On 11. December 2023, the 3. Fachforum Chemie was organized by the German Competence Centre on Climate Change Mitigation in Energy Intensive Industries (KEI), focusing on the topic of “Acceptance strategies in the transformation of the chemical industry”. Besides Dr. Jörg Rothermel (Head of Energy, Climate Protection and Resources at the German Chemical Association/VCI) and Dr. Utz Tilllman (Senior Advisor Industry at Agora Energiewende), Prof. Roh Pin Lee (Chair of Decarbonization and Transformation of Industry, BTU Cottbus) also contributed an impulse presentation on a multidimensional approach to support a holistic evaluation of the transformation of the chemical industry towards circularity and carbon neutrality. Following the presentations, the three speakers were joined by Dr. Indira Dupuis (Division Head of Work Transformation, Work and Environment Foundation of the IGBCE) and Dr. Franziska May (Research Associate in the Group Energy Transition and Public Policy at Research Institute for Sustainability/RIFS Potsdam) for a panel discussion on multifaceted aspects related to public, market, political as well as employee acceptance in the sustainability transformation of the chemical industry.

More Information under: https://www.klimaschutz-industrie.de/veranstaltungen/3-kei-fachforum-chemie/

On 30.11.2023, the BMBF organized the China Competence Conference to promote networking amongst actors who are active in and contributing to the development of China competences in Germany. The interactive event enabled the identification of existing China competences as well as China-focused research projects in Germany to support the generation of potential synergies and cooperation opportunities.  

On Thursday 9^th November 2023, the 4^th Lausitzer Conference 2023 brought together key actors from science, industry and politics in Cottbus for an intensive discussion about opportunities and challenges for energy intensive industries on their way towards climate neutrality in Germany. In addition to addressing the question required solutions to enable and accelerate sustainable production and process chains, speakers also shared about their current developments and project deployments for producing climate-friendly production. The 2023 Lausitzer Conference was organized by the Cluster Decarbonization in Industries (CDI) – founded in November 2021 by the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU), the Fraunhofer Research Institute for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems (IEG), the Institute of Low-Carbon Industrial Processes at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as well as the Competence Center on Climate change Mitigation in Energy Intensive Industries (KEI).

More information under https://www.cluster-dekarbonisierung.de/de/newsroom/details/4-lausitzer-fachkonferenz-praxisbeispiele-veranschaulichen-nachhaltige-industriedekarbonisierung.html

On 7^th November, Dr. Christopher Jones from the University of Portsmouth (UK) held a guest lecture on social acceptance of technology in the course “Communication of Science & Technology” at the BTU Cottbus, sharing his work in factors affecting public acceptance of technology and his experience in engaging the public on controversial energy project deployments.

On 1^st November, the Zeit Veranstaltungen, in cooperation with the Cluster Decarbonization in Industries (CDI), kicked started the first of its series “ZEIT Campus Zukunftsfragen: Grüne Jobs von Morgen” at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. Following a welcome by Prof. Grande (President of BTU Cottbus) as well as a short interview with Andreas Findeisen (Head of the CDI), Prof. Lee (Chair of Decarbonization & Transformation of Industry, BTU) discussed about opportunities for young adults to contribute to the green transformation of the industries together with Dr. Erik Blasius (Project manager of Renewable Energies, BASF Schwarzeheide), Sebastian Kießling (Co-founder and General Manager of Prof. Dr. Berg & Kießling) and Rico Schneider (Head of Transformation, SIEMENS Energy) in the panel discussion.

More Information under: https://www.cluster-dekarbonisierung.de/de/events/details/zeit-campus-zukunftsfragen.html

We welcome Prof. Dr. Roh Pin Lee at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg this coming winter semester. As head of the research division Technology Assessment at the Institute for Energy Process Engineering and chemical Engineering (IEC) at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, she has had an impressive scientific and professional track record. Born in Singapore, Ms. Lee is trilingual (German-English-Chinese) nd has been in Germany since 2005. Her scientific background encompasses psychology, decision-making and international resource and environmental management. In 2022, she also completed her habilitation in the field of technology assessment at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with the thesis “Multidimensional Assessment for a Carbon Transition in Carbon Intensive industries”.

With a strong international network from science and industry in the energy, chemical, waste management, recycling and engineering sectors, she additionally acts as the scientific coordinator of the German National network for a Circular Carbon Economy (NK2).

“My focus is the integrated social-technological-economical-ecological-political (abbreviated: STEEP) assessment of decarbonization and transformation options for the industry. Together with BTU students and colleagues, I aim to provide grounded systemic information and insights to inform/quality/support socio-political dialogues and decision-making processes for the sustainability transformation. My vision is to connect different disciplines, sectors and interests so as to promote transdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration at the interface of science, industry, politics and society.”