Students shape the future with traditional companies

As part of their practical project in the fourth semester, students on the bachelor's degree program in Energy & Sustainability Management took an in-depth look at Carl Alois Walde GmbH & Co KG in Innsbruck. The aim was to draw up an energy balance sheet for the company and life cycle assessments for three different soap products.

Carl Alois Walde GmbH & Co KG is Austria's oldest soap factory and has been producing high-quality soap products from natural and near-natural raw materials since 1777. In addition to classic soaps, the product range also includes cosmetics, cleaning products, scented candles, and handmade specialty candles. For eight generations, the company has placed particular emphasis on quality, sustainability, and innovation – values that are now being carried forward toward a sustainable future.

In the project, the students analyzed the building and production processes and collected all relevant data for the preparation of the balance sheets. Thanks to regular exchanges with the contact people at Walde, Sabrina Canal, responsible for quality and regulations, and Alexander Mungenast, operations manager, they gained valuable insights and were able to realistically assess the operational processes. In doing so, they directly applied the knowledge they had gained in the sustainability assessment course taught by Franziska Boroviczény, MA, research fellow at the Institute for Sustain & Estate and head of the practical project, and gained valuable experience.

First insights into the company and the project through a visit to Innsbruck

At the end of March 2025, the students visited the Walde company for the first time, accompanied by Franziska Boroviczény. During this excursion, they received all the information they needed to implement the project. The students then divided into groups: each group analyzed a different soap product from Carl Alois Walde GmbH & Co KG and created its own life cycle assessment for it. Another group focused on creating an energy balance for the company headquarters in Innsbruck and also examined mobility at the location. Throughout the project, the students were supported by several contact persons from FH Kufstein Tirol and Walde, enabling them to successfully implement the project.

From the outset, Walde was determined to gain a deeper understanding of the life cycle assessments of its products and to create a sound basis for its sustainability assessment. This commitment reflects the company's claim:
The expertise of our members of staff and the careful selection of the raw materials we use are at the heart of everything we do. We are driven by the desire to manufacture and offer high-quality, sustainable products. (Walde, 2025)

Impressions and insights during and after the project

To create the individual life cycle assessments, the students used the Ecoinvent database and the openLCA program as part of the project. They entered all relevant information and data into the program in a structured manner and continued to develop the analyses over several weeks. The students benefited from close collaboration with Franziska Boroviczény. In addition, they received valuable input from Sabrina Canal and Alexander Mungenast to refine the life cycle assessment and significantly increase its informative value.

In June 2025, the practical project group traveled to Innsbruck again to present their findings to date to the client in an interim presentation. In an intensive exchange, the students identified specific areas for improvement, which they continued to work on until the final presentation.

At the beginning of July 2025, the students presented the final results to Sabrina Canal and Alexander Mungenast as part of the final presentation at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein in Tyrol. They provided exciting insights into the individual work steps and then engaged in a lively exchange with those present about the results achieved.

The practical project enabled both the students and the company Walde to gain valuable insights and practical experience that will be useful in the long term.

Links:

• Energy & Sustainability Management | ft
• Walde Seifen | Website