Zukunft Chemie Lausitz 2045 – Actively Shaping Transformation Processes

The future is open – but not arbitrary

The chemical industry in Lusatia is undergoing a profound transformation. The availability of renewable energy, raw materials and skilled workers, the expansion of infrastructure, investment, and technological and regulatory developments will determine what prospects lie ahead for the regional chemical industry.

At the workshop ‘Zukunft Chemie Lausitz 2045 – Actively Shaping Transformation Processes’, to be held on 11 November 2026 in Cottbus, experts from business, politics and academia will discuss possible development pathways for the chemical industry in Lusatia. The starting point will be draft scenarios developed by the PtX Grundstoffe team at the Think-and-Do-Tank. Together with the participants, these will be put through a practical validation: Which assumptions are realistic? Which developments could accelerate or slow down the transition? Where are new opportunities arising for businesses and the region? The focus will be on key questions concerning the future of the chemical industry:

• What role can hydrogen and Power-to-X (PtX) play?
• What potential do bio-based raw materials, CO₂ utilisation and recycling offer?
• What dependencies exist in the areas of energy, infrastructure, raw materials and skilled labour?
• And what leading indicators can be used to gauge the direction in which the chemical industry in the Lusatia region is developing?
• Different technical and business perspectives help to further develop the scenarios, highlight blind spots and assess their practical relevance.

This is explicitly not about making a prediction or presenting a desired vision of the future. The aim is to be better able to contextualise possible developments and, on that basis, to derive robust and scenario-specific courses of action for businesses, policymakers and regional stakeholders.

Topics in Focus

• Plausibility and consistency of the scenarios for the Lusatian chemical industry up to 2045
• Key factors, uncertainties, turning points and leading indicators
• Implications and courses of action for business, policymaking and the region

Share your perspective

Do you work in the chemical industry, the energy sector, infrastructure, business development, politics, academia or regional development, and are you concerned with the future of the Lusatia region as an industrial centre? If so, please contribute your experience and perspective to the practical validation. The workshop offers the opportunity to discuss potential developments at an early stage, highlight interdependencies and jointly refine options for action in the Lusatia transformation process.

Are you interested in attending the event? Please contact us by  E-Mail to make a non-binding enquiry about attending.

• Date: 11 November 2026
• Time: 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm (CET), doors open and light lunch from 12.00 pm
• Location: Cottbus
• Language: German