Objective The European Union has adopted the potential of Concentrating Solar Thermal Power (CSP) to contribute significantly to the achievement of a truly sustainable energy system in the medium-to-long term in Europe. Thus, the EC currently supports the implementation of three pilot solar thermal power plants. Besides continuous implementation of this technology, cost targeted innovation approaches are needed to achieve cost-competitiveness of this technology in the medium-to-long term. Up to now a variety of different and competing approaches have been promoted by the fragmented research base in Europe. The major objectives of the ECOSTAR co-ordinating action are: - to identify the European innovation potential with the highest impact on CSP-cost reduction, - to focus the European research activities and the national research programs of the partners involved onto common goals and priorities, - and to broaden its basis of industrial and research excellence, capable to solve the multidisciplinary CSP specific problems. High level commitment of six large research centres from Germany (DLR), Israel (WIS), France (CNRS-IMP),Spain (CIEMAT), Switzerland (ETH) and Russia (IVTAN) each with long-year experience in the subject and most of them conducting a significant program on concentrating solar technologies and operating their own facilities express the readiness to combine their national expertise to achieve these goals. This group has teamed-up with the international association of power and heat generation (VGB Powerless),which includes many of the European players in the power sector, to ensure by an independent industry assessment, that the identified innovation pathways are feasible from an industry perspective, to disseminate them to the power sector, and to support the identification of further expertise needed. Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpower engineeringelectric power generationengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesmeteorologysolar radiationengineering and technologymaterials engineeringengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energysolar thermal Programme(s) FP6-SUSTDEV - Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems: thematic priority 6 under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) SUSTDEV-1.2.6 - New and advanced concepts in renewable energy technologies - Other RES Call for proposal FP6-2002-ENERGY-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme CA - Coordination action Coordinator DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUER LUFT- UND RAUMFAHRT E.V. EU contribution No data Address Linder Hoehe KOELN Germany See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all VGB POWERTECH E.V. Germany EU contribution No data Address Klinkestrasse 27-31 ESSEN See on map Total cost No data CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGETICAS, MEDIOAMBIENTALES Y TECNOLOGICAS Spain EU contribution No data Address Avenida Complutense 22 MADRID See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE France EU contribution No data Address Rue Michel Ange 3 PARIS See on map Total cost No data WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE Israel EU contribution No data Address Herzel Street 2 REHOVOT See on map Total cost No data EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH Switzerland EU contribution No data Address Raemistrasse 101 ZURICH See on map Total cost No data INSTITUTE FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES - RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Russia EU contribution No data Address Izhorskaya street 13/19 MOSCOW See on map Total cost No data