Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TWIN-PEAKS (Twinning for Promoting Excellence, Ability and Knowledge to develop advanced waste gasification Solutions)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-01-01 bis 2023-09-30
The Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI) and Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) are the two leading institutions involved in energy-related research in Lithuania. The former is expert in energy technology research and innovation, the latter in economics and geopolitics of energy. They collaborate through a joint research centre founded in 2009: The Energy Security Research Centre .
To support the contribution of Lithuania to the EU’s low-carbon economy roadmap, LEI and VMU plan to establish an association to foster the uptake of Waste-to-Energy (WtE) innovation in Lithuania and engage the country in pan-European collaborative efforts on this topic. This association will be based on research-supported initiatives to guide policies and support businesses. To ensure its success, both institutions need to increase their research excellence in the strategic priority topic of waste gasification and develop international networks. To this end, LEI and VMU propose TWIN-PEAKS, a Horizon 2020 Twinning project with:
• Technical University of Munich (TUM, Germany);
• Chalmers University of Technology (CTH, Sweden);
• and WIP Renewable Energies GmbH & Co. KG (WIP, Germany).
The overall objective of the TWIN-PEAKS project is to establish a research and innovation collaboration between LEI, VMU, TUM, CTH and WIP to raise the scientific excellence, capacities and international reputation of LEI and VMU in advanced waste gasification.
The overall objective of the TWIN-PEAKS project has planned to be achieved through the following specific objectives:
1: Develop a joint-research strategy between the TWIN-PEAKS project partners;
2: Apply to research grant programmes together as TWIN-PEAKS project partners;
3: Transfer scientific and soft-skill knowledge and know-how between the TWIN-PEAKS project partners;
4: Build networks of international academic and non-academic partners;
5: Reach out to users and stakeholders to understand needs and co-design solutions;
6: Pool research infrastructure between the TWIN-PEAKS project partners;
7: Tackle gender equality issues at LEI and VMU;
8: Improve research management and administration capacities at LEI.
These specific objectives planned to be achieved through actions such as:
• short term staff exchanges;
• on-site or virtual training;
• conference attendance;
• dissemination and outreach activities, including organisation of joint summer schools and conferences;
• joint application for grants;
• coaching to establish a new research management and administration unit;
• diversity initiatives to reach gender balance in research and research management roles.
All objectives were relevant, and no significant changes were made. There were no other major deviations regarding the fulfilment of the defined objectives until the end of the project.
To support the contribution of Lithuania to the EU’s low-carbon economy roadmap, LEI and VMU plan to establish an association to foster the uptake of Waste-to-Energy (WtE) innovation in Lithuania and engage the country in pan-European collaborative efforts on this topic. This association will be based on research-supported initiatives to guide policies and support businesses. To ensure its success, both institutions need to increase their research excellence in the strategic priority topic of waste gasification and develop international networks. To this end, LEI and VMU propose TWIN-PEAKS, a Horizon 2020 Twinning project with:
• Technical University of Munich (TUM, Germany);
• Chalmers University of Technology (CTH, Sweden);
• and WIP Renewable Energies GmbH & Co. KG (WIP, Germany).
The overall objective of the TWIN-PEAKS project is to establish a research and innovation collaboration between LEI, VMU, TUM, CTH and WIP to raise the scientific excellence, capacities and international reputation of LEI and VMU in advanced waste gasification.
The overall objective of the TWIN-PEAKS project has planned to be achieved through the following specific objectives:
1: Develop a joint-research strategy between the TWIN-PEAKS project partners;
2: Apply to research grant programmes together as TWIN-PEAKS project partners;
3: Transfer scientific and soft-skill knowledge and know-how between the TWIN-PEAKS project partners;
4: Build networks of international academic and non-academic partners;
5: Reach out to users and stakeholders to understand needs and co-design solutions;
6: Pool research infrastructure between the TWIN-PEAKS project partners;
7: Tackle gender equality issues at LEI and VMU;
8: Improve research management and administration capacities at LEI.
These specific objectives planned to be achieved through actions such as:
• short term staff exchanges;
• on-site or virtual training;
• conference attendance;
• dissemination and outreach activities, including organisation of joint summer schools and conferences;
• joint application for grants;
• coaching to establish a new research management and administration unit;
• diversity initiatives to reach gender balance in research and research management roles.
All objectives were relevant, and no significant changes were made. There were no other major deviations regarding the fulfilment of the defined objectives until the end of the project.
The work plan of the TWIN-PEAKS project was organised in 6 work packages (WP):
WP 1. Research strategy development and implementation
This WP aimed at establishing the joint research strategy the consortium will adopt in the project and beyond for a long-term collaboration. The strategy is based on the identification of synergetic research topics and an analysis of the performance of the consortium and its gaps in expertise. The strategy includes an action plan in terms of the grant opportunities to target to fund projects in the strategic topics agreed, and the characteristics of additional partners to find to fix expertise gaps and set up competitive consortia for grant applications. A formal agreement was also be signed to allow all partners to pool their infrastructure and equipment. Finally, grant applications were submitted with few being successfully funded in HE (GIFFT, SHERLOCK) and other (inter)national programmes (REDEFINE H2S, REMONET-Bioenergy).
WP 2. Staff exchanges and training
LEI and VMU’s researchers were on short-term secondments to TUM and CTH to exchange knowledge, especially during scientific workshops. In the frame of these exchanges, training sessions were organised to learn how to use each partner’s equipment(s). Finally, along with other activities, soft skills training courses to conduct high quality research were also organised.
WP 3. Dissemination, exploitation and communication
The partners implemented the project’s dissemination, exploitation and communication plan as described in section 2.2 which includes a website and promotion materials. At the same time, LEI and VMU learnt how to conduct effective dissemination, exploitation and communication strategy. To better understand the targets of dissemination, VMU studied WtE stakeholders’ needs. Two conferences were organised in Lithuania and all partners also attended other conferences in Europe with poster/oral presentations selected to foster academic dissemination. Dissemination to users was carried out through outreach events that also aimed at enlarging the networks of the partners, especially in view of involving some end-users in grant applications.
WP 4. Early-stage researchers career development and gender equality promotion
This WP addressed the specific career needs of early-stage researchers in WtE in Lithuania. It provided training courses and summer schools (two summer schools), an opportunity for PhD students to present their work in the project’s conferences, and involvement in the outreach events to facilitate networking and job seeking. The WP also had tasks to apply for grants targeted to early-stage researchers, e.g. ERC Starting Grant. Finally, this WP tackled the gender equality issues, e.g. gender balance review.
WP 5. Research management and administration capacities development
This WP consisted in the creation of a new research management and administration position to join the Research, Development and Innovation unit at LEI that currently has been working on technology transfer. The strategy was set up and targets for implemantion have been in action.
WP 6. Project management
This WP ensured the project was carried out effectively achieving expected results in due time and within budget. It facilitated the consortium collaboration through regular communication, in part for anticipating risks. This WP also lead with performance and financial monitoring and reporting to the EC.
All planned deliverables (27) and milestones (8) were submitted and achieved according to the relevant objectives. The implementation of the work plan of the TWIN-PEAKS project proceeded smoothly and timely with no major deviations.
WP 1. Research strategy development and implementation
This WP aimed at establishing the joint research strategy the consortium will adopt in the project and beyond for a long-term collaboration. The strategy is based on the identification of synergetic research topics and an analysis of the performance of the consortium and its gaps in expertise. The strategy includes an action plan in terms of the grant opportunities to target to fund projects in the strategic topics agreed, and the characteristics of additional partners to find to fix expertise gaps and set up competitive consortia for grant applications. A formal agreement was also be signed to allow all partners to pool their infrastructure and equipment. Finally, grant applications were submitted with few being successfully funded in HE (GIFFT, SHERLOCK) and other (inter)national programmes (REDEFINE H2S, REMONET-Bioenergy).
WP 2. Staff exchanges and training
LEI and VMU’s researchers were on short-term secondments to TUM and CTH to exchange knowledge, especially during scientific workshops. In the frame of these exchanges, training sessions were organised to learn how to use each partner’s equipment(s). Finally, along with other activities, soft skills training courses to conduct high quality research were also organised.
WP 3. Dissemination, exploitation and communication
The partners implemented the project’s dissemination, exploitation and communication plan as described in section 2.2 which includes a website and promotion materials. At the same time, LEI and VMU learnt how to conduct effective dissemination, exploitation and communication strategy. To better understand the targets of dissemination, VMU studied WtE stakeholders’ needs. Two conferences were organised in Lithuania and all partners also attended other conferences in Europe with poster/oral presentations selected to foster academic dissemination. Dissemination to users was carried out through outreach events that also aimed at enlarging the networks of the partners, especially in view of involving some end-users in grant applications.
WP 4. Early-stage researchers career development and gender equality promotion
This WP addressed the specific career needs of early-stage researchers in WtE in Lithuania. It provided training courses and summer schools (two summer schools), an opportunity for PhD students to present their work in the project’s conferences, and involvement in the outreach events to facilitate networking and job seeking. The WP also had tasks to apply for grants targeted to early-stage researchers, e.g. ERC Starting Grant. Finally, this WP tackled the gender equality issues, e.g. gender balance review.
WP 5. Research management and administration capacities development
This WP consisted in the creation of a new research management and administration position to join the Research, Development and Innovation unit at LEI that currently has been working on technology transfer. The strategy was set up and targets for implemantion have been in action.
WP 6. Project management
This WP ensured the project was carried out effectively achieving expected results in due time and within budget. It facilitated the consortium collaboration through regular communication, in part for anticipating risks. This WP also lead with performance and financial monitoring and reporting to the EC.
All planned deliverables (27) and milestones (8) were submitted and achieved according to the relevant objectives. The implementation of the work plan of the TWIN-PEAKS project proceeded smoothly and timely with no major deviations.
Progress beyond the state of the art:
TWIN-PEAKS project implementation was in good progress with no delays or major deviations. The follow-up project GIFFT will continue further collaboration between the consortium partners as well as additional ones (industrial partners) expanding networking.
Expected results of the project:
The TWIN-PEAKS project achieved and delivered all milestones and deliverables planned in the work programme of the proposal on time. Further cooperation with project partners has been continuing beyond the project lifetime.
Potential impacts of the project:
• Increased research excellence in WtE of LEI and VMU;
• Enhanced reputation, attractiveness and networking channels of LEI and VMU;
• Improved capability of LEI and VMU to compete successfully for competitive research funding;
• Benefits for internationally-leading institutions;
• Long-term impact of the project on the Lithuanian society;
• Long-term impact of the project on the EU.
TWIN-PEAKS project implementation was in good progress with no delays or major deviations. The follow-up project GIFFT will continue further collaboration between the consortium partners as well as additional ones (industrial partners) expanding networking.
Expected results of the project:
The TWIN-PEAKS project achieved and delivered all milestones and deliverables planned in the work programme of the proposal on time. Further cooperation with project partners has been continuing beyond the project lifetime.
Potential impacts of the project:
• Increased research excellence in WtE of LEI and VMU;
• Enhanced reputation, attractiveness and networking channels of LEI and VMU;
• Improved capability of LEI and VMU to compete successfully for competitive research funding;
• Benefits for internationally-leading institutions;
• Long-term impact of the project on the Lithuanian society;
• Long-term impact of the project on the EU.