Academic Partners

EAS is the regional energy agency of the Province of Styria, Austria. As a non-profit organisation, EAS sets actions in order to promote energy efficiency, to rationally use renewable energy sources in the interest of the regional development policy and to reduce
energy consumption. EAS is the interface between Styrian administration, policy, science, economy and the consumers in the energy sector.

One of the innovation competences of EAS is in renewable energies, in which the organisation has a track record of more than 25 years of experience. Overall, EAS has carried out more than 180 projects, mainly in the field of biomass, working on the descriptions of ecological circles, the determination of biomass potentials and the development of innovative technologies. Another EAS core competency is in education and training for energy advisors, especially local craftsmen in the building sector.

eseia is a European association of leading research and innovation organisations in the field of sustainable energy systems.

The eseia umbrella covers all relevant fields in sustainable energy from energy provision to new technologies across research, academia, industry, and government and includes a network of 22 higher education institutions and research organisations and 6 companies of which one is an umbrella of 150 companies. eseia is a cooperation organisation, managing sustainable energy innovation programmes, organising expert panels, designing entrepreneurial education programmes, promoting dialogue with the public, and lobbying for sustainable energy solutions on various levels and fostering international cooperation.

eseia is a European premier European Education and Training Programme (ETP) provider, dedicated to the implementation of innovation in education.

LNEG, the National Laboratory of Energy and Geology, Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia is a Portuguese Governmental Research Institute. As a recognised R&D Centre with expertise in the bioenergy field, LNEG develops various activities that include R&D, services, teaching and training. The Bioenergy Unit currently operates 4 R&D programmes: Biomass Deconstruction; Cell Factories and Enzymes; Biochemical Engineering; and Microalgae for Bioenergy.

Graz University of Technology is the leading technical innovation university in Austria, promoting regional focus and tight cooperation with industry and businesses on the path to an entrepreneurial future in the Styria region.

One of its fields of expertise is in sustainable systems, where TU Graz has been delivering
relevant technologies, systems and innovations, as well as training and education in fields including energy systems, thermal energy systems and biomass exploitation. The Institute of Thermal Engineering (IWT) has pilot plants for technologies such as burners for liquid and gaseous fuels, biomass boilers and furnaces. TU Graz has also a strong record in setting up educational platforms for sustainability-related training, promoting innovative teaching and learning methods.

Hamburg University of Technology is Germany’s youngest university of technology. The TUHH offers first-class teaching and excellent research at a high international level and provides intensive science and technology transfer in the field of engineering sciences.

One of the fields of expertise is in environmental technology and energy economics, which
includes the biomass specialisation that addresses the following scientific areas: ‘’Biogas from waste and energy crops’’, ‘’Heat provision from solid biofuels’’, ‘’Biomass gasification’’ and ‘’Biorefinery’’. TUHH offers post-graduate lectures on Bioresource Management and Biorefinery Technologies.

At UL, one of the faculties specialised in renewable energy implementation is the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. The Laboratory for Energy Policy (LEST) develops research and education actions under the patronage of the Electrical Engineering Faculty, mainly on issues related to power systems planning, forecasting the availability of renewable energy sources, operation and control, and energy policy and electricity markets regulation. LEST has also been strongly involved in solving real life problems for the energy sector in Slovenia and neighbouring countries, in the Western Balkans.

Transilvania University of Braşov is one of the largest universities in Romania, counting 15 faculties, and renowned at the national level by its strong R&D focus on Sustainable Development.

At the RES-REC Centre, the experience on working in inter-disciplinary subjects is well exercised in teams involving competencies of mechanical engineering, civil engineering, design, materials science, and environmental sciences.

University of Twente in Enschede is an entrepreneurial research university with 3,300 scientists and professionals work together on cutting-edge research, innovations with real-world relevance.

At the UTwente, the research institutes combine scientific excellence with a sharp eye for knowledge valorisation and social applications. One of the areas of research excellence at UTwente is green energy. The research-institutes Centre for Telematics and Information Technology (CTIT), the Institute for Innovation and Governance Studies (IGS) and the Institute of Nanotechnology (MESA+) have bundled their research activities on renewable energy into the Green Energy Initiative. This initiative is aimed at driving research cooperation between industry, government and research groups. The ’’Green Energy Initiative’’ focuses currently on three research themes, one of which is energy from biomass.