On October 25 and 26, 2017, the 1st Upper Lusatia Energy Symposium took place at Zittau University of Applied Sciences/Görlitz, organized by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Institute for Process Engineering, Process Automation, and Measurement Technology.

The opening remarks were delivered by the Prorector for Research, Prof. Tobias Zschunke, who particularly highlighted the transformation of energy technology in relation to Upper Lusatia and Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (formerly the Energy University) as a partner with a research focus on energy and the environment. The Mayor of Zittau, Thomas Zenker, welcomed the national and international guests—the latter hailing from the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria—to the city of Zittau and subsequently emphasized the important and necessary collaboration between Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the City of Zittau.

Thomas Hörtinger, Head of Technical Power Plant Management at LEAG, opened the symposium with the plenary lecture “LEAG Today and Tomorrow,” thereby bridging the gap between technology, business, and politics and highlighting the connection to the subsequent regional knowledge transfer.

The technical portion of the symposium consisted of four workshops featuring a total of 12 presentations followed by discussions. In addition, 14 poster presentations were discussed directly at the posters during the breaks.

In addition to the topics of Risk management, condition assessment, and technical diagnostics, a special focus was also placed on Industry 4.0 and IT security.

The closing session on “Market-Oriented Maintenance” was opened by Ton Duijn, Head of Asset Performance & Optimization at Vattenfall, with a presentation on the practical implementation of a certified asset management system, followed by a discussion with the participants. Jörg Heidig served as moderator.

At the evening event held at the Schlosshotel Althörnitz, participants were able to exchange ideas inspired by the day’s sessions in a pleasant atmosphere.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2017 Hans-Joachim Hildebrand Prize by Rector Prof. Friedrich Albrecht. This year, the prize was awarded to Dr.-Ing. Matthias Kunick of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering for his outstanding scientific achievements in his PhD thesis.

Prof. Wolfgang Kästner from the Institute for Process Engineering, Process Automation, and Measurement Technology and Prof. Stefan Kornhuber from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science served as organizers and guided the audience through the program. Thanks go to the sponsors IPS, ABB, Camlin Power, LEAG, Starke Mineralöl Werke, and all contributors. Special thanks go to Dr. Stefan Kittan as the organizer and to our colleagues who made the successful execution of the event possible.

During the two-day Upper Lusatia Energy Symposium, current issues related to the four focal areas were discussed. Participants from various disciplines were able to discuss these topics, develop ideas and solutions, and network. The guests agreed that Zittau is a very prestigious venue and that Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is a worthy host for such a scientific event.

The Upper Lusatian Energy Symposium will continue in 2019 and will once again focus on a current key topic. The goal is to create a platform for dialogue between academia and industry on current issues.