ETRERA Project: an Europe Tunisia cooperation in S&T transfer

Transcription

1 ETRERA Project: an Europe Tunisia cooperation in S&T transfer G. Squadrito*, A. Nicita, R. Chtourou, B. Auvity, A. Soraci. Gaetano Squadrito CNR-ITAE Messina - Italy Innovation Through Knowledge transfer; 2-4 April 2014, Greenwich, London (UK)

2 Why? Mediterranean countries have great renewable energy production potentials both for home and export use. Sun power is copious in north Africa, especially in low populated areas close/inside to desert. South Mediterranean Countries have potentialities for becoming RES power exporters in the next future. Image font: Desertec project wbe site

3 Why? Electric power generated by PV, wind mills and concentrated solar is more simple to be managed if the electric grid already exist, and grid extension could appears the natural choice for future RES deployment. Image font: Desertec project wbe site This vision could be interesting and acceptable for South Mediterranean Countries?

4 Why? All the proposed technologies (PV, wind mills and concentrated solar) for RES deployment are well developed and protected properties of western countries. So that the South Mediterranean Countries have to buy these technologies. Are we sure that this Euro-Mediterranean electric grid connection is the simpler, more economic and acceptable approach?

5 Why? We believe in Hydrogen both for RES peak shaving and power storage and distribution! Fuel cells are the best choice for having power on demand from hydrogen. H 2 and FC tech, like other technologies, are useful only if effective and well known!

6 Our Dream Set up a long term collaboration on RES, hydrogen and fuel cell technologies involving research centres all around Mediterranean sea: Euro-Mediterranean RESHy research network. EU-MPC research collaboration reinforcement. RES and H 2 technologies development RES deployment.

7 Empowering Tunisian Renewable Energy Research Activity - ETRERA FP7-Capacities-REGPOT ; GA /01/ /06/2013 Target: reinforcing CRTEn research activities through a transfer of knowledge from European research centres of excellence.

8 Project design CRTEn SWOT Analysis Selection of main weakness and opportunities. Searching Defining Partner Selection by competencies and experiences Action plan and project objectives

9 Project approach CRTEn expertises CRTEn needs Materials for PV. Fuel cells. Thermal solar. H 2 prod and storage. RES to Desalination. Grid connection. Wind mill testing. Improve technological equipments. International scientific visibility. Expertise and know-how transfer. Young human resources formation.

10 Consortium Polytech Nantes France CNR ITAE Italy CRTEn Tunisia InnovaBic Italy

11 Consortium About 45 persons collaborated to the project, we are grateful to all of them. Partner Main actors Main Co-workers CNR ITAE Polytech Nantes CRTEn Innova BIC Gaetano Squadrito Agatino Nicita Bruno Auvity Didier Trichet Radhouane Chtourou Zakaria Ahamed Alberto Soraci Andreana Casaramona Giosuè Giacoppo Irene Gatto Christophe Josset Jean Christophe Olivier Zyed Beji Ibtissem Ben Assker Khaled Karrady Giovanni Di Fiore

12 Objectives Enhance CRTEn expertise and know-how on hydrogen and fuel cells technologies and applications. Strengthen CRTEn young human resources and research capacities. Improve technological equipments related to fuel cells, to enhance the existing early stage activity. Boost the access into the international scientific and technology community, networks and platform.

13 Actions and Results (1) Training of more than 20 researchers and engineers (much more than planned). A new research group is born! Moreover some people leaved the project for better (salary) working position. (This means know how transfer to local industries and society)

14 Actions and Results (2) Between them. Two of the researchers working at the project was hired by Sousse and Cartage Universities as associated professors. Another one now is a permanent researcher at CRTEn. Success in project sustainability.? Start point for innovation process?

15 Actions and Results (3) The set up of a new lab for fuel cells and of an home made FC test station has been used for know how transfer (learning by doing approach). First experimental results obtained. But local administrative rules don t helped us! Additional efforts was used to address new administrative approach by Tunisian centre.

16 Action and Results (4) Also thanks to our project, prof. Radhouane Chtourou was asked to collaborate with Tunisian Minister of High Education and Scientific Research for changing the Tunisian approach to research and university. Support to EU-Tunisia research collaboration and rules harmonization.

17 Action and Results (5) Euromediterranean Hydrogen Technologies Conference - EmHyTeC. The conference series was started with EmHyTeC September 2012 Hammamet Tunisia (121 attendant from 20 countries). EmHyTeC 2014 will be held next 9-13 December 2014 in Taormina - Italy ( Increased visibility for partnership

18 Obstacles resume Limitative Tunisian rules regarding researcher movements abroad and their attendance to scientific conferences. Effects on public administration of revolution on January 2011 (Arab spring). Management of instrumentation and consumables acquisition from foreign countries.

19 Lesson learnt Research collaboration with MPC is profitable. Harmonisation to EU administrative rules for research are needed in Tunisia (MPC). Even if the political situation in the partner country (here Tunisia) is unstable, the project can proceed (with additional management effort though!).

20 From ETRERA The Next step 4 partners, 3 countries To ETRERA partners, 9 countries. A 3 years R2I project started on 1 September

21 Gaetano Squadrito ETRERA project Coordinator CNR-ITAE Strada per S. Lucia sopra Contesse 5 Messina Phone: Fax: gaetano.squadrito@itae.cnr.it Institute URL: http//: