The TUM SEED Center is proud to participate in this year’s Off-Grid Expo + Conference (OEC) 2025 in Augsburg, a leading international event for off-grid energy solutions and sustainable technologies. The TUM SEED Center represents our research, living labs, and international collaborations that advance sustainable energy, entrepreneurship, and development in the Global South.
Earlier today, Prof. Dr. Frank-Martin Belz, Academic Director of the TUM SEED Center, had the honor of meeting and welcoming the official delegation from Kenya, the OEC 2025 partner country. The visit also included representatives from the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection (Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz), the patron of this year’s expo.
Later in the day, the SEED Center team contributed to the conference program with a panel discussion titled “Scaling Impact: Minigrid Developers and Productive Energy Use.” The session explored how decentralized renewable energy systems, particularly mini-grids and productive energy use (PUE), can foster entrepreneurship, enhance livelihoods, and support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 8.
For those attending the expo on 31 October, the TUM SEED Center invites participants to the TUM SEED Interview Series, featuring international researchers and partners sharing insights from the off-grid energy sector in Africa:
- 10:30–10:50: Mr. Denis Koech - The Off-Grid Sector in Kenya: State of the Art, Challenges, and the Way Ahead
- 11:00–11:20: Prof. Dr. Nigus Gabbiye Habtu - The Off-Grid Sector in Ethiopia: State of the Art, Challenges, and the Way Ahead
- 14:00–14:20: Dr. Betty Nabuuma - Circular PUE: Improving Livelihoods by Creating Productive Loops – Insights from Uganda
Visitors are welcome to visit the TUM SEED Center booth to connect with the team, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration in sustainable energy access, entrepreneurship, and policy innovation.