Research projects and activities that deal with the social, economic and ecological consequences of structural change in rural regions and develop strategies for a precautionary society are bundled in the interdisciplinary and interdepartmental field of expertise.

The research competences are thus geared towards the current challenges of the regions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and comparable regions and contribute to the university's profile as a university in and for the region. The aim is also to provide orientation and impetus for regional development with the scientific results and interdisciplinary discourse of the research field.

Current research projects deal with issues such as health and quality of life in small villages, the importance of neighbourhoods for social participation, the restructuring of regional services of general interest, neighbourhood management in prefabricated housing estates and the efficiency and acceptance of wind turbines.

It is planned to integrate the activities and competences of the research field into an institute for sustainable regional development at the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences. The establishment of the institute is intended to improve the transfer of knowledge and co-operation between the university's specialist areas as well as with politics, business and civil society in the region and to strengthen the external impact of the research field.