Energize Competitiveness

Main Conference Programme GCEF 2026 | 4:00–8:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

Registration

4:30 p.m.

Openings

Bernard Bauer, Executive board member of the German-Czech Chamber of Industry and Commerce

Milan Šlachta, President of the German Czech Chamber of Industry and Commerce

H.E. Dr. Peter Reuss, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Czech Republic

4:45 p.m.

Keynote Addresses:

Karel Havlíček, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

Dr. Thomas Steffen, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE)

5:20 p.m.

Panel Discussion I „Business Leaders“

"How can companies stay competitive in a high-energy-cost environment?"

Leaders from Czech and German industry discuss how energy supply, energy costs, infrastructure, innovation and digitalisation affect investment decisions and future competitiveness.

C-level executives from Akkodis, Bosch, T-Business, Škoda Auto, Aimtec and Horváth

5:50 p.m.

Coffee break

6:15 p.m.

Keynote

"From Energy Transition to Competitive Advantage"

• Claudia Viohl, CEO and Chair of the Board of E.ON Czech Republic

6:45 p.m.

Panel Discussion II „Grid“

"How can Czechia and Germany cooperate more closely in building a resilient cross-border grid that fully leverages the advantages of each country’s power system?"

Representatives of governments, associations, research institutes, industries and the energy sector discuss how energy policy synergies between Czechia and Germany can be created.

• Prof. Mario Ragwitz, Director of Fraunhofer IEG and Scientific Director of the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence “Integrated Energy Systems” (CINES)

• Marian Rusko, Chair of the Board and CEO, EG.D., s.r.o.

• René Neděla, Director General of the Energy Section, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

• Svatopluk Vnouček, Ph.D., Vice-Chair of the Board, ČEPS (Czech Transmission System Operator)

• Brigita Jeroncic, Head of Communication & Policy, 50Hertz Transmission GmbH

• Yvonne Grösch, Head of Subdivision, Department 6 – Energy Regulation, Federal Network Agency (BNetzA)

• Dr. David Klebs, Deputy Head of the Division for Policy and Planning of Electricity Grids, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE)

7:15 p.m.

Panel Discussion III „SMRs & Fusion“

"How can Czechia and Germany join forces in technologies such as SMRs and fusion?"

• Prof. Radomír Pánek, President of the Czech Academy of Sciences

• Jaroslav Lahoda, Managing Director, Siemens Energy, s.r.o.

• Prof. Hartmut Zohm, Head of the Tokamak Scenario Development Division, Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP)

• Bernard Bauer, CEO of the German-Czech Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Deputy Delegate of Industry and Commerce of the Free State of Bavaria in the Czech Republic

• Tomáš Ehler, Ph.D., Director General of the Nuclear Energy and New Technologies Section, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

7:50 p.m

Wrap-up & End of GCEF 2026

8:00 p.m.

Dinner buffet & Networking