Delegation trip

Dr. Markus Wolperdinger speaks in the USA about applied research and climate protection

Fraunhofer IGB Press Release /

In September, representatives of the state of Baden-Württemberg will visit the USA and Canada to promote transatlantic dialog. The delegation will focus on the topic area “Digitization and Transformation – the Impact on Business and Science”. One focus will be on climate protection. Dr. Markus Wolperdinger, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, will also speak on this topic.

© Frank Kleinbach / Fraunhofer IGB
Dr. Markus Wolperdinger

From September 13–22, more than a hundred delegates from Baden-Württemberg will travel to San Francisco and Silicon Valley in the USA, and later to the Canadian province of Ontario. The delegation of high-ranking representatives from state politics, local authorities, industry and science will travel together with the Minister President of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann.

The discussions will focus on the topics of mobility, energy and climate protection as well as the “Internet of Things”. The delegates will meet with US and Canadian partners from science and industry for lectures, working meetings and expert discussions and will take part in accompanying conferences. Visits to universities such as Stanford University in California and the University of Toronto are also on the agenda.

Dr. Markus Wolperdinger as guest speaker at the Global Climate Action Summit

Institute Director Dr. Markus Wolperdinger represents the Fraunhofer IGB and will participate in the Global Climate Action Summit from September 11–14 in San Francisco at the beginning of the delegation trip. In this context, the accompanying event “Best practice on climate protection in industry” will take place at the UC Hastings College of Law. The opening speech will be delivered by Franz Untersteller, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy of the state of Baden-Württemberg. Dr. Wolperdinger will continue the program with his lecture on how applied research contributes to climate protection through more efficient recycling of resources.

“Leading personalities and decision-makers from all over the world are taking part in the global Climate Action Summit. In addition to the professional exchange of ideas, the focus will also be on an appraisal of the achievements of actors who have rendered outstanding services to climate protection,” explains Wolperdinger. “The reason for this is that, after the official withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climatic Protection Agreement, federal states, regions, cities, enterprises, investors and citizens in the USA assumed responsibility and have done an excellent job.”

In addition, the Summit is intended to send a start signal and to call on those involved all around the world to show even greater commitment to climate protection. The aim is to enable countries – supported by all sectors of society – to take measures more quickly to halt dangerous climate change and still comply with the historic Paris Agreement despite all the resistance. The aim is for federal states and regions, cities, companies and investors to play a leading role in reducing global emissions by 2020 in the hope that these emissions can be reduced to zero by the middle of the century.

International dialog strengthens Baden-Württemberg as a business and research location

The delegation trip is organized by Baden-Württemberg International (bw-i), the competence center of the state of Baden-Württemberg for the internationalization of business and science. The institution was established in order to open up foreign markets for companies from the state and to position Baden-Württemberg globally as a business and research location. Against this background, bw-i is also organizing the accompanying event “Best practice on climate protection in industry” on September 12 in San Francisco.