Bilateral research cooperation in the field of energy transition will be stimulated, but also viewed in the wider context of (trans)national or regional initiatives, such as Topsector Energy (NL), New Energy Coalition (NL), Energie-Forschungszentrum Niedersachsen – EFZN (D) as well as Zukunftslabor Digitalisierung Energie, part of Zentrum für digitale Innovationen Niedersachsen – ZDIN (D). At UG, coordination for an interdisciplinary approach is located at the Energy and Sustainability Research Institute (ESRIG). At UOL, energy research has a systemic focus – on the economic and social interdependencies in large-scale energy systems (Department of Economics, Institute for Social Sciences), on intersectoral coupling and digitalisation (OFFIS, DLR), on sustainability assessment (COAST) and on the integration of wind power to provide system-wide grid stabilising services (ForWind).

The Wadden Sea is a UNESCO cultural heritage site and an important asset for the attractiveness of the Northern Dutch-German region. UG and UOL enjoy an excellent reputation in the field of coastal zone management and ecology. They closely cooperate with other stakeholders, research institutes and institutes of higher education in the Wadden Sea region. In the coming years, existing relations and networks will be consolidated and strengthened by organising academic workshops and seminars as well as jointly supervising PhD candidates.