Event United States of America Structural Change
Event Review: Cleantech Cluster Opportunities in Eastern Germany
Innovative Water Technologies for Smart Cities
On June 26, 2018, innovative water technology solutions for smart cities were discussed during a GTAI breakfast briefing at the Seattle World Trade Center.
Pioneering environmental policy and a supportive legal framework have helped establish Germany as one of the leading markets for sustainable water technologies. With a world market share of 11 percent and an expected growth of almost 12 percent annually until 2025, Germany offers attractive opportunities for innovative water technologies. Climate change, urbanization, and digitalization are only some of the drivers creating demand for new solutions that guarantee higher efficiency and water quality standards.
The water industry in the new federal states of Germany has undergone a massive modernization program. As a result, many Eastern German companies and research institutions have gained considerable expertise, in upgrading drinking water supply and wastewater treatment plants. Knowledge transfer is highly important, and facilitated by a number of initiatives. Universities like the Technische Universität (TU) Berlin are very active in water technologies research and the training of future water management professionals. Next to collaboration opportunities with partners from academia, industry and research, the German market offers a huge potential for U.S. water technologies and other companies.
In the beginning, the guests were welcomed Honorary Consul Ulrich Fischer, J. Thomas Ranken, CleanTech Alliance, and moderator Angelika Geiger, GTAI San Francisco. A comprehensive market overview was presented by GTAI expert Annika Förster, who also highlighted business opportunities for U.S. companies in Germany. As head of chair "Environmental Process Engineering" at TU Berlin, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven-Uwe Geißen is at the forefront of innovative research in the water technologies sector. Next to the university’s water-related activities and projects, he introduced networks of the German water sector and cooperation opportunities for German and U.S. companies. Afterwards, Russ Weed, UniEnery Technologies, shared his perception of the German “Energiewende” (energy transition) and resulting opportunities. During the networking sessions, the event facilitated a knowledge exchange between experts from both countries.
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Agenda
07:30AM | Registration & Networking |
08:00AM | Welcome & Opening Words Ulrich Fischer, Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Washington and Montana J. Thomas Ranken, President and CEO, CleanTech Alliance |
08:20AM | Climate Change Impacts on the Urban Water Sector – Uncommon Business Opportunities Annika Förster, Manager Energy, Building & Environmental Technologies, Germany Trade & Invest |
08:40AM | Trends and Perspectives in Industrial Water Management Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven-Uwe Geißen, Head of Chair "Environmental Process Engineering", Technische Universität Berlin |
09:00AM | Cleantech Acceleration and Opportunities during the "Energiewende" Russ Weed, VP of Business Development & Marketing, General Counsel, UniEnergy Technologies |
09:20AM | Questions & Answers |
09:30AM | Networking |
Moderator: Angelika Geiger, Director, Germany Trade & Invest San Francisco | |
