10th Meeting of the Joint Governmental Commission
Baden-Wuerttemberg – Romania
Commission meeting 2020
18.11.2020: Commission meeting was opened by State Minister Theresa Schopper (State Ministry BW) and State Secretary Emil-Razvan Pirjol (Ministry for Business Environment, Commerce and Entrepreneurship of Romania).
H.E. Emil Hurezeanu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania in the Federal Republic of Germany presented promising opportunities for future collaboration: among them an initiative to develop Danube Green Corridor and joint activities to access markets in Africa.
At 2020 edition of Joint Governmental Commission meeting, Jürgen Raizner was member of working group “Energy, environmental protection and water management”. This allocation was chosen in order to combine relevant topics of public interest with concrete business opportunities. With participants of other working groups we communicate individually. For instance we are in touch with members of other working groups “Economics, SMEs, technology and innovation” and “Cooperation in the EU strategy for the Danube region”. As director of Steinbeis Danube Center in Stuttgart, Jürgen Raizner, is member of joint governmental commissions of Baden-Wuerttemberg since 2010.
Working Group “Energy, environmental protection and water management”
Under coordination and moderation of Baden-Wuerttemberg’s Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector, Jürgen Raizner presented projects and initiatives what generate opportunities for strengthening collaboration. Participants from Romania represented Ministry of Economy, Energy and Business Environment as well as Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests.
Baden-Wuerttemberg promotes use of geothermal energy. It is known that Romania has regions full of geothermal resources. German experts carried out a study on possible district heatings in a pilot region of Banat. Our actions go further: a project is under construction to produce vegetables in glasshouses, heated by geothermal energy. Such project is highly complex and requires much more than expertise on how to access renewable energy. To involve more stakeholders we propose to organise the German-Romanian Business Forum for Funding Geothermal Projects. Idea to organize such Business Forum was developed by Romanian Geoexchange Society and discussed in a workshop on geothermal energy which took place in Timisoara 1 year ago.
With our Steinbeis Network Romania we strengthen efforts to establish Learning Energy Efficiency Networks (LEEN). 10-12 members of a regional LEEN will learn from each other what are the most effective meassures to optimize energy efficiency. We bring best practice from Baden-Wuerttemberg to Romania. This unique model of collaboration in LEEN serves also as template for future initiatives.
Jürgen Raizner presented a new project of our Steinbeis Danube Center, what starts in November 2020 in frame of European Climate Initiative (EUKI): “EDAPHIC. Ecological resizing through urban and rural actions & dialogues for GHG mitigation in the Lower Danube Floodplains & Danube Delta” in combination with “BLOOM. Built environment performance: boosting capacities for energy efficiency in the built environment sector (energy efficiency map and action plan for efficiency enhancement in Dobrudja region)”. Baden-Wuerttemberg’s Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector issued a support letter to EUKI.
Energy, environmental protection and water management can lead to business ideas. Identifying and understanding these opportunities requires entrepreneurial thinking. In Romania we implement a support action to stimulate entrepreneurshipthe: the Early Innovators Business Plan Competition.
Jürgen Raizner closed his presentation with the invitation to make use of the Steinbeis Network Romania. Our Steinbeis Transfer Centers are located at 9 Romanian universities. Expertise on energy, environmental protection and water management is available.