"Over the past 18 years, we have been inviting delegations from developing and emerging countries to Bavaria on behalf of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs for specific technical topics," explains Angie Dröber, project manager in the International Division of bbw gGmbH. "Together, we visit companies and educational institutions to convey German standards, technologies, and contacts."

The 19-member delegation consisted of managing directors, technical specialists and executives, environmental experts from chambers of commerce and industry, as well as teachers and principals of technical educational institutions from the wastewater and environmental sectors. The programme included visits to the Faculty of Sustainable Infrastructure at the Technical University of Ingolstadt and the Bavarian State Office for the Environment in Hof.

Leading companies in the water and wastewater technology sector also opened their doors: HUBER SE, INVENT Umwelt- und Verfahrenstechnik AG, and HYDROTEC GmbH provided practical insights into their working methods. At the yeast factory Lallemand Deutschland GmbH, the functioning of a wastewater pre-treatment plant with an attached biogas plant was demonstrated.

After the week-long trip, the participants not only took home new professional impulses but also personal contacts. "It is always nice to see how the newly established contacts are used to further develop ideas and businesses," says Dröber.