Stage program
EU meets Net Zero Valley Lausitz
June 26: EU-SUMMIT
A political evening with top-class decision-makers. The first day of the Decarbon Days is dedicated to a special project: Lusatia is on its way to becoming Europe’s first Net Zero Valley – a quasi special economic zone and hotspot for green industry. Lusatia has submitted the first official application for this in Brussels. On this evening, personalities from the EU, federal and state level will come together with local stakeholders to discuss the realization of this visionary project. But beyond Lusatia, the focus will also be on how the innovative strength and competitiveness of the EU can be strengthened from regions such as Lusatia from now on.
Networking in a relaxed atmosphere. Participants can socialize and get in the mood for the political evening.
Music and visuals combine to create a unique Sorbian show. Experience the stage premiere of the collaboration between the Sorbian rapper Stoi, singer Misti, live performer Janko and video artist Plon!
“Welcome to Decarbon Days – Europe’s first Net Zero Valley initiative.” Dr. Nora Baum introduces the event and welcomes Dr. Christian Ehler – Brandenburg’s MEP and host of the evening – to the stage. Both will open the evening with an interesting conversation. Dr. Christian Ehler is the driving force behind the concept of Net Zero Valleys as European regions of advantage. To kick off the Decarbon Days, he will report on the current progress made by both the region and the EU in this project.
The BMWK is coordinating the initiatives of all federal states on the Net Zero Industry Act and the possible designation of Net Zero Valleys in a federal-state exchange. Dr. Beate Baron is the head of the industrial policy department at the BMWK – the fully qualified lawyer has been working for the Federal Ministry of Economics since 2010, has already worked as its press spokesperson and has excellent insights into the work of the EU thanks to a posting abroad at the European Commission in Brussels.
A special project for the “extra mile” on the way to Net Zero Valley Lusatia – a moving idea of LEAG as a strategic partner of the Decarbon Days and the process towards Net Zero Valley Lusatia.
How can Net Zero Valleys as industrial regions of the future contribute to competitiveness and the reduction of bureaucracy in Germany and the EU? Representatives from politics and business will discuss how the bottom-up process on its way to the Net Zero Valley Lusatia can be shaped into a successful blueprint for other regions in the EU through cooperation between the stakeholders.
Better skills are one of the three key measures for a Net Zero Valley – the joint project QLEE is providing the impetus for a Net Zero Academy in Lusatia.
The importance the European Commission attaches to the Net Zero Industry Act, the role of Net Zero Valleys on the path to a net zero economy – and how this strengthens competitiveness and promotes innovation.
How can stakeholders at EU level and Germany’s location marketers support the performance of German Net Zero Valleys as hotspots for green industry in an international context? European politicians provide insights into how the Net Zero Industry Act and upcoming regulations in Parliament and the Commission will lead to acceleration, better qualification of the workforce and easier investment.
Now it’s up to everyone! What contribution can each individual Decarbon Days participant make to our Mission: Emission?
What is the status of Germany’s first two Net Zero Valley initiatives and what role can digitalization and AI in administration play in their implementation? Politics and administration as drivers/Net Zero Valleys Lusatia & Lower Saxony: Dr. Christian Ehler, Daniel Keller (Minister of Economic Affairs of the State of Brandenburg), representatives of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Lower Saxony (tba) and Maxim Asjoma (Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Hasso Plattner Institute)
Music and visuals combine to create a unique Sorbian show. Experience the stage premiere of the collaboration between the Sorbian rapper Stoi, singer Misti, live performer Janko and video artist Plon!
Conversations, drinks and modern classical music by “Tobi Plays Piano”. At the end of the stage program, participants will have time to reflect on what they have heard. There will also be an opportunity to exchange ideas with the speakers.
Rethinking green industry together
June 27: TECH-FESTIVAL
An interactive event day with many opportunities for inspiration and exchange. The second day of the Decarbon Days will focus on the topic of green technology with a diverse stage program. Participants can look forward to experienced experts and inspiring innovators in pitches, panels, Q&As and more formats. There will also be a wide range of accompanying offers that will bring both cleantech and related technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, drones, etc. to life. Shows, quizzes, workshops, happenings and more – on this day there’s something for everyone.
We welcome a unique mix of participants! By strictly limiting the number of tickets to one third each for players from business/science/administration, founders/entrepreneurs and students/young talents, the event leads to an innovative exchange away from established formats.
“Welcome to the Decarbon Days.” The stage is opened by Melanie Stein, who gives a brief overview of the agenda, welcomes the organizers for a greeting and then introduces the first thematic block of the program.
Cleantech (with science YouTuber Jacob Beautemps)
Green industry is currently experiencing a global boom. Annual investments in this future market have risen from 929 to 2,083 million dollars between 2020 and 2024 alone. The well-known science YouTuber Breaking Lab puts this growth into context in a pitch and highlights the resulting potential for Europe.
The path CEMEX and other companies from energy-intensive industries are taking on the road to CO2 neutrality – and what others can learn from it.
How will clean technologies shape our future – and what opportunities do they offer now? Whether renewable energies, electromobility or storage – current developments and concrete best practices will be used to discuss the industries in which cleantech will become economically viable in the future.
With its high energy requirements, aviation is one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize. This makes it a technological challenge – but also an opportunity to realize revolutionary innovations, which is why the cleantech complex is concentrated here with an impulse on this focus topic.
Curated by chesco & presented by HY2GEN AG
How can the decarbonization of aviation succeed – and what role can Lusatia play in this? Whether biofuels or synthetic and e-fuels – industry representatives and experts will discuss sustainable aviation fuels and other currently promising technologies that could make Net Zero Aviation possible.
Curated by chesco & presented by HY2GEN AG
Start-up curated by the Energy Innovation Center (EIZ)
Start of the second topic area: Start-up. Moderator Melanie Stein and curator Jakob Pohlisch introduce the following two hours.
CARBON13 has already supported around 1,000 founders with programs – with each CARBON13 project expected to save 10 million tons of CO2 annually. An impulse about the scalability of green start-ups and what vision they need to have in order to stand out from the multitude of start-ups.
High-performance ultrasound for more climate-friendly concrete. How the start-up Sonocrete made it from research project to supplier to Deutsche Bahn.
For start-ups in Brandenburg and Saxony: Four start-up pilots introduce themselves and their funding opportunities.
From pyrolysis cogeneration plants to photovoltaics for industry – 3 start-ups from the decarbonization sector introduce themselves.
The Female Energy Award by enviaM is a new prize that honors inspiring female innovators in the field of green energy and industry in East Germany. This prize, which will be awarded annually for the first time at Decarbon Days in future, highlights women with outstanding achievements in green technologies of the future. Curated by Lucie Töpfer, herself a model founder in the cleantech sector, the award is preceded by a pitch from the three finalists.
Politics curated by the Center for Sustainable Transformation (zNT)
Where does the UK stand on decarbonization – and what can we learn from it? Input directly from the UK climate change NGO that created the Net Zero Tracker.
“Net Zero” is not a fashion, it will and must come. An impulse about the economic opportunities that decarbonization offers the respective industries.
How can Net Zero regions develop new competitiveness and innovative strength and what economic policy framework conditions are required for this? Following on from the previous program item, a look will be taken at the local level and how regions can tap into new added value by promoting the green industry and ensure more growth with equally increasing stability.
An outlook on the future of the event and the region. At the end of the stage program, the organizers give feedback in a speech, a brief outlook on the next steps for the Decarbon Days and look at the development of Lusatia into Net Zero Valley – the trigger for the idea of the “Decarbon Days” event.
The Indian dance group from Cottbus has been delighting audiences in Cottbus and Berlin since 2023 – and will be performing a specially choreographed dance battle for the first time for the Decarbon Days
Cool classical music meets pop – by two talented musicians from Cottbus.
Various drone systems – flown live by experienced pilots! Anyone who would like to try out drone flying for themselves will also have the opportunity to do so at the 3D-AERO stand.
Relaxed conversations with easy-going music to round up the day. After the end of the stage program, you can either network in a relaxed atmosphere or continue to take part in the many other activities beside the stage. With drone show by 3D-AREO, dance flash mob by Cottbus Beats and cool classical music meets pop by Tobi Plays Piano & Clara Valerie.
Future prospects in the cleantech industry
June 28: TALENT-DAY
Career opportunities for young people and a varied supporting program – with free admission and including a shuttle bus to the location. This day is dedicated to the opportunities for international university graduates in the job market of transnational Lusatia. A panel of experts on the internationalizing labour market and its demands on university graduates on the one hand and companies on the other will be followed by a look at the welcoming culture in Lusatia with young politicians and finally, at the finale of the Climathon premiere, proof of the potential that international students offer for the local economy. Eight teams will present their solutions in the live pitch of the first Climathon – an innovative contest on the challenges facing the Lusatian economy in the field of cleantech, which is endowed with prize money. The transnational “Talent Day” is supported by the German-Polish Euroregion Spree-Neiße-Bober and organized in close cooperation with the universities of Zielona Gora and BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg.
Admission on this day is free for everyone. In addition, shuttle buses will run regularly between BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, the train station and the event site – for a smooth and climate-friendly journey for participants from all over the world.
An international welcome from representatives on both sides of the Neisse.
Labor markets are becoming increasingly diverse – how does this impact graduates and companies? Representatives from the two cooperating universities and the business world will discuss this question – and give young people tips on how they can make a name for themselves with companies and what skills they will need in the future.
Political talk: What is the situation in Lusatia regarding the labor market of the future – and what about a welcoming culture for “internationals”?
The Indian dance group from Cottbus has been delighting audiences in Cottbus and Berlin since 2023 – and will be performing a specially choreographed dance flash mob on the Decarbon Days.
Teams tackle real-life challenges in the green industry and compete for €1,000 in prize money. Inspired by the popular hackathon format, the Climathon begins in the forefront of the event, and will have its final on Talent-Day with the presentation of the teams and the award ceremony by a selected jury and the audience. The central partner of the Climathon is the Lausitz Investor Center.
Various drone systems – flown live by experienced pilots! Anyone who would like to try out drone flying for themselves will also have the opportunity to do so at the 3D-AERO stand.
Institutions and companies from the region introduce themselves. Participants will have the opportunity to find out more about job offers and the work of various local companies related to the green industry in personal discussions.
Lausitz Dynamics (project team for the Shell Eco-Marathon), drone flight briefing and aerospace quiz by 3D-AERO, Memory by Fraunhofer IEG, tour of the Lausitz Science Park and snippet hunt by Trip Lead UG, VR-Live with EIZ and much more.
AI ● VR ● drones ● live mosaic fotobox ● cleantech quiz ● paper airplane contest ● flight simulator ● Science Park tours ● Science Park treasure hunt ● and much more
Side program
Focus on consulting
Hands-on hydrogen
Discuss with us what contributions applied energy research can and should make to a Net Zero Industry using concrete project examples.
100% renewable energy supply solutions, today and in the future
The Lausitz reference power plant will be the first power plant based entirely on renewable energy that can provide versatile energy supply services by combining different technologies. How can best practices be transferred to individual circumstances?
Heat transition is half the energy transition?
What role do innovative, digital planning tools play in accelerating the transformation and expansion of the regional heating infrastructure and making it future-proof?
Industrial and commercial areas on the way to a circular economy
Why is it so important to analyse energy and material flows across companies and how can RE expansion, grid expansion and economic development be better synchronized?
Hands-on hydrogen
Hands-on hydrogen
Discover the mysterious corners of the Lausitz Science Park! Our guided Lost Places bike tour takes you to forgotten and hidden places on the old airfield site – where history and the future meet. Registration at the LSP stand.
Lausitz Dynamics presents its energy-efficient vehicle “Hydragen”.
Discover the mysterious corners of the Lausitz Science Park! Our guided Lost Places bike tour takes you to forgotten and hidden places on the old airfield site – where history and the future meet. Registration at the LSP stand
Explore the Lusatia Science Park on your own – with the help of your smartphone or a printed map. Interactive, flexible and with a view into the future! Discover what is currently happening on the site and what will be created here in the coming years.
Hunt for the best time on the topic of decarbonization – powered by Fraunhofer IEG. Program item available at any time.
At the EIZ stand, use a VR headset to travel to the coast or the countryside – where wind turbines and solar panels produce electricity. Can be used at the EIZ stand during opening hours.
Take a portrait of yourself in the photo box at the LEAG stand. Available at any time.
Try out the flight simulator, pass the “Suitable for aerospace” quiz and learn how to use student drones! Possible at the 3D-AERO stand.