In addition to the topics of art and refrigeration compressors, this year's theme is all about responsibility.

‘Our Responsibilities – Sustainability, Energy and Resource Efficiency’ is the motto of this year's Art of Compression. It provides an ideal platform for experts from the refrigeration and air conditioning industry to get informed and to discuss the issues currently determining their field.

On 25 March, renowned personalities from science and industry will give lectures on the responsibility of refrigeration and air conditioning technology. Among the speakers are Dr. Reinhard Rademacher (University of Maryland) and Dipl.-Ing. Thomas Mösch (TU Dresden) with thought-provoking impulses on technological developments of the future, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Reiner Kriesten (Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences) with a lecture on cyber security and Dipl.-Ing. Jörn Schwarz (Ice-TeX Engineering) with approaches to resource efficiency.

Consideration will also be given to the arts: the event will start with a guided tour of the current exhibition at the art museum, Schuwerk Sindelfingen, with artworks from the Schaufler collection. Barbara Bergmann, director of the Schuwerk Sindelfingen, will give a lecture on consumer behaviour and recycling in the works of bricolage artist Tom Sachs.

The event will take place in the new Bitzer headquarters in Sindelfingen. In past years, the event had been held in the premises of the Schuwerk Sindelfingen; the new venue, which is only a few meters away, allows a larger number of participants.

Senator h. c. Peter Schaufler, owner and chief executive of Bitzer for many years, founded The Schaufler Foundation in 2005. He considered it his life's work to support science, research and teaching in the field of refrigeration and air conditioning technology as well as to promote modern art as an entrepreneur. The foundation now continues this in his name.