As the EU increases its focus on boosting its competitiveness in the global economy, while simultaneously working to advance the clean energy transition, the need for sustainable and energy-efficient industries has never been so prevalent. Notably, the role of EERA’s Joint Programme on Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes (JP EEIP) aims to coordinate research across all areas of Europe to achieve just that. 

Against this backdrop, JP EEIP is very glad to welcome two new member organisations to its network, namely the Institute of Power Engineering - National Research Institute (IEN) from Poland, and Sofia University’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEBA) from Bulgaria. 

The first new member, IEN, is one of the largest institutes for research in energy technologies across Poland and Central Europe. The institute’s mission focuses on the development of innovative technologies that can lead to a sustainable and secure energy system. Key activity areas for IEN include improving energy efficiency through energy audits in industrial plants, promoting the increased use of renewable energy sources, and incorporating new technologies of energy generation, making the organisation a perfect candidate to join the efforts of EERA’s Joint Programme on Energy Efficiency. 

Delving into the second new member, the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University, has acted as a consistent leading force in propelling forward education and research on climate neutrality. In consolidating its dedication to this end, the faculty established the Net-Zero Lab, primarily focused on effectively translating climate-neutrality targets into tangible actions, as well as driving evidence-based and just sustainable transformation in Bulgaria and the region. Moreover, the Lab seeks to conduct techno-economic research in those energy and industry sectors necessary to achieve carbon neutrality goals, very much in line with the core objectives of JP EEIP. 

''The transformation of the Bulgarian industry, which is very energy-intensive, and the deployment of clean technologies are still surrounded by many uncertainties. Partnership between academia and industry is key for advancing on the path towards climate-neutrality targets. Joining EERA is a significant privilege for our organisation to raise awareness at the EU level about regional specifics and to leverage the EERA network for making a real impact in R&D in our country'' - Dr. Mariya Trifonova, Net-Zero Lab Deputy-Director.

Such an expansion of the Joint Programme’s research community pinpoints the importance of ensuring balanced representation from across Europe’s universities and research institutions, with both new members hailing from the so-called EU-13 countries, which comprise those that joined the European Union after 2004.   

This vital development comes in the wake of the conclusion of the EERA SUPEERA project, which was dedicated, among other objectives, to achieving better-connected research and innovation and fostering a stronger engagement of member states across the EU. 

''The new memberships of IEN and FEBA mark a significant milestone for our Joint Programme. As important research institutes in their countries, they will extend our geographical scope and impact in Eastern Europe. Moreover, their complementary expertise, coupled with their strong industrial partnerships, will greatly enhance our capacity to address sustainability and energy transition challenges in industry. We are excited about the potential for collaboration and the valuable contributions these two EU-13 members will bring to our programme,'' - Yvonne Van Delft, Joint Programme Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes Coordinator.