The opening ceremony reflected the significance of this first gathering. High-level representatives from Wits and TUM, including Wits Vice Chancellor Prof. Zeblon Vilakazi and TUM Executive Vice President Prof. Dr. Juliane Winkelmann, welcomed participants to Johannesburg. Perspectives from the South African Department of Electricity and Energy, the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, the German Embassy in Pretoriaand DAAD highlighted the importance of cooperation between South Africa and Germany in advancing a just and sustainable energy transition.

A keynote by Prof. Tracy-Lynn Field of the South African Presidential Climate Commission placed the opportunities and challenges of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition at the centre of the discussion. ENERGISE Director Prof. Dr. Frank-Martin Belz and Scientific Directors Prof. Chandima Gomes and Prof. Erika Kraemer-Mbula then presented the Center’s vision for interdisciplinary research and teaching with impact.

The day culminated in the official opening of the ENERGISE Center, accompanied by a musical contribution from the Wits School of Electrical & Information Engineering Choir and an evening of networking and exchange. It was a festive start to the first ENERGISE Annual Symposium—and an important step in building a shared community committed to co-creating pathways towards a just, inclusive and sustainable energy future.