From 29 to 30 July 2025, the steering committee of the KIT Energy Centre withdrew to Bad Schönborn for a closed-door meeting. The title of the meeting was ‘Mastering international challenges for the future: partnerships – potential – perspectives’. In addition to the members, guests from the strategic partnership with Siemens Energy and the Karlsruhe Energy Research Partnership also took part. The focus was on international cooperation and strategic research infrastructures.

In addition to the members, guests from the strategic partnership with Siemens Energy and the Karlsruhe Energy Research Partnership also took part. The focus was on international cooperation and strategic research infrastructures. Partnerships with institutions in North America (Western University, UNCC, NREL), South America (ITBA, INVAP) and Japan (JST/MEXT) were presented, opening up new perspectives for joint research on batteries, hydrogen and resilient energy systems. The expansion potential of DeepStor, concepts for wind and heat storage systems, and KIT's energy concept with the goal of defossilisation and energy neutrality were also discussed.

The retreat was rounded off by a keynote speech by Prof. Thomas Hirth on geopolitical changes and international partnerships, which provided valuable inspiration for future projects. Overall, the conference provided a constructive framework for lively discussions, strategic outlooks and new impetus for the further development of energy research at KIT.