Driving the green transition through transregional connectivity and collaboration
10 June 2024 – Berlin, Germany
The State of the Megaregion Day is a political cornerstone event aimed at highlighting the effective mechanisms driving an efficient energy transition and building a competitive green economy throughout the STRING megaregion – the connected cross-border region stretching from Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein in the south, across Denmark and western Sweden, to Oslo in the north.
In a strategic partnership, the OECD has made 23 recommendations in 2021 to how STRING can enhance its global position. The State of the Megaregion Day will deliver a milestone status on the megaregion’s progress, as well as an invitation to explore the specific opportunities for Germany of being connected to this global green powerhouse.
Programme
14:30 - 15:00 Arrival, registration & coffee
Please bring identification with you as we need to register participants upon arrival.
15:00 – 15:05 Welcome by hosts
The Danish Deputy Head of Mission to Germany Envoy to Germany Katrine Teisen Cramon, the Norwegian Deputy Head of Mission Kristin Kathrine Johansen, and the Swedish Deputy Head of Mission Håkan Malmqvist welcome the participants to the Nordic Embassies in Berlin.
Session I: THE POWER OF MEGAREGIONS
15:05 - 15:15 STRING: A leading green megaregion in Northern Europe
How STRING gains its green transition power by working at the regional level cross-border and cross-sector, implementing policy innovation, sustainable infrastructure and net-zero technologies, building a stable and green economy.
Speaker: Eirik Lae Solberg, Governing Mayor of Oslo
15:15 - 15:40 OECD: The power of megaregions to achieve sustainable development
In an introductory keynote to the concept of megaregions, the OECD highlights their benefits and growing potential, honing in on the economic agglomeration effects to drive environmental sustainability and green growth.
The OECD further presents the results of a new report highlighting the recent development of the STRING Megaregion, benchmarking STRING’s progress and opportunities against other first-mover regions across the globe.
Keynote:
Soo-Jin Kim, Deputy Head of the Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development Division at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE)
Speaker:
Oscar Huerta Melchor, Policy Analyst on Urban Development and Governance, OECD Regional Development Policy Division
15:40 - 16:00 Leveraging cross-border infrastructure in the net-zero transition; The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link
Panel discussion on the role of transport infrastructure and regional political collaboration in achieving cross-border cohesion to stimulate economic growth and the energy transition. What is needed from implementing regions and cities and national governments respectively to succeed?
Topics include:
Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, Øresund Bridge, HH Tunnel, a.o.
Panelists:
Metin Hakverdi, MdB, German Bundestag
Linda Snecker, Member of Swedish Riksdagen, Transportcommittee
Anette Solli, Governing Mayor of Akershus County
Karsten Uno Petersen, Member of the Regional Council, Region of Southern Denmark
16:00 - 16:10 Coffee break
Session II: THE CASE OF HYDROGEN
16:10 - 16:20 The perfect storm of innovation and natural resources
Keynote on the resources and characteristics that has given rise to an emerging green hydrogen hub in STRING.
Speaker: Maciej Wysocki, Senior Project Manager and Strategic Business Development, RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden
16:20 - 16:32 Deploying a green, resilient hydrogen infrastructure
1: Deploying hydrogen transport infrastructure – the case of GREATER4H
Interview with GP Joule
2: Hydrogen transmission infrastructure – the case of Danish Backbone West
Interview with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
16:32 - 17:00 Striking the balance of market stimulation and economic stability
Discussing key mechanisms to solve the hydrogen sector’s chicken-and-egg dilemma; how can risk be distributed in cross-sectoral value chains; and what degree of flexibility is required in frameworks and tariffs to enable market development? The discussion will also perspectivise the cost of inaction; environmentally, economically, socially at this crucial moment for hydrogen.
Panelists:
David Dupont-Mouritzen, Director, PtX Advocacy & Regulatory Affairs, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Henning Uck, Manager Strategic Projects, GP Joule
Gerrit Riemer, Head of Governmental Affairs Germany, thyssenkrupp Steel
Dr. Max R. Schaller, Head of Sales Development, Sunfire
Jacob Kirstein, Business Development Manager, MAN Truck
17:00 - 17:20 Interactive break
During the break several innovative projects currently active within the megaregion will be presented.
Session III: NORTHERN CROSS-BORDER OPPORTUNITIES
17:20 - 17:40 A window of green opportunity in the north
How can Germany reap the benefit of its well-established connection to the megaregion’s green engine, and how it can be expanded to support Germany’s energy security and quest to green its industries and transport systems?
Speaker: Joschka Fischer, former Foreign Secretary and Vice-Chancellor of Germany
17:40 - 18:10 A call to action: Strong collaboration across Germany's northern border
The keynotes and discussions have illustrated how Germany’s northern cohesion with STRING presents a unique opportunity for Germany to boost economic growth and achieve green energy security. In this panel discussion, we will address how Nordic/German business partnerships can be leveraged to spark the green economy in the region and how the current political collaboration between Germany and the Nordics can be furthered to allow for this to happen.
Speakers:
Joschka Fischer, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice Chancellor of Germany
Stefan Seidler, MdB, German Bundestag
Thomas Becker, Managing Director, STRING
18:10 - 18:20 Closing session
Chair of STRING and vice-mayor of the city of Gothenburg, Karin Pleijel, will give the closing remarks to the event.
18:20 - 19:00 Networking mingle
