Europe’s industry in transition: Decarbon Days 2026 will make Cottbus a hub for climate transformation

This international event brings together decision-makers from politics, business, academia and start-ups to drive forward the industry’s transition towards climate neutrality.

The focus of Decarbon Days is on the further development of Lusatia into Europe’s first Net Zero Valley – a model region where industrial decarbonisation is being implemented in practice and tested in collaboration with European partner regions. Representatives from politics, business and research, as well as delegations from Germany, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands, will gather in Cottbus for the event.

Decarbon Days at the BTU 

The BTU is one of the region’s key centres for science and innovation and a key partner in the structural transformation of Lusatia. Through its research into the energy transition, hydrogen, Power-to-X technologies and climate-neutral industrial processes, it is actively shaping the region’s transformation. The university combines academic excellence with applied research and technology transfer – thereby creating the conditions for new value creation, Company Relocation and sustainable jobs.

The Energy Innovation Centre (EIZ) plays a key role in this. In this large-scale project, funded by the federal government and the State of Brandenburg, researchers are working together with partners from industry and academia to develop solutions for the climate-neutral energy supply of the future. Research ranges from hydrogen technologies and smart energy systems to energy storage and cross-sector applications for industry and infrastructure.

At the same time, the Lausitz Science Park, situated around the BTU campus, is emerging as one of Germany’s most significant innovation ecosystems for the transformation of energy, industry and infrastructure. Here, research, spin-offs, Company Relocation and technology transfer are closely interlinked. Together with other major projects such as the Centre for Hybrid Electric Systems Cottbus (chesco), the Lausitz Science Park forms a central building block for the region’s economic reorientation.

Furthermore, at the decarbonisation chair, the BTU is investigating concrete ways to transform energy-intensive industries and develop climate-neutral value chains. The combination of research, real-world laboratories and industrial partnerships makes the university a key driving force behind European industrial transformation.

BTU President Prof. Gesine Grande will open the ‘Net Zero Innovation Summit’ alongside LEAG CEO Adi Roesch and will attend the event as a member of the Board of Trustees. She emphasises:

“Lusatia is developing into a European model region for climate-neutral industry. The BTU is shaping this transformation through scientific research and, together with partners from business and society, is putting new findings, approaches and technologies into practice. With the Energy Innovation Centre, the Lausitz Science Park and our research activities on decarbonisation, we are laying the scientific foundations for new value creation and sustainable industrial development. The Decarbon Days demonstrate the innovative potential of this region and the impetus that Lusatia can provide for European transformation.”

European industrial policy meets innovation

The Decarbon Days are closely embedded in the European transformation agenda. At the ‘Net Zero Valley Meeting’, representatives from the European Union, the German Federal Government, the federal states and industry will discuss the future of climate-neutral industrial regions and the implementation of the Green Deal.

The event provides a forum for discussion on new framework conditions for climate-neutral industrial clusters, innovative technologies and the development of resilient value chains. The focus is in particular on hydrogen, Power-to-X applications, renewable energies and collaboration between research institutions, companies and start-ups.

The programme will be accompanied by innovation sessions, start-up presentations and technology transfer opportunities, demonstrating how scientific findings can be translated into marketable solutions. The Energy Innovation Centre and other BTU initiatives will present their latest research and start-up projects.

Talent Day: Experience research, shape the future

On the second day of the event, the campus will become a platform for young talent and professionals. The free Talent Day is aimed at students, school pupils and young talent from across Europe.

Following a keynote address by BTU Professor Roh Pin Lee on industrial decarbonisation, BTU students and researchers will present current projects and research findings. Career and networking opportunities with companies in the energy and transition sectors will provide insights into career paths within the climate-neutral industry.

The programme is complemented by an international Climathon hackathon, company presentations, and guided tours of the Lausitz Science Park and selected research and innovation projects on campus.

Structural change made in Lusatia

Decarbon Days bring together international industrial policy, scientific excellence and regional transformation. They highlight how Lusatia is shaping its transition from a traditional energy region to a European model region for climate-neutral industry.

With the BTU as host, the focus is on a centre of science and innovation that brings together research, knowledge transfer, start-up culture and industrial application. The Decarbon Days demonstrate how scientific findings are being turned into concrete solutions for the energy transition – and how Lusatia is becoming a European real-world laboratory for industrial decarbonisation.