New management team at PtX Lab Lausitz provides fresh impetus for climate protection and power-to-X

In addition to Dr Harry Lehmann, who has headed PtX Lab Lausitz since its opening in 2021, the management team includes the following individuals:

• Dr. Sarah Bernhardt, Head of Section PtX Basic Materials
  Focus: Transformation of the chemical sector
• Anita Demuth, Head of Section PtX Mobility  
  Focus: Establishment of instruments for a climate-neutral aviation and shipping industry
• Dr. Stefan Günthner, Head of Section PtX Technology
  Focus: Technical and economic analysis of existing and new PtX processes
• Felix Schmermer, Head of Section PtX Policy & Market Ramp-up
  Focus: Examination of cross-sector political developments
• Susanne Baron, Head of Section Climate-Neutral Industry Communication
  Focus: Internal and external communication for the Competence Centre for Climate Protection in Energy-Intensive Industries (KEI) und PtX Lab Lausitz

• Physicist and systems analyst Dr Harry Lehmann has been dedicated to holistic and cross-system solutions for the resource and energy transition for more than 40 years. He has been involved in founding several companies and organisations and is the editor and co-author of numerous publications. He has been a member of Club of Rome. As founding director of PtX Lab Lausitz, he supports business and civil society on the path to net-zero emissions.
• Before joining PtX Lab Lausitz, Dr Sarah Bernhardt was a project-based science communicator for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research's ‘InnoTruck’ initiative. She was also a research assistant at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, where she completed her doctorate at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Molecular Materials. Bernhardt started at PtX Lab Lausitz as deputy acting director. Since September 2025, she has been responsible for the PtX Basic Materials section.
• Anita Demuth, who holds a degree in economics, worked for the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) for many years. There she worked on projects for financing and implementing climate protection in companies, in the energy sector and at national level in developing and emerging countries. Since the opening of PtX Lab Lausitz in 2021, she has been contributing this experience to the Lausitz competence centre, where she has been head of the PtX Mobility section since September 2025.
• Physicist and engineer Dr Stefan Günthner heads the PtX Technology section at PtX Lab Lausitz. Previously, he led the team for the ramp-up and operation of the power-to-liquid (PtL) plant in Werlte and initiated projects on biomass-to-liquid plants in countries of the Global South. Günthner previously held various management positions at an automotive supplier, including in the development of algorithms for assisted and automated driving.
• Felix Schmermer has been head of the PtX Policy & Market Ramp-up section since September 2025. He previously worked as an expert at PtX Lab Lausitz, where he coordinated the aviation and regulation & policy working groups. He has a professional background in public policy and European and international law. Before joining the Lausitz Competence Centre, he worked at the Technical University of Dresden in the Department of International Law, European Union Law and International Relations.
• Susanne Baron has been head of the Climate-Neutral Industry Communication section since June 2025. She is responsible for public relations for the Competence Centre on Climate Change Mitigation in Energy-Intensive Industries (KEI) and the PtX Lab Lausitz. Previously, she was an online editor at the Technical University of Applied Sciences in Wildau, where she managed the website and social media channels. She gained practical expertise in the public sector at various universities in Berlin. Since 2012, she has also been working as a freelance graphic and web designer.

About the PtX Lab Lausitz

The `PtX Lab Lausitz – Think and Do Tank for Fuels and Basic Materials from Green Hydrogen´ has been operating since 2021 as a knowledge platform, source of inspiration and point of contact for industry, politics, science and the public.

In 2026, the Cottbus-based competence centre will celebrate its fifth anniversary. To mark the occasion, the team will look back on highlights such as trade fair and conference participation, digital events, receptions for foreign delegations and the launch of the expression of interest process for the construction of a PtL plant in Lusatia. Employees will also present their respective areas of focus and goals.