Inside Germany’s CleanTech Hubs: TAP Ambassador Trip to Berlin & Essen

In November, the TAP CleanTech Ambassador Trip took a delegation from the United States to two of Germany’s key innovation hubs: Berlin and Essen. Over several days, participants explored how climate and energy policy, applied research, startups, and municipal utilities are working together to advance clean technologies and more resilient energy systems.

From there, the delegation moved into the research environment at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin – BESSY II. Here, participants learned how synchrotron light is used in advanced energy and materials research, including improved solar technologies and innovative storage solutions. The visit illustrated the important role of large-scale research infrastructures in supporting industrial innovation and the development of new clean-tech applications.

The focus then shifted to the interface between experimentation and commercialization at Integrated Lab Solutions (ILS). The group explored modular lab and reactor systems, software-based control, and real-time analytics, with current research projects serving as practical examples. ILS demonstrated how flexible, well-designed lab environments help accelerate the path from initial concept to market-ready clean-tech solutions. This was complemented by a visit to Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, where participants gained insight into how Berlin positions itself as a business hub for energy, technology, and innovation. The session highlighted available funding instruments, support programs, and entry points for international companies seeking to collaborate or expand into the Berlin ecosystem.

To round out the Berlin program, the group visited Silica, an established medium-sized company with international reach. Participants were introduced to tailor-made adsorption systems for gas purification, liquid drying, and hydrogen storage, illustrating how traditional engineering expertise can be aligned with the requirements of new hydrogen value chains. A short sightseeing tour with GACC South provided additional context, linking Berlin’s history and urban development to its current role as a center for innovation and energy transformation.

The second part of the trip led the Ambassadors to Essen, a city that has transitioned from coal and heavy industry to a growing clean-tech and energy hub. With the program curated by Go Theisen and the team at EWG – Essener Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft, the delegation was introduced to the region’s startup and innovation landscape, as well as its local energy infrastructure. At BRYCK and H2HUB Ruhr, participants saw how founders, established companies, and public partners work together on hydrogen, energy, and climate-related solutions, and how regional innovation platforms support these efforts.

A pitch by solarmarkise, a young startup from the university environment, showcased how new ideas can emerge from academic contexts and be translated into entrepreneurial ventures. Their concept of turning shading solutions into power-generating elements offered a tangible example of how decentralized, urban applications can contribute to the broader energy transition. This theme of intelligent, integrated systems continued at Greenflash, where the delegation learned how photovoltaics, battery storage, and charging infrastructure can be networked and optimized using AI-based software to increase efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions. The visit sparked lively discussion about how similar models could be adapted to U.S. markets and regulatory environments.

A pitch by solarmarkise, a young startup from the university environment, showcased how new ideas can emerge from academic contexts and be translated into entrepreneurial ventures. Their concept of turning shading solutions into power-generating elements offered a tangible example of how decentralized, urban applications can contribute to the broader energy transition. This theme of intelligent, integrated systems continued at Greenflash, where the delegation learned how photovoltaics, battery storage, and charging infrastructure can be networked and optimized using AI-based software to increase efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions. The visit sparked lively discussion about how similar models could be adapted to U.S. markets and regulatory environments.

The program in Essen concluded with a visit to Essen Stadtwerke, the municipal utility. Here, participants received an inside look at local power and heat generation, renewable energy projects, grid management, and digital solutions for a more sustainable urban energy infrastructure. The role of a municipal utility as a long-term, reliable partner for businesses and citizens became clear, as did its importance in implementing practical steps toward decarbonization at the city level.

Across both Berlin and Essen, a central message emerged: the most effective clean-tech strategies grow out of close cooperation between policy makers, research institutions, startups, established companies, and municipal actors. Berlin highlighted how policy, research, and economic development reinforce one another to bring new technologies to market, while Essen showed how a region with strong industrial roots can reinvent itself as a forward-looking clean-tech ecosystem. Together, these experiences provided participants with concrete examples, valuable contacts, and new perspectives for their own work in clean technology and energy innovation.

Impressions - Berlin

Impressions - Essen

Photo rights: Julia Pohl

The project is supported by the  Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany,  funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE)