Business, politics, government and science came together at BASF's Kulturhaus in Schwarzheide to discuss the future of the region. The program included keynotes on small and medium-sized enterprises, discussions on industry and structural change, as well as workshops on funding for SMEs and on attracting skilled workers. Our colleague Henrike Homeyer presented at the joint booth of Lausitz Sciencee Park presented the services offered by EDIH pro_digital and held many discussions.

A vision with charisma

Dr. Burkhardt Greiff, President of the Brandenburg-Berlin Employers' Association (UVBB), painted a picture of Lusatia as the locomotive of Europe. The region should not seek to catch up, but rather set the pace.

Proof that change can succeed

Dr.-Ing. Klaus Freytag, the Minister President's Representative for Lusatia, demonstrated how much momentum there already is. Klaus Freytag, the Minister President's Commissioner for Lusatia, showed how much momentum there already is. He presented the results of the IW Regional Ranking: Of all 400 rural districts and independent cities in Germany, Cottbus has improved the most over the past two years. The IW researchers point to the industrial base,Brandenburg's only technical university, new research facilities, the ICE maintenance plant, and the renaturation of the open-cast mine. Brandenburg as a whole has been considered an up-and-coming state since 2016: Around 80 percent of the regions have improved significantly.
The key message: Successful regions do not rely on starting over from scratch. They build on existing strengths anddevelop them further in a targeted manner.

From idea to solution: Examples from the joint booth

Research projects from BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and startups from the region demonstrated at the joint booth how scientific ideas can be turned into concrete applications:

• The BTU Competence Center HERES is researching processes to recover raw materials from lithium-ion batteries.
• The startup NMI Technologies is developing compact, inexpensive sensors that detect plastics, thus making recycling more efficient.
• The BTU Research Clusterr SpreeTec neXt is working on new manufacturing technologies for decentralized energy technology.
• Startup Lausitz provided insights into the regional startup ecosystem.

From the Lusatian Forum to your everyday work

The first step in digitalization and AI is easier if you know your starting point and begin where the benefits are greatest. We support you in this:

• Orientation meeting and digitalMaturity check: Together, we will clarify where you stand and what the next sensible step is.
• Test before invest: You try out technologies before investing larger sums.
• Funding and financing advice: WWe show you which programs are right for your project.
• Training: We strengthen the skills of your teams.
• Network: We connect you with partners from academia, business and government.

Moving forward together

The day in Schwarzheide showed how much energy is generated whento pool their strengths. This is also what our consortium consisting of TH Wildau, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, DigitalAgentur Brandenburg and SIBB e.V. stands for. A big thank you to Lausitz Science Park for joining us and to everyone who stopped by our booth.

Would you like to know where your company, your startup or your administration stands in terms of digitalization? Make an appointmentSchedule a free introductory meeting with us: Make an appointment here.

More about the LAUSITZFORUM 2038
More about the results of the IW Regional Ranking