Kick off NERA: Dutch actors in public energy research join forces
To increase the success of participation in the Top sector Energy and seizing the opportunities in the European context more cooperation is needed on both operational and scientific level. With this ambition the large public organisations involved in energy research in the Netherlands have joined forces in a single alliance for the first time. They are doing this under the auspices of the association Netherlands Energy Research Alliance (NERA), of which FOM is a member.
The aim is to promote synergies, identify common long-term challenges and take advantage of opportunities at European level. One of its first actions is the launch of a website that provides an overview of the energy research portfolios of all the member organisations.
Members and board
The members of the NERA are: TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, University of Twente, ECN, TNO and FOM. The Board has six members: chairman Paul Korting (director ECN), Karel Luyben (Rector TU Delft), Mart van Bracht (director TNO Energy), Ed Brinksma (Rector Twente University), Hans van Duijn (Rector TU Eindhoven) and Wim van Saarloos (director of FOM). The association is open to membership applications from other public institutions in the energy sector and the University of Groningen as the first new member will join the association in the near future.
Activities
All NERA members are fully engaged in the Top sector Energy and its seven TKIs (Top Consortia in Knowledge and Innovation). They are also involved in the execution of the SER's Energy Agreement. To maximise the success of their contributions, more cooperation is required both in terms of operations and scientific research, but also when it comes to developing propositions for the top sector, the public sector and industry. To stimulate such cooperation, NERA will develop a series of initiatives. A website (www.nera.nl) has been launched that allows the efficient sharing of knowledge between members. The website also provides a good insight for potential partners such as government, industry and European institutions. In addition, thematic scientific workshops will be organized and NERA wishes to play an enabling role in the dialogue with TKI boards concerning the scientific contribution that its members can make.
European context
In addition to these national ambitions, NERA has been established to raise the profile of the knowledge partners within the EU. NERA is a member of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA), which brings together over 150 European organisations in the field of energy research. Until early 2014, only the ECN was represented on the board, but NERA is now expected to become a board member. Membership of EERA means that NERA members will benefit from the best possible links to relevant European developments.
This is a NERA press release.
Contact:
NERA, Netherlands Energy Research Alliance
Stef Smits, secretary: +31 (0)6 81 45 80 22 / +31 (0)15 278 77 11
www.nera.nl