EERA develops strategy for European Energy Research

From May 30th to 31st, 2017 the EERA Summer Strategy Meeting was held at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. EERA (European Energy Research Alliance) is the public research pillar of the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). Representatives from European research institutes, universities and from administration discussed strategic aims at accelerating the development and market uptake of key low carbon technologies and tightened their co-operation.

EERA as a central hub of European Energy Research

The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) is a joint effort undertaken by more than 175 leading European research institutes to take up the challenge of accelerating the development of these new energy technologies to pave the way towards a low-carbon Europe. As Vice-Chair elected for a two year period Brigitte Bach, Head of Center for Energy defines the route „Our main target for the next years is to join together the competences of the single members to foster technology development at the highest level“. The key focus is put on streamlining and coordinating national and European research activities and pooling resources in order to maximise synergies and optimise pan-European energy research capabilities and infrastructures. AIT is member of the Executive Committee of the EERA European Energy Research Alliance and leads two Joint Programmes within EERA: Joint Programme Smart Grids and Joint Programme Smart Cities and Regions.

Reinforced co-operation as a focus

At this year’s Summer Strategy Meeting the co-ordination with the European Union and the Member States was in the focus. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change puts pressure on the community to accelerate the development and implementation of technologies required for climate protection.