Project Office

Energy Systems of the Future
Project
Project Office

The Project Office “Energy Systems of the Future”

The Project Office “Energy Systems of the Future” supports the members and various committees in the project work. The Project Office is located at the office of acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering at Pariser Platz 4a in Berlin an at the office of acatech at Karolinenplatz 4 in Munich.

The Project Office staff

coordinate the Working Groups and supports their technical work
conceive and organise workshops and dialogue panels
prepare and follow up committee meetings
support the editorial and publication processes
are responsible for the press and PR

Employees

Dr. Cyril Stephanos
Energy Systems of the Future
Head of Project Office

Dr. Cyril Stephanos
Head of Project Office
Energy Systems of the Future
+49 (0)172 144 5876
stephanos@acatech.de

Cyril Stephanos is Head of the ESYS Project Office. He joined the Project Office in March 2014 as Scientific Officer. After his PhD in physics, he did research in the fields of energy conversion and materials science at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research. During his time as a PhD student at the Department of Experimental Physics at the University of Augsburg, he also worked at the Department of Resource Strategy.

Daniela Niethammer
Energy Systems of the Future
Deputy Head of Project Office / Stakeholder Dialogues Officer

Daniela Niethammer
Deputy Head of Project Office / Stakeholder Dialogues Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
+49 (0)151 1552 11 66
niethammer@acatech.de

Daniela Niethammer joined the ESYS Project team in January 2018 as coordinator for Stakeholder Dialogues. Since September 2022, she has been Deputy Head of the Project Office. Her previous activities focused on Franco-German energy cooperation during which she spent two years working for the science and energy department of the French Embassy in Berlin. She studied political science in France and England and specialized in international relations and renewable energies.

Dr. Berit Erlach
Energy Systems of the Future
Scientific Officer

Dr. Berit Erlach
Scientific Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
+49 (0)175 4935 623
erlach@acatech.de

Berit Erlach joined the Project in September 2013 and is mainly responsible for the topics of energy scenarios, raw materials, bioenergy and carbon management. Previously, she worked as a research associate at the TU Berlin and wrote her doctoral thesis on bioenergy. After her graduation in energy and process engineering, she worked for three years in an engineering office in the fields of technical engineering and energy consulting.

Sven Wurbs
Energy Systems of the Future
Scientific Officer

Sven Wurbs
Scientific Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
+49 (0)160 9443 9911
wurbs@acatech.de

Sven Wurbs joined the ESYS project office in April 2021. His thematic focus is on energy policy and politics, hydrogen economy and sustainable design of supply infrastructures. Previously, he worked in an institute of practice-oriented sustainability research in projects on renewable energies, adaptation to climate change impacts and the development of rural areas, among others. He completed his studies in political science in Berlin, where he focused on inter- and transdisciplinary research issues.

Magdalena Gutnik
Energy Systems of the Future
Scientific Officer

Magdalena Gutnik
Scientific Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
+49 (0)151 5746 5756
gutnik@acatech.de

Magdalena Gutnik joined the ESYS project office in August 2021. She is working on local and federal topics concerning the energy transition. Previously, she worked at a think tank in a project on European municipal climate action. Magdalena Gutnik studied Political Science, South Asian Studies and Natural Resource Management in Heidelberg, Aarhus and Berlin.

Miriam Borgmann
Energy Systems of the Future
Scientific Officer

Miriam Borgmann
Scientific Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
089/52 03 09-75
borgmann@acatech.de

Miriam Borgmann started working for the ESYS project in September 2021. Currently she is supporting the working group „Energy market of the future“. Before joining ESYS, she worked for a sustainability consultancy for the real estate sector. In her master programme„Sustainable Resource Management“ at the Technical University of Munich she took part in research of sustainable energy systems and completed her thesis at the Chair of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems. During her studies she worked in the sustainability department of Siemens Energy.

Jörn Gierds
Energy Systems of the Future
Scientific Officer

Jörn Gierds
Scientific Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
+49 (0)151 5281 8795
gierds@acatech.de

Jörn Gierds joined the ESYS project office in February 2022. He particularly focuses on the topics of carbon management, carbon markets, heating market and gas industry. Before joining ESYS, he worked for several years in management consultancies in the energy sector. In these positions, he was particularly involved with topics in the fields of power-to-X / hydrogen, the heating market and grid operation. Jörn Gierds studied Economics and European Studies in Berlin and Frankfurt (Oder).

Philipp Stöcker
Energy Systems of the Future
Scientific Officer

Philipp Stöcker
Scientific Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
stoecker@acatech.de

Philipp Stöcker joined the ESYS project in July 2023 as Scientific Officer. His focus is energy system analysis with emphasis on sustainable energy supply and energy storage. Previously, he headed the department of Grid Integration and Storage System Analysis at the Chair of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems at RWTH Aachen University. In parallel, he supported several working groups at ESYS as consulting Scientific Officer since 2014. Philipp Stöcker studied Technical Cybernetics in Stuttgart and San Diego.

Anja Lapac
Energy Systems of the Future
Communications Officer

Anja Lapac
Communications Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
089/52 03 09-850
lapac@acatech.de

Anja Lapac joined the ESYS Project team in May 2020 as Coordinator Communications. Prior to this, she was an Online Editor at an Art College and worked for a specialist book publisher as PR- and Project Manager. Alongside her studies in art history and comparative literature she worked in several cultural institutions in the fields of Public Relations and the Arts.

Annika Seiler
Energy Systems of the Future
Publications Officer

Annika Seiler
Publications Officer
Energy Systems of the Future
089/52 03 09-848
seiler@acatech.de

Annika Seiler has been a coordinator for publications in the project Energy Systems of the Future since April 2020. Prior to this, she was responsible as a media producer and project manager in the publishing sector with a focus on calendars, puzzles and B2B. After her studies of Publishing Production Management in Leipzig, she worked as production manager for a publisher of specialist books and journals.

Claire Stark
Energy Systems of the Future
Trainee

Claire Stark
Trainee
Energy Systems of the Future
089/52 03 09-929
stark@acatech.de

Claire Stark joined the ESYS Project team in February 2023 as a trainee. She supports the Project Office in communications and public relations. Previously, alongside her studies in chemistry, she worked in the exhibition service of a museum of science and technology and at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in the field of science communication.

Christiane Abele
Energy Systems of the Future
Project Assistant

Christiane Abele
Project Assistant
Energy Systems of the Future
089/52 03 09-34
abele@acatech.de

Christiane Abele has been with acatech since October 2017. Until April 2020 she supported the Finance/Human Resources department as a clerk, since May she has been working as a project assistant for the project Energy Systems of the Future. Prior to this, the trained travel management assistant worked mainly as an assistant for various international companies.

Florentine Straub
Energy Systems of the Future
Project Assistant

Florentine Straub
Project Assistant
Energy Systems of the Future
straub@acatech.de

Florentine Straub joined acatech in February 2011. Until March 2013, she was employed as team assistant for the acatech project centre, since then she has been supporting the ESYS Project Office as a project assistant. Her prior professional experiences include jobs as an assistant in a medical specialist association and as an IT management assistant for various companies.

Tim Brändel
Energy Systems of the Future
Working Student

Tim Brändel
Working Student
Energy Systems of the Future
braendel@acatech.de

Tim Brändel supports the communication team and scientific advisors of the "Energy Systems of the Future" project as a student assistant since January 2023. He completed his bachelor's degree in Mechatronics and Information Technology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and is currently studying Electrical Engineering with a specialisation in Electrical Power Engineering at the Technical University of Berlin.

Benedikte Eiden
Energy Systems of the Future
Working Student

Benedikte Eiden
Working Student
Energy Systems of the Future
eiden@acatech.de

Benedikte Eiden joined the ESYS project team in June 2022 as a student assistant. She studied Economics at the University of Bonn and Political Science at the Technical University of Munich and is currently enrolled in the Masterprogram of Politics & Technology at the Technical University of Munich. Previously, she worked as a student assistant in the communications department of the acatech secretariat. In the project, she supports the communication team and the scientific advisors in their work.