Vonovia, one of Europe's leading residential real estate companies, manages an extensive residential portfolio of around 505,000 of its own apartments in Germany, 22,000 apartments in Austria and 38,000 apartments in Sweden. With a total living space of 35,529,000 m² and a broad portfolio of apartments of various sizes, Vonovia plays a significant role in the real estate industry. With a dedicated focus on innovation and climate protection, Vonovia makes targeted investments in new energy-saving technologies and researches innovative solutions for the future housing market. As part of the research project, Vonovia contributes extensive and implementation-oriented experience and expertise, making it a practical partner for the development and testing of innovative solutions in the housing sector.

As a subsidiary of AVU, the regional energy supplier in the Ennepe-Ruhr district, AVU Serviceplus GmbH has been offering customized energy solutions for businesses, municipalities, the housing industry, and private customers since 2001. The service portfolio includes individual energy efficiency analyses and consulting, energy management, load profile management, as well as the planning, financing, implementation, supply of useful energy, and operational management of facilities. Particularly noteworthy is AVU Serviceplus GmbH's expertise in the areas of heating, lighting, compressed air, cooling, steam, ventilation, and renewable energies such as photovoltaics, wind power, and combined heat and power. Renewable energies, energy efficiency, and contracting are the main focus, with comprehensive consulting, energy measurements, and the creation of customized energy concepts being offered. With its practical approach and extensive technical experience, AVU Serviceplus GmbH contributes significantly to sustainable and efficient energy supply in the region.

Netze Duisburg GmbH is a fully owned subsidiary of Stadtwerke Duisburg AG and belongs to Duisburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrsgesellschaft (DVV), the parent company of the Group. Netze Duisburg GmbH is the distribution network operator for the Duisburg city area. It operates more than 4,900 km of high-voltage, medium-voltage and low-voltage lines as well as 1,300 km of gas lines. In addition, Netze Duisburg GmbH provides operational management of the water and district heating networks as well as street lighting in Duisburg. Its core tasks include the planning, operation, expansion and maintenance of the network infrastructure. Netze Duisburg GmbH is also responsible for the (further) development and implementation of heating and energy concepts for a wide range of applications. As a locally based infrastructure operator, Netze Duisburg GmbH has the expertise and local market knowledge to combine the planning, (expansion) construction and operation of the existing electricity, gas, water and district heating network systems with alternative, low-CO2 or CO2-free energy sources.

Stadtwerke Duisburg AG, a majority-owned municipal energy and water supply company for the Duisburg metropolitan area, has many years of experience in the supply of electricity, water, gas and district heating. With a combined heat and power plant, seven CHP plants and innovative projects for the use of industrial waste heat and renewable energies, the company plays an important role in the region's heat supply. Stadtwerke Duisburg AG is pursuing the goal of completely decarbonizing district heating generation by 2035. To this end, the company is planning further innovative projects such as the large-scale river water heat pump and the use of heat from deep geothermal energy. In addition to the central heating network-based supply, various districts in Duisburg will also be supplied with heat using customized concepts. As part of the research project, Stadtwerke Duisburg AG not only provides relevant data on the technical infrastructure, but also supports the correct mapping of the energy systems, the identification of practically relevant issues and the analysis of systemic effects.

The Bosch Home Comfort Group (Bosch HC) is a leading European provider of smart, sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for heating, cooling, comfort and process heat with the Buderus and Bosch brands, among others. With environmentally friendly technology such as heat pumps, Bosch HC ensures the well-being of its customers.

Prof. Dr. Johann-Christian Pielow is an expert in European and German economic constitutional and economic administrative law with a focus on “public utilities/services of general interest” and public infrastructure, particularly in the field of energy supply. Until his retirement, he held the Chair of Business Law at the Faculty of Economics, was a co-founder and co-spokesperson of the interdisciplinary research department “Closed Carbon Cycle Economy” and has headed the Institute for Mining and Energy Law at the Ruhr University Bochum since 2004, currently and provisionally until September 2024 as a senior professor at the Faculty of Law. Prof. Pielow is a member of various legal associations in Germany and abroad and cooperates with experts in energy law both inside and outside the EU, including the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy. He has many years of experience in teaching as well as in national and international research projects and is involved in other interdisciplinary initiatives such as the “Energy - System - Transformation” competence field of the University Alliance Ruhr.