Message of Greeting by Jürgen Rüttgers - Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s No. 1 energy state. Here are the roots of the industrial revolution which would not have occurred without coal mining, an industry steeped in tradition. Technological achievements dating back to that period are being improved all the time. Research and development efforts in our state have since come up with a host of new technologies. Innovating business minds have created entirely new industries and trades. All this rests on reliable, sustainable and eco-friendly energy supply – which, after all, is North Rhine-Westphalia’s trademark.

Today, the energy sector across Europe is undergoing profound changes whose impact is felt in North Rhine-Westphalia, too. We are facing a number of major challenges: the need for climate protection, the transforming energy market, the growing share of renewable sources in the ‘energy mix’, the future of electric vehicles and the necessity to use less energy more efficiently. ‘Smart energy’ is the way forward, technological solutions such as intelligent gas and power grids, domestic appliances embedded with communications technology, as well as energy storage and efficiency.

Taking up this topic, “E-world energy & water 2010” provides stakeholders and interested parties with a novel platform for communicating. Early exchange and collaboration among the various disciplines are essential elements of successfully reshaping the energy sector to meet the demands of the future. Close links with energy researchers, as found at North Rhine-Westphalia’s many renowned institutes and universities, harbours additional potential.

We owe gratitude to the organisers for the forward-looking congress programme. “E-world” will surely give a significant boost to the capacity for innovation across the industry.

This year, we look back at ten years of “E-world energy & water”. Each year, the tradeshow proved its value as a pacemaker for energy and water management. Outstanding competency, excellent contacts forged with the business and research communities and the ability to quickly take on board new developments and dovetail them to the tradeshow more traditional topics – that is the stuff E-world’s success is made of, and which has turned the congress into a trademark event for North Rhine-Westphalia, the Energy State. I would like to thank the tradeshow’s organisers, and everyone who has ever contributed to the history of “E-world energy and water”, very much for making this tremendous success possible.

I wish the visitors and exhibitors, both from Germany and abroad, whether they are here for the first time or whether they have been attending for years, every success during the tradeshow, some rewarding new contacts and successful business deals.

Jürgen Rüttgers
Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia