What an exciting debut! On June 16, 2026, CONNECT 2026 – Sustainable Energy Management brought together representatives from industry, startups, research, and politics at the MAFINEX Technology Center in Mannheim. Organized for the first time jointly by the Green Industry Cluster and smart green from Freiburg, the event focused on the challenges and opportunities of sustainable industrial energy systems.

The new two-part format was very well received. Already in the morning, numerous interested participants from industrial companies, startups, and innovation partners gathered. smart green contributed its expertise in connecting startups and companies in particular. There was a lively exchange on the topics of collaboration experiences and best practices. Concrete ideas were also discussed in one-on-one conversations.
In the afternoon program, Dr.-Ing. Markus Kröll from Fraunhofer IPA Karlsruhe provided important insights into resilient energy supply for factories with his keynote address. The program was complemented by practical presentations from Miriam Helbig (Mondas GmbH),  Johannes Bähr (RBC GmbH), Duygu Çağman Aladinler and Andrés Andrade (Kodnyx UG) and Nikola Basar (envima).

CONNECT 2026 once again highlighted how important it is for interested parties to be able to exchange ideas in a positive atmosphere. Only through collaboration between industry, startups, and research will the successful implementation of the energy and industrial transformation be achieved.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)