Making women in energy and industry visible

The Female Energy Award at the Decarbon Days in Cottbus honours women who advance the energy transition and a modern industry. The finalists present themselves live in front of an audience. The award comes with EUR 2,500 in prize money and is supported by enviaM. Lucie Töpfer curated the 2026 award and chaired the jury. She had already served on the jury in 2025.

At a glance

• Tina Barroso of Conexio-PSE GmbH won the Female Energy Award 2026.
• The other finalists were Iva Jukic (Cero Erneuerbare Energien) and Sophie Apel (AVALY).
• Lucie Töpfer curated the award and chaired the jury.
• The award of the Decarbon Days in Cottbus comes with EUR 2,500 and is supported by enviaM.
• pyropower supports the award because the energy sector needs more women in engineering and leadership.

The winner and the finalists

First place went to Tina Barroso, site manager at Conexio-PSE GmbH. For more than 25 years she has helped shape the debate on the energy transition, has moderated or designed over 150 events and mentors women who are new to the sector. The other finalists were:

• Iva Jukic, managing director of Cero Erneuerbare Energien GmbH
• Sophie Apel, founder and CEO of AVALY

Our reasons for supporting the award

pyropower supports the Female Energy Award because energy and plant engineering need more women in technical and leadership roles. They are still rare in workshops, engineering offices and management teams. Role models on a stage change this faster than any campaign.

For Lucie Töpfer, the commitment is also personal. As the founder of a hardware company, she has experienced how much visibility and a good network can achieve. She passes on this experience at the award and as a mentor in the EXIST-Women programme at TH Wildau. And the structural transition in Lusatia needs every talent the region has.

The Decarbon Days in Cottbus

The Decarbon Days are a conference in Cottbus where companies, research and policy makers discuss the decarbonisation of industry and energy supply. The Female Energy Award is a regular part of the programme. It gives a stage to women who drive projects forward, lead teams and encourage others.

More on this topic

• Lucie Töpfer: career and commitment
• Company: team and values
• Careers: working at pyropower
• News and press: all news and events

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