Delivering innovation to drive the digitalisation of the energy transition: ‘Future Energy Lab’ to be set up in KPM Quartier, the historical site of the Royal Porcelain Factory

The digital energy transition is getting a home of its own. In a few months’ time, the premises of Berlin’s oldest industrial historic monument, the Royal Porcelain Factory (KPM), will be host to a site of innovation dedicated to the energy transition. In the digital sphere, the ‘Future Energy Lab’ has already seen the launch of several pilot projects over the past few months. Using the lab as a network, some fifty companies are exploring digital solutions based on technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence with a view to creating a climate-friendly energy sector. Soon, the Future Energy Lab will also enable the exchange of knowledge at its physical site in Berlin’s Tiergarten. Following today’s press kick-off event, the conversion work will be planned in detail. The Future Energy Lab will feature a co-working area and a digital workshop. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has commissioned the German Energy Agency (dena) to conduct the project.

State Secretary Andreas Feicht said: “The Future Energy Lab places a focus on the future. If we are to investigate the specific opportunities digitalisation offers for the energy transition and to catalyse innovative ideas, a suitable location is called for. Such a location is to be set up right here in Berlin and it should be open to all those wishing to contribute to the digital implementation of the energy transition. In our view, it is precisely the interface between the digital economy and the energy industry, between young and long-standing companies, that offers a considerable potential for innovation. The Future Energy Lab provides an important impetus to develop this potential in a targeted way.”

Andreas Kuhlmann, Chief Executive of dena said: “A rapid market penetration of digital energy and climate technologies is absolutely indispensable for the energy transition. We have seen in recent months how integrating the digital economy and the energy sector leads to promising solutions for the energy transition. To foster this integration, the Future Energy Lab will now also provide a physical location for encounters and innovations. It will offer opportunities both for hands-on project work in the digital workshop and for dialogue with other businesses and start-ups. We are convinced that the Future Energy Lab will be a place where visions of the future can be turned into reality. The location in KPM Quartier makes for a very special blend of historical ambience and highly innovative technologies.”

The inauguration of the Future Energy Lab is scheduled for the autumn. Companies interested in becoming members of the Future Energy Lab are free to contact dena. For further information and to access a contact form, please visit: www.future-energy-lab.de