The year 2023 in review: Highlights from the GreenTech Innovation Competition
BMWK kicked off its GreenTech Innovation Competition with a special event on 19 October 2023. The event offered 21 newly funded projects and the professional community insights into innovative digital approaches and solutions to pave the way for the economy’s green transformation – a comprehensive shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices.
Christoph Pflock, Speaker from the BMWK’s ‘Development of Digital Technologies’ Department, during the GreenTech Innovation Competition kick-off © BMWK
19 October 2023 marked an important milestone in the cultivation of digital technologies when the GreenTech Innovation Competition was kicked off at the Digital Technologies Forum in Berlin. The on-site programme included a number of lectures, panel discussions and workshops on current issues and solution approaches surrounding the role of digital technologies within the scope of the economy’s green transformation. An interactive exhibit in the Digital Technologies Forum’s showroom presented the latest digital developments, such as artificial intelligence and smart living.
Dr Daniela Brönstrup, Director General Digital and Innovation Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), opened the event with Prof. Dr Thomas Weber, President of acatech, the German National Academy of Science and Engineering. These introductions and preliminary discussions focused primarily on the role of digitalisation and the potential it holds in the context of the green transformation. Then Dr Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMWK, discussed the opportunities digital technologies offer as the key to a sustainable and sovereign economy: “The ‘green markets’ have enormous growth potential worldwide, and German companies, especially SMEs, can secure a strong market position here. With the GreenTech Innovation Competition, we want to strengthen the innovation potential in the field of digital environmental technology. The funded projects provide important impetus for the digital and sustainable transformation of the economy.” Afterwards, she honoured 21 new research projects as winners of the GreenTech Innovation Competition before an audience of 165 people.
The primary objective of the event was not only to facilitate the knowledge exchange between the various projects but also to offer insights into the practical experience gained by economic experts. Dr Susanne Gewinnes, Head of Industrial and Research Policy at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), Niklas Meyer-Breitkreutz, Head of Sustainability & Environment at Bitkom, Dr Claas Oehlmann, Executive Director of the Circular Economy Initiative of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), and Dr Christine Neuy, Managing Director of microTEC Südwest e.V., provided practical input. They summarised current developments, requirements and opportunities for digital technologies in the industry.
21 digital solutions help strengthen Germany’s position as a high-tech location
The technology programme is funding a total of 21 projects that impressively illustrate the key role digital technologies can play in the sustainable, digital transformation of the economy, especially if unintended consequences, such as rebound effects, are considered from the outset. This is why the GreenTech funding programme primarily focuses on ensuring the sustainability of the solutions to be developed. The wide range of topics demonstrates the myriad application areas for these projects. These include the construction industry (NaiS), the manufacturing sector (ARIKIDES, CERAHEAT4.0, CliCE-DiPP, CO2ptiMat, de:karb, DiCES, greenProd, PredictECO, ProDiNA, TwinSpace), trade (fashionsort.ai), interoperability (CliCE-DiPP, CO2ptiMat), communication technologies (ARKIDES, ECO:DIGIT, ESCADE, Green Streaming, TwinSpace), crisis management (VIPFLUID), artificial intelligence (ARKIDES, BeverGreen, DiCes, ESCADE, fashionsort.ai, Na, Logisch, NaiS, PredictECO, ProDINA, SAAT, VIPFLUID), agriculture (CO2For-IT, SAAT), logistics (BeverGreen), media technologies (ECO:DIGIT, Green Streaming), the process industry (BeverGreen, CERAHEAT4.0) and smart living (CrowdWater). In the new year, attention will turn to further significant milestones both within the funded projects and at the programme level.
Detailed information on these projects can be found here: digitale-technologien.de/greentech-projekte
