EU energy research comes of age
Sustainable energy is of paramount importance for our future on this planet and requires ongoing, intensive research if Europe is to build an advanced society. One positive step in this direction has been the launch of the European Educational Research Association (EERA) to upgrade the continent's capabilities in sustainable energy research. With this in mind, the EU-funded project 'EERA secretariat' (EERASE) worked on consolidating European energy research activities at national, regional and EU levels under the new EERA. Aiming to address fragmentation in the sector and advance the development of cutting-edge energy solutions, the project helped establish and run several joint programmes for coordinated research. These efforts brought together over 3 000 researchers from some 200 research organisations, universities and industry representatives. Importantly, the EERA enabled sharing of sophisticated research facilities across Europe, bridging fundamental research and maturing technologies to facilitate industry-driven research. Armed with a budget of around EUR 3 million, half of which came from the European Commission, the project established 13 EERA joint programmes on different topics. These include geothermal energy, smart grids, photovoltaic technology, wind technology, ocean technology, bioenergy, smart cities, fuel cells, energy storage and concentrated solar power. EERASE also organised EERA annual congresses in 2011 and 2012, as well as several targeted events that fostered knowledge exchange. These covered topics such as awareness raising, social impacts of energy research and integration of EU National Contact Points (NCPs) into the EERA. Through these joint programmes, EERA has streamlined communication and helped disseminate state-of-the-art research and technology across the scientific community. Links with industry have also been strengthened, as well as with international research partners such as Brazil, China, India and the United States. Through this initiative, energy research in the EU for a more secure and sustainable future looks brighter than ever.