Energy generation and use obtained new urgency the last year when Russia invaded Ukraine. European and other countries encountered harsh realities when problems related to energy vailability and affordability had to be tackled. An urgent need for faster and more efficient transitioning towards renewable sources is evident.
The project proposal lies within priority research and innovation. It intends to bring together the scientists and practitioners and involve experienced researchers and early-stage researchers in social sciences, electrical engineering, physics and environmental sciences.
Scientists will interact with managers of large-scale solar park clusters in Egypt and Morocco, which would allow understanding specifics and scale of problems related to renewable energy production, use and trade.
An interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary approach here may lead to novel solutions, which may have important policy implications. We intend to build a cluster for innovative energy, which will involve other clusters already created in the former Horizon 2020 and other projects. The cluster for innovative energy would be a cluster of clusters allowing broad engagement of scientists, practitioners, policymakers, NGOs and other stakeholders. In the context of the war, innovative solutions stemming from the inter-sectoral cooperation of geographically remoted partners can become resilience drivers.
The project is based on previous work but goes beyond since it generates and strengthens long-term collaborations via training researchers, encouraging geographical mobility, and fostering exchange between sectors and disciplines.