Colorado: Governor Polis Leads Delegation to Germany

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DENVER - Governor Polis is leading a delegation of officials including the Global Business Development Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Energy Office, and the Public Utilities Commission to strengthen key international partnerships in Germany to meet with companies with Colorado ties, and celebrate the cultural connections.

"Strengthening international relationships helps Colorado's economy, attracts new businesses, and deepens our cultural connections. I am pleased to be meeting with our international allies in Germany to collaborate on best practices in clean energy manufacturing, wildfire prevention and control, and strengthen transportation corridors between our major travel hubs in Germany and Colorado. Colorado is leading by example to foster international leadership to bring more good jobs, innovation and creativity to our state," said Governor Polis.

"Building strong international relationships strengthens Colorado's business ecosystem and our economy. By fostering deep, collaborative ties with global partners, we create new opportunities to attract investment, encourage high-growth businesses to relocate here, and open pathways for local companies to export their innovations to the world. We're thrilled to meet with our partners in Germany and showcase the innovation our regions share," said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director.

"It is encouraging and enlightening to hear and learn from our counterparts in Germany on managing natural resources, encouraging renewable energy development and working towards climate resilient communities," said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. "Our work in Colorado to create durable regulatory frameworks that enable innovative energy development, particularly geothermal, has been positively received by our counterparts in Europe. Expanding on partnerships and fostering relationships will keep Colorado at the forefront of driving innovation and development of geothermal resources which will have benefits for all Coloradans."

"While Colorado is a leader in clean energy technologies, meeting with other leaders in the field - from those focused on battery storage to new renewable generation- has been a tremendous opportunity," said Colorado Energy Office Deputy Director Dominique Gomez. "Trips like this support our efforts to find new and innovative ways to lower greenhouse gas emissions, keep our air clean, and cut costs for Coloradans."

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The Governor's mission included a full agenda of company, investor, government, and diplomacy meetings in Germany to explore investment opportunities, diplomacy and policy exchange.

(Governor Polis, Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources Dan Gibbs (far left), Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Eve Lieberman (far right), Join members of OroraTech at German facility)

In Munich, the Governor met with Bavarian Minister for European and International Affairs, Eric Beißwenger, as well as Dr. Florian Herrmann, head of the Bavarian State Chancellery. The Governor also toured OroraTech, a wildfire satellite network and management platform that opened their U.S. headquarters in Denver in 2025, and BMW where the delegation discussed battery storage, safe disposal of EV batteries and geothermal energy development. The Governor also visited Infineon Technologies, a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT that has a presence in Colorado Springs and is the world's largest supplier of automotive semiconductors. There, the delegation learned about the semiconductor applications driving mobility, security and energy storage.

(Governor Polis and Executive Director Eve Lieberman at the Star2 Pitch Event in Munich, Germany)

Governor Polis and the delegation also joined a pitch event with Start2 Group, hearing from energy-focused startups who were looking to grow their businesses. Two of these companies were awarded scholarships to attend Colorado Startup Week in September. Additionally, Governor Polis visited Marvel Fusion, a Munich-based fusion energy company with headquarters in Germany and the CSU ATLAS facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, focused on scaling fusion energy development to be used for commercial industries to power Colorado's buildings and businesses. The State of Colorado, Marvel Fusion, and Siemens Energy signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to strengthen transatlantic collaboration and increase the development and commercialization of fusion energy. The partners will establish a joint working group to define priority projects, with delegation visits, expert workshops, and partnership activities planned over the next 12 months.

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(Governor Polis signs Letter of Intent with Marvel Fusion and Siemens Energy)

Governor Polis also visited a premier destination hub, the Munich Airport, which has been an official sister airport of Denver International Airport since 1991. There he met with delegates from Lufthansa and Munich Airport staff to highlight the importance of international tourism for both economies and the benefits for Colorado businesses and cultural ties between Colorado and Bavaria. Since launching service to Denver in 2021, more than 22,000 Lufthansa flights have traveled between Denver and Germany, with over 6 million passengers.

(Governor Polis, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade join staff at the United Nation World Food Program Innovation Accelerator)

Governor Polis then visited with members of the United Nations World Food Program Innovation Accelerator, a humanitarian initiative with the goal of eliminating hunger around the world. Colorado is an agricultural state with communities that rely heavily on the success and produce of ranches and farmers. Colorado is adopting new ways to advance agricultural techniques and learn from our international partners on best practices to provide even better quality products and produce to communities in Colorado and across the United States.

Colorado and Germany are strong international partners with German trade relations equating to roughly $1.2 billion. Germany is Colorado's 10th largest export market supporting important Colorado industries like transportation, advanced computing and machinery. Over the last five years foreign direct investments from Germany into Colorado have accumulated a total of $118 million in capital expenditure and created an estimated 397 jobs. In 2025, Colorado welcomed just over 42,000 visitors from Germany, who spent nearly $100 million while in the state.

This is the Governor's fourth international mission. During his first term, the Governor conducted an investment mission in India with a collaborative focus on idea exchange around cleantech, smart mobility, and renewable energy. In 2023, Gov. Polis led a mission in Japan to exchange ideas related to aerospace, renewable energy, innovation, research, entrepreneurship and the shared values Colorado and Japan hold and celebrate the post-pandemic return of the direct flight between Denver and Tokyo. The Governor also led a delegation to the Nordic countries in 2024, traveling to Sweden, Denmark and Finland to strengthen economic ties in industries like renewable energy, robotics, quantum, telecommunications and artificial intelligence.

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