Building critical mass for innovation AERTOs Final Conference, Brussels March 28th, 2012 AERTOs Strategic Research Agendas Freek Heidekamp - TNO
Content of the presentation 1. RTO cooperation 2. AERTOs Strategic Research Agendas 3. Sustainable cooperation beyond project borders
The need for strategic alliances among RTOs Joining forces, because: To achieve critical mass, therefore greater efficiency of resource allocation Towards coordinated specialisation of knowledge production among RTOs in joint research programmes To provide common answers to common research problems of societal and European relevance
RTO cooperation in ÆRTOs (1) - Pilot Programme I I I HR joint horizontal actions growth SMEs. I workshop I 1. Pilot programme on Sustainable Energy Funding : by RTO partners. Budget: EUR 2.7 million Compare RTOs Identify strategic topics thematic workshops Green Paper + Strategic Research Agendas Strategic Program on WASTE 2008 2009 2010 Governance Structures 2011 2012 Learning Programming and Experimenting Planning and Implementing Sustaining Informing and Widening Management
Pilot Programme Project: Observation and Monitoring of Offshore wind parks (OMO) Objective defining the strategic research agenda (SRA) for the development of a distributed, hierarchical sensor network to control the operation and to enable the maintenance-on-demand of off-shore windmill parks Method SRA will be derived from benchmark and feasibility studies performed by the participating institutes
Why OMO? Contradicting/competing goals Maximize energy production Maximize availability Maximize lifetime Minimize maintenance Complexity Individual wind turbine wind turbine park Onshore offshore installations Unifying measure of success Costs, costs, costs
Project: Observation and Monitoring of Offshore wind parks Utilization of hierarchical, smart sensor networks to reduce the overall life-cycle costs of off-shore wind parks and optimize the power output Level 1: sensor network in single wind energy plants Level 2: Plant to plant communication between local sensor networks
Actions and results Review of the state of the art - Smart structures - Fiber optic sensor technology - Wireless sensor networks - Load and Condition Monitoring - Predictive Health Monitoring - Optimization and Control Identification of future research needs and gaps and definition of a joint research agenda harmonized between all partners Organization of two workshops with industrial stakeholders (2010 & 2011) Feasibility studies on representative problems The defined research agenda is the basis for joint research projects
Objective: Definition of a strategic research agenda (SRA) for the development of a distributed, hierarchical sensor network for the control of wind park operation enabling (remote) maintenance-ondemand of offshore wind parks
RTO cooperation in ÆRTOs (2) - Strategic Topics I I I HR joint horizontal actions growth SMEs. I workshop I Pilot programme on Sustainable Energy Funding : by RTO partners. Budget: EUR 2.7 million Compare RTOs Identify strategic topics thematic workshops Green Paper + Strategic Research Agendas Strategic Program on WASTE 2008 2009 2010 Governance Structures 2011 2012 Learning Programming and Experimenting Planning and Implementing Sustaining Informing and Widening Management
Selection of Topics for RTO cooperation January 2010: Outcome: June 2010: Joint Strategy and Foresight Workshop 5 Strategic Topics: Service science (VTT) Waste (SINTEF) Rare materials (TNO) Bio-based economy (TNO) Safe, Sustainable and Smart Urban Life (Tecnalia) Thematic Workshops Deliverable: Joint position papers on the Strategic Topics January 2011: Deliverable: Green Paper of draft Strategic Research Agendas
Selection of Topics for RTO cooperation 2011 Regrouping of 5 Strategic Topics into 4 Service science (VTT) Value from Waste (SINTEF) Bio-based economy (TNO) Resilient and sustainable Cities (Tecnalia) Review process: - lead SRA selected: Value from Waste - Support from CEOs to develop Value from Waste Program Developing draft SRAs into SRAs and (detailed) Work Programmes
SRA scoreboard: an overview Assessment parameter O & M of Offshore wind parks Biobased Economy Resilient & Sust. Cities Services Specific EU research programmes (in FP past, in FP 7, Cooperation progr.) Plan based on established RTO strengths Industry/stakeholder platforms in place (strong links between science and practice) International orientation of Theme Readiness level for WP preparation
Biobased Economy
Biobased Economy: summary 1 Strategic Research Agenda 4 Key Research Needs 48 Research Themes (at least) Many Short, Medium and Long Term projects Potential short term research projects proposed: Category 1: 7 Generic proposals (~ EUR 10 million, period 1-3 years) Category 2: 6 More detailed Technical proposals EUR 19 million, period 2-4 years) 6 Partners: FhG TNO Sintef VTT Tecnalia SP (CO)
SRA Resilient and Sustainable cities Five main research areas have been identified: 1. Integrated assessment and management of urban dynamics under the influence of combined grand challenges 2. New urban design methodologies to achieve positive cities 3. Vulnerability assessment and management to improve resilience to combined risks 4. New urban energy models to build an energy resilient city 5. Technologies for hazards mitigation to bring together the urban security and green agendas
SRA Resilient and Sustainable cities Scope towards a strategic research agenda As remarked in AERTOs Green Paper, innovation should play a key role in the selection of more specific sub-themes. This requires however a much more detailed overview of current research priorities and a detailed analysis of overlaps and complementarities in knowledge, what will require more time and could be an ongoing mid term process. Nevertheless, collaboration can rather easily be scoped and developed on short term along the following two lines: I. Tools, models and technologies for an integrated assessment and management of urban dynamics under the influence of combined grand challenges. II. Living labs network as a basic infrastructure with potential to test innovative approaches and technologies that will enable transition to sustainable and resilient cities.
Resilient and Sustainable cities: summary Scoping document: preparatory step towards a Strategic Research Agenda 5 Main Research Areas selected 4 synergy topics selected 2 lines for setting up short term joint research Concrete next steps defined The SRA domain is vast, many links with ongoing national and EU-wide programmes and future initiatives exist or can be created. The contribution, RTOs can offer in selected sub-domains needs further specification. Integral problem approach could be an opportunity 6 Partners: FhG TNO VTT Tecnalia (CO) SP Joanneum Research
Service sciences: summary A Conceptual Frame Work is ready, now moving towards a Strategic Research Agenda 4 generic, broad themes with 12 sub-categories defined 31 Key R&D themes + issue definitions Services is a rather new domain, no specific EC Program track record on Services Section on policy advice towards EU and national governments 6 Partners: FhG TNO Sintef VTT Tecnalia SP (CO)
SRA scoreboard: an overview Assessment parameter O & M of Offshore wind parks Biobased Economy Resilient & Sust. Cities Services Specific EU research programmes (in FP past, in FP 7, Cooperation progr.) Plan based on established RTO strengths Industry/stakeholder platforms in place (strong links between science and practice) International orientation of Theme Readiness level for WP preparation
Conclusions (1) Biobased Economy: mature SRA, Work Programme can be developed Resilient and Sustainable Cities: Emerging area, maturing SRA; RTO action on Tool comparison/methodological platform /infrastructures / Living Labs possible (to pick low hanging fruit) Service science: Young, emerging area. Draft SRA to be extended through consultation with stakeholders (national governments, EC, industry, NGOs) Observation and Maintenance of Offshore Wind Parks: mature SRA, road maps (Horizon: 2030) in place, Work Programme can be developed For all ongoing and future activities: EC funding will be sought through joint applications in Tenders and FP Calls for Proposals
Conclusions / next steps ERANET project AERTOs has been important and succesful as an instrument to build up trust among RTOs in developing (RTO-funded) joint research projects built on competitive strengths in developing Strategic Research Agendas and work programmes aimed at tackling the Grand Challenges of Europe in creating a community for sustainable cooperation across project borders that will be allied with other RTOs, companies and academia in research partnerships in the near future team up in B2B assignments for creating innovation in Europe.
Building critical mass for innovation AERTOs Final Conference, Brussels March 28th, 2012