primorska invites students of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral study programs to apply for the summer school and student competition Green Innovator: “Creative transformation of wool through sustainable and resilient approaches”, which is being implemented as a blended intensive program.

The summer school aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the scientific, technological, and socio-economic challenges associated with the modern use of wool.

Although wool has been used for millennia for clothing, shelter, and numerous artisanal purposes, modern regulatory frameworks often classify raw, unprocessed wool as a biohazardous agricultural by-product. Only after the washing (degreasing) process does it acquire the status of an industrial resource suitable for further processing. This classification creates a paradox: a historically valuable natural material is today perceived as waste if it is not properly treated.

The summer school responds directly to this challenge by training a new generation of researchers and practitioners who can look at wool not as a residual material for disposal, but as a versatile bio-based raw material with great potential for sustainable rural development, circular economies, and innovative industrial applications.

Applications for the event are submitted via this form.

The application deadline is May 31, 2026.

Who can apply?

UP students and young researchers who have active student status on UP study programmes.

Program

The summer school will include interdisciplinary lectures, workshops, and field visits, providing participants with the necessary knowledge to develop their own proposals for creative ways to use by-products of the wool processing industry, thereby significantly reducing environmental impact.

The program will consist of two parts:

Part 1: Informative lectures and field exercises to learn about:

• materials science, covering wool composition, biodegradability, and fiber modification;
• sustainable resource management;
• research in the field of rural innovation;
• industry ecology.

Part 2: Student workshop:

• developing new processing methods that expand the utility of wool beyond clothing and yarn.

The main areas include:

• agriculture; construction; biorefinery and industrial processes.

In addition to the lectures, students will also have individual consultation hours to provide help and support for their independent work.

Student tasks

Students will receive 3 ECTS credits for participating in the summer school.

Before the start of the summer school, students will receive access to basic literature. Detailed instructions regarding individual work will be provided during the event itself.

To obtain the planned credits, it is necessary to complete the tasks assigned by the lecturers. The tasks will lead to the presentation of a proposal for a practical solution to the problem of reusing waste from wool production.

For more information, contact: transform4europe@upr.si