4th Event „The Danube Region at the Turn of Times” – Documentation
The 4th edition of the event series „The Danube Region at the Turn of Times” with the title “Economic Cooperation and Hydrogen Supply Chains along the Danube” took place on 8 July 2024 in Ulm.
At the event “The Danube Region at the Turn of Times – Economic Cooperation and Hydrogen Supply Chains along the Danube” almost 200 high-ranking representatives from business and politics from the Danube region came together in Ulm. The event was organised in cooperation between the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism and the Ulm Chamber of Industry and Commerce IHK Ulm embedded in the International Danube Festival.
The programme included a Panel Discussion “Developing a supply chain for green hydrogen along the Danube”, moderated by Dr. Jan Stefan Roell, President IHK Ulm, Vicepresident BWIHK. As panellists took part Klemens Schwarz, Head of Business Steering & Marketing Green Hydrogen, VERBUND Green Hydrogen GmbH, Vienna, Robert Rafael, General Secretary, Pro Danube International, Vienna, Austria, Prof. Dr. Markus Hölzle, University of Ulm, Member of the Board Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Annamária Nádor, Priority Area Coordinator, PA2 “Sustainable Energy”, EU Strategy for the Danube Region, Hungary and Alexander Kümmelschuh, Center Manager Hydrogen – Green Energy, MR PLAN GmbH, Donauwörth, Bavaria, Germany.
Another highlight at the event was the Pitch Session “Impetus for a more resilient economy in the Danube region” with the presentation of various projects from the Danube region, moderated by Dr. Gerd Meier zu Köcker, CEO RegioClusterAgentur Baden-Württemberg and Coordinator of EUSDR PA 8 Working Group Cluster and Regional Development. One of the presented projects was “BrAin – Making Artificial Intelligence usable for SMEs”. The project is about the use of artificial intelligence in the important sectors of the food industry, the healthcare sector and the manufacturing industry. As part of the project, the first social humanoid robot in Europe was purchased in order to gain knowledge about possible applications in the health and social sector, for example in the care of senior citizens. Through its transnational collaboration, the project offers coordinated technological developments and training programs aimed at promoting innovation and practical solutions for integration into value chains. The project is funded by the Interreg Danube Region Programme. Lead Partner is Pannon Business Network in Hungary. 11 partners from 10 countries are involved.
In the Pitch Session the following projects were presented:
• Balazs Barta, CEO Pannon Business Network, Hungary
Interreg Danube Region Programme founded Project BrAIn – Bringing Artificial Intelligence to SMEs in the sectors manufacturing, health and agro food.
EUSDR PA 8 Flagship Project
Balazs Barta_Project Brain
• Michael Bächler, Spokesperson of the Association for the H2-Wandel Project:
H2-Wandel, an EFRE funded Green Hydrogen Model Region project
Michael Bächler_Project H2-Wandel
• Vesna Kučan Polak, Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency
North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley
Vesna Kučan Polak_North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley
• Dr. Oliver Ziegler, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH:
RIS4Danu, a Horizon Europe project with the aim to facilitate social-sustainable-technological transition in Danube regions through the revitalization of disused industry sites.
EUSDR PA 7 Flagship Project
Dr Oliver Ziegler_Project RISE4Danu
• Simone Burster, Danube Office Ulm / Neu-Ulm:
European Energy Award project as an example for the municipal level
Simone Burster_European Energy Award along the Danube
• Ana Sabanovic (RS) on behalf of also the further present Danube Youth Council members Bence Bíró (HU), Pejo Bosnic (BiH), Ratin Sazedul (BW) and Philip Tudor (A)
Engagement of the Youth in the Danube Region Strategy
Danube Youth Council_Presentation
The main part of the event was a panel discussion between Dr. Patrick Rapp, State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg, Christoph Ulrich, CEO Ulrich medical, Vice-President IHK Ulm, Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, State Secretary for Europe, Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Anja Quiring, Regional Director South East Europe, German Eastern Business Association and Dr. Christian Moser, Vice President of the Economic Chamber of Lower Austria (WKNÖ) and the Danube Chamber of Commerce Federation (DCCF), moderated by Dorothee Fischer, Senior Communications Expert and CEO, Legado Sharpe & Fischer.
Parallel to the main event committee meetings and project meetings of the EU Danube Region Strategy, Priority Area 8 Competitiveness of enterprises and PA 7 Knowledge Society, took place. State Secretary Dr. Patrick Rapp presented together with the Croatian State Secretary Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, Priority Area 8 Coordinators Carmen Hawkins and Nirvana Kaptian Butković and Cristina Cuc from Danube Strategy Point awards to three “flagship projects” of the EU Danube Region Strategy. The international projects, funded by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, have up to 16 partners in up to 12 countries. Specifically, the projects focus on the development of digital services for the circular economy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), supporting the plastics and machinery industries on the path to a circular economy and promoting the digital and industrial capacities of female entrepreneurs in the Danube region for a sustainable circular economy.
