Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TWIN-PEAKS (Twinning for Promoting Excellence, Ability and Knowledge to develop advanced waste gasification Solutions)
Período documentado: 2020-10-01 hasta 2021-12-31
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 will 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 will 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 are still relevant, and no significant changes were made. There were no other deviations regarding the fulfilment of the defined objectives until the interim period.
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 will 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 will 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 are still relevant, and no significant changes were made. There were no other deviations regarding the fulfilment of the defined objectives until the interim period.
The work plan of the TWIN-PEAKS project is organised in 6 work packages (WP):
WP 1. Research strategy development and implementation
This WP aims at establishing the joint research strategy the consortium will adopt in the project and beyond for long-term collaboration. The strategy will be based on the identification of synergetic research topics and an analysis of the performance of the consortium and its gaps in expertise. The strategy will include 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 will also be signed to allow all partners to pool their infrastructure and equipment. Finally, grant applications will be written.
WP 2. Staff exchanges and training
LEI and VMU’s researchers will go on short-term secondments to TUM and CTH to exchange knowledge, especially during scientific workshops. In the frame of these exchanges, training sessions will also be organised to learn how to use each partner’s equipment. Finally, training courses on soft skills to conduct high quality research will also be organised.
WP 3. Dissemination, exploitation and communication
The partners will implement the project’s dissemination, exploitation and communication plan described in section 2.2 which includes a website and promotion materials. At the same time, LEI and VMU will learn how to conduct effective dissemination, exploitation and communication. To better understand the targets of dissemination, VMU will study WtE stakeholders’ needs. Two conferences will be organised in Lithuania and all partners will also attend other conferences in Europe if they have one poster or presentation selected to foster academic dissemination. Dissemination to users will be carried out through outreach events that also aim at enlarging the networks of the partners, especially in view of involving some users in grant applications.
WP 4. Early-stage researchers career development and gender equality promotion
This WP addresses the specific career needs of early-stage researchers in WtE in Lithuania. It provides training courses and 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 has tasks to apply for grant targeted to early-stage researchers. Finally, this WP tackles the gender equality issues with various tasks such as strategic re-orientation or gender balance policies review.
WP 5. Research management and administration capacities development
This WP consists in the creation of a new research management and administration position to join the Research, Development and Innovation unit at LEI that currently only works on technology transfer.
WP 6. Project management
This WP ensures the project is carried out effectively and that the results are achieved as expected, in due time and within budget. It facilitates the consortium collaboration through regular communication, in part for anticipating risks. This WP also leads with performance and financial monitoring and reporting to the European Commission.
From the beginning of the project to the end of the Reporting period 1 all planned deliverables (12 out of 27) and milestones (2 out of 8) were submitted and achieved according to the relevant objectives. The implementation of the work plan of the TWIN-PEAKS project goes smoothly and timely with no major deviations.
WP 1. Research strategy development and implementation
This WP aims at establishing the joint research strategy the consortium will adopt in the project and beyond for long-term collaboration. The strategy will be based on the identification of synergetic research topics and an analysis of the performance of the consortium and its gaps in expertise. The strategy will include 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 will also be signed to allow all partners to pool their infrastructure and equipment. Finally, grant applications will be written.
WP 2. Staff exchanges and training
LEI and VMU’s researchers will go on short-term secondments to TUM and CTH to exchange knowledge, especially during scientific workshops. In the frame of these exchanges, training sessions will also be organised to learn how to use each partner’s equipment. Finally, training courses on soft skills to conduct high quality research will also be organised.
WP 3. Dissemination, exploitation and communication
The partners will implement the project’s dissemination, exploitation and communication plan described in section 2.2 which includes a website and promotion materials. At the same time, LEI and VMU will learn how to conduct effective dissemination, exploitation and communication. To better understand the targets of dissemination, VMU will study WtE stakeholders’ needs. Two conferences will be organised in Lithuania and all partners will also attend other conferences in Europe if they have one poster or presentation selected to foster academic dissemination. Dissemination to users will be carried out through outreach events that also aim at enlarging the networks of the partners, especially in view of involving some users in grant applications.
WP 4. Early-stage researchers career development and gender equality promotion
This WP addresses the specific career needs of early-stage researchers in WtE in Lithuania. It provides training courses and 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 has tasks to apply for grant targeted to early-stage researchers. Finally, this WP tackles the gender equality issues with various tasks such as strategic re-orientation or gender balance policies review.
WP 5. Research management and administration capacities development
This WP consists in the creation of a new research management and administration position to join the Research, Development and Innovation unit at LEI that currently only works on technology transfer.
WP 6. Project management
This WP ensures the project is carried out effectively and that the results are achieved as expected, in due time and within budget. It facilitates the consortium collaboration through regular communication, in part for anticipating risks. This WP also leads with performance and financial monitoring and reporting to the European Commission.
From the beginning of the project to the end of the Reporting period 1 all planned deliverables (12 out of 27) and milestones (2 out of 8) were submitted and achieved according to the relevant objectives. The implementation of the work plan of the TWIN-PEAKS project goes smoothly and timely with no major deviations.
Progress beyond the state of the art:
TWIN-PEAKS project implementation is in good progress with no delays or major deviations.
Expected results:
The TWIN-PEAKS project expects to achieve and deliver all milestones and deliverables planned in the work programme of the proposal on time. Further cooperation with project partners will continue beyond the project lifetime.
Potential impacts:
• 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 is in good progress with no delays or major deviations.
Expected results:
The TWIN-PEAKS project expects to achieve and deliver all milestones and deliverables planned in the work programme of the proposal on time. Further cooperation with project partners will continue beyond the project lifetime.
Potential impacts:
• 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