Press Release 079/2010

Designing Europe’s Future Energy System

KIC InnoEnergy International Consortium Celebrates Launch in Karlsruhe, First Successes in Education and Innovation
Europas Energie-Zukunft gestalten
Bright lights all over Europe. (Photo: NASA)

KIC InnoEnergy comprises 35 partners from enterprises, universities, research institutions, and business schools in Europe. They cooperate in creating a sustainable energy system for Europe, in rapidly commercializing new energy technologies, and in strengthening Europe for worldwide competition. KIC InnoEnergy will celebrate its official launch on Wednesday, July 07, 14 hrs, at the Karlsruhe Castle, Germany. The partners have already achieved first successes a few months after the approval by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

Information on these first milestones and other objectives of KIC InnoEnergy will be provided by the partners at a press conference on July 07, 12.30 hrs (for registration, please contact the KIT-press office). Representatives of the media also are cordially invited to come to the launch event at 14 hrs.

KIC means Knowledge and Innovation Community. At the end of last year, the EIT selected three KICs in Europe for funding with a total of EUR 308 million. Apart from KIC InnoEnergy for sustainable energy supply, the other two KICs focus on future information and communication society as well as on strategies for adaptation to climate change and its mitigation.

The establishment of KIC InnoEnergy presently is coordinated by KIT. KIC InnoEnergy is divided into six regional node points in eight European countries. These European colocation centers (Benelux, Iberia, AlpsValleys, Sweden, Poland plus, Germany) each coordinate a major energy topic for the consortium. The colocations are supported in the respective regions – in case of CC Germany, the state of Baden-Württemberg has already promised funding.

“Close linking of industry, research, and education and networking of innovation knowledge are the major features of KIC InnoEnergy,” underlines Professor Hans-Jörg Bauer from KIT, who coordinates the establishment. For the next four years, the consortium plans 65 energy patents and 50 start-ups. 90 new products shall be commercialized. First-class education and training of 1500 master and Ph. D. students are planned. Transfer of the knowledge to competitive products is a central issue of education already.

A master studies course in the field of sustainable energies will start next winter semester for students from various European countries. Mobility will be of central importance, as the students are supposed to move from one colocation center to another after the first two semesters. In addition, a Ph. D. program will be launched in the field of smart grids and energy storage. It will be funded jointly by the KIC InnoEnergy partners and EIT. In the 2011 winter semester, it is planned to establish a Ph. D. program in the field of chemical fuels, for which Ph. D. students from all over the world may apply.

The Cleantech Venture Day, an event that will take place alternately at the six regional node points of KIC InnoEnergy, will link ideas and investors and is supposed to introduce new energy technologies.




Program for the Launch Event
on July 07, 14 hrs, Karlsruhe Castle, Gartensaal

”Shaping Europe’s Future by Innovation”

14.00 hrs Opening and Welcome

Eberhard Umbach, President of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology,
Vice President of the Helmholtz Association

14.10 hrs Greetings
Heinz Fenrich, Lord Mayor, City of Karlsruhe

14.20 hrs Competitive Regions Built on Research, Education, and Innovation
Peter Frankenberg, Minister for Science, Research and the Arts,
State of Baden-Württemberg

14.40 hrs Energy Future in Europe – The KIC InnoEnergy

Hans-Jörg Bauer, Coordinator of KIC InnoEnergy

15.00 hrs Shaping Europe’s Future by Innovation – The KIC
Approach

Gerard de Nazelle, Director European Institute of Technology EIT

15.20 hrs Research and Human Resources Ensure Europe’s Strength
Hervé Bernard, Vice Chairman, CEA

15.40 hrs Innovation Provides Business Success: Our KIC InnoEnergy Deliverers
Wolfram Münch, Head of Research, EnBW

16.00 hrs Official Launch of KIC InnoEnergy

Peter Fritz, KIT Vice President Research and Innovation and KIC Steering Board

Members on Stage
Europe’s anthem: Freude schöner Götterfunken
16.15 hrs Reception and Get-together

The partners of KIC InnoEnergy:

Die Partner von KIC InnoEnergy


KIC InnoEnergy is funded by


KIC InnoEnergy wird gefördert vom eit



Further information on KIC InnoEnergy may be obtained at:
www.kic-innoenergy.com



Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is one of Europe’s leading energy research establishments. The KIT Energy Center pools fundamental research with applied research into all relevant energy sources for industry, households, services, and mobility. Holistic assessment of the energy cycle also covers conversion processes and energy efficiency. The KIT Energy Center links competences in engineering and science with know-how in economics, the humanities, and social science as well as law. The activities of the KIT Energy Center are organized in seven topics: Energy conversion, renewable energies, energy storage and distribution, efficient energy use, fusion technology, nuclear power and safety, and energy systems analysis.

 

Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.

lg, 30.06.2010
Contact:


Monika Landgraf
Chief Communication Officer
Head of Corporate Communications
Chief Press Officer
Phone: +49 721 608-41150
Fax: +49 721 608-43658
presse does-not-exist.kit edu

Contact for this press release:

Monika Landgraf
Press Officer
Phone: +49 721 608-21150
Fax: +49 721 608-41150
monika landgraf does-not-exist.kit edu


The press release is available as a PDF file.