Cornelius Matthes

Job Title: CEO
Company: Dii Desert Energy
Country: UAE

Cornelius is a well-respected leader and investor in the renewable energy industry and built several successful clean energy businesses and start-ups within Middle East and Africa. He has extensive board level experience from 10 years in Deutsche Bank (among others, youngest board member in Deutsche Bank Italy Group) and several leading renewable energy organizations and associations via pro bono work as well as different startup companies.
By building the international shareholder and partner network of Dii (Desertec Industrial Initiative), he was at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution in North Africa and the Middle East. A keen entrepreneur and investor in emerging markets with recognitions such as 'Solar Pioneer 2015' for the Middle East or the Visionary CleanTech Influencer of The Year 2022 by World Cleantech Awards. He is lecturing at several universities including St. Gallen and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He holds an MBA (Dipl. Kaufmann) from University of Passau, and speaks German, English, Italian, French and Russian.
His experience ranges from M&A transactions, asset management, developing utility scale renewable energy projects (including mid-market with private PPAs), pay-as-you-go solar to energy efficiency, including ESCO projects and new business models. Some of the projects and companies were executed in challenging settings or countries. He has led sizable organizations both in startup environments and blue-chip companies and has raised funds from angel investments to USD 100m+ projects with institutional investors.
'I am glad to be able to work in renewable energy which is also my passion - we can genuinely make an impact with many different things and help people, to make our planet a better place. Having new challenges every day is fantastic and many more mountains to be climbed!'
Executive management and boards of a variety of companies in emission-free technologies, as well as investment funds, seek his advice.

June 24, 2026Panel Discussion

Sessions

Session

Between Rearm EU and Repower EU - What Strategic Role Does Hydrogen Play for Europe?

Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:00am–11:30am

ICM - Room 14 B

Please note that this session will be conducted in English. Europe is fighting for its position in the global hydrogen race. Caught between the Green Deal and geopolitical tensions, the EU needs to find a balance. How can we achieve technological sovereignty while diversifying our sources of imports? The second day of the conference is dedicated to the big strategic questions of the European and global hydrogen economies, from the competitiveness of European electrolyzers with those from Asian manufacturers to the question of a European H2 Local and international partnerships. The discussions will show how Europe can keep its industrial basis and build new partnerships while asserting local hydrogen technology against the superiority of the Far East. Why? Hydrogen is not only a climate-neutral energy carrier, it is also becoming a geopolitical power factor in the context of global political and economic upheaval. At the start of the second conference day, we will ask key questions about Europe's energy supply and discuss the need for a policy fostering greater energy autonomy, such as: How can hydrogen be positioned as a European sovereignty project balancing the objectives of ReArm EU and RePower EU? How can we achieve technological sovereignty while diversifying our sources of imports? What practical steps are needed to geopolitically bolster the hydrogen economy in Europe? And will reinforcing national and European defenses help speed up the establishment of key markets and infrastructure for climate-neutral hydrogen?