Delegation from Katowice visits BTU: Joint look at structural change and research perspectives

From 22 to 24 September 2025, a delegation from Katowice, Poland, visited BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. The group visit was part of the JTF-funded research project "Regional Observatory of the Transition Process" led by the University of Economics in Katowice. Like Lusatia, Katowice is a coal mining region that is facing far-reaching transformation challenges. During the trip, which lasted several days, the participants had the opportunity to enter into a dialogue on how to manage such transitions and to explore opportunities for closer scientific cooperation between the two universities.

Dr Tim Rottleb from the Chair of Economics, in particular Macroeconomics, and Dr Johannes Staemmler from the Department of Structural Change at BTU jointly organised the visit. Prof. Dr Wolfram Berger began the exchange by welcoming the group to the IKMZ, highlighting the common challenges facing our two regions and emphasising the potential for future international cooperation in research and knowledge transfer.

The delegation, which was led by Prof. Monika Wieczorek-Kosmala (Faculty of Strategic and Regional Studies) and Prof. Dr Adam Drobniak (Dean of the Faculty of Spatial Economics and Regions in Transition) from the University of Economics, included representatives from administration, business and science from the region around Katowice.

For three days, the group was introduced to the structural change process in Lusatia. They visited flagship projects such as the Centre for Hybrid Electric Systems Cottbus (chesco), the Lusatia Science Park and the Revierwende trade union initiative, and exchanged views with stakeholders from the Cottbus Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the WFBB, LEAG AG and TAKRAF AG. A visit to the Welzow-Süd open-cast mine was also on the agenda. Here, the delegation was able to gain a first-hand impression of the lignite industry and its impact on the region.

The programme underlined not only the complexity of structural change in Lusatia, but also the common challenges and learning opportunities for our two regions. By promoting direct exchange between Polish and German stakeholders, the visit laid the foundation for deepening academic partnerships and joint research on transformation processes at BTU and the University of Economics in Katowice.