The 23rd Dresden Colloquium on Refrigeration Technology impressively demonstrated how refrigeration systems and heat pumps are helping to shape the energy transition. The event took place on Friday, September 26, for the first time in the modern setting of the Penck Hotel Dresden and was supported by the Foundation for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology.
The colloquium was opened by Prof. Mario Reichel, Chairman of the Foundation. Prof. Uwe Franzke, Managing Director of the organizing Institute for Air and Refrigeration Technology (ILK Dresden gGmbH), then welcomed the 87 participants. Among them were numerous representatives from well-known companies such as Viessmann Holding International GmbH, Kühlsysteme GmbH, Bitzer Kühlmaschinen GmbH, Johnson Controls Systems & Service GmbH, thermofin GmbH, Sachsenmilch Leppersdorf GmbH, Rheinmetall Invent GmbH, and many others.
Expert exchange at the highest level
The program was organized by ten speakers from the fields of research, industry, and politics. Of particular note were the insights provided by Johanna Otting (German Heat Pump Association) on the federal government’s current positions regarding the Building Energy Act (GEG), as well as those offered by Prof. Christiane Thomas (TU Dresden) on ongoing heat pump research projects. Practical applications, such as the integration of heat pumps into industrial energy systems or the cost-optimized operation of cold storage facilities, also generated significant interest.
New Directions: Location, Brand, and Outlook
The Dresden Colloquium on Refrigeration Technology presented itself in a refreshingly new format in 2025:
- New Location: The move to the Penck Hotel on Ostra-Allee will provide space for a moderately larger number of participants in the future.
- New Word Mark & Visual: With a modern logo, the Colloquium has been given a fresh look.
- Save the Date 2027: The next Dresden Refrigeration Technology Colloquium will take place on September 24, 2027. Interested parties can already add their names to the invitation list.
“The Colloquium is a small but important piece of the puzzle in the refrigeration technology network. With its tradition spanning over 30 years, it is firmly established in the industry and has become indispensable. Now it is time to carry this tradition into the next generation. Especially in the age of AI and automation, personal networking is taking on new significance in the transfer of knowledge between industry and research,” emphasized Professor Uwe Franzke.
REVIEW OF THE 2025 CONFERENCE PROGRAM
- Opening Remarks - Prof. Mario Reichel - Chairman of the Foundation for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology
- Welcome Address - Prof. Uwe Franzke, Managing Director of ILK Dresden
- Current Political/Economic Framework Conditions for the Use of Heat Pumps - Johanna Otting, BWP (German Heat Pump Association)
- Current Research on Heat Pumps at TU Dresden - Prof. Christiane Thomas, TU Dresden
- Grid compatibility with a steam-generating heat pump - Fabian Thalemann, IEE Fraunhofer
- Heat from the Weser - River water heat pump with liquid ice generator - Dr.-Ing. Mathias Safarik, ILK Dresden
- The importance of industrial heat pumps and vapor compression for Evonik’s sustainable transformation – the EAGER program and its key messages on heat integration - Daniel Murrenhoff, Evonik Operations GmbH
- Why are test benches needed? - Dr.-Ing. Karl Steinjan, ILK Dresden
- Natural refrigerants in heat pumps: Where are innovative solutions needed for safe operation? - Dr.-Ing. Thore Oltersdorf, ISE Freiburg
- Challenges of heat supply in the municipal sector under current conditions - Dr. Franziska Graube-Kühne, DREWAG - Stadtwerke Dresden GmbH
- Model- and simulation-based control system development for refrigeration systems & heat pumps - Dr.-Ing. Andreas Varchmin, TLK-Thermo GmbH
