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Conference on Green Technologies and Innovations in Czechia, Saxony and Bavaria
2 - 3 September 2021
National Library of Technology, Technická 6, Prague, Czech Republic
The decision about the European Green Deal and the present corona crisis have triggered new discussions about a more sustainable way of life and about technological sovereignty. Several states are now investing into technologies for the future while, in the light of rising global players, it has become clear that a leading role of Europe in technology and economy can only be maintained through technological innovations and groundbreaking research.
If one looks at the region of Central Europe, there are a number of specific environmental challenges which require answers and solutions such as a growing number of annual droughts, efficient waste management or dwindling water levels. Those challenges are not unique to one single country, but they demand cross-border responses and a linkage of different approaches.
The conference shall therefore look at current innovations in different areas of green technologies and data analysis as well as provide a platform for exchange between researchers, companies and policy makers from the Czech Republic, Saxony and Bavaria. Offering prominent keynote speakers from all three regions, the event is part of a successful series of conferences which has been taking place since 2015.
General Information
Conference Fee: The conference will be held F2F without fees.
Official conference language: English
Moderator: Tomáš Sacher
Live stream available here https://youtu.be/RQzDQ6QZRPw
Programme
Thursday, 2 September 2021 | |
11:30 - 12:00 | Arrival & Registration |
12:00 - 13:30 | Lunch |
13:30–13:45 | Official Opening
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13:45–14:15 | Keynote 1 Prof. Dr. Dirk T.G. Rübbelke, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement: Setting the Scene for Eco-innovations |
14:15–14:45 | Keynote 2 Prof. Dr. Michael Bittner, German Aerospace Center: Towards a regional bioclimatic information system – Air Quality and Human Health |
14:45–15:15 | Keynote 3 RNDr. Josef Fuksa CSc., T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, Department for Water Management and Wastewater Cleaning: Waters in the Czech Republic - Present State, Trends and Problems. |
15:15–15:35 | 6 x 3 Minutes of Pitching (Short presentations of projects and institutions)
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15:35 - 16:30 | Coffee break offering networking possibilities and visiting of stands |
16:30–18:00 | Panel Discussion: On the Way to a Green Europe Participants:
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18:15 | Transfer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
19:00–21:00 | Evening Reception with political participation Location: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Official addresses |
Friday, 3 September 2021 | |
8:30 - 9:00 | Arrival & Registration |
09:00–09:30 | Keynote Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Marion Merklein, Head of the Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Friedrich-Alexander- |
09:30–10:15 | Barcamp Opening Session for workshop topics |
10:15–11:00 | Workshop Session I
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11:00 - 11:30 | Coffee Break and transfer to workshop locations |
11:30–12:30 | Workshop Session II, flexible topics (bar camp) up to 5 rooms, summary and final words |
12:30 - 14:00 | Lunch |
14:00-16:00 | Excursions/site visits (for interested participants) Excursion 1: National Library of Technology as an example of green building – (conference venue; no need to travel) Excursion 2: University Center of Energy Efficient Buildings CTU Prague (UCEEB) - (travel to BuštÄ›hrad by bus, 25 minutes) Excursion 3: T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute - (by tram, on foot, 20 minutes) |
Speakers
![]() | Bernd Sibler, Minister of Science and Art of the Free State of Bavaria |
![]() | Wolfram Günther, Minister of Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture of the Free State of Saxony |
![]() | Andreas Künne, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany |
Keynote Speakers

Prof. Dr. Dirk T.G. Rübbelke, Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Prof. Dr. Dirk T.G. Rübbelke is Professor of Economics at Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg. Before he joined Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, he was IKERBASQUE Research Professor at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (2010-2014), Senior Research Fellow at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (2008-2010) and Juniorprofessor at Chemnitz University of Technology (2002-2008). He is also Research Associate at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim and Fellow Member in the CESifo Research Network, Munich. Prof. Rübbelke did research and taught at internationally renowned universities and research centres. These are, inter alia, Australian National University in Canberra, Hebrew University Jerusalem, Jadavpur University in Kolkata, Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance in Munich and University of Nottingham.
Prof. Dr. Michael Bittner, German Aerospace Center
Michael Bittner was involved in the US Space Shuttle experiment CRISTA on board of STS-66 in 1994 for the global detection of atmospheric trace gases before he moved to the German Aerospace Center in Oberpfaffenhofen where he is heading the department “Atmosphere” in the Earth Observation Center (EOC-DFD) since 2000. In 2002 he was appointed Associate Professor in experimental physics at the University of Wuppertal and in 2012 full Professor of Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere at the Institute of Physics at the University of Augsburg. He is engaged as coordinator of the international program for the detection of changes in the higher middle atmosphere (NDMC) which contributes to the UN World climate research program. He is the scientific coordinator of the Bavarian Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus (UFS) on the mountain Zugspitze and he coordinates the international Virtual Alpine Observatory, VAO. He leads the Alpine Environmental Data and Analysis Centre (AlpEnDAC) where the Bioclimatic Information System (BIOCLIS) is implemented. Professor Bittner completed several stays abroad, including at NASA and NCAR in Boulder, USA. He received various prizes and awards from NASA, the World Meteorological Organization WMO and the German Space Agency. Recently, he worked on the influence of the corona-lockdown on air quality.
RNDr. Josef Fuksa CSc., T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute
Josef K. Fuksa, RNDr., CSc., graduated in Hydrobiology at the Charles University Prague in 1968. His main discipline is studying the role of microbial communities in biodegradation processes in ground and surface waters. Since the year 1989 he is with the T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute Prague. Last years he is involved mainly in long-term development of water quality in rivers and in relevant controlling factors, e.g. the discharge of pollutants, land use and intensive modification of rivers. He served as the Chairman of the Czech Ramsar Committee and Chairman of the Czech Limnological Society. He lectures the courses on Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Ecology of Running Waters at the Faculty of Sciences, Charles Univ.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Marion Merklein, Head of the Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Marion Merklein graduated in Materials Science at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). After completing her doctoral degree in 2001, she achieved her habilitation in 2006. Since April 2008 she has held a professorship at the Chair of Manufacturing Technology at the FAU. Professor Merklein’s expertise is welcomed by many committees and scientific associations. She is a member e.g. of the German Academic Society for Production Engineering, the International Academy for Production Engineering, the German National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Science and Engineering acatech. Professor Merklein also takes part in several committees, e.g. of the German Research Foundation and the German Council of Science and Humanities. She co-coordinates several research networks and is a member of scientific committees at international conferences. As an outstanding researcher, she won numerous awards including the Heinz Maier Leibnitz Prize and the DFG Leibniz Prize.In addition, she regularly contributes to scientific journals as an expert editor and reviewer.
Excursions
Excursion 1: National Library of Technology as an example of green building – (conference venue; no need to travel)
The National Library of Technology (NTK) is the largest and oldest library of science and technology literature in the Czech Republic, with a collection of over 1.5 million volumes.Construction of the current building began in 2006, and it opened to the public on September 9, 2009. Housed in a modern ecological building and situated in the heart of the Dejvice engineering and technology campus, the building is also home to the Czech Technical University Central Library. NTK provides an ideal environment for studying to students and scholars, with 1,322 places to study and 562 places to relax. In addition, the library serves as a social and cultural center with frequent lectures, educational tours, events, and exhibitions.
Excursion 2: University Center of Energy Efficient Buildings CTU Prague (UCEEB) - (travel to BuštÄ›hrad by bus, 25 minutes)
UCEEB was founded in 2012 as an independent institute of the Czech Technical University in Prague under the auspices of four departments: civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and biomedical Engineering. The Centre's goal is to leverage synergy effects of research activities of individual departments which are related to energy efficient buildings. UCEEB is a reaction to one of the European Union's top priorities aimed at optimizing the energy efficiency of buildings. The new center shall also offer better opportunities to participate in European scientific projects such as the Joint Technology Initiative on Energy Efficient Buildings, which is based on the EU's targets for carbon dioxide emissions.
Excursion 3: T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute - (by tram, on foot, 20 minutes)
The T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute was founded under the name State Hydrological Institute in 1919. After 1989, the Institute became part of the Czech Ministry of the Environment. Since 2006 it has gained the status of a public research institution. The Institute is located in three cities – with headquarters in Prague and regional offices in Brno and Ostrava.The research focuses on status, use and changes of aquatic ecosystems and their linkages to landscape and related environmental risks, waste and packaging waste management. It also provides professional support to water protection, flood prevention and management of waste and packaging waste.
Accommodation
In close proximity to the conference venue you will find a number of hotels. The hotel Vienna House Diplomat Prague holds a pre-reserved and limited contingent of rooms for conference participants. The hotel offer of EUR 85 / night in single room and EUR 95 / night (double room, including breakfast, wi-fi and 10% VAT, city tax excluded) applies to the period from September 2 to September 3, 2021 (nights right before and after are also possible for the same booking price); free cancellation up to 6PM three days before arrival. Reservation link available here.