In the future the Thuringian network will represent companies and research institutions across the entire CleanTech sector / Launch with a new executive board: Kristin Weiß is Chair of the Executive Board, with Dr Robert Möller and Prof. Dr Peter Bretschneider as her deputies
Weimar, September 7, 2026. The Thuringian Renewable Energy Network (ThEEN) e.V. is relaunching as CIRCLE CleanTech Cluster e.V. The necessary amendment to the articles of association and the reorientation of the association were approved by the members on September 3, 2026 at an extraordinary general meeting. The new cluster operates across sectors and technologies, bringing together companies, research institutions and other stakeholders in the fields of water, energy and material resources. The current board of directors represents these technological fields.
Kristin Weiß (Managing Director of Stadtwerke Jena Netze GmbH) takes over as Chair of the Executive Board; Dr Robert Möller (Project Manager at Analytik Jena GmbH+Co. KG) is First Deputy Chair; and Prof. Dr Peter Bretschneider (Director of Fraunhofer IOSB-AST and Professor at the Technical University of Ilmenau) is once again Second Deputy Chair. Prof. Dr Michael Stelter (Deputy Director of the Fraunhofer IKTS) and Thomas Wisser (Managing Director of CABKA GmbH & Co. KG) complete the Executive Board for the next three years.
The newly elected chairwoman, Kristin Weiß, expresses her gratitude to the members: “I am delighted by the trust the members have placed in me by electing me as chairwoman of the CIRCLE CleanTech Cluster. My aim is to play an active role in shaping the cluster’s future development, to pool expertise and to provide fresh, innovative ideas for cross-sector and cross-technology innovations. Together with our members, we want to drive forward progressive topics and projects. Trust-based and constructive collaboration, as well as open discussions, are of central importance to me in this regard.”
Dieter Ortmann (MAXX SOLAR & ENERGIE GmbH & Co. KG) and the outgoing Chairman of the Board, Fabian Hoppe (HM Heizkörper GmbH Heating Technology), were bid farewell with heartfelt thanks from the members for their commitment. “I am delighted that we have today successfully completed the transition to the CIRCLE CleanTech Cluster. After 13 years as Chairman of the ThEEN Board, this is a special moment for me. I would like to thank all members, partners and colleagues for their trust and cooperation over the past years. I wish the newly elected Board every success in the further development of the cluster,” said Fabian Hoppe.
The new cluster is being established on the basis of ThEEN’s existing structures. The secretariat will remain in place, as will the certification for excellence in cluster work (ESCA label). The board and management were given the mandate to develop the cluster into a CleanTech cluster by the general meeting at the end of 2025. In particular, the industrial network is to be expanded. Right from the start, expertise and companies from the Thuringian Water Innovation Cluster (ThWIC), a Future Cluster of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), will be integrated into this initiative.
The aim is to generate new value through the joint development of technologies. To this end, the new cluster promotes and links a range of technologies from the CleanTech sector: industrial water technology, renewable energies, energy storage, heating technologies, hydrogen and carbon technologies, material resource cycles and the circular bioeconomy. Key cross-cutting themes, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, cyber resilience and data sovereignty, are integrated into these processes.
The reorganisation of the association was prepared as part of a strategic change and restructuring process involving the Executive Board, the Advisory Board, the Strategy Board and a working group set up for this purpose, and was supported by specialist legal advice. The name change will only take effect once it has been entered in the register of associations.
Press contact:
Luisa Liebau,
Tel. 0361 - 663 82 280,
Email: luisa.liebau@theen-ev.de
About ThEEN e.V., to be known in future as: CIRCLE CleanTech Cluster e.V. (subject to entry in the register of associations) As an innovation cluster and competence network for transformation technologies, the Thuringian Renewable Energy Network (ThEEN) e.V. represents more than 300 companies through its member associations as well as numerous individual members, companies, research institutions, local authorities and organisations. www.theen-ev.de
In future, subject to entry in the Register of Associations, ThEEN will be known as the CIRCLE CleanTech Cluster. The acronym CIRCLE stands for ‘Circular Innovations, Resources, Climate & Energy’. The network connects companies, research institutions and other stakeholders working in the fields of water, energy and material resources.