Exactly one year after their first visit (see ourPost | LinkedIn), an official German delegation fromthe Landkreis Harz, hosted by the Belfort Territorial Department, returned to Belfort on April 27 and 28, 2026.
As part of their busy schedule of meetings with our Franche-Comté companies—major players in the transportation and energy sectors—a visit to our CrunchLab was also on the agenda. Welcomed byGhislain MONTAVON, director of UTBM;Franck GECHTER, director of international relations and globalization; andDamien PAIRE, director of industry relations, our guests had the opportunity to discuss university-industry relations and tour theCrunchLab.
The delegation consisted of:
- Nils APPELT, president of PSFU Wernigerode GmbH and vice president of the Magdeburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. His company specializes in high-precision machining technologies and, as a full-service provider, manufactures complex components made of metal and other materials using CNC milling, turning, and grinding processes. The company also has recognized expertise in 5-axis CNC profile grinding, gear grinding, and the manufacture of assemblies for the mechanical engineering sector, particularly the automotive industry. Energy challenges facing industrial SMEs are one of his main areas of interest.
- Heino OEHRING, president of Harzer Volksbank, a financial institution specializing in financial services: wealth building, investing, risk management, retirement planning, homeownership, real estate management, business start-ups and support, project management, and intergenerational succession. He has a particular interest in financing solutions for the energy transition and renewable energy.
- Christian FISCHER, president of Harzer Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH, the leading local public transportation operator in the Harz region. The company operates urban and regional bus routes. In particular, he wishes to discuss energy issues related to mobility. “The Harz-Belfort partnership is deeply rooted: it stems from the initiative of a descendant of a survivor of the Langenstein-Zwieberge concentration camp and former district administrator Henning Rühe (LK HBS). This legacy places a responsibility on us,” explains Christian FISCHER.
- Louisa KLEMMERandSarah PIPERof Harz University, who focus on industry-university collaboration, European research, and technology transfer practices. In particular, they are working on approaches to effectively leverage knowledge and scientific research to create economic and social value.
- Ralf GRIMPE, director of the Wernigerode and Magdeburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- Sven ERICHSON, Enterprise Europe Network Manager at the Magdeburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), and his counterpart,Laurent VOLLE—who was also in attendance—Director of Enterprise Europe (EEN Manager) at the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI).
A big thank you to the CrunchLab team, and especially toOlivier LAMOTTEfor his support. At this event focusing on the relationships between business, academia, and society, CrunchLab plays a central and unifying role.
UTBM was delighted to welcome these leading business leaders and is thus fully committed to fulfilling its mission as a university of technology by staying closely attuned to the challenges and concerns of businesses.
