Selected extended papers from the Brazilian-German Conference on Frontiers of Science and Technology Symposium (BRAGFOST), Potsdam 5.-10- October 2017 In October 2017 the 8th Brazilian-German Frontiers of Science and Technology Symposium (BRAGFOS)) was held in Potsdam, Germany, gathering German and Brazilian researchers in the fields of Hybrid climate-control strategies, Multifunctional integration, Light-weight structures, Energy Harvesting, and Urban agriculture. This series of symposia, initiated in 2010, is the result of the collaboration between the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) and the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), and has a special format. Experienced specialists are giving overviews about their research which covers a wide area and making it accessible for specialists from other fields of science and technology.