A big step towards a climate-friendly future
Sustainable joint project “SpreeTec neXt” introduced
In the beginning of the new year, the structural change project "SpreeTec neXt" is presented in Cottbus at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg. In addition to representatives from research and politics, Forster SMT will also be active as a key representative of the economy.
In the course of climate change, all areas of public life are encouraged to think in new directions. For this reason, scientists from the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are jointly researching climate-friendly processes for power generation, conversion and storage. Research on highly efficient material systems and associated manufacturing technologies involves small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, thus strengthening regional SMEs as well as Brandenburg as a place of excellent research.
The joint project "New manufacturing technologies for components and systems of decentralized energy technology" was officially presented on January 5th, 2023 in the halls of BTU under the project name "SpreeTec neXt ". In the same breath, the funding of 52.44 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research was announced. In addition to the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research Mario Brandenburg, the project manager Prof. Holger Seidlitz (BTU) and institute director Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Leyens (Frauenhofer-IWS), the BTU President Prof. Gesine Grande and the Minister of Science of the State of Brandenburg Dr. Manja Schüle were also present. The round was supplemented by Martin Plettig, Head of Research and Development at Forster SMT, as an important project partner in the field of fibre composite plastics.
The importance of the link between the metal and plastics processing industry and energy technology was also highlighted. For Forster SMT, it is therefore very important to be part of this energy transition and to contribute interdisciplinary competencies and modern production technologies within the framework of the project. "In cooperation with the economic development of the district and the municipality, all local actors are jointly shaping the structural change at the place of action with their respective competencies. This is exactly what is needed! The first successes in the initiative for the establishment of the FABRIC Lausitz technology centre in Forst are already emerging," says Plettig.
FABRIC Lausitz will offer companies the opportunity to transfer the knowledge provided from BTU to production. For this purpose, production equipment for networked pilot production between the companies will be provided.