Author:

Dipl. Wirtsch. Ing.
Erich Maurer


The Energie-Technologische Zentrum Nürnberg

The Business Initiatives and Innovation Centre of the Nuremberg Energy Region

The Nuremberg energy region not only offers a multitude of global players in the immediate vicinity to innovative business initiatives, existing companies and research institutes from the field of energy technology, but in addition, with the energy technological centre (etz), an opportunity, under one roof, to develop innovative project ideas and solutions for energy technological challenges in the future together with like-minded people from trade and industry, research and the area of education.

The provision of an energy supply which uses resources sparingly and which is sustainable is one of the greatest challenges lying ahead. With approx. 50,000 jobs and a turnover of 7.5 billion Euros, the Nuremberg region has built up an outstanding competence in regard to this field of the future. Thus, in the Nuremberg region, the fields of renewable energies and economic energy provision and usage are equally covered by companies which do business worldwide.

This leading role has to be secured by continuous innovation and investment in methods of resolution, as well as by lively and practical research. To support this, an innovation and business initiatives centre was called into being together with the Energie-Technologische Zentrum Nürnberg (etz), a centre which represents a new communication and crystallization point of energy technology.

Similar centres are being established in other regions of Germany at present. To guarantee a common strategy and optimum added value for all the companies located in the centres, work is currently being carried out to set up a network. This will enable a link between the existing regional competencies.

In the etz, as an energy technological centre concentrating on business initiatives and innovation - the first of its kind in Germany – an innovative and cross-subject co-operation with obvious synergy effects is emerging due to the settlement of institutes of the further education college and university on the one hand and innovative business initiatives and established companies on the other. Connected favourably to transport facilities, the etz building is situated at a very historically important location for the development of the use of electricity as a means of energy, the completely reconstructed former meter works of the Siemens AG in the south of Nuremberg.

Finding suitable tenants, the definition, application and supervision of appropriate projects as well as looking after tenants and new business initiatives is the task of an etz co-operation office, set up specifically for this purpose and which is mainly financed by funds from the Bavarian Ministry of Economics and the town of Nuremberg. The project carrier is EnergieRegion GmbH.

What makes the energy technological centre unique is the financial assistance placed at the disposal of the etz for the specific purpose of realizing innovative project ideas. These resources amounting to several million Euros was made available to the etz within the scope of the High-Tech Offensive of the State of Bavaria.

In this way, every tenant or party interested in becoming a tenant is able to introduce new project ideas with the support of the etz co-operation office. Corresponding subsidies can be applied for in conjunction with the co-operation office. Together with the etz tenants and actors from the region, the co-operation office compiles a multitude of project ideas which are continually brought up to date and extended. Over the coming years, these projects will be realized by the etz actors within the limits of the funds available.

Project group Innovative Small Power Plant

The Alstom Power company is moving into the etz with a project group and, within the limits of etz funds, will work on the subject of effluent sludge gasification and the development of fuel cells. The aim is to link both technologies to set up an innovative small power plant.

Project group E²Q: Innovative Energy Data Recording

In close co-operation with the Nuremberg University of Applied Science, the company Dehn & Söhne is carrying out a research project applied for within etz funding which aims to develop a new form of intelligent energy data recording. A project group with new employees especially for this project has already moved into the etz.

At the same time, together with the present etz tenants and actors, new ideas are being continually discussed and new projects developed:

Project DiFMA:

In conjunction with various contractors and the etz, DiFMA is planning to issue a benchmark for the various applications of performance contracting. In this way, the methods and processes of performance contracting will be systematically researched and optimized. Important equipment and software developments are equally to the fore.

Project Solar Optimization in Industrial Construction, Nuremberg further education college

The project of the Institut für Energie und Gebäude (ieg) (Institute for Energy and Buildings) at the Nuremberg University of Applied Science is concerned with possibilities of solar optimization in industrial construction based on simulation calculations.

Project "Manual of model energy-efficient residential buildings in the Nuremberg region"

The project is being carried out by the Urban Ecology Foundation in collaboration with participants of the network construction and energy. Using various exemplary projects, possibilities of energy-efficient construction in both old and new buildings are described in a manual.

Project of an innovative solar based cooling system:

The company okt is planning a project in co-operation with the Institut Energie und Gebäude (ieg) of the Nuremberg further education college for the development and trial of a solar-driven system for air-conditioning in buildings.

Summary

Thus, etz funds totalling 5,000,000 Euros have already been invested in projects which serve to further develop technology in the region and help maintain the leading role in the field of energy competence. As four of the projects have involved new recruitment, a positive effect on jobs has also been secured by the etz.

Furthermore, initial synergies between the companies currently located in the business initiatives and innovation centre have resulted, without the co-operation office and funds being involved.

The premises of the etz will be developed in several stages. Just under 3,000 m² of office space are on lease at present. Further space will be available for which suitable tenants are being canvassed at the moment. In this way, the etz has the chance to grow gradually and systematically. Therefore it is possible to obtain a structure of companies which corresponds to the fundamental idea of the etz and to realize innovative projects.

Contact:
Landgrabenstrasse 94
90443 Nuremberg
Tel.: 0911-994396-0
www.etz-nuernberg.de mail: info[at]etz-nuernberg.de

 


Projekt der