Programme

In its coalition agreement, the German government has committed to leveraging digital technologies to drive the economy towards enhanced sustainability, climate protection, and environmental conservation. The GreenTech Innovation Competition aligns with this objective. The programme aims to strengthen Germany and Europe as leading hubs for high-tech digital technologies and the associated business models, making a significant contribution to the achievement of climate and environmental protection targets while reinforcing German and European sovereignty.

Recent studies indicate that the global adoption of digital technologies can potentially reduce climate-damaging emissions by up to 20 percent, with further emissions savings possible through technological advancements. Simultaneously, the development and implementation of innovative digital technologies can enhance the competitiveness of German and European companies, particularly in the burgeoning markets of green technologies and services.

The technology programme of the GreenTech Innovation Competition addresses the intersection of digital technologies and sustainability across three key areas:

1. Enhancing sustainability through digital technologies
Digital technologies offer opportunities to enhance the efficiency and environmental friendliness of products and processes. By leveraging cross-industry synergies and establishing circular value networks, these technologies can contribute to greater sustainability and economic efficiency. For instance, the implementation of a green digital twin enables energy-intensive industrial companies to adopt a more environmentally friendly approach by utilizing renewable energy sources flexibly. Additionally, a digital exchange platform built on open-source standards and interfaces facilitates the sustainable refurbishment of existing buildings. Furthermore, robots and intelligent machines are being trained to automatically sort and dismantle complex components like electronics. In another project, robots are being utilized to optimize harvesting techniques in mixed crop cultivation, thereby promoting ecological agriculture.

2. Sustainability of digital technologies
The second area of focus centers around employing ecodesign methods and green coding principles in the development and implementation of digital technologies to mitigate potential rebound effects. For instance, leveraging digital imagery and machine learning, the life cycle assessment of video streaming will be comprehensively analyzed and enhanced, while establishing criteria for evaluating the carbon footprint of software. Furthermore, in data centers, the sustainability of AI services will be substantially enhanced through the utilization of neuromorphic chips and an ecosystem of AI use cases. Additionally, a digital twin will be utilized to optimize the resource requirements of software in embedded systems.

3. Measuring sustainability with digital technologies
In order to facilitate informed and sustainable investment and consumption choices, it is crucial for investors, companies, and consumers to have access to objective and comparable information regarding the sustainability of products and services. Digital technologies play a vital role in this regard, as they enable the measurement of sustainability criteria in a consistent, transparent, and seamless manner using real-time data. To advance the measurement of sustainability, this focus area supports the development of analytical tools, digital identities, product passports, and green digital twins. These initiatives aim to enhance the ability to assess sustainability and promote its integration into decision-making processes.

In summary, the objective of the technology programme is to promote the utilization of digital technologies as the cornerstone for aligning economic and ecological interests. The projects are designed to have a substantial impact on the relevant industries they address and to generate spill-over effects. Furthermore, the selection process specifically targeted projects that facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Number of projects: 21

Number of project partners: 120

Duration: 36 months, starting in May 2023

Funding amount: approx. 75 million euros