The trade mission to Saarland headed by Mr. Fernand Ernster, President of the Chamber of Commerce, took place on 7-8 March 2024. A delegation of 35 companies, accompanied by Luxembourg officials and institutional representatives, followed an invitation from Mr. Jürgen Barke, the Saarland Minister of the Economy, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energie, to visit the neighboring business location.

The mission focused on the sectors manufacturing, automotive and construction, with an emphasis on sustainability, digitalisation and cybersecurity.

On 7 March, the trade mission kicked off with a visit to nobilia. The leading European kitchen manufacturer based in Saarlouis showed the delegation its highly modern production and warhouse facilities, which are being developed in partnership with the Luxembourgish company Köhl Maschinenbau AG.

A side programme with a focus on sustainable construction, headed by Luxinnovation’s Wood Cluster manager Ralf Köhler, embarked on their journey to Saarland with a visit of the Green Campus project by Peter Gross Bau and QBUS – passive house office buildings.

All participants then headed to the Saarland Ministry of the Economy, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy in Saarbrücken. Here they were hosted by Minister Jürgen Barke, who welcomed Dr. Stéphanie Obertin, Luxembourg Minister of Digitalisation and Minister of Higher Education and Research, and Fernand Ernster.

In their welcome addresses, both ministers emphasized the longstanding, close ties between Luxembourg and Saarland, highlighting their outstanding collaboration within the Greater Region.

In the afternoon, the delegation met with Saarland companies for the Cross-Border Industry Insights – collaborative sectoral round table discussions at co:hub66 in Saarbrücken. According to their profiles, participants from Saarland and Luxembourg were offered to participate in moderated roundtable exchanges to discuss industry challenges and future trends. The themes of the round tables centered on AI, sustainable construction and Industry 4.0.

The discussions were followed by an interactive evening programme. Participants were welcomed by Secretary of State Mrs. Elena Yorgova-Ramanauskas, and Fernand Ernster. Both highlighted the digital and sustainable transformation of the Saarland and the Luxembourg economies as a major challenge as well as an opportunity for companies and society as a whole. Nicole Boissier, Head of International and host of the evening, then interviewed the different facilitators of the round table discussions about the outcomes of their exchanges.

The evening programme continued with a Saarland-Luxembourg Tech Stage, including inspiring keynotes and company pitches by CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, LuxProvide - MeluXina, Saarländische Wasserstoffagentur GmbH, Circu Li-ion S.A., Kraftblock GmbH and Artec 3D.

Finally, the evening ended with a networking dinner, where guests had the opportunity to discover the cyberattack simulation showcase Room#42 by the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity (LHC) as well as the Innovative Retail Laboratory (IRL) by Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI).

On 8 March, the main programme continued with a visit at the Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology gGmbH (ZeMA), a cooperational research institute in Saarland, showcasing demonstrators in the areas of the digital factory of the future, automated systems and automotive assembly.

After a lunch break in Homburg, the trade mission was rounded off by a visit at Robert Bosch GmbH, where the group learned how the company produces green hydrogen, which can be used for future production and mobility.

The Luxembourg participants headed home with many new impressions and ideas for future collaborations.