Since January 2018 Dr. Petra Püchner is the Commissioner for Europe of the Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing Baden-Württemberg and since 2000 the Head of Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum. She is a member of the Spokespersons of the Enterprise Europe Network Germany and in 2012 she founded the network Women4Energy ("European Network of Women for Innovative Energy Solutions"), which connects women from research and industry on all energy-relevant topics, including SMART CITIES. Her competences cover all areas of research and innovation policy, innovation management for SMEs, open innovation, key technologies and transnational technology transfer. She is also an expert in the Gendered Innovation Advisory Group for H2020.