On June 12, 2013, the Friends of the Supergrid hosted their first Academic Forum – a FOSG initiative to connect leading Academics with the promotion of an integrated European electricity grid.
A number of leading European universities are represented in the Forum, including the University of Dortmund (DE), Katholieke University of Leuven (BC), Universidad de Comillas (ES), the Technical University of Lisbon (PO), Universidad Carlos II (ES), Florence School of Regulation (IT) and Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE).
The objective of the FOSG Academic Forum is to advise FOSG on the best route to the delivery of the European Supergrid. The support of the academic community lends considerable additional strength to the FOSG coalition, which brings together some of Europe’s largest companies, with a combined turnover of more than 290b€.
The Academic Forum will assist on proposals and papers prepared by FOSG, propose areas of research, advise FOSG on issues that would reinforce the case for Supergrid, help create industry-university partnerships around the Supergrid and contribute and collaborate on shared research.
The first immediate actions that FOSG and its Academic Committee will undertake are the following:
– A summer course for Master’s level students in 2014 fully dedicated to the regulatory, economic and technical aspects of Supergrid;
– Dissemination and promotion by FOSG of the Academic Committee members’ work related to Supergrid or transmission network developments;
– Participation of the Academic Committee in the study to be launched by FOSG in autumn 2013 on the socio-economic benefits in building the first phase of Supergrid in the North Sea.
The Academic Forum and FOSG are committed to not only a sustainable energy market, but a sustainable supply of excellent, driven European talent to ensure the long-term success of the project.
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Press release, June 26, 2013; Image: friendsofthesupergrid