Berlin's energy transition strategy and ambitions

Janis Gummersbach, senior manager of Energy Technologies at Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, tells Heather Johnstone in an exclusive interview for Enlit on the Road Berlin about what makes the city a perfect breeding ground for innovation and a magnet for investors.

What became clear quickly during Enlit on the Road Berlin is that the city is home to some of the most creative and entrepreneurially-minded start-ups and scale-ups in Europe; individuals and businesses that are actively driving energy innovation.

According to Gummersbach, "What counts the most for Berlin is the small projects that come from small initiatives from the citizens of the city, allowing everyone to do their part towards [achieving] carbon neutrality."

More stories from Enlit on the Road Berlin:
How Berlin is making the energy switch to hydrogen economically and socially viable
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These smaller innovative projects make a big difference and are the result of bringing together R&D institutions and young innovators - something Berlin is really good at, according to Gummersbach.

And the larger projects in the city are just as exciting, with clustering and local energy transition hubs such as the EUREF Campus making the most of sector coupling to integrate heat, energy and mobility.

Gummersbach describes the local Zeitgeist as creative and entrepreneurial. It's a perfect trinity of innovation, investment and decision-makers, he says, supported by government incentives to drive sustainability.

Watch the full interview, that took place at the office of Berlin Partner, to learn more about Berlin's bottom-up approach to the energy transition and the city's ambitions for the future.