Initiative Green Deal Lausitz EN
“We need to focus the EU Green Deal into a growth strategy for our economies, based on innovation and cleantech, so that this instrument can create growth and jobs.”
The combination of a renewable energy industry and fossil-free horticulture creates a repeatable model for climate-neutral regions.
For regions experiencing job losses from the decline of coal mining, fossil-free horticulture with its ecosystem of upstream and downstream industries, provides attractive career pathways and new economic development.
Delivering structural change through renewable energy along with regional added value through fresh fruits and vegetables – enough to supply a region with a population of 10 million.
Into a CO2-neutral future -
moving beyond coal
Approximately 10 million people live within 200 km radius of the Lusatian coal mining area, the Euroregion of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. This is a region with unmet demand for high quality, transparently sourced fresh foods.
Within a radius of 200 km around the Lusatian coal mining area, about 10 million people work and live in the Euroregion of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The demand for high-quality vegetables from regionally transparent production needs to be met.
The exit from coal-fired power generation leads to the end of opencast coal mining in central Germany. The combined competencies of the German energy industry and Dutch greenhouse horticulture leads to technological innovations with high export potential for regions with similar economic needs and strong potential for renewable energy.
In Germany, about 100 hectares of greenhouse space for fruit and vegetables are built every year. These new settlements are often fragmented. Concentrating new infrastructure into focus areas would bring new operating efficiencies to bussines, accelerate regional competencies and helps to create thriving industry cluster in renewable energy and technology-enabled farming.
Project Partners
Farm Tech Society
The Farm Tech Society (FTS) is an international non-profit industry association that unites and supports the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry, seeking to strengthen the sector through the development and implementation of resilient and future proof methods and technologies for indoor growing.
Fraunhofer IKTS
Fraunhofer IKTS operates in nine market-oriented business divisions to demonstrate and qualify ceramic technologies and components as well as non-destructive test methods for new industries, product concepts and markets beyond the established fields of application. The focus is on the challenges facing society as a whole in the area of new forms of mobility, sustainable concepts for energy and water technologies as well as efficient digital production for which Fraunhofer IKTS integrates tried-and-tested and new materials, technology and systems concepts.
Our Mission: Green Transformation
Horticulture offers a valid option for catalyzing regional positive economic transition through significant added value from Controlled Enviroment Agriculture in recultivation sites. Modernized fruit and vegetable growing in controlled enviroments offers new career pathways into future-proof jobs with high relevance to diverse high growth occupations.
Our Motivation
A Lusatian greenhouse and energy cluster will bring positive impact to the entire Euroregion and beyond.
In short, this means:
- 10,000 direct jobs in < 8 years
- Regional supply > 10 million people
- CO₂-neutral economic restructuring
- Power generation and power grid stability
- Technology Leadership
- Renaturation and economic reconstruction
- Regional Participation
- Tailor-made job market
- New education and research landscape
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