Dr. Venizelos Efthymiou, FOSS Chairman, Cyprus, writes for IEEG/CEC2021
The smartening of the electrical grid infrastructure has taken by storm over the last decade the traditionally slow-moving electrical industry and work done up to now by the related stakeholders can be considered mammoth. Although, effort spent in this process is considered extensive, the achieved results are considered one dimensional as far as involvement, expenditure and benefits achieved. For this reason, the Commission has seen the need of supporting low activity countries in building on their potential and raising their R&I activities in the energy transition to capture the benefits that this transition will undoubtedly bring.
For this reason, a call was put out and PANTERA Coordination and Support Action project was entrusted with this responsibility starting on 1st January 2019. Working closely with stakeholders from the low activity countries the PANTERA team promises to give answers to burning questions through an innovative approach that will stimulate participation from all involved actors in the field and provide the EIRIE (European Interconnection For Research Innovation & Entrepreneurship) dynamic interactive platform through which actions / benefits will be inviting and pleasing (for more details visit the website: https://pantera-platform.eu/)
What are we delivering through PANTERA and the EIRIE platform?
- A participatory governance that will bring on board all active stakeholders in Europe under the same umbrella for collaboration, collective thinking and actions thus avoiding duplication, repetition and limited innovation in work plan and developing the roadmap forward. Collaborative work is pivotal in the development work that the consortium is delivering through the PANTERA project. The EIRIE platform that is being delivered through the PANTERA project, aims to bring together the attractiveness of successful partnerships being national, regional or European building through them the will for enhanced adaption to areas and partnerships that can broaden active participation for mutual benefit (see the drawing with the initial results of this constantly growing activity).
Deliver the EIRIE platform as a pan-European multi-dimensional collaborative platform, capable of leveraging coherence and trust as a pull towards enhanced R&I in energy systems centered around an integrated grid, active and responsive. Easy access, readymade tools, real data from projects with results build in case studies for exploitation / utilization, building of future scenarios and equally important an attractive environment for generating the vision of tomorrow through innovative tools and methods to be tailored for wider understanding and use. It is our ambition to deliver the collaborative platform that will lay the seeds for growth with tangible benefits to the wider industry partners that currently underspend in R&I in the field of smart energy systems. Based on pan-European entities that are active in the PANTERA process, the envisaged platform strives for long term solidarity to build the required trust capable of delivering the much-wanted benefits of sharing results and knowledge and learning from best practice activities in related fields. Working closely with the services of the Commission the sustainable future of the developed platform will only go stronger making the ambition of single point of access for related work, a reality.
- Specific attention is given for supporting local energy systems accessing real data through ready-made tools for analysing and designing utilization scenarios that will benefit the integrated grid and local communities.
The PANTERA Consortium is a partner to the “International Energy Exhibition of Greece 2021” under the Cretan Energy Conferences series organised in Crete of Greece and is organising an interactive workshop “The key role of the R&I unified approach across EU for boosting smart grids investments: The EIRIE platform”, during which real evidence will be presented of the strengths of the EIRIE platform and how its rich content and functionalities will be a constant support to your endeavours in the years ahead. In July 2021 when we will meet in Heraklion Crete for the conference, the EIRIE platform will be up and running and we will be in the happy position of making real all our promises. Come and join us and we are sure that you will stay tuned and connected in the years ahead benefiting from the constantly growing wealth of EIRIE.
Dr. Venizelos Efthymiou is the chairman of the FOSS Research Center for Sustainable Energy, University of Cyprus, coordinator of the PANTERA project and f. Executive Networks Manager, EAC and Operational Manager of the Distribution System Operator of Cyprus (DSO).