Already for the fourth time the Saxon-Czech Innovation Day took place and was extended this year to the Saxon-Bavarian-Czech Innovation Day. This took place on 15 November in the historic premises of the German Embassy in Prague and was dedicated to the topics of automated driving and e-mobility. Representatives from science and industry from the Czech Republic, the Free State of Saxony and the Free State of Bavaria gave numerous presentations on the future of the automotive industry, the use of artificial intelligence and the ethical aspects of autonomous driving.

The Innovation Day was opened by the German Ambassador Dr. Christoph Israng and the Saxon Minister of State for Science and Culture Dr. Eva-Maria Stange. The automotive sector is the industrial sector with the highest turnover in Saxony and the number of employees in this sector has tripled since 1991. Every eighth car comes from the Free State of Saxony, said the Minister of Science in her opening speech. Furthermore, she emphasized the role of the research institutions in Saxony, in particular the development of 5G technology as an important prerequisite for autonomous driving, which was largely supported by the TU Dresden under the leadership of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. Frank Fitzek and was introduced by him in a subsequent presentation. The TU Dresden has been researching for years in the field of energy technology around the future topic of electromobility. "The focus of this event is on jointly creating new networks, attracting more research projects, locating partners and securing skilled personnel," emphasized Ms. Stange.

The event provided a platform for creating cooperation, networking new partners and highlighting funding opportunities in research. The TUD supported the event with participants from the Transfer Office, DRESDEN-concept and the Institute for Lightweight Construction and Plastics Technology as well as a workshop led by Christian Gerhardts, Head of the European Project Center. In the various workshops, the participants of the event exchanged ideas on the topic of support structures for applying for funding.  One of the aims of the Innovation Day is to further intensify cross-border cooperation between Saxony, the Czech Republic and Bavaria in research and development in the future.

This year's Innovation Day was organised by the Liaison Office of the Free State of Saxony, the German Embassy in Prague and the Representative Office of the Free State of Bavaria in the Czech Republic. In the past, the Innovation Days were initiated and conceived by the Transfer Office, and the TU Dresden also supported the event format with lectures and workshops on the fourth Innovation Day.