Innovation management energy
Innovative energy systems – shaping the future
Part-time further training for/for “Qualified innovation manager for energy systems” in cooperation with the University of Kassel
Over six months, specialists and managers learn how companies can prepare for a climate-neutral energy supply of the future. This part-time professional development program imparts key and specialized skills to develop and successfully implement future-proof and value-adding products, processes, and energy systems within a business context.
At a time when the energy world is undergoing fundamental change, which is associated with opportunities and risks for companies, participants learn to master new, complex challenges.
The special thing about the “Innovation Management Energy” (IME) training is that both solution skills such as innovation and change management as well as specialist skills in energy technologies and the energy economy for the new energy world are taught. Innovation topics from the companies are taken up and put into a concrete application context by working on practical case studies in small groups.
The program was developed by the University of Kassel and the House of Energy based on intensive discussions with companies about further training needs and is offered by the Management School of the University of Kassel. Employees of members of the House of Energy eV including the Forum Startup+ receive a reduction on the tuition fee. Please indicate your membership when registering.
After completing the practice-oriented program, graduates receive the certificate “Qualified Innovation Manager for Energy Systems” as well as a certificate from the University of Kassel for 10 credits (ECTS). An IHK certificate can be issued upon request. Energy efficiency experts can have their further training at dena credited.
Upon request, a credit to the MBA Sustainable Business Development of the CompetenceCampus of the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Module 9 Innovation Management and Module 11 Transformative Leadership). Furthermore, the advanced training course Innovation Management Energy from StudiumPlus of the Technical University of Mittelhessen is offered for the Master Future Skills & Innovation credited as part of the scientific specialization module.
(Prospective) specialists and managers with a university degree or three years of professional experience in the field of energy systems who want to accompany their company on the path to innovative, climate-neutral energy structures and successfully implement them in the company.
The program also targets staff from energy suppliers, commercial energy consumers/prosumers, industrial companies, plant manufacturers, solution providers, municipalities, consultants, law firms and career changers with different professional backgrounds.
The next class starts in April 2026.
- Seminar 1: Wed, April 15 to Sat, April 18, 2026 (in person)
- Seminar 2: Fri, April 24 to Sat, April 25, 2026 (Online)
- Seminar 3: Fri, April 24 to Sat, April 25, 2026 (Online)
- Seminar 4: Fri, April 24 to Sat, April 25, 2026 (Online)
- Seminar 5: Thu, June 25th until Sat, June 27, 2026 (presence)
- Seminar 6: Fri, April 24 to Sat, April 25, 2026 (Online)
- Seminar 7: Thu, June 25th until Sat, June 27, 2026 (presence)
Seminar times: 3 attendance blocks (Arrival day starts at 1 p.m.; departure day ends at 4 p.m.) and 4 online blocks (Fri. 13:30-18 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-17 p.m.)
The tuition fee for the program is €3.950. House of Energy members and cooperation partners receive a reduced fee of €3.550.
Prof. Dr. Heike Wetzel, University of Kassel
Prof. Dr. Peter Birkner, House of Energy eV
In addition, participants and graduates benefit from alumni network and from the entire innovation network that the House of Energy eV brings with it as an energy transition think tank and innovation cluster.
This is what our former participants and lecturers say
“The network is a really great story!”
“It’s a great story that you have expanded your network in addition to the course.” Gerrit Pruss states with satisfaction. "The network is an important side effect that should not be underestimated because it gives you the opportunity to establish contacts with other energy-related companies across the region. We are still in contact, have set up a small group on LinkedIn and invite each other to exchange ideas."
Gerrit Pruss is responsible for municipal support in the East Frisia region at EWE NETZ. An exciting and diverse field of work that covers all energy topics - from municipal heat planning to mobility, storage and sector coupling to hydrogen. His experience in the telecommunications sector helps him here. And he has a good insight into where the shoe pinches in the municipalities.
Due to his background, Gerrit Pruss was able to contribute a lot to the professional exchange within the study group. “I found it particularly exciting to be able to exchange ideas in a transdisciplinary manner with other people who play completely different roles in other companies and regions, serve other customer segments and bring other perspectives to the table,” he reports.
Gerrit Pruss himself came up with the idea for a case study. The aim was to examine the role that energy suppliers can play, especially in municipalities that have energy communities and want to implement energy sharing. "It was helpful to think in a completely new way in addition to my own expert knowledge and to approach the matter with a fresh approach. It's challenging, but it's worth it! And it was fun."
Gerrit Pruss says that we need specialists and managers who can bring a creative spirit to their work. This is where further training helps. He recommends that future participants be open to what is on offer, use the contact with the lecturers and ask questions. "That's exactly what's so valuable - you can ask the lecturers lots of questions. That's how you get valuable input."
“I decided to continue my education so that I could stay up to date and exchange ideas with bright minds from business and science.”
Lennart Fink is working at DB Energie on a future topic for which innovations need to be launched. It involves climate-friendly drives for the approximately 3.000 diesel trains that run on routes without overhead lines. Every route network needs a cost-effective alternative with the highest level of mobility security. One option is hydrogen trains with fuel cells that enable long ranges. “The challenge is to create efficient overall systems,” said Lennart Fink. These included refueling systems as well as facilities for the production, storage and delivery of green hydrogen.
Accordingly, Lennart Fink’s area of responsibility requires a wide range of skills. "Everyday working life often leaves little room to think outside the box and delve deeper into individual topics," he reports. "The training helped me a lot with this. I was able to discuss possible solutions and put them to the test. It is important to leave your own perspective and adopt other perspectives - even if that is difficult."
In the long term, Lennart Fink is aiming for a leadership position because he wants to play an active role in shaping the energy and transport transition. “This requires a broader view of the overall system, of key parameters and synergy effects.” The broad range of courses on management skills for innovations in the energy sector was a good fit here. “I was able to gain a good understanding of innovation strategies and processes and – just as importantly – gain insights into what it takes to ensure that innovation in the company actually falls on fertile ground.” he sums up and explains that changes in a company do not happen automatically. Often and happily, people fall back on what is already known and only add something new in small steps. However, this does not always achieve the goals of innovation and product development. The training offered good approaches in this regard.
"I particularly enjoyed the exchange with lecturers and participants in the face-to-face seminars. I also thought the group activities were great, where we got together in a relaxed atmosphere. And the fact that a program supervisor was always there and available is not something you can take for granted. I thought that was excellent."
“The training helped us to understand even more clearly the challenges our company is facing with the transformation.”
"The coaching sessions on the interim status of our case studies were incredibly valuable. We received a lot of good ideas and made a real leap forward with our project work.", Thea Dymke summarizes her small group work. "The collaboration in my small group was great: we discussed a lot and intensively, especially when we represented different points of view - persistently and at the same time respectfully. These were exhausting but highly productive discussions in which everyone contributed their expertise."
“Our group of companies, GASAG AG, is directly affected by the transformation of the energy sector and this also has a very concrete impact on my work.”, says Thea Dymke. She works as a product manager for green heating networks at their subsidiary, GASAG Solution Plus, and is involved, among other things, in the use of waste heat from data centers.
She decided to take the further training because she wanted to give herself and her team even greater skills to actively shape the corporate transformation in their field of work. Since she comes from the cultural and creative industry, she was already familiar with creative approaches to innovation management. But the challenges facing her company required more. She and her team experienced first-hand that innovation and change do not happen automatically. “You have to think about how to design the innovation process and embed it sustainably in the organization so that the impulses can also be taken up constructively.”, Thea Dymke shares her experience.
During the course of her training, she was able to bring the knowledge and ideas she had gained into her team as an external perspective, particularly with regard to change management and the culture of dealing with it within the company. "The training helped us to better understand the challenges our company is facing with the transformation. It became clear that what is happening here is typical for companies in this difficult transition phase. And approaches to greater mutual understanding and a good way of dealing with it can be found if recognized change management methods are integrated into the process."
Thea Dymke recommends future participants: "Be open and allow yourself to be surprised by the content that you didn't expect at first. Learning from others and discovering unexpected connections is the best basis for breaking new ground."
"I am glad that I did this training. What I learned about innovation processes and management in the energy industry will definitely help me."
“What I learned about the innovation process and management will definitely help me.”, Tim Büscher is sure. Parallel to the training, he has already been supporting a small innovation process in his company, with the support of the innovation department. And it was successful. "The beautiful and appealing thing about innovation management for me is that it is about the future, new technologies, approaches and solutions. I applied to support further innovation processes."
Tim Büscher works for EAM Energiewendepartner GmbH and is committed heart and soul to a heat supply that is independent of fossil energy sources, including in municipal properties. He is responsible for project management and implementation and works with the municipalities to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
His company acts as a partner that brings together and implements the various energy topics: from PV systems to heat generation plants.
“Full commitment to the case study is worth it!” He recommends this to future participants. His group developed a business model for an internal spin-off of a fictitious energy supplier. The aim was to design, implement and operate an optimal, holistic energy solution for complex business customers.
"I deal a lot and intensively with the energy transition and the necessary systems for energy supply. I am enthusiastic about the systemic view of it, because it is about bringing together plant technology, energy management and sustainability.", says Tim Büscher.
The transdisciplinary exchange in further training helped him a lot.
“We were a great group and got to know and appreciate each other well through the intensive collaboration in the seminar.”, he says and adds: "We continue to exchange professional information. Since we are spread across the country, we don't get in each other's way in business.
By exchanging experiences we can only strengthen each other. We are all very active in this area and want to intensify it further." Looking back, he states: "This is a very well organized and structured training course. I'm glad I did it. It was very good."
"I was able to gain a good overview of the whole thing and broaden my horizons. I am very grateful for that."
“I was impressed by the diversity of the lecturers and the professional organization.”
"I was really impressed by the professionalism of the continuing education organization, from the online learning platform to the face-to-face events. And the variety of lecturers was great.", says Stefan Oellrich.
The industrial engineer is an electricity expert and can now look back on over 20 years at EWE NETZ GmbH. His group is responsible for the operation and construction of the energy networks in the Oldenburg/Varel region. Stefan Oellrich takes care of new specialist topics relating to network operations, works on them, advises fitters and technical clerks, conducts training courses and supports the on-call services that are on hand in the event of disruptions.
“The training appealed to me because I notice that the management of innovations is becoming increasingly important in our energy company. However, in my everyday work, I have not had the space to actively deal with this,” he states and explains that energy-related companies have to keep up with the trends of the times and adapt their processes. He sees opportunities in digitalization in particular: “Innovative approaches can support internal processes, such as the interaction between field and office staff, for example in the form of new app solutions or the use of AI.”
Stefan Oellrich is aiming for a management position in the future and would like to develop his skills in this direction. That is why he liked the mix of professional and personal development in the training. "I was able to gain a good overview of the whole thing and broaden my horizons. I am very grateful for that.", says Stefan Oellrich.
A big plus, he says, is the exchange of experiences between the participants, "because you come from different backgrounds and can learn a lot from each other." He adds: "I would like to emphasize the value of group work on the case study. It is impressive how you can work on a topic with people you have never had any contact with before, take a common path and achieve an excellent result." All in all, he sums up: "The training was intensive and challenging, but always provided enriching added value and was fun. I can only recommend it."
"I was positively surprised by the variety of topics and the quality of the lecturers. And I gained deep insights into the simulation of complex and practice-relevant energy systems with sector coupling."
Business economist Hans-Christian Quast brought a lot of experience from his many years of self-employment to the training course. He was already the owner of a CAD drawing office and later an advertising agency. In 2003, he and his friends founded the Sonneninitiative eV. The association, which is committed to promoting renewable energy generation, now operates around 350 large photovoltaic systems on the roofs of municipal buildings and SMEs - and sees itself as Hesse's largest PV system operator. The Sonneninitiative is currently planning to set up a consulting firm for energy systems. This was the deciding factor for Hans-Christian Quast to take part in the training course.
“For me, the training to become an innovation manager for energy systems was primarily intended as an update to my business studies”, Hans-Christian Quast describes his motivation. Since finishing his studies in the early 90s, a lot has happened in economics, especially in terms of "wording". You have to be careful "not to get left behind."
“I was positively surprised by the variety of topics and the quality of the lecturers in the continuing education course,” he sums up. The case study was particularly useful to him, as it enabled him and his small group to gain extensive knowledge of the topic of sustainability reporting.
It was also important to him to get an introduction to the modeling of energy systems. “I gained deep insights into the simulation of complex and practice-relevant energy systems with sector coupling,” Hans-Christian Quast states with satisfaction as he looks back on his work with the simulation software energyPRO and the expert explanations of lecturer Peter Ritter.
“I can only warmly recommend the training – regardless of whether you come from a technical or management background.” he confirms and adds: "A must for everyone who wants to be involved in building a sustainable energy system and whose university days are more than 10 years ago. My heartfelt thanks go to the whole team around Prof. Wetzel and Prof. Birkner. They did an excellent job in putting together the training and organizing it. Keep it up!"
"I recommend this training course to everyone who wants to actively shape innovation processes in the energy sector."
The "Innovation Management Energy" training course at UNIKIMS was extremely enriching for me, both professionally and methodologically. The practical approaches to systemic innovation, whose applications can be observed in real-world business situations, were invaluable. The course content covered a broad spectrum of energy-related topics and provided a comprehensive overview of current challenges and future trends. The interdisciplinary exchange with other participants from diverse fields generated exciting perspectives and new impetus for my own work. The instructors impressed with their high level of expertise, motivating presentation style, and fascinating insights into their work. I highly recommend this training course to anyone who wants to actively shape innovation processes in the energy sector.
Contact
Dipl.-Landsch.-Ekol. Dirk Filzek
- Phone: + 49 561 51005332
- d.filzek@house-of-energy.org