Parliamentary Evening on March 4, 2026
Energy research and innovation for Germany as a business location
On March 4, 2026, representatives from science, industry, and politics gathered at Basecamp in Berlin Mitte.
Germany faces the challenge of achieving climate neutrality, security of supply, and economic competitiveness simultaneously. Under the motto “Energy research is the key to combining these goals,” the parliamentary evening showed how Helmholtz Energy, together with industry partners, is accelerating technology transfer and thus laying the foundation for sustainable technological leadership.Am 4. März 2026 kamen Vertreter und Vertreterinnen aus Wissenschaft, Industrie und Politik im Basecamp in Berlin Mitte zusammen.
The evening began with four short, inspiring presentations: from our patron, Karl Lauterbach, Martin Keller, President of the Helmholtz Association, Jan Hesthaven, Vice President Energy of the Helmholtz Association, and Thomas Thiemann, Senior Vice President Energy Transition Technologies (Siemens Energy GmbH). They addressed key topics in energy policy and energy research and provided important points of reference for the subsequent Energy Research Marketplace.
Bernd Rech (Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Center Berlin, HZB) then moderated a panel discussion in which participants examined from various perspectives which instruments are necessary to achieve precisely this speed in technology transfer.
Immediately afterwards, the highlight of the evening began: the Energy Research Marketplace. Our guests visited the themed tables, where successful collaborations between Helmholtz Centers and industry partners were presented.
Green hydrogen – research for a resilient, green hydrogen value chain
At this table, Kerstin Eckert (Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, HZDR) and Tobias Seidel (Sunfire SE) discussed the challenges involved in ramping up hydrogen technologies and possible partial solutions. Also at this table, Giovanni De Carne (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, KIT) and Peter Eckert and Matthias Berghofer (Siemens Mobility GmbH) presented the Mireo Plus H hydrogen train and the KIT H₂ Rail Laboratory.
Research into sustainable materials for energy production and storage
Christoph Brabec (Jülich Research Center, FZJ) and Tobias Stubhan (Sciprios GmbH) presented the Helmholtz Innovation Platform Solar TAP. They showed how Solar TAP is accelerating the transfer of innovative photovoltaic technologies into industrial applications through close cooperation between research and industry. Sustainable battery materials were also in focus: Yan Lu (HZB) presented novel materials designed to reduce European dependence on raw materials.
Research for a resilient, secure, and affordable energy system
Jochen Linßen (FZJ) discussed this topic with Leander König-Kotzur, founder of minimum energy. Both emphasized one of Helmholtz Energy's central missions: to train and mentor the next generation of researchers and support them in implementing their innovative ideas. In addition, Veit Hagenmeyer (KIT) and Stefan Niessen (Siemens AG) presented results from the Kopernikus Projects.
The consistently positive feedback from our guests shows that the format provided ideal conditions for an open and constructive exchange and was particularly appreciated for this reason. The projects presented met with great interest and clearly demonstrated the central role that energy research-driven innovations play in the transformation of our energy system and for Germany as a business location.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all participants from politics, science, and industry for their valuable contributions, committed dialogue, and great interest in our work.
The evening once again demonstrated how important strong partnerships and reliable networks are in accelerating the transfer of innovative technologies, thereby jointly laying the foundations for a secure, sustainable, and competitive energy system and securing Germany's position as a business location.
Núria González & Andrea Meyn
Organising Team of the Parliamentary Evening
